Cookies Brings California Swagger to Bangkok, Gets Foothold in Thai Cannabis
Cookies reps said all the weed is grown in Thailand by partners. Earlier this year, one of the shop’s founders said they were working to import cannabis via Canada or Israel. What about all the other Cookies-branded merch sold at other dispensaries? Outside the shop, a QR code was plastered to the wall inviting producers to grow for them. That ended up not happening, and the store says all of its cannabis was sourced from domestic partners. That includes Sukhumweed Industries, whose founder has insisted he wants to safeguard the young Thai market from foreign dominance. According to Cookies staffer Andreas, those are, unsurprisingly, fake.
On Saturday, he was surrounded by local partners hoping his success will rub off and a host of hopefuls from California chasing new cannabis horizons in Thailand. Through a mutual friend, he had met Berner, who he credits as a great influence in his life. William Frye, 42, who sold weed in northern California under the name Teez on Decks, said he left everything behind in California – ex-wife, grown children, home, work – to chase his dream of owning a cannabis shop in Pattaya. When his money ran out, he was forced to return home but managed to fly back in time for Saturday’s opening. He first came to Thailand in August when Cookies was originally supposed to open.
The third partner is Joe Thawilvejjakul’s Great Earth International, which owns a diverse portfolio of food and beverage brands – and the property where Cookies Thailand opened. Berner, who was vibing too hard to answer questions – the boys from Thaitanium had just charged in – has said in news releases that it was very special his first trip to Asia was to open up its first Cookies store. “This store is beautiful and we are grateful for our partners on the ground in Thailand who helped make this possible. Thailand is an incredibly unique place full of incredible culture and opening up a Cookies store with the support of the country of Thailand, I am grateful for.
The joints being passed around were larger than the largest Burmese cheroots as people crowded the San Francisco rapper as he celebrated his American weed brand’s arrival to Bangkok. Scores of people waited in line to step inside Bangkok’s newest – at least for a few hours – cannabis dispensary, which opened downtown on Saturday. While dozens of new dispensaries appear every day, this one was covered in the distinctive logo of cannabis giant Cookies, and rapper/founder Berner was there to vibe with his friends and celebrate its first store in Asia.
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