Laws in Thailand
How Thailand is classified on 39 of the 48 laws this site maps, grouped by subject. Each links to the full answer and its source.
Body & Life
- Abortion
- Legal on request Abortion is available on request, subject to a gestational limit.
- Suicide Laws
- Not a crime
- FGM Laws
- No specific ban There is no specific legal ban on FGM.
- Surrogacy
- Varies by region Commercial surrogacy is banned for foreigners in Thailand but allowed for opposite-sex married residents.
Money & Games
- Gambling Age
- 19–20 Minimum age to gamble: 20.
- Cryptocurrency
- Banking ban / restricted Cryptocurrency is legal to trade and hold but cannot be used as payment.
Daily Life
- Public Smoking Bans
- Comprehensive ban Thailand bans smoking in all indoor and outdoor public establishments, including bars and restaurants, with fines for non-compliance.
- Driving Age
- 18+ Minimum age to drive a car: 18.
- Homeschooling
- Legal Homeschooling is legal.
Animals & Environment
- Fur Farming
- Legal No ban on fur farming.
- Cosmetic Animal Testing
- No ban No ban on testing cosmetics on animals.
- Plastic Bag Bans
- Banned Lightweight plastic bags are banned nationwide.
Civic & Family
- Voting Age
- 18 The voting age is 18.
- Compulsory Voting
- Voluntary Thailand does not have compulsory voting.
- Minimum Working Age
- 14–15 Minimum working age: 15.
Relationships & Sexuality
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Marriage legal Same-sex marriage is legally performed and recognized.
- Same-Sex Activity
- Legal Same-sex sexual activity is legal.
- Age of Consent
- 14–15 The age of consent is 15.
- Sex Work
- Decriminalized / unregulated Selling sex is legal in Thailand, but solicitation and pimping are illegal.
- Pornography
- Illegal Making, producing, or distributing obscene materials for trade is punishable by imprisonment or fines.
- Divorce
- Legal Divorce is legal and generally available by mutual consent without fault.
- Non-Binary Recognition
- Not recognized Thailand does not legally recognize non-binary gender on identification documents.
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Joint adoption legal Same-sex couples can jointly petition to adopt.
- Incest Laws
- Legal between adults
- Marriage Age
- 18+ Minimum marriage age: 18.
Speech & Belief
- Blasphemy Laws
- Criminal offense Thailand's penal code and Sangha Act criminalize insults to religion with imprisonment penalties.
- Holocaust Denial
- No specific law No specific law against Holocaust denial.
- Flag Desecration
- Criminal offense Desecrating the Thai national flag is a criminal offense punishable by fine or imprisonment.
- Conversion Therapy
- No ban No legal ban on conversion therapy.
Justice & Weapons
- Death Penalty
- Retained / in use Retained in law and used.
- Gun Laws
- Licensed / moderate Handguns are obtainable for sport or hunting, but self-defense alone is not sufficient for a license.
- School Corporal Punishment
- Banned Corporal punishment is officially illegal under the 2005 Ministry of Education Regulation, despite common practice.
- Military Conscription
- Selective / de jure only
Substances
- Cannabis
- Legal (Medical) Cannabis is legal for medical use only; recreational use remains prohibited.
- Drinking Age
- 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 20.
- Smoking Age
- 19+ Minimum age to buy tobacco: 20.
- Psilocybin Mushrooms
- Decriminalized / tolerated Psilocybin possession is illegal but not enforced in practice.
- Salvia Divinorum
- Legal / unregulated Salvia divinorum is legal or unregulated.
- E-Cigarettes
- Sales banned E-cigarette sales are prohibited.
Nearby countries
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.