Facebook live bust: Rogue doctor injects trouble with counterfeit cosmetics in Thailand

A rogue doctor has been apprehended in action during a live Facebook session, following allegations of injecting counterfeit substances that caused severe facial damage to victims.

The arrest operation was conducted by authorities, led by Bunlue Pudngtun, the Deputy Chief of Police, alongside Sravut Jantawong, the Commander 2nd Division, and Pratch Manadech, the Director of the 2nd Division, on October 5. The suspect, 41 year old Thanyathip, was captured under a warrant issued by the Phol Provincial Court on September 26.

The rogue practitioner was charged with “recklessly causing serious injury to others, practising medicine without a licence, and operating a medical facility without permission.”

Thanyathip was apprehended at a hotel on Sudbat Road, Pak Phriao Subdistrict, Mueang District, Saraburi Province.

The arrest operation was triggered by a victim, who was convinced by Thanyathip’s claims of being an experienced beautician with over ten years of experience and offering affordable facial enhancement treatments, including fillers and Botox, without the need to visit a clinic.

Thanyathip managed to convince her victims to believe she was injecting 100% genuine fillers and Botox. Each victim paid 10,000 baht per treatment, with additional costs for desired extra enhancements.

Medical hygiene

The suspect failed to adhere to standard medical hygiene during the procedures, neglecting to clean her hands or the victim’s face, not wearing gloves, and carelessly disposing of bloody tissues on the floor.

Just one day after the treatment, the victims started experiencing severe side effects, including facial inflammation, swollen eyes, pain, nausea, and vomiting. Thanyathip dismissed their concerns, claiming these were normal post-injection reactions that would eventually subside.

However, a week later, the victims’ conditions worsened. They were diagnosed with severe inflammation due to the injection of counterfeit liquid substances all over their faces. The victims had to undergo multiple expensive surgeries to remove the harmful substances, leading to financial distress and continuous suffering.

Unable to contact the rogue doctor Thanyathip, the victims reported the case to the Mueang Phol Police Station, leading to the issuance of an arrest warrant. The police tracked down Thanyathip to a hotel in Saraburi Province where she was conducting a live hair styling session on her Facebook page.

Upon arrest, Thanyathip denied the charges but admitted to carrying out several similar procedures across various locations.

She confessed to having no medical knowledge or education and had been misleading her hairdressing clients into undergoing deceptive cosmetic treatments. Consequently, Thanyathip was handed over to Mueang Phol Police Station for further legal proceedings.

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