BANGKOK, Thailand – August 28th, 2025 – In a regulatory shift aimed at curbing potential health risks and ensuring consumer safety, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) is preparing to implement stricter controls on the sale of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), a traditional Southeast Asian plant long used for its stimulant and pain-relieving properties.
While kratom has been decriminalized since 2022, authorities are now focusing on banning informal roadside vending, which has proliferated across rural and urban areas, particularly in the southern provinces where the plant is native.
Kratom, an evergreen tree indigenous to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, has been a staple in traditional Thai medicine for centuries. Its leaves are chewed for mild energy boosts, used to alleviate chronic pain, anxiety, and opioid withdrawal symptoms, or brewed into teas. Historically banned in 1943 as a substitute for opium and classified as a Schedule 5 narcotic under the 1979 Narcotics Act, kratom’s status changed dramatically in 2022 with the passage of the Narcotics Act (No. 8) B.E. 2564. This amendment removed it from the list of controlled substances, decriminalizing possession, consumption, production, and sale for any purpose, including medical and recreational use. The move led to the release of 121 inmates and the dismissal of thousands of related cases, saving the government an estimated 1.7 million baht annually in prosecution costs.
The 2022 Kratom Plant Act B.E. 2565 further formalized its regulation, promoting economic opportunities by allowing licensed trade, import, and export while imposing safeguards. Sales are permitted but prohibited to minors under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding women, with sellers required to display warning notices. Violations carry fines up to 100,000 baht. Despite these rules, informal roadside sales—often by unlicensed vendors in markets, along highways, or in villages—have surged, raising alarms over unregulated quality, potential adulteration with narcotics, and health risks like addiction and toxicity when mixed with substances such as cough syrup in popular “4×100” cocktails.
Recent announcements from the MoPH, including a December 2023 directive banning sales to vulnerable groups and September 2024 FDA guidelines for processed kratom in food supplements, show growing concerns. As of 2025, the Thai FDA has approved limited use in herbal products and drinks, capping daily mitragynine intake at 1 mg and requiring Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliance. However, raw leaf sales remain loosely monitored, leading to reports of misuse, especially among youth in southern provinces like Surat Thani and Yala, where kratom is culturally embedded but increasingly abused.
Public health experts, including those from Prince of Songkhla University, have highlighted long-term risks based on studies from 2011–2015 showing no direct deaths from traditional use but elevated concerns over tobacco co-use and dependency. Community leaders in areas like Tambon Namphu advocate for local control mechanisms, such as village charters piloted since 2021, to balance tradition with regulation. Internationally, kratom’s status varies: unregulated in much of the U.S. but illegal in several states, while the FDA warns of its dangers as an unapproved additive.
The proposed ban on roadside sales, expected to take effect by late 2025, would channel all transactions through licensed outlets, pharmacies, or approved markets to ensure quality control and taxation. MoPH officials cite the need to prevent “uncontrolled proliferation” that could undermine public health, echoing similar restrictions on cannabis post-decriminalization. Fines for violations could reach 50,000 baht, with doubled penalties for sales to prohibited groups. Critics, including farmers in kratom-growing regions, worry about economic impacts on small-scale producers, who view it as a cash crop alternative to rubber.
Supporters argue the measure aligns with global harm reduction efforts, potentially positioning Thailand as a leader in regulated herbal exports. As one southern villager told local media, “Kratom has been our medicine for generations, but without rules, it’s becoming a problem.” The MoPH plans public consultations in affected areas before finalizing the policy, with implementation details to be published in the Royal Gazette.
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
