Two Thais were detained for three days at a Malaysian border checkpoint near Satun province after consuming drinks containing cannabis before crossing to Malaysia.
Pol Col Thanison Sangtarnang, superintendent of Satun immigration bureau, said the two drove their vehicles across the border in Khuan Don district last week to shop and fill up with petrol in Malaysia.
"Before departing, they stopped at a convenience store to buy cold drinks," Pol Col Thanison said. "The drinks had cannabis as an ingredient."
He said the pair crossed without realising the effects of the drinks and tested positive for drugs. The pair were charged with using drugs and detained for three days and fined about 50,000 baht each, he said. They had since returned to Thailand.
Pol Col Thanison said Thais who want to cross into Malaysia should understand that cannabis is still considered a narcotic there. Under Malaysian law, those who carry more than 50 grammes of cannabis face 10 years in jail while those with more than 200g can get the death penalty, he said.
The Rural Doctors Society posted a warning on its Facebook page for cannabis users who travel abroad. It said cannabis compounds, especially tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), can be detected via a urine test, depending on the frequency of use.
The warning said that in non-regular smokers the compound could last for two to five days, so their urine would test positive during that period.
