Deputy National Police Chief Cracks Down on Crime in Chanthaburi, Names Noen FM as Nation's 7th Largest Drug Hub

On May 25, 2569, Deputy National Police Chief General Tachathai Pitaneelabutr, overseeing prevention and suppression operations for the Royal Thai Police, visited Chanthaburi province alongside Governor Montsit Paisalthanavatana and other provincial leaders to coordinate action on nine critical issues mandated by the Prime Minister.

These priorities include illegal encroachment on public land, cybercrime, nominee business structures, drug trafficking, money laundering, influential figures, unlicensed debt, tourist safety, and security database integration.

Provincial officials identified addressing methamphetamine addiction and drug trafficking as the most urgent matter for Chanthaburi. The Noen FM community in Muang District ranks as the province's largest drug distribution center, the second largest in the Eastern Region, and the seventh largest nationwide.

Noen FM serves as a continuous market where users purchase drugs, dealers reside within the community, and despite numerous arrests of both dealers and users over decades, the problem cyclically returns. More than half of patients at Chanthaburi's drug rehabilitation center report purchasing drugs from this community.

Deputy Chief Tachathai proposed adopting the Fort Worth Police Department model from Tennessee, which eliminated drug demand in neighborhoods, forcing dealers to relocate. He suggested restricting access to Noen FM to discourage users and increase fear of arrest.

Combined with dealer sweeps, this creates sustainable solutions through environmental improvement and law enforcement integration requiring close inter-agency coordination. The meeting approved pilot implementation in the FM community, while officials also recognized the need for psychiatric treatment facilities for drug-induced psychotic patients in the red group, who pose violence risks. Further solutions will be explored in subsequent meetings.