In an unexpected twist, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, with an aura of determination and poise, addressed reporters as she navigated through the packed warehouse. The space, crammed from floor to ceiling with confiscated e-cigarettes and an array of related gear, was located snugly on Soi Charoensuk Withaya, hiding in plain sight behind the busy Bang Bua Thong police station in Nonthaburi. It was a Tuesday, and not just any Tuesday—this was the day “Operation Smoke Out” bared its teeth. The echoes of a well-coordinated police raid resonated throughout Nonthaburi province, a sweep that netted a whopping 260,000 smuggled vape pipes, all brandishing an unmistakably Chinese origin. Their collective worth? A staggering 130 million baht. The operation, reminiscent of a high-tension thriller, saw officers swoop down on five warehouses and an equal number of homes, their mission clear and concise: eradicate this vaporous menace. Pol Maj Gen Samran Nuanma, radiating authority,…
