Although there seems to be no clear regulation around Kratom or any of its active components in the country, it is safe to say that bringing Kratom into China is probably not the wisest option. 

South Korea has made Kratom an illegal substance. It is heavily regulated with harsh penalties imposed against people who attempt importation and possession.

Kratom was outlawed in Hong Kong in August 2021. The country served as a connection point for many exports from Southeast Asia, but under the new law, any shipment of kratom passing through the country will be confiscated by its authorities and destroyed.

Kratom and its main active components are not listed under any of the official banned substances or narcotics by the Narcotics Control Bureau of the Government of India. 

While it is safe to say that Kratom is not illegal in the country, we advise caution when entering the country with big amounts of kratom. Possession and commercialization should not pose any real threat. 

While Indonesia is the main exporter of Kratom in the world, the use and sale of the plant are banned in the whole country.

Growing Kratom for exports is currently legal but not its local use or distribution. 

In 2016, Kratom exports from the region of West Kalimantan reached $130 million in annual profits, most of these exports were to the USA. 

In early 2019, some rumors were talking about a potential full ban on Kratom (including exports), making it a Schedule I drug and later on the same year regulation was passed regarding Kratom’s legality.

According to the American Kratom Association (AKA) “The Minister of Health in Indonesia has issued a regulation that bans kratom in Indonesia, including growing of kratom plants and exporting kratom raw material from Indonesia.  The regulation provides a 5-year transition period for kratom growers to shift to another crop. The Ministry of Agriculture has sent a document in the past week to various Ministry’s in the Indonesian government recommending the ban on kratom be formalized at all levels of government”.

This would have a great impact on Kratom imports worldwide since 95% of the world’s Kratom supply comes from Indonesia.

The two main alkaloids present in Kratom, Mitragynine and 7-Hydroxymitragynine,  were added to the list of controlled drugs of Japan. 

Bringing Kratom to the country is therefore illegal and could be considered as drug smuggling or trafficking. Penalties for drug use, possession and trafficking are usually severe and can include long jail sentences and fines. 

Kratom is considered illegal in Malaysia under Section 30 (3) Poisons Act 1952. However, it is reported that possession in Malaysia isn’t a major issue.

Bringing kratom into Malaysia is could have you regarded as a drug smuggler. Quantities above a certain level are harshly punished.

Kratom is now illegal in Myanmar. It cannot be grown or purchased.

Kratom is strictly illegal in Singapore. Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, two of the main active elements in the Southeast Asian plant, are currently considered Class A controlled drugs and are listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA).

Under Singapore’s MDA, there are 3 kinds of drug offenses: 

1. Possession: The penalty for possessing drugs is a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment or a fine of $20,000 or both.

2. Consumption: The penalty for drug consumption is a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment or a fine of $20,000 or both. The authorities have the right, under MDA, to request hair or urine samples to anyone who is suspected of drug consumption. 
Possessing tools to consume drugs can be also punishable with 3 years in jail or a fine of $10,000 or both, regardless of the tests’ results.

3. Trafficking: The penalties for drug trafficking range from imprisonment and strokes of cane to the death penalty. The penalty will depend on the class and the quantity of the drugs. 

Medical use of Kratom and marijuana are legal in Thailand. On Christmas day 2019, new legislation was passed to make both substances legal for medical use. Recreational use of both is still illegal and punishable by death. Kratom has been illegal since 1943. In 1979, Kratom was reclassified as a Type 5 narcotic (the least restrictive and punitive level). It was included in the Thai Narcotics Act along with cannabis and mushrooms, reducing sentences and punishments from those guilty under the act.

According to the Taiwan Controlled Drugs Act of 2017, Kratom and one of his active elements, mitragyna, were included in the list of controlled substances under the Schedule 3.  

Bringing Kratom to Taiwan is therefore considered ilegal and could be punished with economic fines and even imprisonment in some cases. 

Although there isn’t clear legislation concerning the legality of Kratom in Vietnam, drug policies in South East Asia tend to be quite strict in general. With Kratom being in a gray area in many countries, it is not worth the risk of bringing Kratom into Vietnam.