Kratom Delisted as a Narcotic in Thailand: What's Legal, and What's Not
Legal Considerations When Mixing Kratom With Other Substances
Under the Narcotics Act (No. 8) B.E. 2564 (2021), effective August 24, 2021, kratom was removed from Thailand’s list of controlled narcotics, making it legal for people to grow and sell it.
That said, Thailand’s Minister of Justice directed the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) to move quickly to raise public awareness of the law: as of August 24, 2021, people can legally grow and consume kratom according to traditional local practice, and buy or sell kratom leaves without breaking the law. However, mixing it with other drugs — such as in the “4x100” concoction — remains a criminal offense. Importing or exporting kratom for industrial purposes still requires prior authorization, alongside proper treatment pathways for people who use it, while public education and awareness campaigns continue across every age group.
What Are Kratom’s Benefits and Harms?
Kratom leaves have long been used locally, both in Thailand and across Southeast Asian countries such as Laos, Myanmar, and Malaysia, traditionally by chewing fresh leaves. This stimulates the nervous system, giving users a feeling of freshness, energy, and alertness, and reducing fatigue — somewhat like drinking coffee. Another common form is boiling the leaves and drinking the resulting brew, known locally as “kratom water” (num tom), typically used to relieve body aches and to produce a relaxed, mellow feeling.
Harms and Side Effects of Excessive Kratom Use
- Reduced appetite or weight loss
- Constipation
- Frequent urination
- Dry mouth
- Anxiety and restlessness
- Sweating and itching
- Sun sensitivity, or skin darker than the person’s normal pigmentation
- Nausea and vomiting
- Insomnia, or constant hyperarousal
- Abnormally rapid heartbeat
- Agitation and confusion
- Hallucinations
Forms of Kratom Use
Kratom acts as a nervous system stimulant, producing euphoria and pain relief, since it acts similarly to opioid derivatives. It is used in a variety of forms — chewing fresh leaves for an alertness effect similar to coffee and to relieve body aches, drying the leaves and brewing them like tea, or grinding an extract into powder for use in herbal capsules.
Kratom’s Compounds and Their Effects on the Body and Brain
The main compounds found in kratom leaves are mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH-mitragynine). Mitragynine acts on the brain similarly to opioid derivatives. Because kratom affects the nervous system, it produces euphoria and relieves pain, but it can also lead to addiction — meaning that stopping use causes withdrawal symptoms such as body aches, muscle and bone pain, drowsiness, fatigue, weakness, and depressed mood. Studies have found cases of kratom users developing acute kidney failure, hepatitis, irregular heartbeat, and respiratory depression, with kratom-induced hepatitis being the most commonly reported condition.
Illegal Uses of Kratom
Kratom has also become widely misused in Thailand, likely because the leaves are easy to obtain, inexpensive, and produce euphoria similar to other drugs. It’s common for people to mix boiled kratom liquid with soft drinks, the painkiller tramadol, mosquito repellent, and cough medicine — users call this combination “4x100.” Combining several substances together increases both addiction potential and the severity of withdrawal, making the dangers to the body and brain even more severe. Tramadol, for example, can cause seizures, loss of consciousness, and death.
In summary, using kratom for medical benefit — such as its pain-relieving properties — still requires more reliable research, since there is currently no study establishing what concentration of extracted kratom compounds would be safe for the body. Kratom’s compounds can still cause addiction and are toxic to the body, and kratom has no proven indication or benefit for treating any other condition.
That said, when you or someone close to you uses kratom beyond what could be considered medical use, it can lead to addiction that harms both the user and the people around them. Proper treatment is essential to help someone stop using kratom. DAY ONE REHABILITATION CENTER can provide guidance and treatment for people struggling with substance use, with care throughout the treatment process and a team of specialists across disciplines who design a range of therapy activities suited to each individual, to help build a new balance in life so you can return to living with confidence and happiness.
Source: Kratom—Pharmacology, Clinical Implications, and Outlook: A Comprehensive Review, Steven C. Eastlack, Elyse M. Cornett, Alan D. Kaye
Deciding to quit kratom is the most important first step, and many people are able to do it successfully on their own. That said, if quitting on your own doesn’t work, or you face severe withdrawal symptoms such as body aches, fatigue, or depression, getting guidance from a specialist can make quitting kratom safer and smoother.
Entering treatment at a rehabilitation center with a team of doctors and psychologists helps plan a quitting approach suited to each individual, along with activities that build motivation and reduce the chances of relapse, so you can return to living with confidence and stability.
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