Pattaya –
A Laotian vendor was arrested after midnight on Friday (November 22nd) near Pattaya Beach after he was found selling Kratom juice.
The Pattaya City Police told the Pattaya News that at 0:36 A.M. they arrested a suspect identified only as Mr. Paiwan, 25, a Laotian national. He was found selling Kratom juice and operating an unlicensed mat rental service. Seized from him in his vehicle were 48 bottles of Kratom juice and mats.
The arrest came after police received complaints from a concerned citizen about the Kratom, afraid it could affect the health of local residents. An undercover police officer bought kratom juice from the suspect before the arrest was made.
Mr. Paiwan claimed to the police that the items seized did not belong to him and he was only a friend of the so-called true owner, helping him out for allegedly free. However, he was still taken to the Pattaya Police Station for further legal action as police found the story suspicious, including the fact that the suspect claimed he didn’t know his “friends” real name or how to contact him.
Police are warning local vendors in Thailand that Kratom juice is listed as a controlled herbal product and any such controlled herbal product cannot be produced or sold without legal permission by the Thai Food and Drug Administration.
Kratom Juice is also not allowed to be added as an ingredient or mixed into other food or juice for selling without a license. So, even pure Kratom Juice in a bottle cannot be sold, especially on public streets. Anyone who breaks the law could be imprisoned from six months to two years or fined from 5,000 Baht to 20,000 baht.
