Drug laws will be merged and amended as the government mounts a new effort to crack down on narcotics, according to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB).
The proposal was made by deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, said ONCB secretary-general Permphong Chavalit.
Mr Permpong said several drug acts will be incorporated into a bill, which will be tweaked to conform to the government's policy.
Permpong: Bill to govern drug agencies
The ONCB is drawing up the bill, which will be forwarded to Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya next month, he said.
The bill will govern every agency dealing with drugs, he said. It will also address penalties, narcotics types, the role of anti-drug agencies, drug precursors and control measures, he said.
He conceded there is no clear measure for controlling drug precursors and chemicals being shifted into the country. Chemicals used to make medicines are imported from various countries, and it is hard for authorities to curb them, he said.
The narcotics-related chemicals are still not clearly classified for fear it would affect medicine production, Mr Permpong said.
Thai authorities have discussed the problem with China, India and South Korea, which manufacture the substances. The countries do not have strict measures to control the substances, though will step up screening at the procurement stage, including for substances such as pseudoephedrine, he said.
China has a production hub for chemicals and precursors in Guangzhou.
Chemicals and precursors are smuggled through Vietnam and Myanmar, which are heightening efforts to control them, he said.