Thailand’s justice minister has vowed to rein in kratom abuse after nationwide reports of users mixing the herbal drink with narcotics.
Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong said new regulations may soon be introduced to restrict kratom leaf sales, following talks with Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin earlier this week.
“On August 20, I discussed with the public health minister the necessity of issuing a ministerial regulation to enable police enforcement. If not, we may have to resort to highway laws.”
The move comes amid mounting concern over misuse, particularly in the South, where kratom cocktails have gained popularity among youths. One notorious concoction, known as 4×100, is made by combining kratom juice with cough syrup, soda, and ice, and is often laced with narcotics.
Tawee’s comments were made during a parliamentary session in response to Yala MP from the Prachachat Party, Sugano Matha, who raised questions about the government’s broader narcotics policy.
Sugano called for kratom to be reclassified as a narcotic and limited strictly to medical use, similar to the reclassification push for cannabis.
While kratom was delisted as a narcotic in 2022, it remains largely unregulated, allowing open sales of the leaf across Thailand. The Kratom Plant Act, which took effect on August 26, 2022, paved the way for the legal sale of kratom-based products, including food and drinks, as well as online retail, Bangkok Post reported.
Tawee, who also serves as Prachachat secretary-general, acknowledged that many within the ruling coalition supported cannabis controls but stressed that kratom required urgent attention.
“Legislation must be enacted for the greater good. Under the law, the justice and public health ministers have the authority to ban the street sale of kratom leaves or establish specific restrictions.”
He also hinted that fresh legislation may be needed to cover kratom extracts and more complex products.
While kratom is still seen by many as a harmless traditional herb, growing abuse and its role in drug mixtures have pushed it into the national spotlight, prompting calls for stricter sales controls before the issue spirals further out of control.
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