Is Kratom Legal in Thailand? Buyers, 4×100 Mix, and Export Rules

Kratom is legal in Thailand. Adults can buy, grow, possess, and consume it without restriction after the country removed the plant from its narcotics list on August 24, 2021 and passed the Kratom Plant Act B.E. 2565 (2022) to govern it.¹ What stays illegal is narrower but important: mixing kratom with other drugs, selling it to minors or in restricted locations, and moving it across the border without a license.

You will see kratom sold openly at markets, roadside stalls, dedicated shops, and some cannabis dispensaries. Tourists are subject to the same rules as Thai nationals, so walking into a shop and buying fresh leaves or kratom tea is perfectly legal.

Who Can Buy and Use It

There is no possession limit for personal use. Two groups of people, however, cannot legally be sold kratom: anyone under 18, and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Sellers must display cautionary signs at the point of sale, including on online platforms, informing customers of these restrictions.¹ A vendor who skips the signage or sells to a minor faces a fine of up to THB 50,000 (roughly USD 1,400 at typical exchange rates).

The 4×100 Mixture Is Still a Crime

The fastest way to turn legal kratom use into a criminal offense is combining it with other controlled substances. Thai law specifically prohibits consuming kratom leaves mixed with narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, or other dangerous substances unless the mixture serves a documented medical or educational purpose.¹ Violations carry a maximum fine of THB 50,000.

The law was written with one concoction squarely in mind: the “4×100” cocktail, a brew of boiled kratom leaves mixed with cough syrup containing codeine or dextromethorphan, cola, and sometimes ice. It has been popular among young people in the southern provinces, and the government treats it as a serious public health concern. Advertising kratom mixed with psychotropic substances for recreational use is its own separate offense, carrying up to two years in prison and a fine of up to THB 200,000.¹ If someone offers you a kratom drink laced with cough syrup at a party, both of you are breaking Thai law.

Where Kratom Cannot Be Sold

Kratom can be sold in most retail settings, but the Kratom Plant Act bans sales of leaves or kratom-containing food in several places:

Educational institutions, including schools, universities, and their surrounding grounds
Dormitories and similar student housing
Public parks and zoos
Amusement parks
Vending machines

Violating these location bans carries a maximum fine of THB 50,000.¹

In October 2025, the Justice Ministry and Public Health Ministry jointly expanded these restrictions, prohibiting the sale of kratom leaves and boiled kratom juice within 1,000 meters of schools. The same directive banned hawking kratom from stalls in public spaces.

Taking Kratom Out of Thailand

This is where most visitors run into trouble. Legal in Thailand does not mean legal to pack in a suitcase.

Thai Export Licensing

Importing or exporting kratom leaves without a license from the Secretary-General of the Narcotics Control Board is illegal under the Kratom Plant Act.¹ Licenses are limited to Thai nationals aged 20 or older residing in Thailand, Thai-registered companies, community enterprises, and government agencies, which rules out most travelers. Unlicensed import or export can result in up to one year of imprisonment and a fine of up to THB 100,000.

The act does include a narrow exception for individuals carrying kratom for personal consumption, therapy, or treatment of an illness. The exact gram or kilogram allowance has not been publicly defined in available English translations of the ministerial regulations, so there is no reliable published number to rely on. Anything over the personal allowance is treated as a commercial import or export.

Destination Countries Matter More Than Thai Rules

Even if you clear Thai customs, kratom is prohibited in several countries you may be flying to. Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Myanmar fully ban it. Australia bans it under its most restrictive drug scheduling category. Some European countries have also restricted it, though the rules there are not uniform. Arriving in any of these countries with kratom in your luggage is a criminal offense regardless of where you bought it.

Bringing Kratom to the United States

The U.S. picture is mixed. Kratom is not federally scheduled, and it can be bought domestically in most states. But the FDA does not recognize kratom as a lawfully marketed drug, dietary supplement, or food additive.² The agency works with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to intercept kratom shipments, and Import Alert 54-15 authorizes customs officials to detain kratom products at the border without physically examining them.³ Your purchase can be confiscated at U.S. customs even though the same product is sold at a gas station in most American states. If you want to try kratom in Thailand, the safer approach is to enjoy it there rather than carrying it home.

Penalty Summary

Penalties under the Kratom Plant Act range from fines to short prison terms depending on the offense:

Selling to minors or to pregnant or breastfeeding women: fine up to THB 50,000
Consuming kratom mixed with narcotics or psychotropic substances: fine up to THB 50,000
Selling in a prohibited location: fine up to THB 50,000
Advertising kratom mixed with psychotropic substances for recreational use: up to 2 years imprisonment and/or fine up to THB 200,000
Importing or exporting without a license: up to 1 year imprisonment and/or fine up to THB 100,000

The overall penalty range under the act spans from THB 30,000 in fines at the low end to two years of imprisonment at the high end.¹ By regional standards these are moderate, but the mixture and unlicensed export offenses are the ones the Thai government treats as priorities.

1
Korean Ministry of Government Legislation. Kratom Plant Act B.E. 2565 (2022) – Unofficial Translation
2
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA and Kratom
3
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Import Alert 54-15