A 19-year-old vocational student was found dead in her dormitory room in Udon Thani on Saturday morning, after consuming an entire 1.5-litre bottle of kratom juice before going to bed, friends told police.
Police, rescue and medical personnel responded to a report of a death at the dormitory in the Khlong Charoen community at 10am on Saturday, said Pol Lt Sirichai Photchakra of the Muang Udon Thani station.
The body of the second-year vocational student, identified only as Kanlaya, was found lying on her back on a bed in a second-floor room. A preliminary examination revealed bruising on both arms but no signs of assault or struggle. Doctors estimated she had died one to two hours earlier, though the exact cause remains undetermined.
Her roommate, also 19, told police that on Friday night she and the deceased had visited a friend who lived nearby. While the other two young women drank beer, Ms Kanlaya consumed a full bottle of kratom juice alone. They returned to their dorm around 5am.
Shortly after falling asleep, Kanlaya began showing abnormal symptoms — her eyes rolled back, she clenched her teeth and appeared to lose consciousness, said her roommate, who tried to wake her but could get no response. She called her friend for help, but it was too late.
The friend told police that Kanlaya had consumed kratom juice in the past but she had not done so for a long time. It was unclear whether she had any underlying health conditions. The juice had reportedly been ordered online.
Police are now investigating the origin and contents of the kratom juice bottle. It has not yet been confirmed as the cause of death, pending the results of a detailed autopsy at Udon Thani Hospital.
Kratom has been used as a traditional pain reliever for centuries in Southeast Asia, but recreational use is also widespread in Thailand.
Thailand removed kratom from the national narcotics list in 2021 and it is now regulated under the Kratom Plant Act.
Kratom has pain-relieving effects like opioid drugs — as well as many of the same serious safety concerns as other opioids. Large doses of kratom can cause many serious side effects, including nausea, aggression, hallucinations, trouble breathing, liver damage and death.