Hong Kong man arrested with drugs at Songkran event in Bangkok

Police arrested a man from Hong Kong at the S2O Songkran Music Festival 2024 water fight in the Ratchada area of Bangkok on April 16 for possession of ketamine and happy water.

More than 200 officers from Wang Thong Lang Police Station, along with K-9 dogs, screened participants for weapons and drugs at the festival entrance during the three-day event.

At about 9.30pm on April 16, a security guard alerted police to a suspicious foreigner, later identified as 48 year old Hong Kong man To Wai Kil. The guard observed To handing red and black packages to other participants and suspected drug sales.

Police searched To and found 67.5 grammes of happy water and 1.5 grammes of ketamine in his bag. Happy water is a drug powder mixed with various substances, often consumed with alcohol. The happy water was packed in red and black zip-lock bags while ketamine was packed in small plastic tubes.

Officers conducted a raid at To’s condominium in the Ratchada area and discovered more drugs. Police found three packs of happy water and one pack of ketamine in his condo room. In total, the Thai authorities seized 80 grammes of happy water and 3 grammes of ketamine during To’s arrest.

To was charged with possessing Category 1 drug. The penalty is imprisonment from two to 20 years and a fine of 200,000 to 2 million baht according to Section 145 of the Narcotics Control Act.

Police initiated a nationwide drug crackdown ahead of the Songkran Festival to deter the use and sale of drugs during the water fight events. Two weeks ago, authorities successfully seized a significant quantity of drugs intended for sale during Songkran events at a hotel in Bangkok’s Pathum Wan district.

The confiscated drugs included 110 kilogrammes of crystal meth, 60 kilogrammes of ketamine, 7,000 tablets of Yaba (methamphetamine), 1.4 kilogrammes of heroin, and 2,000 tablets of ecstasy. Two drug dealers apprehended at the scene admitted to transporting the drugs from Saraburi province to Bangkok for distribution to other dealers during the Songkran events.