SILQ Law has advised on cannabis-related matters from the earliest stages of Thailand's regulatory evolution - well before decriminalization and through the significant policy shifts of 2022. Thailand was the first country in Southeast Asia to decriminalize cannabis, but the enthusiasm of that moment has given way to a more complex reality: there is still no Cannabis Act, no comprehensive licensing framework, and no clear or stable pathway for commercial operations. The regulatory landscape is patchy, contested, and evolving - which is precisely where deep expertise matters.

The absence of a Cannabis Act means commercial cannabis activity in Thailand continues to operate without settled legal footing. Cultivation and personal use have been decriminalized, but commercial activities - processing, sales, distribution, and export - remain subject to overlapping and sometimes contradictory regulations across multiple agencies including the FDA, the Ministry of Public Health, and the Department of Agriculture. Our team advises businesses and investors on navigating this uncertainty, structuring operations to manage compliance risk, and engaging strategically with a regulatory environment that continues to shift.

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) was removed from Thailand's controlled substances list in 2021 after decades of prohibition. We advise on the regulatory framework governing kratom cultivation, processing, and export - including compliance with agricultural and food safety regulations, the rules governing kratom-based products in domestic and international markets, and the cross-border trade considerations for operators targeting international buyers.

Across the broader healthcare and wellness sector, we advise on clinic and wellness center licensing, foreign investment structuring for health businesses, health product import and distribution compliance under Thailand's FDA regime, and the regulatory requirements applicable to medical tourism operations and health-adjacent businesses operating in Thailand.