Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has mandated all vendors selling psychoactive kratom to prominently display a cautionary sign at their sales points. This warning, as part of the revised Kratom Act 2022, targets individuals under 18 and pregnant or breastfeeding women, prohibiting them from purchasing the substance. The directive, effective from Saturday, was announced in the Royal Gazette a day prior and applies to both physical stores and online platforms.
Simultaneously, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) has proposed a bill to regulate alcohol sales and impose stricter limitations on advertising alcoholic beverages. These bills await review by the public health minister before advancing to the cabinet for approval. Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, the DDC’s director-general, mentioned that these bills would be deliberated alongside versions proposed by businesses and temperance groups in the House of Representatives.
Despite calls to extend alcohol sales hours in sync with the government’s decision allowing bars and clubs to operate till 4 am, the DDC stands firm on maintaining restrictions. Keeratihattayakorn emphasized the DDC’s commitment to protecting public health and clarified their stance against any measures that might compromise it.
In a related incident, a Thai man shared his near-fatal experience after substituting drinking water with kratom tea. He’s now cautioning others against misusing this formerly-illegal plant.
