More than 7,000 cannabis shops in Thailand have closed. Most did not shut because of a raid. Their licences simply expired and the owners never asked for them back.
According to the Ministry of Public Health, licences for 8,636 cannabis establishments ran out during 2025. Only 1,339 operators applied to renew, about 15.5 percent. The other 7,297 did not, and the shops closed. By late December 2025 an estimated 11,136 were still operating, down from 18,433 registered businesses. Another 4,587 licences expire in 2026 and 5,210 in 2027, and the ministry has said more closures may follow. All will be judged under tighter standards.
How the market got here
Thailand took cannabis off its list of narcotics in June 2022, the first country in Southeast Asia to do so. Medical use was already allowed. Shops multiplied quickly, but the rules for growing, selling and distributing it stayed thin. Oversight leaned on earlier ministerial regulations that were never written for a large commercial market. Officials began to reassess licensing compliance, consumer protection and the effect on neighbouring communities.
A “controlled herb”
Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat said the Cabinet has approved a draft ministerial regulation that classifies cannabis as a “controlled herb” for commercial purposes. It covers permits for study, research, export, sale and processing, and replaces rules introduced in 2016 that no longer matched the scale of the market, he said.
Under the draft, sales would be limited to designated premises, including the workplace of a registered traditional healer. Cannabis would be dispensed under medical supervision, with doctors prescribing and authorised staff handing it over. Authorities say Thailand has enough medical professionals to run this without cutting off patients who use cannabis as medicine.
The draft also sets physical standards. Licensed premises need odour and smoke control so neighbours are not disturbed. Cannabis must sit in appropriately sized warehouse space, apart from other products, out of direct sunlight, at controlled temperature and humidity, and never directly on the floor. Each licensed site must have at least one trained staff member on duty at all times, with training provided by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine.
Sources
Sources
- 7,000+ Cannabis Shops Shut as Thailand Tightens Cannabis …
- Thailand Cannabis Law: Complete Guide for 2025
