Thailand - Songrkan: Special Extended Holiday for 2024 Songkran Festival in Thailand

Friday, April 12, 2024, is a special public holiday for the 2024 edition of the Songkran festival, offering a five-day weekend. This year, the government is focusing on promoting lesser-known provinces during this holiday, with an emphasis on local tourism.
The traditional Songkran public holidays are from April 13th to 15th, with April 16th as the public holiday replacing April 13th, which falls on a Saturday. The cabinet believes that this extended holiday will help promote tourism and reduce traffic congestion.
Therefore, the 2024 Songkran festival in Thailand begins this year from Friday, April 12th, to Tuesday, April 16th, inclusive.

Thailand - Cannabis: March 2024: Debate and delays over legislation to ban cannabis again in Thailand

Delay in Approval of Bill

The Thai government has delayed the approval of a bill to ban the recreational use of cannabis, requiring more time to gather further opinions from stakeholders, including the public and pro-cannabis interest groups.
The original intention behind the decriminalization of cannabis in Thailand, primarily for medical rather than recreational use, is emphasized. However, questions have been raised about the bill’s vague wording regarding a total ban on recreational use, as well as the proposed fines for such use.
These debates over the differentiation between recreational and medical use of cannabis delayed the introduction of cannabis legislation for almost two years.

Prospects for Compromise and a Pro-cannabis Alternative

Against this backdrop, pro-cannabis activists are planning to propose their own version of the bill, which would restrict recreational use to private spaces and introduce penalties for smokers in public places.
The delay in approving the bill is seen as an encouraging sign towards a compromise, avoiding a confrontation in Parliament or protests from cannabis business owners.