Toddler’s vaping and kratom drinking sparks outrage in Saraburi

Residents in the central province of Saraburi expressed outrage after a 17 year old Thai mother allowed her one year old son to vape and consume what she claimed was a kratom drink. Disturbingly, she reportedly seemed proud of this inappropriate behaviour and even shared it on social media.

Neighbours witnessed the 19 month old boy smoking an e-cigarette and drinking kratom from a tumbler, both in person and on social media platforms. They asked the non-profit organisation Saimai Survive to help the boy.

Locals familiar with the family and many netizens condemned the boy’s parents, especially his mother, for child abuse. However, the mother defended herself on Facebook.

“Every parent raises their child differently. What you see is not always what you are thinking. Every family will never be the same. I’m raising my child in a way that I’m happy. Why is it anyone else’s business? Stop comparing your child with mine or others. You don’t live with me 24/7. Why do you think you would know better?”

The founder of Saimai Survive, Ekkaphop Lueangprasert, and his team visited the boy’s home on Saturday, 15 June, to investigate the case and speak with the boy’s parents.

The teenage mother admitted to Ekkaphop that she had allowed her son to vape since last year when he was just one year and two months old. She insisted that she did not force him to vape but claimed that he liked it and did it himself. If not allowed to vape, he would cry and throw a tantrum.

Parents defend themselves

The 31 year old father told the foundation that he accidentally left his e-cigarette near his son and the boy grabbed it to smoke. His wife recorded a video of the boy and shared it on Facebook. He asked her to delete it but her followers already saved the videos and posted them.

The father added that his son had never touched a kratom drink. The video showed him drinking a soft drink but his wife jokingly suggested it was kratom.

The 30 year old grandmother stated she had warned her daughter multiple times to stop sharing the videos but she did not listen. The grandmother said she would care for the boy from now on and prevent the issue from recurring.

The young boy was taken into the care of Mueang Saraburi Shelter for Children and Family. He will undergo an examination to assess the effects of vaping on his development.

The child’s father was charged under Section 246 of the Customs Act: hiding, distributing, taking away, or buying an untaxed product (vape). The penalty is imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of four times the product’s value, or both.

Further investigation into the store selling the vapes will be conducted.