Phuket man arrested with kratom and ganja
Eakkapop Thongtub

Aroon was arrested as part of a Songkran anti drug and crime campaign.

PHUKET: A 25-year-old Patong man was arrested in his home on Thursday night (April 2) in possession of kratom leaves and ganja.

Kathu police led by Lt Col Suthichai Tienpo arrested Aroon Tansakul, 25, at his home on Rachapatanusorn Rd with 2.5 kilos of fresh kratom leaves and 54.75 grams of ganja. Police also seized B1,800 in cash.

The arrest was made as part of police’s Songkran anti drug and crime campaign which started on Wednesday (April1).

Aroon was taken to Kathu police station where he will be charged with possession of Category 5 drugs with intent to sell.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-man-arrested-with-kratom-and-ganja-51720.php

-- Phuket News 2015-04-04

I'm sure the police on Phuket have better things to do.

But that could make their lives uncomfortable.

I'm sure the police on Phuket have better things to do.

But that could make their lives uncomfortable.

And I'm sure the Phuket News could find some better stories than reporting every single minor arrest on the island.

And it still amazes me that plain clothes cops are happy to pose with their victims, for their faces to appear in the local press. Obviously that moment of fame is important to them.

no weapons, no hard drugs, looks like a nice dude, another victim of oppresive laws

no weapons, no hard drugs, looks like a nice dude, another victim of oppresive laws

Agreed, this isn't ya ice nor ya ba which is taking a toll on society, Kratom is legal in quite a few countries and ganga in small quantities is either legal or decriminalized in many countries/states.

I feel sorry for this guy, all he's doing is growing some harmless plants and he get's bused, the cigarette and alcohol trade does more harm and that's legal. We live in a truly messed up world.

Incredible, judging by the look of total glee on the coper's face you'd think he'd personally rounded up Thailand's entire drug cartel, not some poor bloke trying to eke out a living growing some plants

What a waist of Manpower busing someone dealing in this stuff

1,800 Baht in cash. 50 grams of weed. This guy is clearly some kind of dangerous drug lord/ evil gangster. Lock him up and throw away the key!!!

Well done Phuket police! The streets are now safe again...

A quick look on the Internet (good article on Wikipedia especially) reveals that:

- The law banning Kratom was brought into force because people were using it in the 1940s to get off Opium, which the government was taxing at the time and did not want people to stop taking!

- that it is generally much less harmful than any of the other mild drugs on the market

- that the plant is indigenous to Thailand and government sponsored attempts to eradicate it have led to ecosystem imbalance in some areas and the death of lots of other trees.

- That its consumption (chewing) is part of the culture of certain parts of Thailand from ancient times, especially in South Thailand

The pic of the culprit, the evidence and the plain-clothes police has all the trappings of a chap being arrested following an expensive investigation into his improper parking practices. Yes, it is against the law to possess Kratom as it is to part improperly but so is so much else that causes real pain to real people (e.g. murder, rape to name a couple). And it would be best for the tax baht be used to catch the rapists, mafia and murderers but then this is Thailand.

What a waist of Manpower busing someone dealing in this stuff

What a waste of English language education posting this stuff. Isn't arresting law-breakers the job of the police?

I'm sure the police on Phuket have better things to do.

But that could make their lives uncomfortable.

You're quite right, they do have other things to do and other criminals to investigate and those things continued to be done even as this bloke was arrested.

no weapons, no hard drugs, looks like a nice dude, another victim of oppresive laws

No weapons, no hard drugs, looks like a nice dude, another victim of laws, also referred to as criminal.

Nice dude? Your supplier perhaps, man? Far out.

+1 for the "life free" Tshirt. Anyone wearing a "live free" shirt would have been suspect.

We'll all sleep a little easier, safe in the knowledge that brave men have not given up the war against plants.

We'll all sleep a little easier, safe in the knowledge that brave men have not given up the war against plants.

Genius, I'm writing that one down and will use it when you aren't looking

I'm sure the police on Phuket have better things to do.

But that could make their lives uncomfortable.

And I'm sure the Phuket News could find some better stories than reporting every single minor arrest on the island.

And it still amazes me that plain clothes cops are happy to pose with their victims, for their faces to appear in the local press. Obviously that moment of fame is important to them.

MM, I can assure you that in the two forces I served in that would not have been allowed and anyone posing without permission would have faced disciplinary action but TIT so comparison doesn't really apply.

+1 for the "life free" Tshirt. Anyone wearing a "live free" shirt would have been suspect.

What does life free mean ? or is this just another version of, LETS KILL THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE !!!!!

Wote or Vote Vomen or Women Hard to speak English when you are taught the Alphabet wrong.

1,800 Baht in cash. 50 grams of weed. This guy is clearly some kind of dangerous drug lord/ evil gangster. Lock him up and throw away the key!!!

Well done Phuket police! The streets are now safe again...

You need to be careful what you say, I don't think Thai people understand sarcasm...

I hope someone is posting these cop's pictures in all the bars...

1,800 Baht in cash. 50 grams of weed. This guy is clearly some kind of dangerous drug lord/ evil gangster. Lock him up and throw away the key!!!

Well done Phuket police! The streets are now safe again...

You need to be careful what you say, I don't think Thai people understand sarcasm...

Yep they certainly do. They even have a word for it believe it or not.