Bangkok 420 2026 — A Day Spent Almost Entirely with Cannabis Bonsai

I’m Kei (@smallnycer), a cannabis bonsai artist who was genuinely surprised by how quiet Bangkok’s 420 was this year compared to previous ones. This is my third 420 in Thailand, and 2026 was a day spent mostly alongside cannabis bonsai rather than at events. I made the rounds to a few dispensaries I know, and I want to put this day down in writing before it fades.

420 traces its origins to 1971 and a group of five students at San Rafael High School in California known as “The Waldos.” A friend’s older brother had given them permission to harvest a cannabis plot he’d grown in the hills, along with a hand-drawn map. Every day after school, they met at 4:20 PM in front of the Pasteur statue before heading out to search for it. They never found the plants — but the code “420” stayed with them. One member later connected with the Grateful Dead community, and the number spread through Deadhead circles. In 1991, High Times magazine published a flyer calling for people to gather on April 20th at 4:20 PM, and 420 went global from there.

Morning — Making Cannabis Bonsai at Green House Nuanchan

First stop was Green House in Nuanchan for cannabis bonsai repotting and creating a new small piece. Fresh clones had arrived, so I started with some lighter work. The ceramic I used this time is a Mino-style piece with a beautiful white glaze — the texture of the glaze itself is genuinely striking.

I found a piece of driftwood from last week that seemed like a good match, so I used it to make a small cannabis bonsai. It’s in its growth phase so it doesn’t quite look like a bonsai yet, but the balance came out well.

The main task today was repotting an autoflower cannabis bonsai I’d made three weeks earlier. Finding a ceramic this size was difficult, but I came across a Kyoto Kiyomizuyaki-style painted piece and decided to go with it.

Red and green floral patterns painted lightly on a white base, with a soft crackle glaze that adds depth. A ceramic that elevates the beauty of the cannabis bonsai immediately. The handcrafted character of the potter’s work and the natural beauty of the driftwood and cannabis came together in a single piece.

This bonsai was also made three weeks ago at Green House from a seedling that had been left in the cultivation room for a long time — carefully pruned and shaped. It had grown considerably in those three weeks. This photo was actually taken after I’d already done a little pruning, when I realized I hadn’t documented the before state. Figuring out how to bring structure back to a seedling that grew in all directions is genuinely enjoyable.

About 30 minutes of careful pruning, partial restructuring, and partial rebending to finish it. The trunk is thickening day by day and getting harder to bend, so I need to think about how to approach that going forward. I haven’t worked through many large seedlings yet, so the opportunity to learn from each one is valuable. One of the larger bonsai pieces did have its trunk snap and die from bending — a reminder every time that this part of the work needs more practice.

After making several more pieces across about three hours of work, I stopped by Green House Thong Lo on the way back — where I regularly display cannabis bonsai — to drop off a small autoflower piece in its flowering stage. That cleared the biggest task of the day for 420. Staff member Toey has some knowledge about cannabis cultivation and always takes care of the bonsai — genuinely helpful. On 420, she gave me two King Juice joints. Always appreciated.

Afternoon — Making Bamboo Products at Home

The cannabis bonsai work has been so consuming that I’d made almost no progress on the bamboo products I’d been wanting to make. Everything is hand-produced at this stage, so each piece takes time. Working through it, I found myself thinking: to redefine bamboo as something with genuine contemporary value, some products will eventually need to move toward larger-scale production.

This particular piece is a case for bamboo filters. My own personal case uses a limited-run design printed with the cannabis bonsai character — one of the advantages of handmaking is that you can easily make one just for yourself.

Laser printing each piece one by one creates waiting time between prints, so I used those intervals to make a cannabis bonsai to bring along when visiting dispensaries in the evening. This time I decided to use a type of ceramic I hadn’t worked with before.

That piece is this one: a cannabis bonsai in a handled Shigaraki-Iga style fired ceramic. The natural ash glaze expression is genuinely beautiful. From the moment I finished it, I had the feeling this might become a defining piece for 2026.

Evening — Visiting Dispensaries for 420

Around 8 PM I headed out into the city, carrying the new ceramic. Unfortunately, none of the dispensaries were running events — everything was operating normally. Last year at the High Times event I crossed paths with Thai rapper Youngohm and Ukraine-born, US-based artist Koala Puffs, among others. This year, with the ongoing cannabis law revision and various surrounding uncertainty, the mood across Bangkok’s dispensary scene was noticeably quieter.

GANJA MEN 驚奇甘蔗店

First stop was GANJA MEN 驚奇甘蔗店 in Asok. Batman the shop dog came out to greet me as always — friendly as ever — but immediately tried hard to eat the cannabis bonsai I was holding. Just genuinely charming; it cleared the fatigue from the day. With 420 approaching, more cannabis enthusiasts have been coming through, and certain popular strains were reportedly close to sold out — worth stopping by if you’re in the Asok area.

The best-selling strain at GANJA MEN this 420 was Gushlato. A balanced hybrid with creamy sweetness and fruit layered over a gas note. The dominant terpene Caryophyllene is associated with gently calming stress and producing natural relaxation. A good match for chill time or watching a film.

Highcraft

About a 5-minute walk from GANJA MEN, I stopped by Highcraft. Highcraft cultivates medical cannabis in the same building — if the timing works, grow room tours are available. The shop has Japanese-speaking Thai staff and is well known among Japanese visitors. It previously operated as Royal Queen Seeds, and the customers who used to come for seeds are still regulars. The team mentioned that a lot of people came in specifically for seeds on this 420 as well.

The best-selling strain at Highcraft this 420 was Amnesia Haze. A sativa-leaning strain with a bright aromatic profile of citrus and spice. The dominant terpene Limonene is associated with lifting mood and producing a light, clear euphoria with free-flowing thinking. A good match for creative work, daytime activities, or time spent in nature.

Kush House

About 15 minutes on foot from Highcraft, I stopped by Kush House as well. Kush House has a quality that’s rare in Thailand — an atmosphere genuinely close to American-style dispensaries, with art and energy that evokes the cannabis culture that developed in 1970s San Francisco. Original T-shirts are popular as souvenirs: the bold logo print and the collegiate-style arched typography design are both simple and distinctive, and wearable across styles. A few days before my visit, the smoking room had officially opened — you can now smoke inside the store.

The best-selling strain at Kush House this 420 was RS11. A hybrid with a fruity sweetness layered over a gas note. The dominant terpene Caryophyllene is associated with calming mental agitation and producing balanced relaxation. A good match for conversation and evening chill sessions.

Siam Green Cannabis Co

Next I stopped by Siam Green Co’s Phrom Phong location — the one that was covered by The New York Times. This area has a large Japanese resident community, and the team mentioned that many Japanese visitors came through on 420 this year. The most popular souvenir item this 420 was their original rolling paper set with a built-in grinder. The grinder and tray are integrated into a single product — everything you need to roll a joint in one piece.

The best-selling strain at Siam Green this 420 was PREZZURE. A hybrid with a rich candy sweetness layered over a dense gas note. The dominant terpene Caryophyllene is associated with calming stress and mental agitation, producing balanced relaxation. A good match for conversation and evening chill sessions.

Revana Café | Cannabis Dispensary

After Siam Green, I had an errand in Silom so I stopped by Revana Café on the way. The batch harvested in early April was apparently close to ready for release — they let me taste a few, and the quality was exactly what I’ve come to expect. I only intended to try one strain, but somehow four joints ended up in my hand. I also got to look at a recent lab analysis report, and the numbers were impressive. Given that products with inadequate quality control are known to circulate in the Thai market, choosing dispensaries that publish their analysis reports matters — this visit reinforced that.

The best-selling strain at Revana Café this 420 was Lemon Yogurt. A balanced hybrid with bright lemon and creamy sweetness. The dominant terpene Limonene is associated with lifting mood and producing a light, clear mental state. A good match for work sessions or resetting your head.

Cho Cho Hemp

Last stop of the night: a message came in that some friends had gathered at Cho Cho Hemp, so I made my way over. Cho Cho Hemp is in Thong Lo — prime location — and has maintained a loyal following for years because of the quality and the price. Japanese-speaking staff with solid cannabis knowledge means a lot of Japanese visitors come through daily, and 420 was no different.

Before moving to Bangkok, I had almost no serious Japanese cannabis connections. Now there are a handful of people at Cho Cho Hemp I can actually talk to in Japanese about the future of cannabis — which means something. We ended up sitting, smoking, and talking until I suddenly realized it was nearly 11 PM.

Bangkok 420 2026 — Looking Back

Bangkok’s 420 2026 passed without any events — just a day of making cannabis bonsai at Green House and visiting friends’ dispensaries. Some people might say “you’re in Thailand, why not go to an event?” But after three years of attending Thai cannabis events, I’ve found that virtually all of them center on promoting product quality, with almost no culture or art. If I’m being honest, the booths don’t interest me. They were fun at first, but they all feel the same now.

At Cho Cho Hemp that evening, the conversation drifted to a familiar question: why is there so little art in the cannabis market? But this is bigger than cannabis. In any field, culture emerges from art. Good vegetables are good vegetables — they don’t become art just by existing.

The project I started — Organic Gangsta — is built around the idea of redefining value. Cannabis bonsai is about changing the negative image of cannabis. The bamboo products are about bringing a smoking tool that’s been forgotten back into contemporary relevance. Every project I’m working on follows the same thread.

Building culture takes time. But life is once, and if something won’t change unless someone does it, I have to be the one who does it. I’ll keep believing in a day when art and culture have genuine roots in the cannabis world, and I’ll keep stacking one day on top of the next. I’m already a little curious about what next year’s 420 looks like.

Note: This article is based on content originally published on the Japanese edition of OG Times .