Bar on Koh Tao raided for offering laughing-gas balloons

Photo via Laughing balloons

A bar named DIZABAR on Koh Tao island in the southern province of Surat Thani was raided on Saturday night after police discovered the establishment was offering laughing-gas balloons to partygoers at 100 baht a pop. Officers also discovered the bar did not have an operating license.

Officers revealed that nitrous oxide is a popular new drug among partygoers in Thailand. A number of bars and entertainment venues offer gas to customers via a balloon. After inhaling the gas from the balloon a person becomes more relaxed, which makes them feel happier, and encourages laughter.

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The bar’s 38 year old manager, Kriangkrai Sermpon, was arrested after the police found the evidence, including receipts for alcohol purchases, laughing-gas balloons, and a nitrous oxide cylinder.

The manager faces three charges:

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  • Violating Section 24 of the Entertainment Venue Act by operating an entertainment venue without a license leads to a penalty of up to one year, a fine of up to 60,000 baht, or both.
  • Violating Sections 20 and 46 of the Liquor Act by selling liquor over a legal limited time leads to a fine of 50 baht and a license suspension for five years.
  • Violating Section 28 of the Pharmacy Professions Act by selling a drug (nitrous oxide gas) without permission leads to a penalty of up to three years, a fine of up to 30,000 baht, or both

The owner of the bar wasn’t mentioned in the police report.

Nitrous oxide gas has been known to have a fatal effect on its users. The gas was commonly used in the past in the medical profession, especially in the dental sector, before a local anaesthetic was introduced to the profession. The gas is used mostly in farming as a fertilizer and whipped cream making.

According to an MGR online report, the gas can cause hallucinations and cerebral hypoxia which leads to a heart attack.

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Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.

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