The Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, together with the Narcotic Crops Survey and Monitoring Institute and the Thai Kratom Academic Network, organized the 1st Thailand Kratom Conference "Past, Present, Future of Kratom" online via the website https://kratom.sci.psu.ac.th.
PSU President Asst. Prof. Dr. Niwat Keawpradub said that PSU is a university focusing on innovation and society with academic excellence, and it acts as the main mechanism for the development of the southern region and the country by fostering academic leadership and innovation. President Niwat also explained that kratom is widely found in every region, especially the south, and that PSU’s research team drives kratom research studies for medical use, covering the subject from community to industrial level, including the prospect of increasing the country's economic power.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Anchana Prathep said that for the last 41 years, kratom was considered a drug under the Narcotic Drugs Act. Currently, the law has been amended to remove kratom from narcotics category 5, and its traditional use is no longer considered illegal. This has resulted in increasing educational support and research for medical and other uses, as well as the development and promotion of economic crops. The 1st Thailand’s Kratom Conference 2021 serves as a venue to exchange academic information, to monitor and review its direction, to develop cooperation, academic networks and partnerships.
The highlight of the event was a lecture by Prof. Dr. Sawitri Assanangkornchai from the Center of Alcohol Studies, Department of Epidemiology, PSU Faculty of Medicine, along with academic presentations from various educational institutions and related parties.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Somchai Sriwiriyajan, the event's chairman, talked about presentations of research that had been conducted before the legalization of kratom in Thailand. The event provided knowledge about planting, species selection, and extraction of kratom leaves, and applying kratom to medical products. Moreover, it also featured the "mitragynine test kit" (Mitragynine), an easy-to-use immediate indicator of each kratom leaf’s mitragynine content. Details of the event can be viewed on the website https://kratom.sci.psu.ac.th
