PATTAYA — The Consumer Protection Team of the Chonburi Provincial Public Health Office, in collaboration with Pattaya Tourist Police, jointly inspected and arrested shops selling unauthorized herbal products at inflated prices.
Previously, the Bang Lamung District Public Health Office received complaints from the Indian Association about shops selling overpriced herbal products, using foreigners to persuade customers to buy in the Pattaya area.
Subsequently, public health officials and Pattaya Tourist Police planned surveillance at various reported locations until they found actual wrongdoing, then signaled to move in for inspection.
On August 7, they arrested a total of three herbal product shops: Turk and Thai Natural Herbal Shop, Arab Natural Herbal Shop, and Durrani Natural Herbal.
These shops sold products such as soaps, shampoos, hair oils, cosmetics, herbal medicines for indigestion, lotions, and skin care oils. The products had exaggerated claims about their properties and included herbal products not registered under the Herbal Product Act. Officials seized these as evidence.
Additionally, they detained four individuals who were behaving suspiciously by persuading foreigners to buy products, and one foreign national working without a work permit.
The Tourist Police took all offenders and evidence to Pattaya City Police Station. The shops face charges of producing, selling, or importing modern drugs without permission under the Drug Act, selling herbal products without permission under the Herbal Product Act, and selling unregistered herbal products under Section 58(4) of the Herbal Product Act.
The foreign sales staff were charged with working without a work permit or working beyond their permitted rights. The other four detainees were charged with causing a nuisance.
