Like visiting any other country, Thailand is a country that has its own laws that tourists and Thai people must adhere to when visiting.
Thailand has many rules that you probably didn’t know existed and this often leads to tourists having problems with the police due to a lack of understanding of these laws.
Moreover, Thailand is renowned for its extremely strict laws. Breaking laws that you would receive a caution for in the U.K can lead you to face years in a Thai prison and trust me, you don’t want to visit a Thai prison.
In this blog, I am going to inform you of some of the most important laws to follow to ensure that you have a happy, enjoyable experience whilst visiting Thailand.
Drug laws
As many people are aware, Thailand has some of the most notably harshest drug laws in the world. The Thai authorities show no mercy when it comes to drug charges.
On the UK Government’s website, it says that if you are caught with marijuana, you will receive a heft fine and you even risk imprisonment.
But if you are caught with over 20 grams of a Class A (including amphetamines and ecstasy as they are Class A drugs in Thailand), you risk receiving the death penalty.
If you are lucky enough to not receive the death penalty, you are extremely likely to face life in prison.
Avoid drugs at all costs in Thailand!
Disrespecting The Thai Royal Family
The Thai authorities are extremely protective of their royal family and the kings are treated as God figures. Any disrespect to them will not be tolerated and you will be punished.
The Thai law that bans the disrespect of its royal family is called Lese-Majeste. This law means that you face a prison term of between 3 and 15 years for insulting the royal family.
To avoid any trouble regarding the royal family, refrain from speaking about the Thai royal family unless you plan to do so in a positive way.
Drinking Laws
In Thailand, the legal age to drink is 20 and this law is heavily enforced in Thailand.
Buying alcohol even though you are not the legal age does occur but it is advised to avoid this as it will lead to hefty fines.
Thailand also forbids anyone from drinking in temples. This is because it is seen to be disrespectful to the Thai religion and this again can lead to fines.
Thailand also has alcohol free zones where it is prohibited to drink alcohol. It is common courtesy to obey these laws as they again show disrespect to the Thai government.
The sale of alcohol is banned between the hours of 2 pm- 5 pm and from Midnight to 11 am.
To avoid getting into any trouble in Thailand, respect their drinking laws and adhere to what you are told to on the government advice website.
Smoking Laws
In Thailand, there has been a recent crackdown on smoking. This has led to their being an increase in the strictness in laws regarding smoking.
Although smoking is not illegal in Thailand, it is illegal to smoke in public places. Smokers are not allowed to smoke in public buildings or public areas, except for open-air areas where it is designated.
Electronic cigarettes are also banned in Thailand. There are various tiers of penalties, but being caught vaping or even with an e-cigarette in your possession, can result in a fine of up to 30,000 Baht.
To avoid these large fines, vape in private or refrain from vaping whilst in Thailand.
Most of the beaches you visit in Thailand will have ‘No Smoking’ signboards. These signboards are there to warn tourists about the consequences of not following the smoking laws.
The penalty for smoking on a Thai beach that prohibits it can be as high as THB 100,000 or/and a year of imprisonment.
To avoid any penalties, ensure that you stick to smoking in the designated zones where it is legal for you to smoke a cigarette.
Final Thoughts
When visiting Thailand, ensure that you are safe, sensible and stick to the laws of the country. Abiding by these laws allow you to have the best experience.
The thing to acknowledge if you are breaking the law in Thailand is that the authorities are notoriously strict and things that you may consider to be small can lead you to lose your freedom for an extended period of time.