A special operations police team arrested a woman for selling boiled Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) water to tourists and youngsters on Pattaya Beach, on January 2. The undercover operation was launched after local residents complained about the rampant sales of the illicit psychoactive beverage.
The police team posed as customers and bought 1-liter bottles of Kratom water for 100 Baht each, using marked banknotes to trace the seller. They then nabbed Kesarin Sawaengnoak, 28, also known as “Nat”, who was hiding an ice-filled foam box containing four 1-liter bottles and two smaller bottles of Kratom water. Kesarin confessed that she was the supplier of the Kratom drinks, which she obtained from Sri Racha.
Kesarin said that she sold the Kratom drinks for 100 Baht per liter and 50 Baht per half liter, and that she could sell up to 100 bottles per day. She claimed that she did not know that selling Kratom water was illegal. The police charged Kesarin with the offense of “selling food containing Kratom leaves as an ingredient without permission”.
They said that they would investigate the case further and take legal action against her. The police said that the undercover operation was part of their efforts to crack down on the illegal sale of Kratom water, which could pose health risks to consumers.
