A 19-year-old man was arrested at a condo near Chokchai 4 for stockpiling 125 canisters of "laughing gas" along with more than 11,000 accessories valued at over 600,000 baht. Officials warned youths against misuse due to life-threatening risks.
On 22 Oct 2023 GMT+7, it was reported that on 21 Oct, Pol. Gen. Siam Boonsom, Chief of Metropolitan Police, Pol. Lt. Gen. Pallop Aermla, Deputy Chief, and Pol. Col. Thanachot Rukdee, Acting Chief of the Special Crime Division, ordered Pol. Lt. Col. Yotsanin Prasertsopha and his team to arrest 19-year-old Tharatep at a condo in Chokchai 4, Lat Phrao district, Bangkok.
Seized evidence included 125 canisters of 5-kilogram nitrous oxide gas, 6,400 assorted colored and scented valves, 5,410 balloons, 40 delivery boxes, and one mobile phone, totaling a value of 600,000 baht.
The arrest resulted from expanding investigations into nitrous oxide sales in Bangkok entertainment venues, leading authorities to the condo in Chokchai 4, Lat Phrao district, which was used to store related items. Officers conducted a search and found large quantities of evidence.
Initially, the suspect was charged under the 1967 Drug Act for unauthorized sale of modern medicines (nitrous oxide or laughing gas) and selling medicines without registration. The suspect and seized items were handed over to Chokchai Police Station for legal proceedings.
Pol. Lt. Col. Yotsanin Prasertsopha of the Special Crime Division warned youths that nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is medically used as an anesthetic inhalant before surgery to reduce pain, acting quickly and wearing off fast. By law, it is a medicine used only in hospitals.
Currently, laughing gas or nitrous oxide has resurged heavily, with illegal misuse by filling balloons for sale to tourists in entertainment venues to inhale for intoxication. It is used as a substitute for other drugs among youth and tourists, especially in venues serving customers, due to its easy availability and low price. Misuse can cause oxygen deprivation, unconsciousness, irregular heartbeat, and immediate death.