Not a Joke: Police Raid Khaosan For Laughing Gas

Balloons filled with nitrous oxide seized by the police on July 11.
Balloons filled with nitrous oxide seized by the police on July 11.

BANGKOK — Nine vendors were arrested Thursday after police raided Khaosan Road for illegal sales of laughing gas.

Police Maj. Gen. Sukhun Phrommayon said the nine vendors selling nitrous oxide, popularly known as “laughing gas,” were charged for selling medicine without a license.

Sukhun said the raid was made after an informant informed authorities of the illicit gas being sold on Khaosan Road. Sales of the gas in the backpacker haven are popular known however, as shown across TripAdvisor reviews and videos of partygoers getting high on Youtube.

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Health officials have warned against the recreational use of the gas, in which partygoers inhale the gas, sold in balloons, to bring on euphoria and hallucinations.

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“An overdose can cause vomiting, disorientation, and even the loss of consciousness,” Food and Drugs Administration sec-gen Tares Krassanairawiwong said. “Prolonged use can lead to numbness of hands and feet, or even deaths as the gas can replace oxygen in the bloodstream.”

Under Thai law, nitrous oxide is a controlled medicine, which can only be administered for health purposes. The gas is used to induce anesthesia during operations, but is also used to fill air bags in the automobile industry.

Officials examining the seized evidences on July 11.
Officials examining the seized evidences on July 11.
Whipped-cream chargers filled with nitrous oxide were found during the raid on July 11.
Whipped-cream chargers filled with nitrous oxide were found during the raid on July 11.