Thailand

“Kratom use in Thailand stretches back hundreds of years and is an integral part of Thai culture, especially in the southern provinces, such as Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, where the largest numbers of Thai Muslims reside. Kratom is a deciduous tree native to Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. It has big, broad leaves that were chewed by Thai field workers as a stimulant to help them endure their labors under the hot sun. The leaves also are brewed to make kratom tea, which traditional Thai folk healers prescribed for a variety of ailments. The tea also is used as a communal drink and an alternative to alcohol (which Muslims are prohibited from drinking).

Kratom usage in Thailand was made illegal in 1943 with the passage of the Kratom Act. But enforcement was lax and kratom was still widely used publicly. However, in the 1970s the Thai government listed Kratom as a prohibited narcotic, and its use started to go more underground, with some Thai Muslims complaining that the prohibition was politically motivated — the South of Thailand being plagued by occasional unrest due to religious and ethnic separatist movements. Some Thai analysts have also suggested that the kratom prohibition was partly due to big pharmaceutical interests, who (during the 1970s) were trying to eliminate traditional Thai medicines in favor of modern drugs.

However, in more recent years there has been renewed interest and research into traditional Thai medicine, and the herbs which folk healers used for centuries to help cure ailments, boost health, and improve quality of life. This interest and study is what led to the 2021 legalization of kratom in Thailand, and the legalization of cannabis the following year (both substances had already been approved for strict medical and research use in 2018).”

~ https://mysakonnakhon.com/kratom-use-in-thailand/