Thai PM orders tracking down drug users in community areas, entertainment venues

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Random inspections will be especially pronounced in community areas, educational institutes, entertainment venues, and various sites of business operation.

Although the autopsy on the body of the perpetrator of last week’s mass shooting did not find substances, calls are being made for a scale-up of narcotics suppression. The prime minister has issued an urgent order for the suppression of individuals who commit drug offenses.

Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha’s order calls for comprehensive and continuous suppression of narcotics. The police are to proactively suppress narcotics and work hand-in-hand with administrative officials, local governments, and health agencies. Suppression and arrest of drug offenders are to be intensified and arrests are to be expanded upon. This would involve the use of asset seizures and confiscations with every perpetrator. Drug users are to be tracked down and brought in for treatment. Random inspections will be especially pronounced in community areas, educational institutes, entertainment venues, and various sites of business operation. Officials will actively seek out drug users who show signs of mental health issues and set up an information database on said users. This will allow for the severity of each user’s mental health state to be identified so the users may be sent into rehab accordingly.



The order also calls for superiors to inspect and control the behavior of subordinates, for the purpose of avoiding direct and indirect exposure to narcotics. Public sector personnel who engage in a drug-related offense must be processed under the criminal code and disciplinary action will be taken.

The prime minister also asked provincial administrations to reinforce efforts for sustainable prevention and alleviation of the narcotics problem. This should be accomplished by leveraging all available mechanisms at every level. Drug users are to be treated as patients who need rehabilitation and are to be given career training so they may reintegrate into society. (NNT)


Gen. Prayut’s order calls for comprehensive and continuous suppression of narcotics and the police are to proactively suppress narcotics and work hand-in-hand with administrative officials, local governments, and health agencies.


Drug users are to be treated as patients who need rehabilitation and are to be given career training so they may reintegrate into society.