Bangla nightlife drug tests continue

The tests were conducted at three venues, which remained unnamed by officials.

The tests, called “random” by officials, were carried out by personnel from the Kathu branch of the Volunteer Defense Corps (OrSor), under orders from Kathu District Chief Siwat Rawangkul.

The ongoing “random” drug testing of people who work on Bangla Rd, which began last month, are conducted without prior notice as part of the ‘War on Drugs’, said an official report of the drug tests.

The target groups singled out for mandatory drug tests are those in “occupations that are characterised by risk groups”, the report noted.

Such people “strictly must not be involved in drugs, according to government policies”, the report added.

According to state news agency NNT, the government has ordered the beefing up of safety and security measures for tourists as the number of foreign visitors to Thailand continues to climb.

According to Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha urged relevant agencies and tour operators to enhance security measures at all locations and ensure public health and safety.

The spokesperson further noted that ensuring the safety of both Thai and foreign tourists during the high season is crucial to maintaining their confidence in traveling in the kingdom.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) celebrated Thailand welcoming its 10 millionth international tourist arrival on Dec 10.

According to Ministry of Tourism and Sports data, the tally ‒ far below a peak of nearly 40 million tourist arrivals in 2019 ‒ improved significantly from 6.7mn registered in 2021.