Tengah Slams Anutin-Bhumjaithai on Cannabis Legalization, Cites Drug Hub Fears

Matichon•Politics•13d ago

Reader Briefing

Thai MP accuses government of turning the country into a drug hub due to lax cannabis regulation, citing a surge in psychiatric patients and drug seizures.

•MP Nathaphong Rueangpanvut of the People's Party claims Thailand is becoming a global cannabis export hub and a base for transnational criminals.
•He highlighted a significant increase in psychiatric patients linked to cannabis use post-legalization and numerous drug seizures by customs.
•The MP criticized Anutin Charnvirakul and the Bhumjaithai Party for neglecting to enact sufficient regulations for cannabis since its delisting in 2022.
•Instances of large cannabis seizures abroad, originating from Thailand, were cited as evidence of the problem's scale.

Overview

•Nathaphong Rueangpanvut stated on July 8 that Thailand is becoming a global cannabis export hub, resulting in it being seen as a base for transnational criminal gangs.
•Thai customs seized nearly 3,000 cases of cannabis, totaling over 300,000 kg with a value exceeding 4 billion THB, between October 2025 and May 2026.
•Cannabis weighing 23 kg, valued at approximately 16.9 million THB, was seized in Hong Kong the previous week.
•Over 1.2 tons of cannabis, valued at around 450 million THB, were seized in Poland and Germany, smuggled inside shipping containers.
•3.37 tons of high-quality cannabis buds from Thailand were seized in Indonesia.
•The loss of Thailand's reputation began in 2022 when Anutin Charnvirakul, as Minister of Public Health, delisted cannabis from narcotics, while many destination countries still classify it as illegal.
•The number of psychiatric patients due to cannabis use rose from approximately 6,500 in 2019 to over 20,000 in 2023, a threefold increase, after cannabis was delisted.
•Nathaphong Rueangpanvut stated that the Bhumjaithai Party neglected to establish sufficient oversight and regulations for cannabis over the past four years (2022-2026).

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Key Quotes

Nathaphong Rueangpanvut

"Today, Thailand is becoming a global cannabis export hub and is viewed by governments worldwide as an operational base for transnational criminal gangs and drug traffickers."

วันนี้ประเทศไทยกำลังจะกลายเป็นฮับ (HUB) ส่งออกกัญชาของโลกและถูกมองจากรัฐบาลทั่วโลกว่า เป็นฐานปฏิบัติการให้กับแก๊งอาชญากรข้ามชาติ ผู้ค้ายาเสพติด

Nathaphong Rueangpanvut

"During Anutin Charnvirakul's tenure as Minister of Public Health, cannabis was delisted from narcotics."

สมมัยนายอนุทิน ชาญวีรกูล นายกรัฐมนตรี และรัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงมหาดไทย ดำรงตำแหน่งเป็นรัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงสาธารณสุข ที่ปลดล็อกกัญชาออกจากยาเสพติด

Nathaphong Rueangpanvut

"After delisting cannabis from narcotics, the number of psychiatric patients in 2023 jumped to over 20,000, a threefold increase."

หลังปลดล็อกแล้วกัญชาออกจากบัญชียาเสพติดแล้วตัวเลขผู้ป่วยจิตเวชในปี 2023 กระโดดขึ้นไปอยู่ที่ 20,000 กว่าราย หรือเพิ่มขึ้น 3 เท่าตัว

Nathaphong Rueangpanvut

"The People's Party does not oppose medical cannabis use, but strict and sufficient laws are what Anutin and Bhumjaithai Party neglected for the past four years."

พรรคประชาชนไม่ได้เห็นค้านในการใช้กัญชาทางการแพทย์ แต่การมีกฎหมายกำกับควบคุมดูแลที่เข้มงวดและดีเพียงพอเป็นสิ่งที่นายอนุทิน และพรรคภูมิใจไทยมีการละเลยใน 4 ปีที่ผ่านมา

Nathaphong Rueangpanvut

"I believe the past four years were a period where the Bhumjaithai Party might have been a bit sluggish, creating legal loopholes."

ผมเชื่อว่า 4 ปีที่ผ่านมาเป็นช่วงที่พรรคภูมิใจไทยอาจจะเกียร์ว่างไปหน่อย ทำให้เกิดช่องว่างทางกฎหมาย

Key Entities

Person

Tengah(เท้ง)

Member of Parliament (MP) and leader of the People's Party, criticizing the government's cannabis policy.

Anutin(อนุทิน)ℹ️

Minister of Public Health who oversaw the delisting of cannabis from narcotics, criticized for alleged negligence in regulation.

Nathaphong Rueangpanvut(นายณัฐพงษ์ เรืองปัญญาวุฒิ)

Member of Parliament (MP) for the People's Party, who publicly criticized the government's cannabis policies.

Anutin Charnvirakul(นายอนุทิน ชาญวีรกูล)ℹ️

Former Minister of Public Health who initiated the delisting of cannabis, criticized for the subsequent lack of strict regulation.

Organization

Bhumjaithai Party(ภท.)ℹ️

Political party criticized for allegedly neglecting to enact sufficient cannabis regulations during their tenure.

People's Party(พรรคประชาชน)

Political party advocating for stricter cannabis regulations, whose MP Nathaphong Rueangpanvut delivered the critique.

Customs Department(กรมศุลกากร)

Government agency that provided statistics on cannabis seizures between October 2025 and May 2026.

Office of the Narcotics Control Board(ป.ป.ส.)ℹ️

Government agency that will be directly overseen by the Prime Minister to intercept cannabis and drug exports.

Place

Hong Kong(ฮ่องกง)ℹ️

Location where 23 kg of dried cannabis, originating from Thailand, was seized.

Poland(โปแลนด์)ℹ️

Location where over 1.2 tons of cannabis, smuggled in containers from Thailand, were seized.

Germany(เยอรมนี)ℹ️

Location where over 1.2 tons of cannabis, smuggled in containers from Thailand, were seized.

Indonesia(อินโดนีเซีย)ℹ️

Location where 3.37 tons of high-quality cannabis buds from Thailand were seized.

Law

Minister of Public Health(รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงสาธารณสุข)

The ministerial portfolio held by Anutin Charnvirakul when cannabis was delisted from narcotics.

Thai Traditional Medical Wisdom Protection and Promotion Act B.E. 1999(พ.ร.บ.คุ้มครองส่งเสริมภูมิปัญญาการแพทย์แผนไทยปี 1999)

Law that currently governs cannabis producers, offering only three types of licenses and lacking a specific production license.