Ku Mueang district administrative officers in Buriram arrested a 22-year-old man with 329 methamphetamine pills. The suspect said he was unemployed with no one hiring him, so he turned to selling methamphetamine while waiting for work. He revealed he chose the location behind the temple because it was quiet and believed no officials would come to arrest him, as it is considered a “sanctuary area” of the temple.
On 22 Oct 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Manutsak Nampratueng, Chief of Ku Mueang District, Buriram Province, received complaints from locals about youths secretly selling methamphetamine in the area. He instructed Mr. Natnapat Promkhamnoi, District Clerk and Head of Security, Mr. Kittisak Kumsuk, District Clerk of Prevention, along with members of the Ku Mueang 14th Volunteer Defense Corps Special Operations Team, to investigate individuals involved with drugs in Pakiap Subdistrict, Ku Mueang District, Buriram.
Officials arrested Mr. Lao (alias), 22, a resident of Pakiap Subdistrict, Ku Mueang District, Buriram, sitting near a pond behind a temple in the area. They found 329 methamphetamine pills hidden inside a white plastic container in his carried satchel. The officers identified themselves and conducted a search under the policy “Relieve Suffering, Promote Wellbeing, Protect Peace, Eradicate Drugs, Defeat Criminals.”
In questioning, Mr. Lao said he worked as a general laborer but currently had no clients. He obtained methamphetamine from a neighboring district to sell while waiting for job offers, to generate income during unemployment. He chose the area behind the temple as it was quiet and not crowded, and he believed officials would not arrest there because it is a sanctuary area of the temple.
Initially, officials charged him with selling a Category 1 narcotic (methamphetamine), possessing it for sale, and using a Category 1 narcotic in violation of the law. He was detained along with the evidence and handed over to the Ku Mueang Police Station, Buriram Province, to proceed with legal action.