No more smoky gray zones — Pattaya welcomes clearer cannabis rules. PATTAYA, Thailand – For a city long balancing its reputation as a tourist playground with efforts to appear more orderly and family-friendly, the recent reclassification of cannabis flower as a controlled substance might just be the deep breath of fresh air Pattaya needs. The boom in cannabis shops over the past two years — many of them loud, loosely regulated, and aggressively targeting tourists — turned parts of the city into a haze of uncertainty. What began as a progressive step toward medical use quickly spiraled into a free-for-all, with neon-lit dispensaries lining Walking Street, open-air joints on the beach, and tourists puffing away with little thought for rules or repercussions. Locals and long-term residents have been divided. Some welcomed the economic activity, while others raised concerns about the city’s image, enforcement chaos, and the unclear message sent to young Thais and foreign visitors alike. Now, with cannabis flower officially returned to the list of controlled substances — and with stricter rules in place about possession, sale, and use — Pattaya can start regaining some control. Tourists without a legitimate Thai medical prescription are no longer allowed to smoke, carry, or buy cannabis flower. Street-side “smoke bars” may soon vanish, and authorities appear ready to crack down on businesses operating in legal grey zones. For Pattaya, which thrives on a delicate balance of freedom and structure, this shift is a chance to restore that equilibrium. Cannabis isn’t gone, nor banned outright — but it’s finally being placed back in the box where it belongs: regulated, responsible, and away from reckless display. Whether you’re a tourist here for sun and sea or a local trying to make a living, a clearer set of rules benefits everyone. And in a city often clouded by contradiction, clarity — and a bit of clean air — is something worth inhaling. Pattaya breathes easier as cannabis crackdown puts flower back under control.