A Vietnamese national was arrested for allegedly running an illegal cannabis farm in Thailand.

Nguyen Ngoc Huan, 49, reportedly cultivated the cannabis in a four-storey commercial building in Bangkok.

Police raided the marijuana farm on January 28 following complaints from residents about noise and strange odours coming from the property.

They arrested the Vietnamese man and seized more than 900 cannabis plants, including newly sprouted seedlings.

The first floor of the building was a fertiliser storage area where the workers also slept, while the upper floors housed an irrigation system, air conditioning units, and plant lights.

A police spokesman said: 'The suspect claimed that he was hired to take care of the farm. He has been doing this for three months for a monthly salary of 20,000 baht. He claimed he was working with two other people but they went home for the Chinese New Year. He said he did not know about the harvesting and selling process because it was handled by the owner.'

Authorities said Nguyen will face charges for working in Thailand without a permit, and selling controlled herbs for trade without a license.

The building owner will also face prosecution for cultivating cannabis without a proper license.

Police said the suspects may face additional charges if the processed cannabis was exported.

Cannabis with under 0.2 per cent of THC was decriminalised in Thailand in June 2022, as a potential cash crop for impoverished farmers. Cannabis smoking is allowed for personal use in private areas but remains prohibited in public spaces.

However, bungling officials are now seeking to outlaw recreational cannabis, blaming poorly regulated use for allegedly fuelling drug abuse and a rise in the the number of cases of tourists over-indulging in the drug.

Tourist destinations such as Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya have seen the negative consequences of legalising the drug, with tourists regularly arrested for misbehaving while under the influence of cannabis.

Earlier this month, Russian father Artem Bugorskiy, 45, allegedly threw his son overboard on a ferry while he was high on cannabis in Phuket. The teenager was killed by the boat's propeller.