Bangkok

Law Enforcement

Bangkok police took weed seriously, especially with tourists. Eight years in Thailand and six years smoking there brought three arrests. Around 20 g was enough for an officer to threaten ten years in prison with a smile. Bribes ended those encounters, and another officer allegedly pulled a bag of weed from his own pocket and threatened to plant it if the visitor returned. There were enough foreign prisoners to joke about a World Cup behind bars.

Khao San Road also had a bad reputation for setups that paid both the seller and the police. The southern islands seemed to have fewer cops. At the time, imports, exports and possession were described as requiring permission from the Ministry of Public Health with narcotics-board approval. A run of bar raids and compulsory urine tests made weed and other drugs scarcer and more expensive.

Where to Buy Marijuana

Soi 33’s parking lot and the motorcycle taxis by the hotel at the far end of Soi 26 came up early. A wait was normal there, with the hotel bar or the 7-Eleven outside to pass the time.

Trok Mayom, the lane behind Khao San Road, was known for its reggae bars and a clothes shop midway down. Guesthouse staff around Khao San sometimes made introductions. Darling, the massage parlour near Sukhumvit Soi 12, was associated with packs of 20 pre-rolled joints. Out on Koh Phangan, the Bob Marley restaurant reportedly listed pot on the menu.

Many supposed hot spots went nowhere. At one red light a young tuk-tuk driver agreed to help, disappeared for about six minutes and returned with roughly 4 g before driving back to the hotel. The advice at the time was to settle on a price, bargain hard since opening bids were sometimes double, and be wary of advance payment and police setups.

Bangkok prices varied by deal. A fresh newspaper-wrapped bundle was quoted at ฿2,000, a smaller deal at ฿500 and ฿200–300 as the reported lower end. No weights were given for those figures.

Types of Marijuana

Typically local ganja grown in northeastern Thailand, with modest potency and the occasional seed. Nepalese hash also turned up through contacts.

More Information

Pratunam had a different routine. Near the markets and the Indra Regent, tuk-tuk drivers gathered on the main-road side after about 6 p.m., sometimes with a bottle of SangSom. During eight months in Bangkok, this was a way to keep phone numbers and home addresses out of it. A driver would call a friend, and a green-and-yellow metered taxi would turn up about ten minutes later. The handoff took place in the cab without a ride. One tourist price was around ฿1,500 for 5 g of compressed local outdoor weed, usually without much seed or stem. Bangkok could be cheaper than Phuket and Phi Phi, though the islands felt easier.

A smile and a bit of patience went a long way with the people helping out. Police encounters were another matter. One account gave US$1,500–2,000 as the sums demanded in a bribery encounter, rising to US$4,000–6,000 if more officers got involved. The writer put the odds of walking away at a very unofficial 90 percent. Otherwise, think Bangkok Hilton.