BANGKOK (AP) — Thai officials on Wednesday said they planned to tighten regulations on cannabis sales after cases of tourists attempting to smuggle the drug out of the country soared in recent months.
Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis in 2022, which has boosted Thailand’s tourism and farming and spawned thousands of shops. But it’s facing public backlash over allegations that under-regulation has made the drug available to children and caused addiction.
The ruling Pheu Thai Party has promised to criminalize the drugs again, but faced strong resistance from its partner in the coalition government which supported the decriminalization.
Thailand’s Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin said at a press conference that officials are aiming to roll out new regulations in coming weeks that will tighten control on the sale of cannabis, including requiring shops to sell cannabis only to customers who have a prescription.
He emphasized that it is against Thai law to bring cannabis out of the country without permission from the authorities.
Airport officials said they have tightened inspections to detect smuggling attempts, adding that most people found with cannabis in their luggage are foreigners, especially Indian and British nationals.
Last week two young British women were arrested in Georgia and Sri Lanka for alleged attempts to smuggle cannabis after they flew there from Thailand, according to the British media.
Britain's government said a joint operation with Thailand in February resulted in over 2 tons of cannabis seized from air passengers. It said that since July last year, over 50 British nationals had been arrested in Thailand for attempting to smuggle cannabis.
It also said there was a dramatic increase in the amount of cannabis sent to the U.K. from Thailand by post since the decriminalization in 2022.
In March immigration authorities and police said 22 suitcases filled with a total of 375 kilograms of cannabis were seized, and 13 foreigners, most of them British, were arrested at the international airport on the Samui Island.
Thai officials said the suspects were hired to travel to Thailand as tourists then traveled to Samui, a popular tourist destination, where they would wait at the arranged accommodation to receive the suitcases with cannabis. They would then be instructed to travel from Samui to Singapore, and then from Singapore back to the U.K., where they would be paid 2,000 pounds ($2,682) upon completing the job.
FILE - Police stand guard as cannabis activists and entrepreneurs, holding cannabis plant gather in front of Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, July 8, 2024. Two years after marijuana was decriminalized in Thailand, nearly a hundred of its advocates marched to the prime minister's office Monday to protest a possible ban on general use. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 18 points, LaMelo Ball had 17 and the Charlotte Hornets built a 47-point lead in the first half of a 150-95 rout against the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.
It was the second-biggest win in franchise history for the Hornets and their largest on the road.
The Hornets bounced back from a pair of frustrating losses in a big way, having fallen to Toronto by one point and Indiana by two in their last two games. Charlotte pounded the NBA champion Thunder by 27 in Oklahoma City before those defeats, previously the Hornets' most lopsided victory of the season.
Tre Mann led the Hornets with 20 points in 12 minutes off the bench. Miles Bridges and Collin Sexton each scored 15 in a game Charlotte led by 57 in the second half.
Ryan Kalbrenner and Grant Williams returned from injuries for Charlotte, which outscored Utah by 45 points behind the 3-point line in the first half. The Hornets were 16 for 36 while the Jazz hit one of their 12 attempts.
Brice Sensabaugh scored 26 points for the Jazz, who rested leading scorer Lauri Markkanen and were without injured starting center Jusuf Nurkic.
Williams, playing for the first time since November 2024 after recovering from right knee surgery, hit consecutive 3-pointers to cap a 23-2 run that made it 39-8. The Jazz went scoreless for more than five minutes as Charlotte scored 17 straight points.
It was 45-14 after one and the Hornets extended it to 77-30 on Bridges' 3-pointer with 1:41 left in the half. Utah scored the final eight points of the half.
Kalkbrenner had 12 points and nine rebounds after missing 10 games with a sprained left elbow.
Hornets: Visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.
Jazz: Visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.
AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NBA
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) passes the ball as he is defended by Utah Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Bethany Baker)
Utah Jazz center Kyle Filipowski (22) drives to the basket as Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges, left, defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Bethany Baker)
Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams (2) catches a rebound as Hornets forward Moussa Diabaté, left, assists during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Bethany Baker)
Utah Jazz center Kyle Filipowski (22) reacts as Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green comes down the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Bethany Baker)
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) looks to pass the ball as Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Bethany Baker)
