A BRITISH tourist has died after a suffering a severe reaction to magic mushrooms while on holiday in Thailand.
The 25-year-old holidaymaker was on a Christmas break with his girlfriend when he bought the hallucinogenic drug from a shop in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand.
The Brit instantly had an horrific reaction to the mushrooms – foaming at the mouth as he rolled around on the floor and shaking in pain.
Medics arrived at the luxury resort where he was staying and questioned his partner, who admitted they had bought the items over the counter from a nearby cannabis shop called The Glory Days.
It is legal to sell cannabis in Thailand at dispenaries.
Today, police raided the shop and arrested the owner on suspicion of selling category 5 narcotics after a successful undercover operation.
Police allegedly found sacks containing 7kg of magic mushrooms in the store room.
The investigating police general, Worapong Khamluea, said: “The tourist had been taking pictures at the Tha Pae Gate, a famous landmark, with his girlfriend then they went to a shop and bought magic mushrooms.
“He took them back to their hotel room and consumed them, but 40 minutes later he foamed at the mouth and collapsed from the reaction to the substance.
“Officers initially checked the store but found no mushrooms on the premises but discovered them in a storage room used by the owner.
“Four suspects were arrested, including the owner and three employees.”
Police said the death happened on December 20, but that they sent an undercover cop into the store today who bought a small bag of mushrooms for 500 Baht (£11.70).
The drugs squad then stormed into the building to arrest the owner, Khun Ploy, who admitted she had sold the mushrooms to the victim.
She was taken to the station and remanded in custody to be charged with “selling and possessing Category 5 narcotics without permission”.
The jail term is a minimum of two years and a maximum of 10 behind bars, along with a fine of between £930 and and £4,700.
Khamluea added: “The suspect will be interrogated further to find her supplier of the drugs and they will also be arrested.
“Possessing magic mushrooms is illegal and tourists should not buy them or use them in the country. The effects are similar to LSD and can be very dangerous.”
Police Colonel Sitha Kamlerd said the man’s girlfriend told officers that the shopkeeper offered the magic mushrooms.
She told cops: “[He] began feeling unwell after 20 minutes.
“He was being sick after 40 minutes and passed out.
“We had been sightseeing a few hours before it happened.”
Thailand legalised cannabis in 2022, leading to an explosion of tourist-centred dispensaries around the country.
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