Thai travelers risk death penalty if they bring weed into Indonesia; embassy warns against it

Although Thailand legalized marijuana earlier this month, its neighbor Indonesia warned travelers not to cross into the country with it, where violators could face the death penalty.

The Royal Thai Embassy of Jakarta, Indonesia, issued the warning yesterday on their official Facebook page. A cartoon image of a police officer with his hand up and a “do not” sign of a cannabis plant with a red line through it adorned the message.

“The Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta would like to warn Thai people not to carry cannabis, hemp, or products with cannabis or hemp ingredients into Indonesia,” it read.

Violators of the law could face a fine of at least 5 years to life imprisonment, capital punishment or a fine of roughly 2.4 million baht (approximately $67,800).

The warning comes amid Thailand’s shocking decision to not only legalize weed, but almost completely de-regulate it, with marijuana users free to use as much of the plant as they would like for medicinal purposes.

Thailand’s government also recently gave away 1 million cannabis plants to encourage cultivation.

This is in stark contrast to the country’s previous treatment of drug offenders, which included executing traffickers with firing squads in Bangkok’s prisons.

Still, as the first Asian country to legalize marijuana, Thailand’s radical turn gives hope to weed-friendly residents of Singapore and Malaysia, along with Indonesia, all of which continue to impose the strictest of punishments and penalties for anyone carrying even the smallest amounts of the drug.

Featured Image via DW News

Share this Article