wow! wasnt Thailand extremely strict on Marijuana?

Yes, all the Asian communities are exceptionally strict. Maybe not so much in India where it has been grown for ever,  for traditional holidays, rope etc. Thailand might be trying to be progressive in response to recent politics. The actual news is so filtered sometimes hard to tell whats really going on unless your there or nearby. I have a friend who lives in Thailand with his wife and family. So I try to stay up on things but hadn't heard this yet