Bangkok raid finds 72m baht nitrous oxide operation

Bangkok police and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officers have raided an unlicensed nitrous oxide filling operation in Prawet, seizing equipment, thousands of cylinders and two large gas trailers.

Officials said the operation, discovered in Soi Chaloem Phrakiat Rama 9, Dok Mai subdistrict, had been supplying customers nationwide through ordinary private delivery services. The gas, commonly known as "laughing gas", was reportedly sent particularly to major tourist destinations, where police said it is popular with foreign visitors.

The raid took place on 14 September 2026 and was led by Pol Maj Gen Phallop Aemla, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, and Pol Maj Gen Chotiwat Lueangwilai, commander of its investigation division. Officers from Metropolitan Police investigations, Metropolitan Police Division 4, Udomsuk Police Station and the FDA took part.

Cylinders, trailers and filling equipment found

Police found 1,652 nitrous oxide cylinders ready for sale, five blue N2O cylinders weighing 48.6kg each, and 4,200 empty cylinders intended for filling. They also found two trailers carrying N2O gas tanks weighing 36,000kg each, filling machinery, an air compressor, a gas-pressure regulator and two pickup trucks.

Ten Myanmar workers were found working and living at the factory, while two Chinese nationals were identified as supervisors, all were arrested.

Pol Maj Gen Chotiwat said the site had allegedly operated for more than a year. Large 36,000kg nitrous oxide tanks were brought in, with equipment used to convert the gas from liquid form before it was transferred into smaller cylinders.

The gas was allegedly sold wholesale at 1,000 baht per kilogram, based on customer orders. With 72,000kg in the two trailers, police said the stock could generate up to 72 million baht, describing it as potentially the country's biggest illegal laughing-gas filling factory seizure.

Dangers of nitrous oxide

Aranya Theppitak, director of the FDA's Health Product Complaint and Enforcement Management Centre, warned that inhaling nitrous oxide from balloons for pleasure or intoxication can be fatal. The gas can displace oxygen in the lungs and central nervous system, causing nausea, vomiting, dizziness, loss of respiratory control, falls and unconsciousness.

Repeated use over a long period can damage peripheral nerves and lead to numbness, weakness, tingling in the fingers and toes, and loss of sensation linked to vitamin B12 deficiency, she said.

Importing and filling nitrous oxide requires permission. Authorities will investigate whether the gas was imported legally, although police said the factory itself had no permit to fill it.

Initial allegations include jointly manufacturing and selling drugs without permission, and producing and selling an unregistered drug under the Drug Act 1967, as well as operating a factory without permission. Further action may involve the Foreign Business Act 1999 and any additional offences found.

Suspected unlicensed products can be reported to the FDA on 1556 or at [email protected].

Pictures courtesy of Amarin

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15 September 2026