Can You Carry a Knife in Thailand? (I Bought a Machete!)
Thailand is not the West. Where I’m from, the maximum penalty for an adult carrying a knife or weapon if found guilty, is up to four years in person an unlimited fine, or both.
Thailand is freer; I’ve bought a machete, a crowbar, and even a serrated blade from the Thai equivalent of Amazon (Lazada). This article will clear up all your questions, but trust me, you won’t have issues carrying a knife in Thailand.
According to ‘Criminal Code, section 371,’ if you’re carrying the weapon in Thailand ‘without justifiable grounds,’ you risk the police confiscating it, and needing to pay a 100 baht ($2.62) fine.
You can read more information in Thailand’s official law library.
You can see in my YouTube video here where I walk into a random department store, and there are a lot of weapons and knives ready to buy. The culture is different with knives than in the West.
Police have never stopped me, but if they do stop you while carrying, be calm. Of course, they might try to screw you over but lean on your ‘ justifiable grounds“.
Around a week ago, I was bitten by a dog when I mistakenly went on a wrong turn and ended up on someone’s property; if that isn’t justifiable grounds to own a knife, I don’t know what is.
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As I speak Thai, if I ever got stopped, I’d explain to the police why I was carrying a knife, and they would understand. But, so far, the only reason I got stopped was in Chiang Mai when the police checked if I had a legal driving license.
I live on an island, so life is different here, but the law is not, stand your ground and argue justifiable grounds, and you will be okay.
Why Carry a Knife in Thailand?
A Knife Is a Tool
How many times have you struggled to open something? A knife makes EVERYTHING easier, from opening a new package you bought to trying out different fruits; a knife is a useful tool that makes everything easier.
I remember sitting on my second bungalow on the island, which overlooks the sea; there was a switchblade chilling there; it’s just part of the culture. So, yes, you CAN use a knife for self-defense, but it is more useful than that.
A machete is used to cut down trees, a garden shear is used to trim bushes, and a kitchen knife is used for cooking.
A Knife Is Used for Defense
Thailand is a safe country, even compared to countries like the United States or, where I’m from, England. I’ve NEVER felt unsafe here.
Saying that there have been a few times when a Thai guy swore at me on the road which could have resulted in a fight.
Look, I train martial arts, so I never condone violence, but having a knife is similar to the creator of the USSR’s first hydrogen bomb Andrei Dmitriyevich Sakharov, being awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in recognition of his struggle against “the abuse of power and violations of human dignity in all its forms.
If the would-be attacker SEES the knife, they are MUCH less likely to engage, as they know there will be serious consequences; I know I’ll feel a lot safer when my knife arrives from Lazada. So rest assured, feel FREE to carry a knife in Thailand.
