YouTube-trained ‘dentist’ among five arrested in medical crackdown near Bangkok

Five individuals accused of delivering dental or medical services without proper licenses have been arrested in a crackdown near Bangkok, according to police reports. The Central Investigation Bureau's Consumer Protection Police Division conducted searches at five locations, including Samut Sakhon, Samut Prakan, and Bangkok. Four individuals were charged with unlicensed dental work, while the fifth was accused of practicing medicine without a license.

In total, over 1,058 items worth more than 330,000 baht were seized, including various dental tools, medical equipment, and unregistered medicines.

Among those arrested was a 30-year-old woman in Krathum Baen district, Samut Sakhon, who allegedly fitted fashion braces to customers using a mouth retractor and dental etching solution. She reportedly learned these procedures independently through YouTube and social media advertising. Her monthly earnings reportedly exceeded 15,000 baht.

Another arrest involved a 61-year-old man from Bangkok's Krathum Baen district, who had previously worked in a dental laboratory. He allegedly took dental impressions and made dentures from his home, earning between 40,000 and 50,000 baht per month by working with both locals and healthcare facilities.

A 44-year-old woman from Bangkok's Bang Khen district, who previously worked as a dental technician, was also arrested. She allegedly operated from her home, taking dental impressions and making retainers, charging nearly 10,000 baht per course.

In Bangkok's Bang Phli district, a 26-year-old woman was arrested while allegedly administering an intravenous vitamin drip to a customer without the supervision of a doctor. Despite holding a bachelor's degree in nursing, she was accused of practicing medicine without a license, and officers seized vitamin drip equipment and unregistered medicines.