Tourists warned against taking ‘Happy Water’ drug in Thailand
Thailand‘s Department of Medicine is warning partygoers against taking “Happy Water,” a dangerous cocktail of various illicit drugs which has become an “epidemic” in the country’s nightlife scene, reports KhaoSod.
Happy Water is made by mixing various drugs into a sweetened drink, typically including ketamine, ecstasy, methamphetamine, diazepam, caffeine, and tramadol all in one, according to the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Medical Services Dr Manat Phothaphon.
Dr Manat said that when ingested, Happy Water can cause all kinds of psychotropic effects such as stimulating, hallucinogenic, sedative, and depressive depending on the main substance mixed.
“[Happy Water] is a fast-spreading epidemic which is very worrying because mixing drugs, or taking high quantities of drugs, especially when mixed with alcohol, can be dangerous to the body or even cause death.”
Director of the department’s Princess Mother National Institute on Drug Abuse Treatment (PMNIDAT) Dr Sarayut Boonchaipanichwatana said that it is becoming more and more popular for revellers to mix several drugs at once rather than sticking to a single substance.
Drug dealers who produce Happy Water often pack the cocktail formula into sachets ready to be distributed around nightclubs and mixed into drinks. Dr Sarayut warned travellers not to accept drinks from strangers in Thailand’s nightlife venues in case they’ve been spiked.
Dr Sarayut said…
“It must always be remembered that drug use of any kind is dangerous, can affect the body, cause violence and crimes, and can cause death. If you have a drug-related problem please call the hotline 1165 for advice.”
In October last year, police raided the Jinling Pub, an illegal nightlife venue in Bangkok. Police found ketamine, nimetazepam, and Happy Water formula inside the bar. Hundreds of partygoers at Jinling were arrested during the raid, 104 of them testing positive for drugs. A total of 99 who tested positive were Chinese nationals.
Days later, two Singaporean men in Bangkok were arrested for allegedly producing Happy Water and selling it to nightclubs in the capital. Inside their apartment, officers found Happy Water formula – in the same packaging as the Happy Water found inside Jinling Pub.
