Police have stepped up their campaign against “happy water”, a new kind of illegal drug cocktail whose use has become rampant in Pattaya nightspots.
One suspected trafficker has been arrested and more are being sought.
The arrest followed an investigation into the activities of a gang that was selling the drug at entertainment venues in Pattaya, said the chief of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB).
Happy water is made by mixing other drugs — typically a combination of ecstasy, methamphetamine, diazepam, caffeine and tramadol (a painkiller) — and dissolving the powder in hot water or mixing it with sweetened drinks, he said.
The resulting concoction makes users feel euphoric but not tired. It is popular among Thai and foreign visitors to Pattaya nightspots, said police.
NSB officers have been seeking two Thais and one foreigner believed linked to the local happy water trade. They apprehended Sarayuth Boonmalee, 28, alias Onn, on Koh Lan on Saturday morning.
The suspect’s role was to deliver the drug to customers at local nightspots, investigators said.
Officers have seized two houses, one car, three motorcycles and other valuables worth more than 9 million baht from the suspect.
