Section 145, Narcotics Code B.E. 2564

The Narcotics Code B.E. 2564 (2021) replaced the earlier Narcotics Act B.E. 2522 (1979) and consolidated Thai drug offences into a single statute. Section 145 governs Category-1 narcotics — heroin, methamphetamine (ยาบ้า and ยาไอซ์), cocaine, and other substances the Ministry of Public Health classifies at the highest schedule. Base-tier possession is punishable by up to 15 years' imprisonment; the higher tiers scale to life imprisonment or the death penalty for trafficking large quantities. Drug offences under §145 (and its sibling §146 for less-serious quantities) account for approximately 73% of the Thai prison population (FIDH 2025).