Chonburi, Thailand – October 31st, 2025– In a coordinated operation, Thai police and local authorities stormed two townhouses in a village along Huay Yai Road, uncovering a trove of drugs including ketamine and crystal methamphetamine, along with equipment suspected of being used to manufacture the narcotic. One suspect was caught attempting to destroy evidence by pouring chemicals down a toilet.
The raid took place at 1:30 p.m. on October 31st, 2025, involving over 40 officers from Pattaya City Police Station, Nong Prue Police Station, Huay Yai Police Station, Tourist Police, Immigration Police, and Banglamung District administrative officials. The operation followed leads from the arrest two days earlier of a group of Chinese nationals accused of producing ketamine-laced electronic cigarettes, known locally as “pot K.”
The two adjacent two-story townhouses in Moo 1 of the Huay Yai subdistrict were surrounded before simultaneous searches were conducted.
In the first house, officers encountered two Chinese men and one Vietnamese woman inside. A search revealed ketamine scattered in rice bowls, plastic containers, and clear bags, alongside drug paraphernalia on the living room table. Additionally, approximately 500 grams of high-grade crystal methamphetamine (“ice”) and related utensils were found strewn throughout the premises. Two ketamine-infused vape devices were also seized.
The Chinese national who admitted ownership of the drugs was identified as Mr. Kai Yu Lin, 38. He claimed he purchased the substances for personal use from an entertainer in the Pattaya area and insisted he did not sell them. The other occupants—Mr. Chan Hsun-Shing, 40, also Chinese, and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Truc Ly, 32, from Vietnam, claimed to have no involvement with the drugs.
The second house yielded a more dramatic discovery. Officers observed a Chinese man, later identified as Mr. Shuangxi Jian, 46, of Malaysian-Chinese descent, fleeing to an upstairs bathroom. He was seen emptying two brown glass jars of chemicals into the toilet until they were completely drained. Police detained him and proceeded with the search.
Inside, authorities found brand-new equipment labeled in Chinese, resembling a setup for mixing chemicals to produce ketamine. Various substances, including sodium, methanol, and unidentified others, were recovered, along with numerous clear plastic zip-lock bags. All items were confiscated as evidence.
Mr. Jian claimed he had been guarding the property for about a year on behalf of a Taiwanese employer who was purportedly starting a chemical production company. He said he was unaware of the specific chemicals involved and that his boss instructed him to destroy any substances by flushing them down the toilet if authorities arrived and the situation appeared unfavorable. Jian admitted following these orders upon seeing the police raid but again claimed he didn’t know what the chemicals were for.
The operation stems from directives by Pol. Lt. Gen. Chatchai Surachetphong, Commander of Police Region 2, to intensify crackdowns on Chinese nationals involved in various crimes, particularly drug-related activities in the Banglamung area. The recent arrest of the “pot K” producers led to confessions pointing to a manufacturing base under Huay Yai Police jurisdiction, with the mastermind reportedly preparing to flee Thailand.
While significant quantities of evidence were seized, police remain skeptical of the suspects’ statements. They believe the equipment constitutes a ketamine production lab, though the detained individuals have provided little useful information. Investigations continue to identify and apprehend the key figures behind the operation.
