Shops and retail
Where a dispensary can and cannot be located: premises rules
Thailand Cannabis Report · Reefers Club Co., Ltd. · Last checked 31 October 2026
A cannabis licence in Thailand attaches to a place as much as to a person. Where the shop sits, how it holds the premises and how it stores and contains the product are all part of the licence, and the location can be the reason a licence is refused.
Places a shop cannot sell
The DTAM guideline announced on 22 June 2026 lists selling in prohibited locations as grounds for revocation, naming temples, dormitories and public parks. Estimated Rules since 2022 have also targeted sales around schools and to students. Check the current list with your provincial public health office before you sign a lease.
Holding the premises
Ministerial Regulation No. 2, in force since 30 April 2026, requires the premises to be held by ownership or a possessory right. Verified In practice that means a lease, or the landlord's consent where the lease needs it, that you can produce at inspection.
Storage and odour
- Flower stored separately and off the floor.
- An effective odour and smoke removal system.
- No smoking on the premises, which is grounds for revocation. See can a dispensary allow smoking on site.
The power to refuse on location
DTAM may refuse a new licence or a conversion on the location of the premises or other grounds. Verified A site that worked in 2023 is not guaranteed to pass in 2026, especially where neighbours, schools or religious sites are close.
Before you sign a lease
- Check the distance to temples, schools, dormitories and parks.
- Confirm the lease allows the use and gives you a provable right to the premises.
- Plan the storage and the odour system into the fit-out.
- Ask the provincial public health office about the site before you commit. See how to choose a dispensary location.
Section 3 of the report, free to read, sets out the licence conditions.
Sources
- Section 3 of the 2026 report, The rules in force (free to read)
- Thairath, DTAM guideline on administrative orders for cannabis shops, 22 June 2026
- Tilleke & Gibbins, Cannabis and Hemp Business Guide Thailand 2025
This article is market intelligence, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Rules change by notification; check the current text with the relevant authority or Thai counsel before you act.
In short
Where can't a cannabis shop be located in Thailand?
The June 2026 guideline lists selling in prohibited locations such as temples, dormitories and public parks as grounds for revocation.
Does the shop need to own its premises?
It must hold them by ownership or a possessory right, such as a lease it can show.
Can DTAM refuse a licence because of location?
Yes. DTAM may refuse a new licence or a conversion on the location of the premises.
Are there storage rules?
Flower must be stored separately and off the floor.
Why does odour control matter?
An effective odour and smoke removal system is a licence condition, and cannabis smell or smoke can be a public nuisance.
Want the numbers behind this?
This article gives you the argument. The figures, where they come from and how sure we are of each one are in the report.