Pattaya Police Bust Marijuana Shop Selling Laughing Gas Balloons to Tourists

[webfact]

 

Pattaya — Pattaya police conducted a raid on a marijuana shop on December 11th, after receiving complaints that the shop was reportedly brazenly selling laughing gas balloons to tourists.

The raid, led by Mr. Phisit Sawatdinukul, the district chief of Banglamung, and a team of high-ranking Pattaya police officers, targeted the “Weed Pattaya” shop located in the Nongprue sub-district, Banglamung district, Chonburi province.

 

 

The operation was prompted by earlier reports that the Weed Pattaya shop was openly distributing balloons filled with nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to tourists without fear about law enforcement.

 

Acting on undercover intelligence, officers purchased the questionable balloons from the shop for 300 baht each. They then arrested the suspect, identified by Pattaya police as Mr. Prakrit Thamuk (32), and seized 35 unused nitrous oxide tanks, 65 used tanks, 250 balloons filled with nitrous oxide, and two whip cream dispensers used for inflating the balloons.

 

By Tanakorn Panyadee

 

Full story: THE PATTAYA NEWS 2023-12-13

 

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[Ralf001]

wowzers, 300b a balloon is rather exxy.

 

 

[PingRoundTheWorld]

You can buy a pack of 10 chargers for ~100 baht at Foodland, Lazada, etc...

 

Gotta wonder what they're actually going to charge him with, considering it's not a controlled substance. Or is it?? I don't see it on the list, but I may be looking at the wrong list (narcotics).

[jacko45k]

2 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

You can buy a pack of 10 chargers for ~100 baht at Foodland, Lazada, etc...

 

Gotta wonder what they're actually going to charge him with, considering it's not a controlled substance. Or is it?? I don't see it on the list, but I may be looking at the wrong list (narcotics).

Restrictions on selling medical substances shows up in a Google search.

Selling nitrous oxide is prohibited under the Medicine Act of 1967 in Thailand, which carries up to five years imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 baht (S$377) for lawbreaker

[PJ71]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Acting on undercover intelligence

So someone grassed - lol.

 

That's the only way they get info here, country is full of grasses.

[hotchilli]

Sometimes grasses are the only way to get things done.

[sirineou]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Restrictions on selling medical substances shows up in a Google search.

Selling nitrous oxide is prohibited under the Medicine Act of 1967 in Thailand, which carries up to five years imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 baht (S$377) for lawbreaker

Then one ca say that selling nitrous oxide in thailand is not a laughing matter. 

[klauskunkel]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Pattaya police seized 35 unused nitrous oxide tanks, 250 balloons filled with nitrous oxide, and two whip cream dispensers used for inflating the balloons.

Imagining someone clandestinely opening those tanks in that room with the BiB... 

[PETERTHEEATER]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

........and two whip cream dispensers used for inflating the balloons.

 

Huh?

[mikebell]

A much more serious crime than the arrest of the thief who snatched a Belgian woman's bag; this time there were at least NINE photo-cops.  Is the cameraman permanently employed by RTP?

[Lemsta69]

3 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Huh?

 

This explains it. Or you could just go to the Khao San Road and see for yourself.  I've tried it a couple of times but it didn't float my boat.

 

https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/drugs/inhalants/whippits/#:~:text=Nitrous oxide is sometimes called,containers filled with nitrous oxide.

[redwood1]

5 hours ago, PJ71 said:

So someone grassed - lol.

 

That's the only way they get info here, country is full of grasses.

 

No it was a concerned citizen....lol..........Who always show up at just the right time..

[brianthainess]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Acting on undercover intelligence, officers purchased the questionable balloons from the shop for 300 baht each.

Sounds like he got ripped off, the vendor must have be laughing all the way to the bank.  what a gas. 

Edited December 13, 2023 by brianthainess

[Ralf001]

6 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Restrictions on selling medical substances shows up in a Google search.

Selling nitrous oxide is prohibited under the Medicine Act of 1967 in Thailand, which carries up to five years imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 baht (S$377) for lawbreaker

 

And yet readily available via both retail and online shopping.

[billd766]

10 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

Sounds like he got ripped off, the vendor must have be laughing all the way to the bank.  what a gas. 

Back in the 1950s in the UK, dentists used nitrous oxide as an aesthetic, It used to give me terrible daymares and I would be puking up for what seemed like hours. 

[Burma Bill]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

Weed Pattaya shop was openly distributing balloons filled with nitrous oxide

 

Well I never!

What fun a darts player could have among the tourists!

 

[PingRoundTheWorld]

8 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Restrictions on selling medical substances shows up in a Google search.

Selling nitrous oxide is prohibited under the Medicine Act of 1967 in Thailand, which carries up to five years imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 baht (S$377) for lawbreaker

And here's what that law actually says:

• “modern drug” means a drug intended for use in the practice of modern medicine or healing arts or the cure of an animal disease;
• Section 12. No person shall produce or sell a modern drug or import or order a modern drug in to the Kingdom, unless he or she has obtained a licence from the licensing authority.
• Section 101. Any person who violates section 12 shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of not exceeding five years and to a fine not exceeding ten thousand baht.

It's referring to something like an unlicensed pharmacist selling you medicinal drugs. Nitrous oxide is not a medicinal drug and not regulated as such - it is commonly used to make whipped cream and openly sold as such with no restrictions. While police can certainly charge someone with selling it as a "medicinal drug", it will probably not hold in court. It's not a regulated drug therefore not covered by drug laws prohibiting recreational use, but also isn't a medicine therefore not covered by the medicine act above.

 

What they have been doing according to some past news articles is giving the vendor arbitrary small fines and letting them go without charging them. If I'm wrong and there has been anyone who's actually been convicted of selling nitrous based on the medicine act I'm open to change my mind, but so far I haven't found any such examples.

Edited December 13, 2023 by PingRoundTheWorld

[PingRoundTheWorld]

5 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Huh?

Nitrous oxide is commonly used to make whipped cream. The hundreds of "tanks" they seized are just finger-sized whipped cream chargers that are placed in whipped cream dispensers and used one at a time to inflate balloons. Generally unless the person has other medical conditions inhaling a few of those won't cause any long-lasting harm, but habitual heavy use can cause all sorts of bad things including damaging the nerve system.

 

IMHO they should spend more time/resources in educating the public about the dangers of habitual use than try to control/prevent use which is impossible. Busting a single shop won't do anything when every other bar is selling these.

[PETERTHEEATER]

3 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

 

This explains it. Or you could just go to the Khao San Road and see for yourself.  I've tried it a couple of times but it didn't float my boat.

 

https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/drugs/inhalants/whippits/#:~:text=Nitrous oxide is sometimes called,containers filled with nitrous oxide.

Thanks. I will stick to old fashioned whisking.

[PETERTHEEATER]

40 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

Nitrous oxide is commonly used to make whipped cream. The hundreds of "tanks" they seized are just finger-sized whipped cream chargers that are placed in whipped cream dispensers and used one at a time to inflate balloons. Generally unless the person has other medical conditions inhaling a few of those won't cause any long-lasting harm, but habitual heavy use can cause all sorts of bad things including damaging the nerve system.

 

IMHO they should spend more time/resources in educating the public about the dangers of habitual use than try to control/prevent use which is impossible. Busting a single shop won't do anything when every other bar is selling these.

Thanks. I was not familiar with the process.

[SAFETY FIRST]

14 hours ago, webfact said:

openly distributing balloons filled with nitrous oxide (laughing gas)

I read somewhere a 47yo foreigner committed suicide with this stuff. 

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

Found it. 

 

 

 

Unixx condo...... 

 

What's going on at this condo, I read last week an Indian jumped of the 45 floor. 

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by SAFETY FIRST

[impulse]

Man, I'm getting old.

 

A Marijuana Shop, busted for selling whipped cream supplies.

 

20 years ago, who'da thunk it.

 

[gargamon]

6 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Found it. 

 

 

 

Unixx condo...... 

 

What's going on at this condo, I read last week an Indian jumped of the 45 floor. 

 

Try and get your scare mongering story correct when you post. Here's the pic from the news article you linked to. Last time I checked, helium wasn't nitrous oxide.

[SAFETY FIRST]

7 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Try and get your scare mongering story correct when you post. Here's the pic from the news article you linked to. Last time I checked, helium wasn't nitrous oxide.

Why the aggression? 

 

Geeze so many hostile people here, what's wrong with you people? 

 

 

The article I read was nitrous oxide, this is a similar article. 

This could be a different suicide. 

 

Get some rest dude. 

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by SAFETY FIRST

[gargamon]

4 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Why the aggression? 

 

Geeze so many hostile people here, what's wrong with you people? 

 

 

The article I read was nitrous oxide, this is a similar article. 

 

Get some rest dude. 

 

Post something accurate and you won't have any problems with me... OTOH... 

[SAFETY FIRST]

7 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Post something accurate and you won't have any problems with me... OTOH... 

You are kidding aren't you, you're trying to be funny?

 

Most of the comments on AN forums is made up, mythical, fiction.........fairytale stuff. 

 

Mate, you should get some help. 

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by SAFETY FIRST

[NoDisplayName]

15 hours ago, webfact said:

Pattaya police conducted a raid on a marijuana shop on December 11th, after receiving complaints that the shop was reportedly brazenly selling laughing gas

 

Soooooooooo.........they can sell weed for their customers to get high and possibly lung cancer, but harmless laughing gas for the giggles is a crime?

 

What next?  Busting a gun shop for selling chocolate Kindereier from a vending machine?

 

[gargamon]

9 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

You are kidding aren't you, you're trying to be funny?

 

Most of the comments on AN forums is made up, mythical, fiction.........fairytale stuff. 

 

Mate, you should get some help. 

 

Nope, not kidding.

 

You posted some fiction and posted a link that supposedly proved your post. Obviously you weren't expecting anyone to actually check the link and see that you were posting nonsense.

 

Bye-bye