A British national has been arrested for running an unauthorized Botox injection service on the island of Koh Phangan, primarily catering to foreign tourists. The operation, which ran for nearly six months, came to light after a customer experienced severe facial swelling following an injection and lodged a complaint with local authorities.
It was reported on September 3 that Koh Phangan Tourist Police had received a complaint from a tourist who had visited a beauty clinic in Moo 5, Koh Phangan Subdistrict. After receiving Botox injections, the tourist experienced adverse reactions, including facial swelling, redness, bruising, stiffness, and partial facial paralysis. The tourist sought medical treatment at a local hospital before notifying police that the clinic was operated by a foreigner lacking proper authorization.
Following the complaint, Police Lieutenant General Saksiri Phueak-am, Commander of the Tourist Police, ordered an investigation. Authorities worked with the Koh Phangan District Chief, public health officials, security officers, and immigration police to track down the operator. On September 2, officials arrested 42-year-old British citizen Mr. Thomas at a house in Moo 5, Koh Phangan Subdistrict. The residence displayed a sign reading “Delivery Tom, Jessica, Koh Phangan,” and over 120 beauty-related products were seized as evidence.
Mr. Thomas faces multiple charges, including operating a healthcare facility without proper licensing under the Medical Facility Act of 1998, selling medication without permission, possessing unregistered drugs, and illegally working in the beauty enhancement sector. He was handed over to Koh Phangan Police Station for prosecution.
During questioning, Mr. Thomas admitted to running the Botox service for five months. He revealed that he rented the house for 29,000 baht per month and offered both in-house and mobile services. Clients, who were mainly foreign tourists, would book appointments via WhatsApp under the name “Botox Koh Phangan.” Prices for treatments ranged from 800 to 10,000 baht, depending on the service.
The seized items, which included cosmetics and chemical products ordered through the Alibaba platform from China and within Thailand, were estimated to be worth over 3.5 million baht.
Police Lieutenant General Saksiri has urged officials in tourist areas to intensify their efforts against illegal activities involving foreign nationals, vowing stricter law enforcement across the region.
