In short
- 40 arrests and 577 kg of flowers seized at Suvarnabhumi between 1 and 24 October 2026, worth 5.8 million baht.
- Most of those held were foreign nationals, including 11 Indian, seven Chinese and five British travellers.
- Since January 2026, customs report 517 arrests and 10,628 kg of flowers seized.
- Exporting flowers without authorisation carries a 30,000 baht fine per kilogramme.
What to do
- 1Check the Customs Department's cannabis rules before you pack.
- 2Carry no cannabis flowers, in hand or checked baggage, without written export authorisation.
- 3Allow extra time at Suvarnabhumi for random luggage checks.
- 4If in doubt, leave cannabis products in Thailand.
What is changing at Suvarnabhumi?
More departing travellers are being stopped and more bags opened at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the Bangkok Post reports. The Customs Department says the extra screening follows a government instruction aimed at preventing Thailand from being used as a transit country for drug trafficking, and that it is working with Airports of Thailand on random checks of outbound goods and passengers' luggage. The figures and the tighter routine were announced on 25 October 2026.
Who is affected, and what are the rules?
The checks apply to anyone leaving through Suvarnabhumi, but the recent arrests mainly involved foreign nationals. Of the 40 people held in October, 11 were Indian, seven Chinese and five British, with others from Canada, Spain, Portugal and elsewhere in Europe and the Americas, according to the Bangkok Post. Between January and October 2026, customs officers arrested 517 people and seized 10,628 kilogrammes of flowers.
The rule itself has not changed: cannabis flowers are legal for medical use only and cannot leave Thailand without authorisation. Breaking that carries a fine of 30,000 baht per kilogramme. Our safety guide covers general precautions, and the packing list helps you check a bag before you fly.
Travelling soon? Plan around it
Build a day-by-day Thailand route that keeps flexible days where the weather and transport are uncertain.
Sources
We cross-check each story against official pages and several media, and rewrite it in our own words for travellers.
