Chonburi —
Banglamung district authorities launched an operation to apprehend individuals allegedly involved in the sale of Kratom water to minors on Saturday, March 16th.
A video of the raids can be seen here on our YouTube channel.
Acting on information received from concerned citizens, the authorities targeted two stalls suspected of selling mixed kratom juice to minors in the Banglamung area. The first stall, which wasn’t exactly inconspicuous and was named Mr. Kratom, resulted in the arrest of Mr. Pongchan (family name withheld), 24, and Mr. Pongsapas, 26, both Thai nationals. Officers seized over 310 bottles of flavored kratom water from the suspects.
The second stall, Huajai Bai Khom Chonburi, is located on Khao Ta Lo Road. The operation led to the apprehension of Mr. Manutsak, 27, and Mr. Vorawut, 23, also Thai nationals. Authorities confiscated more than 641 bottles of kratom water from the location.
According to Banglamung district chief Mr. Weekit Manarojkit, these arrests are part of an ongoing crackdown on the illegal sale of mixed kratom water. The four alleged offenders faced charges under Article 6(8) of the Food Act, which is punishable by imprisonment of 6 months to 2 years and a fine of 5,000 to 20,000 baht.
Kratom was decriminalized in 2022 in Thailand for personal use but requires a license to sell it mixed into other forms such as juice and food, which is difficult to get and requires FDA approval.
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