Thailand: Partying tourists warned against dangerous cocktail trafficked by criminals

Smh.com.au reports that young Australians partying on beaches in southern Thailand are drinking a potentially deadly drug cocktail made from a local leaf trafficked by criminals who prey on them when they are under its influence, Australia’s official representative in the area warns. The drug kratom is often mixed with the insect repellent DEET as well as cough medicine, cola and ice, leaving users in a stupefied and vulnerable state, said Larry Cunningham, Australia’s honorary consul, based in Phuket. Read article