UPDATE: The clinic in Patong contacted The Phuket News to explain that the clinic was "unaware of the recent change in the law regarding NAD+, which happened a few months ago." The clinic obviously no longer provides the product or those services anymore.
The arrests came as officers from the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) carried out a series of raids targeting illegal practitioners providing illegal NAD+ treatments.
NAD+, or Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, is described by practitioners as a naturally produced derivative of vitamin B3 that helps counter a wide range of stress- and age-related conditions.
The artificial addition of NAD+ to the body is touted as helping to counter conditions such as obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, autoimmune diseases, heart and blood vessel disease, forms of paralysis and much, much more.
However, the CIB noted that although the product’s registration had been revoked, it was still found that many cosmetic clinics also injected into the body of service recipients, leading to the joint operation to crack down on illegal treatemetn providers.
The CIB reported yesterday (Aug 28) that officers raided the Patong clinic, name and location not given, on Aug 14.
Joining the raid were officers from Consumer Protection Police Division 4, along with officers from the Department of Health Service Support (DHSS).
Officers found “Ms Chanapha” providing cosmetic injection services (NAD+ therapy) to people without a medical licence and without prior medical experience or knowledge.
Hence officers arrested “Ms Chanapha” on charges of “practising medicine without registration and permission”, the CIB reported.
Officers also arrested a “Ms Phanthida” on charges of “selling prescription drugs without permission”.
They also seized one product registered as a cosmetic but misused it by injecting it.
Chanapha and Phanthida were taken to Patong Police Station and charged accordingly, the CIB noted.
During the series of raids, including three locations in Rayong, officers seized more than 205 items of evidence worth more than B280,000, the CIB noted.
Among the six suspects arrested was one clinic owner charged with “neglecting others who are not professionals to practise their profession in a hospital”.
BLOODLETTING IN PHANG NGA
Officers from the CIB, together with the Public Health Office of Phang Nga, also arrested a Chinese medicine practitioner who used bloodletting and acupuncture to treat people.
Ah Ying was arrested at his residence in Tambon Bang Toei, in Mueang Phang Nga District, which he used to provide traditional Chinese treatments.
Many people in Phang Nga and nearby provinces had travelled to use Ah Ying’s services, the CIB noted in their report.
Many of the recipients of his services had also complained of side effects from the bloodletting, such as heart palpitations, anaemia, and pain, swelling and bruising in the area where the blood was drawn, the CIB report added.
Complaints had also been made that foul-smelling, infectious waste, such as syringe casings, blood-stained gloves, cotton swabs and a large amount of blood-stained tissue paper, was left in public areas.
Officers raided the house to find Ah Ying had no form of licence to provide any form of medical and traditional treatment. Also, the house was not registered as a venue for providing any such treatments, the CIB report said.
Officers seized as evidence 445 syringe heads of various sizes (used for drawing blood), one box of syringes (used for acupuncture), two bottles of alcohol for cleaning wounds, one set of cleaning kits and two bags of infectious waste stained with blood.
Ah Ying and the evidence seized were handed over to Phang Nga Town Police.
Ah Ying was charged under the Medical Practices Act B.E. 2542 for “Practising the art of medicine in the field of Chinese medicine without registration and obtaining a licence”.
He was also charged under the Hospital Act B.E. 2541 for “Operating a hospital without permission”, and under Medical Profession Act B.E. 2525 for “Practising medicine without registration and without permission” , the CIB report confirmed.