The Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta warns Thai tourists that they risk execution if they are discovered in possession of cannabis in Indonesia. Following the legalization of cannabis in Thailand on June 9, the warning was issued.

“The Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta would like to remind Thai people not to bring cannabis, hemp or products containing such plants into Indonesia,” the embassy said on its Facebook page.

When Thailand legalized recreational use of cannabis earlier this month, the country created history by being the first Asian nation to do so. The government distributed around one million free plants to its citizens as a way to stimulate the cultivation of the medical plant. In spite of this, several of the nations in the area continue to have quite severe penalties in place for anybody who is discovered being in possession of cannabis.

Anyone who violates a laws that was passed in 1997 in Indonesia is subject to serious repercussions according to the country’s legal system. A criminal might face a minimum fine of 1 Indonesian rupiah (about 2.4 million Thai baht), 5 to life in prison, or the death penalty.

The embassy also urged that individuals refuse to bring anything from others into Indonesia, since someone may be enticed to smuggle cannabis in the luggage.

According to Schapelle Corby, this is what transpired in 2004 when she was convicted of bringing cannabis into Indonesia. On October 8, 2004, Corby was apprehended at the Bali airport with 4.2 kg of marijuana in her baggage. Only because she was young enough to be rehabilitated was she spared the death sentence. She served 9 years of her 20-year sentence behind prison.

The Indonesian media branded Corby “the marijuana queen,” highlighting that her detention was the greatest cannabis seizure in Indonesia’s history. The documentary “Ganja Queen,” which aired in 2007, offered viewers a glimpse of the proceedings that took place behind the scenes of her trial.

There are now just five other nations in the world in addition to Indonesia that have the legal authority to execute an offender if they are discovered in possession of cannabis. The moral of this tale is that you should not go to Indonesia while in possession of cannabis.