Thailand Struggles in its Fight Against a Booming Drug Trade

Thailand’s Prime Minister told a press briefing yesterday that more than 250 million methamphetamine pills have been confiscated since the beginning of the second half of last year, more than doubling the number intercepted during the same period the previous year.

According to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, the booming drug trade is primarily due to widespread smuggling of illicit substances from bordering nations.

He was responding to a question regarding the government’s plan to combat narcotics misuse in Thailand posed by Sophon Saram, a Bhumjaithai Party MP for Buri Ram, at a recent parliamentary meeting.

Mr Sophon stated that narcotics are now easily available for abuse by students and children throughout the country. Many addictive substances, including e-cigarettes and the so-called “4×100” drug cocktail of kratom tea, cough syrup, Coca-Cola, and ice cubes, have become widely available at low prices, he added.

“Despite efforts to suppress drug syndicates, the price of meth pills has not come down,” Mr Srettha stated, implying that the supply remains constant and that the crackdowns are either ineffective or that new drugs are being generated to compensate for the gap.

Since the latter half of 2023, 40% more small-scale drug dealers have been detained than the previous year, totaling over 32,000 cases, according to the prime minister. He said that the amount of confiscated methamphetamine pills has more than doubled to over 250 million.

The increase in the number of arrested drug sellers and confiscated meth pills is believed to have occurred between September and this week.

During this time, drug-related assets worth 2.5 billion baht were frozen, according to Mr Srettha.

“The foundation of the problem stems from the economic troubles that individuals have been experiencing. “The government is aware of this, and it has a clear policy to eradicate them,” he stated.

Mr Srettha stated that the 4×100 medication cocktail is becoming increasingly popular throughout the country. He stated that regional police chiefs have been instructed to take quick action to eradicate it.

“Currently, a lot of drugs are being transported across the border. Mr Srettha stated that the 3rd Army Area Chief performed admirably in apprehending the traffickers.

The premier stated that he plans to meet with the public health minister to discuss drug rehabilitation methods.

According to Customs Department spokesman Phantong Loykulnanta, dealers frequently use courier services to deliver huge boxes containing narcotics overseas.

Police Seize Crystal Meth Worth US$28.9 Million in Northern Thailand

Police Seize Crystal Meth Worth US$28.9 Million in Northern Thailand