3 Thais detained and fined in Malaysia following drug tests

Three Thais planning to travel to Malaysia during the long weekend were in for a surprise. The travellers had been crossing a checkpoint into Malaysia from South Thailand’s Satun province this week. When Malaysian authorities took urine samples from the three, they were found to have traces of marijuana in their bodies.

The tourists were fined 50,000 baht, and jailed for three days. Malaysian border police have been on guard with Thai tourists driving across the border, thoroughly checking all cars, according to one van driver. The van driver is ethnically Thai, however, he holds Malaysian nationality. He told Amarin TV that even though he regularly meets with border officers, they still thoroughly check his van.

Cannabis in Malaysia is legal for medical purposes. Recreational use of cannabis under Malaysian legislation provides for a mandatory death penalty for convicted drug traffickers. Individuals arrested for possessing 200 grams (seven ounces) of marijuana are presumed by law to be trafficking drugs.

Following Thailand’s decriminalisation of cannabis, several countries have warned Thai travelers not to bring Thai weed into their countries. Last month, South Korea and Singapore embassies joined the list to warn travellers from Thailand not to carry marijuana, other cannabis-based products, or cannabis extracts through their borders.

SOURCE: Amarin TV