Chiang Mai —
At 2:00 PM on December 23rd, 2024, Chiang Mai Tourist Police conducted a sting operation using an undercover foreign agent to purchase psilocybin mushrooms from a shop on Tha Phae Road, Muang District.
This action followed the tragic death of a 25-year-old British tourist, Mr. Vader (whose full name was withheld by the police), who allegedly consumed psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms, in excess.
According to the police, the undercover officer purchased a bag of mushrooms for 500 baht before police raided the shop and arrested the owner, identified only as Ms. Ploy. Several kilograms of psilocybin mushrooms were seized as evidence.
The investigation began after Vader, visiting Chiang Mai with his girlfriend, reportedly collapsed and died 40 minutes after consuming the mushrooms on December 20th.
He had allegedly purchased them from a shop near a famous landmark after a sightseeing trip. The possible cause of death raised concerns among his relatives, prompting police to investigate.
The arrest highlights the illegal sale of hallucinogenic drugs, which are popular in some parts of Europe but prohibited in Thailand. Marijuana, or Cannabis, was decriminalized in Thailand in 2022 and there have been proposals to decriminalize certain mushrooms but so far this has not happened. Regardless, some marijuana shops in Thailand risk selling them despite them still being highly illegal.
TPN media notes that doctors had not stated beyond a shadow of a doubt that the mushrooms were the exact cause of death but this was still under investigation as of press time.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
