Thailand enforces cautionary sign display for kratom sales, restricts alcohol promotions

Cracking down on the sale of psychoactive kratom, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has mandated all vendors to prominently display a cautionary sign at their point-of-sale. The sign is a warning to individuals under the age of 18, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women, prohibiting the purchase of the substance. This directive became operational on Saturday, following its announcement in the Royal Gazette the previous day.

This development is a part of the revised Kratom Act 2022 and the warning requirement extends to online vendors of kratom. The notice must be of a size that is easily visible to anyone visiting the point-of-sale, be it a physical store or an online platform.

In a parallel development, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) has revealed that it has put forth a bill to regulate the sale of alcohol. This is in addition to another bill aimed at imposing further restrictions on the advertising and promotion of alcoholic beverages. The proposed bills are presently under the review of the public health minister, post which they will be forwarded to the cabinet for approval.

Upon cabinet approval, the bills will be taken to the House of Representatives for further discussion. This will be done alongside other versions of the bills put forth by businesses and temperance groups, announced Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, the director-general of the DDC, reported Bangkok Post.

Despite increased demands to extend the hours for alcohol sales, in line with the government’s decision to allow bars and clubs to remain open till 4am, the DDC has expressed its refusal to ease the restrictions. Keeratihattayakorn clarified that the DDC’s primary duty is to safeguard public health, and as such, it will not support any move that could potentially compromise it.

In related news, a Thai man says he “nearly died” after replacing drinking water with kratom tea. Now, he’s warning others against abusing the formally-illegal plant.