Kuala Lumpur  - Malaysia's High Court on Wednesday sentenced two Thai nationals to death by hanging for trafficking almost 20 kilograms of cannabis five years ago, a news report said.

Sureeya Wuttisat, 45, and Asan Tong, 47, both from Thailand's southern province of Narathiwat, were detained in April 2004 at a petrol station in the central state of Pahang, the official Bernama news agency said.

The two were caught with 18.75 kilograms of cannabis, believed to have been brought in from Thailand for local distribution.

The report did not state when the men's sentence will be carried out.

Malaysia's tough drug laws prescribe a mandatory death sentence by hanging for those found guilty smuggling most types of drugs. (dpa)