Nong Khai customs officials announced the arrest of a young entrepreneur from Udon Thani who attempted to smuggle vape pods wrapped around his waist to mislead authorities. In another case, a Chinese man hiding ecstasy and methamphetamine was caught, with seized goods valued at over 5 million baht.
On 7 Mar 2026 at 15:00, at the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge I outbound checkpoint, Mr. Suchart Thonmanee, Deputy Governor of Nong Khai, Ms. Wanna Phuotsart, Acting Director of Nong Khai Customs Office, Mr. Phatthanapong Tantivattankulchai, Head of Customs Service Division 1, Lt. Chaiyo Horpoon, Representative of Control Unit 2, Surasakmontri Task Force, Lt. Col. Pathawi Chamnaddee, Deputy Superintendent and Commander of Border Patrol Police Battalion 245, Mr. Chaisit Kamphajan, Head of Narcotics Prevention and Suppression Center, and related agencies jointly held a press conference.
They announced the arrest of Mr. Theerawat, 22, from Ban Lueam Subdistrict, Mueang District, Udon Thani, found with vape liquid pods wrapped around his waist with adhesive tape, and separately, a Chinese man caught hiding ecstasy and methamphetamine inside a suitcase.
On 5 Mar 2026 at about 19:20, a Thai man entered the kingdom through the Nong Khai border checkpoint by international bus via the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge I. When passengers disembarked and passed through the incoming passenger baggage inspection, customs officers noticed suspicious behavior. Collaborating with investigation and suppression officers, they conducted a detailed search and found white tape wrapped around the man's torso containing multiple vape pods with ketamine, a Category 2 psychotropic substance. Samples tested by Nong Khai forensic officers showed a purple sediment suspected to contain ketamine. A total of 95 pods weighing 617 grams were seized, valued at approximately 190,000 baht.
On 6 Mar 2026 at about 15:30, customs officers at Nong Khai border checkpoint and investigation units inspected an international bus from Vientiane to Udon Thani. They noticed a black jacket that seemed to conceal something placed on a seat. After questioning the driver and nearby passengers, they learned it belonged to a Chinese man. Officers waited until he returned to claim it and then conducted a thorough inspection.
Inside the jacket, they found tissue paper and zip-lock bags concealing brown powder. The tissue paper package contained suspicious orange and purple pills and a strawberry-patterned pouch with white powder. Tests by forensic officers showed the orange and purple pills and brown powder reacted to test reagent indicating possible Category 1 narcotics (ecstasy), while the white powder tested positive for methamphetamine, also Category 1 narcotics. They seized 257 orange pills, 9 purple pills, 12 strawberry pouches containing 48 grams of white powder, and 803 grams of brown powder in zip-lock bags, valued at approximately 5,018,600 baht.
The authorities then handed over all seized narcotics to investigators for legal proceedings.