Regional News

Kratom, Thailand’s Cure for Meth Addiction?

legal ,leaf, kratom, thailand , aditction

As illicit drugs go, Southeast Asia’s leafy plant “kratom” is hardly ideal for thrill seekers, but in Thailand, it’s used for coming off meth addiction. Those who chew its sour-tasting leaves catch a rush that nulls pain and jolts the senses like double shots of espresso. After about 20 minutes, the effects have faded.

Yet media portrayals in both the US and the plant’s native Thailand typically depict a drug that’s either mysteriously menacing or downright satanic. A headline in the top-selling paper Kom Chad Luek screams: “Staggering kratom-drunk kid kills parents horrifically.” Other outlets report tales of Islamic militants downing a brew made of kratom, Coca-Cola, cough syrup — all flecked with the ashes of cremated corpses.

According to an opiate treatment center, in America, where kratom (pronounced krah-TOHM) remains legal in most states but stuck on a federal watch list, a Louisiana state senator told a regional TV news station this year that kratom “could wind up killing a child or blowing a child’s mind forever.”

An ABC News affiliate in Michigan warns ominously that “what you don’t know could hurt your children.” Most reports casually mention kratom alongside “bath salts,” a totally unrelated synthetic meth-style stimulant banned last year by the federal government.

Ending bans on Kratom

But as America grapples with a kratom scare — Indiana has banned it and lawmakers in other states hope to follow suit — Thailand is moving in the opposite direction.

Justice Minister Chaikasem Nitsiri is pushing senior officials to end a 70-year-old ban on kratom enacted under a dubious pretense. Kratom once helped opium users kick addiction in an era when the government raked in lucrative opium taxes. The government is now investigating kratom use for meth addiction.

In interviews with the domestic press, the minister has said the leaf could help wean Thais off meth. Which has exploded in popularity across Southeast Asia.

The legal status of kratom is now under review in Thailand. “There’s never been a single death associated with kratom,” said Pascal Tanguay, a program director with the Thailand offices of PSI, a Washington DC-based global health organization that promotes harm reduction among drug users.

“People have used kratom leaves this for thousands of years with no cases of overdose, psychosis, murder, violent crime. Never in all of recorded history.”

Tanguay, who is participating in the Thai government’s legal review of kratom, is confident that the drug’s prohibited status will change. Options include making kratom available only by prescription, decriminalizing small amounts and total legalization.

Kratom for addiction

Kratom has long flourished in Thailand’s humid south, a region largely inhabited by Muslims. The leaf is traditionally regarded as an organic painkiller and pick-me-up for farmers working the fields. Even after the 1943 ban, the kratom prohibition was loosely observed.

“There’s a gentle rush to it but it doesn’t impair your abilities,” said a longtime Bangkok resident who’s used the drug countless times but asked to remain anonymous. “Everything feels a bit rosier. But it’s nothing even close to amphetamine or marijuana. No crash, no comedown.

Chewing more doesn’t help: you can’t ever get past a plateau so it doesn’t seem like you could overdose.”

In the most recent United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports, kratom is listed as the nation’s third most-popular drug after meth and pot. But it is a very distant third and several urban Thais under 30 quizzed about kratom by Global Post had never even heard of it.

The drug is strongly associated with Muslims — who can turn to kratom even after swearing off booze — and much older Thais. “To the kids,” the kratom user said, “it sounds like hillbilly stuff.”

From near obscurity, kratom surged back into Thailand’s headlines shortly after an early 2000s rebirth of a violent jihadi movement along the Malaysian border. This crusade to turn a Connecticut-sized area of Thailand into the world’s newest Islamic state has left roughly 5,500 dead since its resurgence.

Muslim’s use of kratom

The kratom law offers a convenient pretext for police looking to raid Muslim villages in search of insurgents. In modern Thai media reports, kratom is often cited as the key ingredient in a regionally popular drug cocktail called 4×100, which is reported as the rebels’ favored brew.

The 4×100 brew is a mixture of boiled kratom leaves, Coca-Cola and cheap cough syrup. Tanguay, who tried it while investigating kratom use for the Transnational Institute, said 4×100 brings on heavy drowsiness.

“Chewing the leaf made me feel like I’d had two cups of coffee,” he said. “Drinking the tea mixed with cough syrup put me to sleep very quickly. It was three in the afternoon … and I had difficulty keeping my eyes open.”

Tanguay’s research — which included more than 50 interviews with drug users — suggests reports of insurgents zonked out on 4×100 are unsubstantiated. “They’re screening recruits for drugs,” he said. “They look for clean, focused extremists.”

Nor could he turn up any evidence that 4×100 often contains a range of household toxins such as mosquito repellent, industrial paint used to mark highways or other foul ingredients cited by the Thai press.

A 2010 research paper published by Thailand’s Royal Police Headquarters — citing media reports — explained that 4×100 brewers add “whatever makes them drunk, i.e., mosquito coils … herbicide or even the powder peeled from the inside of fluorescent light bulbs.”

Kratom is currently illegal

The study — one of few available in medical literature — focuses on the death of a kratom user whose blood also contained a “toxic lethal range” of methadone and the opiate tramadol. A Swedish study into multiple deaths attributed to kratom also ruled that the fatalities were, in fact, owed to tramadol intoxication.

“Paint from the road. Ashes from dead bodies. It’s all hearsay propagated by the media,” Tanguay said. In 2011, he said, a drug user told him, “‘I’m not going to go scrape paint off the road that won’t make me high and will harm my body even more.’”

Kratom is currently illegal in Australia, Myanmar and Malaysia and tightly restricted in many parts of Europe. Those located far from the plant’s native region — equatorial parts of Southeast Asia — aren’t able to follow tradition and chew the kratom leaves. Which quickly wilt and lose their potency once picked.

American users instead must rely on powdered kratom. The drug is typically acquired through the same channels used to procure deadly synthetic drugs such as “bath salts”: mail order via through the Internet.

Kratom misuse in Thailand

Sold under titles such as “Lucky Kratom” or “Maeng Da” (the Thai word for both “horseshoe crab” as well as “pimp”) the kratom brands are largely imported from Indonesia and are not approved by the Federal Drug Administration. A 2011 National Institute on Drug Abuse-funded study states that “the natural history of kratom use, including its clinical pharmacology and toxicology, are poorly understood.”

Even if Thailand’s Ministry of Justice is able to legalize kratom, it faces a dubious public. Since the late 1990s, the nation has been reeling from the spread of cheap meth tablets. A social blight akin to America’s 1980s crack epidemic. Tough-on-crime rhetoric plays well with voters.

A recent poll by a Bangkok University research unit depicts a nation divided: 52 percent worry legalization could lead to kratom misuse; 48 percent view kratom to a harmless traditional medicine.

“Right now, it’s easier for kids to start off on amphetamines than kratom,” Tanguay said. “It should be the other way around. If you can’t control your market, don’t cut out your weaker drugs.”

By Patrick Winn

Regional News

Thai Immigration Police Detain Over 26,000 Illegal Migrant Workers

Thailand’s Immigration Police have detained approximately 26,000 illegal migrant workers from Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia during an eight-day operation in Bangkok and surrounding regions, according to a Royal Thai Police spokesperson.

Mr Adisorn Keudmeuangkhon of the Bangkok-based Migrant Working Group said the drive was in response to an increasing number of concerns about an influx of illegal migrant labor.

“Some Thai people see that many illegal workers are competing for their job positions in the past few months,” he told me. “That’s why the ministry has to take tougher action.”

Civil strife in Myanmar and the recent implementation of a military conscription have driven thousands of Burmese into Thailand, while severe inflation and limited job opportunities in Laos have also encouraged an influx of workers from that country.

Between June 5 and 12, officials detained and checked 20,111 Myanmar laborers, 1,659 Laotian migrant workers, and 3,971 Cambodian workers, according to the Ministry of Labor.

It marked the start of a 120-day campaign to audit workplaces and arrest unlawful migrant workers, according to the government.

Migrant Workers to be Deported

According to Keudmeuangkhon, undocumented workers face fines ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 Thai baht (US $136 to $1,365), deportation, and a two-year prohibition on re-entering Thailand.

Authorities did not intend to file criminal charges, he claimed.

Authorities raided 1,774 workplaces, according to Moe Gyo, chairman of the Joint Action Committee on Burmese Affairs, which advocates for Myanmar labor rights.

He stated that since the military junta activated conscription, there has been an upsurge in the number of arrests of Myanmar citizens in Thailand who do not have a work permit identity card.

All men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 must serve in the military for at least two years. The first group of 5,000 conscripts summoned by Myanmar’s junta will start duty at the end of this month, military sources told AFP on Monday.

According to Keudmeuangkhon, the bulk of Lao migrant workers in Thailand work as fresh market shopkeepers, restaurant servers, and mall salespeople.

Most people visit Thailand as part of ASEAN’s visa-free policy for tourists, but they stay longer than the 30-day restriction once they find job.

“Employers like to hire Lao migrant workers in the service sector because they can speak fluent Thai,” he told me.

Immigration Police Detain Illegal Migrant Workers

The Thai Cabinet may approve an enhanced program for Thai employers to register their unauthorized foreign workers in July or August. Keudmeuangkhon explained.

Last month, the Thai Ministry of Labor’s Foreign Workers Administration office announced that 268,465 Lao migrant workers were officially working in Thailand.

Baykham Kattiya, Lao Minister of Labor, told Radio Free Asia earlier this month that there are 415,956 migrant workers in other nations, the majority of whom work in Thailand.

According to her, the Lao government believes that over 203,000 persons working outside of the nation lack proper work documents.

However, a Lao official familiar with the labor industry informed Radio Free Asia, a BenarNews-affiliated news station, on June 20 that the number of illegal Lao migrant workers in Thailand and abroad is likely significantly greater.

“They go to other countries as illegal migrant workers through different types of methods – as tourists or students,” said the politician. “Thus, it is hard for the immigration police to collect data on these people.”

Government Officials Responsible for Smuggling in Migrant Workers

Government Officials Responsible for Smuggling in Migrant Workers

News

High School Student Dies After Being Electrocuted By School Water Dispenser

14-year-old boy was electrocuted by a water dispenser: File Image

Thailand’s Office of Basic Education Commission has initiated an investigation into the electrocution of a 14-year-old student by a water dispenser in a high school. The event happened at noon on Friday, during the high school’s sports day. The victim was a Grade 8 student.

According to local media in Trang Province, the incident occurred when a teacher instructed the pupil to turn off a water dispenser amid a heavy rain.

According to a witness, the child collapsed while strolling with his friend near a water station. The friend claimed he attempted to assist but was also shocked by electricity.

According to reports, the friend then recovered, left the site, and requested assistance from teachers. A teacher ran to the scene and used a towel to pull the boy away by the ankle. He was taken to the hospital, but it was too late, they claimed.

The event sparked criticism from parents and netizens over school safety, as well as the slow response to aid the young youngster.

Mr. Chainarong Changrua, head of Trang-Krabi’s Secondary Educational Service Area Office, told local media on Sunday that forensic officers from Trang Provincial Police had visited the area. They discovered the blown breaker switch behind the water dispenser, he explained.

The breaker was burned out, thus the authorities assumed the disaster was caused by a short circuit that allowed energy to spill to a neighboring power pole. The student also appeared wet and was not wearing shoes when electrocuted.

According to the Office of Basic Education Commission, a probe team will complete its investigation this week.

The student’s father, Mr Pornchai Thepsuwan, 53, claimed he was saddened when he saw his son’s body. The boy (Wayu), was the youngest of two boys, he explained. He stated that following the tragedy, the school director and staff gave financial assistance to the families.

Mr Pornchai also said he would not seek charges against the institution because he believed it was an accident.

Electrical accidents in Thailand

Electrocution instances in Thailand have increased alarmingly in recent years. Many mishaps occur as a result of improper wiring and inadequate maintenance of electrical systems.

Public locations, such as schools and markets, frequently lack adequate safety precautions, putting individuals in danger. In rural areas, antiquated infrastructure exacerbates the situation, resulting in more frequent and serious events.

Although several high-profile cases have brought these challenges to light, genuine progress has been gradual. Furthermore, the rainy season heightens the likelihood of electrical accidents, as water and exposed wires do not mix well.

The government has made steps to strengthen safety standards, but enforcement is patchy. More education on electrical safety could help to reduce these accidents.

Unfortunately, better infrastructure and tougher rules may have prevented many of these incidents. The loss and injuries caused by electrocution are avoidable, emphasizing the need for immediate action.

Over 200 High School Students Facing Sedition Charges in Thailand

Over 200 High School Students Facing Sedition Charges in Thailand

News

Thailand’s Tourist Police Crackdown on Tourist Scammers in Pattaya

Tourist Police Pattaya: File Image

Thailand’s Tourist Police said it is collaborating with embassies from five countries to combat tourist scams and ten criminal gangs in Pattaya. The Tourist Police Bureau, convened a meeting on Thursday Pol Lt Gen Saksira Phuek-am told a press briefing.

Pol Lt Gen Saksira Phuek-am, the Tourist Police bureau commissioner said the participants included ambassadors from South Korea, Ukraine, Russia, India, and Switzerland.

He told the briefing the he had ordered a crackdown on tourist frauds, such as fraudulent or low-quality tour operators and unfair sales of goods and services. Stepped-up operations began on June 19 and will continue until June 25.

He stated that the agency was working with numerous organisations to increase tourists’ confidence in visiting Pattaya.

Gen Saksira spent time on the famed Walking Street speaking with officers on duty and assigned them to seek for members of ten criminal groups known to operate in Pattaya.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will visit Chon Buri on Saturday to assess the tourism situation. He intends to visit the site of a future Formula One racecourse near Khao Phra Tamnak in Bang Lamung District.

Prime Minister Srettha recently met with Formula One organisers in Italy to examine the potential of including Thailand on the race schedule in the future.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister will pay a visit to Rayong’s U-tapao airport to discuss development on the airport’s land, with the goal of encouraging investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor.

Police Chief Reinstated

In other police news, Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol has been reinstated as national police chief following the conclusion of an investigation into a highly publicised quarrel, according to Wissanu Krea-ngam, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s counsellor.

Mr Wissanu released the investigation’s findings on Thursday, after the prime minister formed a fact-finding committee chaired by Chatchai Promlert to investigate into the quarrel between Pol Gen Torsak and his deputy, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn.

The four-month study revealed conflicts and disorder at all levels of the Royal Thai Police, but it was unclear whether these issues arose from a single cause or several causes, according to Mr Wissanu.

The findings revealed that both Pol Gen Torsak and Pol Gen Surachate were involved, with each team contributing to the tensions, he noted.

Mr Wissanu indicated that Pol Gen Surachate was reinstated as deputy national police head on 18 April following his relocation to the Prime Minister’s Office on 20 March. A disciplinary committee was formed to investigate Pol Gen Surachate, and he was ordered temporarily suspended from the police force.

Because there were no further difficulties to explore, it was decided to restore Pol Gen Torsak. He plans to retire on September 30.

On March 20, Mr Srettha abruptly transferred both top police officers to the Prime Minister’s Office in an effort to address the growing schism within the police service.

Kitrat Panphet, Deputy National Police Chief, was subsequently named Acting Police Chief. According to sources, Pol Gen Surachate could face money laundering charges related to online gaming networks.

Source: Bangkok Post