Police arrest Russian man and Thai woman in Patong over cannabis and work permits

Police arrested a Russian man and a Thai woman in Patong over cannabis and work permits. This was after Kathu District Chief Thitiwat Boonkit led a team to inspect cannabis shops in Patong, The Phuket Express reported yesterday.

The Thai woman, identified as 39 year old Apiradee Hanyek, was accused of selling cannabis buds without a permit. Some 175 bags of cannabis buds were seized from her shop.

The Russian national, identified as 34 year old Rychkov Kirill was accused of working without a permit.

Officers brought the two to Patong Police Station for further legal action.

In June last year, all parts of cannabis and hemp plants – including leaves, barks, body, fibres, branches, roots, seeds and inflorescences – were delisted as a Category 5 narcotic, essentially decriminalising possession of marijuana in Thailand. Extracts containing more than 0.2% THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, are still classified as a Category 5 narcotic.

However, people are not allowed to sell cannabis products without a license.

In the same month cannabis was delisted as a Category 5 narcotic, police closed all shops selling cannabis on Khao San Road in Bangkok for operating without a license on a public road. The police told the businesses that selling cannabis wasn’t wrong, but it is illegal without permission to do so.

Just last month, Pattaya Police swooped on unsuspecting cannabis stalls operating without a license in the Bang Lamung District and closed them down. Officers closed five unlicensed cannabis shops, and arrested one man, after inspecting hundreds of stalls in Pattaya over the weekend.

Five cannabis sellers, one on Walking Street and four on Soi Buakhao, were found to be operating without licenses and were subsequently closed down. The seller on Walking Street was also arrested. Pattaya Police chief Pol. Col. Kullachart Kullachai stated that all of the cannabis dealers had previously been warned.

Although cannabis was decriminalized on June 9, Parliament has not yet passed laws to regulate its use and sale. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the decriminalisation of cannabis is purely intended for medical use and to create economic opportunities for the Thai people.

The statement was not substantiated by legislation that would prevent the recreational use of cannabis, which to no one’s surprise, has skyrocketed.