Pattaya —
Tourist Police and Public Health officials raided a pharmacy in Pattaya for allegedly overcharging tourists for its herbal products and operating illegally, with aggressive touts claiming the overpriced products could cause miraculous hair growth and help people lose weight.
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Pattaya —
Tourist Police and Public Health officials raided a pharmacy in Pattaya for allegedly overcharging tourists for its herbal products and operating illegally, with aggressive touts claiming the overpriced products could cause miraculous hair growth and help people lose weight.
The operation was carried out at 7:06 PM on October 22nd, targeting an unidentified pharmacy in South Pattaya. The place was accused of illegally producing and selling herbal products at inflated prices to foreign tourists by making false claims about the benefits of the products. The shop was also accused of threatening tourists who refused to buy the products with physical harm, according to arresting officials.
Upon inspection, officers seized a variety of herbal products and other evidence, including bottles of ground herbal powders in various colors, containers of coconut oil, honey, hair oil, mixing utensils, and documents listing prices and exaggerated claims about the products’ benefits in both Thai and English languages.
Authorities also arrested foreign workers at the pharmacy who lacked proper work permits. Additionally, they seized 19 jars of Dabur Chyawanprash and 30 bottles of Kayam Churna for not being properly licensed in Thailand. All suspects and evidence were handed over to Pattaya Police for legal proceedings.
Initially, the pharmacy operators face charges under Thailand’s Herbal Products Act of 2019, including producing and selling unregistered herbal products without a license. These offenses carry penalties of up to three years in prison or a fine of 300,000 baht, or both. Additionally, selling unregistered products can result in up to one year in prison or a fine of 100,000 baht.
Pol. Lt. Col. Piyapong Ensan, who led the operation, encouraged tourists who were threatened by the shop’s workers to come forward and file formal reports against the suspects at the Pattaya City Police Station.