Since the recreational use of marijuana was made legal in Thailand on June 9, Chinese government authorities have urged Chinese people living in Thailand to refrain from consuming cannabis. The Chinese embassy issued a warning that any anyone found guilty of drug use or trafficking would be subject to severe punishments.

The Chinese Embassy in Bangkok issued warnings on its website for Chinese citizens already residing in or planning a trip to Thailand. It issued a warning that anybody detected with marijuana in their system upon their return to China might face criminal prosecution for the offense.

Thailand is a popular tourist destination for Chinese travelers, seeing between 700,000 and 800,000 visitors each year.

Chinese citizens in Thailand should make sure the items they consume in Thailand do not include THC and CBD in order to prevent such a danger.

It also warned Chinese citizens from bringing back any items from Thailand containing marijuana since doing so may result in arrest. The embassy also advised that if the THC content of the items they were transporting was more than the legal limit of 0.2 percent, they risked detention at a Thai airport upon departure.

“Marijuana is considered a severe narcotic drug in China and a controlled substance by the United Nations. Possession of products with marijuana content is still illegal in many countries,” the embassy advised.

Foreign Chinese residents of Thailand were also advised to “love your own lives, control yourselves and strictly abide by the law” in order to prevent any unfavorable outcomes.