Banned at the school gates: Kratom sales now illegal within 1 km — offenders face 50,000 baht fine, warns narcotics board

THAILAND: Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) made public a stringent ordinance disallowing the sale of kratom merchandise, including leaves and tea, within a one-kilometre radius of all educational institutions. The move was to further protect and safeguard young people from easy access to psychoactive substances. The new regulation was implemented on Sunday and serves as part and parcel of the regime’s comprehensive attempts to regulate kratom under the Kratom Plant Act 2022. Offenders who violate the new rule face fines of up to 50,000 baht (S$1995.68).

Pol Maj Suriya Singhakamol, Secretary-General of the ONCB, stated that all regional ONCB offices must enforce the ban rigorously. He clarified that the regulation is not a crackdown on kratom itself but a focused effort to prevent underage access and misuse. “This is about responsible use and public health,” Pol Maj Suriya said. “We are not aiming to suppress the kratom trade; we’re ensuring that it is used in appropriate ways, especially by keeping it away from our youth.”

The new restrictions go beyond school zones. The regulation also bans the sale of kratom via mobile stalls, vehicles, hawkers, and temporary stands in all public spaces, tightening control over informal and often unregulated points of sale. The ONCB is launching public awareness campaigns to inform both vendors and consumers about the changes. Citizens are encouraged to report violations through the ONCB’s 1386 hotline.

The implementation of the regulation came after escalating apprehensions over the increase of kratom stalls adjacent to schools and public spaces, driving officials to take action and limit kratom’s accessibility to minors.