Thailand Cracks Down on Illegal Kratom Sales to Students: What Expats and Parents Need to Know

Thailand's Ministry of Education and provincial law enforcement in Chiang Rai have shut down a convenience store operating as an illegal distributor of kratom drinks, e-cigarettes, and smuggled tobacco to university students, marking the latest escalation in a province-wide crackdown that has seen repeat offenders and a disturbing pattern of youth substance consumption near campuses.

Why This Matters

• Proximity violations: The shop sat within the 1-kilometer exclusion zone mandated by regulations that took effect in October 2025, triggering automatic penalties of up to ฿50,000.

• Repeat pattern: Chiang Rai has documented four major busts since mid-2025, with some venues reopening under new names after prior shutdowns.

• National trend: Thailand now counts 560,000 kratom and e-cigarette users under age 20, a figure that has tripled since decriminalization in 2021.

• Legal clarity: While kratom is legal for adults, selling to anyone under 18, pregnant, or breastfeeding carries fines up to ฿100,000 and potential criminal charges under the 2022 Kratom Plant Act.

The Ban Du Raid

Acting on complaints from parents and teachers, a multi-agency task force under the "Chiang Rai Fah Sai" operation descended Thursday on a single-story rowhouse in Ban Du subdistrict, Mueang district, where investigators found a makeshift retail operation stocked with flavored kratom brews, untaxed cigarettes, and disposable vape devices. The shop, which presented itself as a general convenience outlet, had been quietly servicing local university students for weeks before residents flagged the activity to provincial officials.

Authorities confirmed the venue lacked any license to sell kratom products and was operating within 1,000 meters of a tertiary institution—a direct breach of the Ministry of Public Health regulation that took effect in October 2025. That rule, signed by the Thailand Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), explicitly bans kratom leaf sales, tea, and beverages within the school perimeter buffer and prohibits unlicensed street vendors from distributing the plant in public spaces.

The owner now faces multiple charges: illegal kratom distribution to minors, tax evasion on tobacco products, and operating without a food and beverage license. If convicted on all counts, penalties could reach ฿180,000 in combined fines, plus potential imprisonment under the Food Act of 1979 for selling unregistered consumables.

Chiang Rai's Escalating Enforcement Campaign

This is the fourth high-profile kratom bust in Chiang Rai since June 2025, when a café on Jed Yod Road was raided for serving flavored kratom tea to 19 teenagers, some still in school uniforms. That café owner, Talan, 35, admitted to charging ฿80 per glass and was immediately charged under two separate statutes. The students were referred to the Chiang Rai Provincial Education Office for disciplinary proceedings.

In late 2023, enforcement teams documented two major gatherings where over 60 and 80 minors, respectively, were found consuming kratom drinks at unlicensed roadside stalls. One venue was caught selling cannabis flowers alongside kratom, and investigators seized more than 600 bottles of children's cough syrup used to spike the beverages—a dangerous concoction known locally as "4x100," which mixes kratom with codeine syrup, mosquito repellent, and cola.

The most brazen case involved a shop that was raided, shut down, and fined in late 2023, only to reopen weeks later under a different name with an 18-year-old manager installed as the public face—an attempt to circumvent liability. Authorities arrested the minor manager in September 2024 and traced ownership back to the original violator, who now faces repeat offender penalties that could double the standard fines.

What the Law Actually Says

Despite widespread misconceptions, kratom is not fully legal in Thailand. The Kratom Plant Act B.E. 2565 (2022), which came into force on August 27, 2022, removed kratom from the narcotics list but imposed strict sale and consumption controls designed to protect vulnerable populations.

Core prohibitions include:

• No sales to anyone under 18, pregnant women, or nursing mothers—violation carries up to ฿100,000 in fines.

• 1-kilometer school exclusion zones—selling within this buffer zone results in fines up to ฿50,000 (regulation effective October 2025).

• Banned locations: Educational institutions, dormitories, public parks, zoos, amusement parks, and via vending machines.

• Mandatory signage: All retailers, including e-commerce platforms, must display visible warnings about age restrictions—failure to post these notices incurs fines up to ฿30,000.

Unlicensed vendors operating in public spaces—including sidewalk stalls and mobile carts—are automatically in violation, regardless of the buyer's age. Mixing kratom with controlled substances like codeine-based cough syrups elevates charges to narcotics trafficking, which carries prison sentences of up to 10 years.

What This Means for Residents

Parents and university communities should recognize that kratom's legal status has created a gray market where enforcement is inconsistent. The Thailand Ministry of Education estimates that 18.6% of Thai youth aged 6–30 have used e-cigarettes, and 7% of high school students currently consume kratom, with peer pressure cited in 92.2% of cases as the primary entry point.

For expats and foreigners, understanding local substance laws is critical: possessing or consuming kratom is legal for adults, but transporting it across borders remains illegal in most neighboring countries. If you are visiting Thailand with children, be aware that flavored kratom drinks are often marketed in colorful packaging indistinguishable from energy drinks, and informal vendors near bus stations, night markets, and university districts may not comply with age-verification rules.

For business owners, the new 1-kilometer rule creates a de facto kratom-free zone around every school, from primary to university level. If you operate a café, convenience store, or food stall within that radius, selling kratom in any form—leaves, tea, capsules, or beverages—is now a strict liability offense, meaning intent is irrelevant. The ONCB has directed all 77 provincial offices to enforce this regulation aggressively, and repeat violations can result in business closure orders and criminal prosecution.

The Broader Youth Substance Crisis

Thailand's youth substance problem extends well beyond kratom. E-cigarette use among teenagers aged 13–15 surged 5.3-fold between 2015 and 2022, from 3.3% to 17.6%, according to the Thailand Ministry of Public Health. A 2025 survey of 12 urban communities found 38.3% of respondents aged 10–20 had tried vaping, with 50.2% believing e-cigarettes are safer than combustible tobacco—a misconception health officials blame on targeted social media advertising and influencer endorsements.

Kratom consumption has also exploded post-decriminalization. Before the 2021 reform, Thailand recorded approximately 400,000–500,000 kratom users nationwide. By 2025, that figure had jumped to 1.3 million, with an estimated 13,500 users aged 12–19 in Chiang Rai province alone. A regional study in Ubon Ratchathani found 16.3% of high school students had tried kratom, and 7% were active users, primarily consuming it as a brewed tea (77.9% of cases) and often mixing it with other substances (29.2%).

The Thailand Ministry of Education has flagged the "4x100" cocktail—kratom tea spiked with cola, mosquito repellent, and codeine cough syrup—as the most dangerous trend, with over 100 severe respiratory cases among minors reported in 2024. Former Minister Pol. Gen. Permpoon Chidchob described the situation as a "heavy epidemic" in schools, driven by ease of access and normalization among peer groups.

Enforcement Gaps and Future Outlook

Despite the legal framework, enforcement remains patchy. In February 2026, Thailand Border Patrol Police in Chiang Rai seized 154 kilograms of kratom leaves and cough syrup being smuggled across the Mekong River from neighboring countries, underscoring the cross-border dimension of the trade. Also in February 2026, a separate raid in Banglamung netted a 20-year-old woman operating an unlicensed kratom café with over 150 bottles in stock, all marketed to teenagers—concurrent enforcement actions reflecting intensified government efforts across the country.

Critics argue the 1-kilometer rule is difficult to enforce in dense urban areas where universities, high schools, and commercial districts overlap. ONCB officials acknowledge the challenge but insist the regulation provides a clear legal basis for shutting down problem venues. They have also urged local administrative organizations to revoke business licenses for repeat offenders and coordinate with the Thailand Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to monitor online kratom sales, which currently operate in a largely unregulated space.

For now, the Chiang Rai Fah Sai operation continues. Provincial authorities have pledged weekly inspections of high-risk zones through the end of the academic year, with a focus on venues within 500 meters of campus gates. Parents and educators are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the ONCB hotline at 1386 or via the "Fah Sai" mobile app, which allows anonymous tips with geolocation tagging.

The Ban Du bust serves as a reminder that Thailand's kratom decriminalization was never intended as a free-for-all. The law carves out clear protections for minors, and provincial governments are now demonstrating the political will to enforce them—even if it means shutting down businesses one rowhouse at a time.