Phayao Governor Escalates Drug War, Tightens Cargo Controls
Phayao police intensified drug enforcement across five mountain districts, seizing over 14 million methamphetamine tablets and 600 kg of crystal meth since October. The crackdown also linked a female flight attendant's heroin smuggling atte
Phayao Governor Escalates Drug War, Tightens Cargo Controls, Links Female Flight Attendant to Chiang Kham. On July 7, 2025, Pol. Maj. Gen. Pongsawat Chaiyabal, Phayao Provincial Police Commander, accompanied by Pol. Col. Wishit Pluemjai, traveled to Chiang Kham district for a meeting on managing drug problems across five back-mountain districts of Phayao province. The meeting included commanders from Chiang Kham, Phu Sang, Chun, Pong, and Chiang Muang districts, along with deputy commanders and investigation teams from all five districts. Held at Chiang Kham Police Station, the discussions focused on intensifying inspections of various vehicles, trucks, private cargo shipments, and parcel delivery services throughout the province.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Pongsawat reported that from October 1, 2024 to July 5, 2025, authorities arrested 1,377 suspects in major drug cases and seized over 14 million methamphetamine tablets, 600.63 kg of crystal meth, 66.02 kg of heroin, and 237.66 grams of ketamine. Police also confiscated assets valued at over 475 million baht linked to drug offenders. Despite Phayao's status as a drug trafficking transit route, the governor pledged close monitoring to prevent further damage to the province.
Regarding the case of a Phayao flight attendant arrested for attempting to smuggle heroin into Australia, Pongsawat revealed that after the Deputy Police Commander's announcement about someone hiring the flight attendant to transport drugs to Australia, the investigation expanded and traced the heroin's origin to Chiang Kham district. Investigation teams discovered that the suspect who procured the drugs for the flight attendant had entered Chiang Kham district on June 17, 2025, renting accommodation and a motorcycle to retrieve drugs hidden in an elephant-patterned cloth bag. On June 20, 2025, the suspect boarded a long-distance bus from Chiang Kham station to Bangkok to deliver the bag to the flight attendant.
