Thai police bust illegal home factory selling relabelled expired milk and food products online

THAILAND: What looked like a quiet family home in Hua Hin turned out to be anything but ordinary. Behind its doors, Thai authorities say, was a hidden operation that for two years quietly pushed unsafe food products into the hands of unsuspecting consumers.

The case came to light after worried shoppers began reporting to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), after which the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPB) got involved in the investigation.

Upon inspection, investigators found out that the milk had expired. The original expiration dates have been removed and were substituted with new dates, making the boxes look safe to drink.

Following the trail led police to Hua Hin District in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. On Dec 24, officers arrived with court-approved search warrants and raided two locations used to store and produce the goods.

Inside, they found a makeshift food factory. Stacks of expired milk, milk powder, mayonnaise, and repackaged MSG filled the space. Nearby were piles of unlabelled instant coffee sachets, creamer, and cocoa powder. Machines used to reprint expiration dates sat alongside coffee-mixing equipment and measuring tools. In total, more than 13,000 items—worth an estimated 1.5 million baht—were seized.

The caretaker of the property admitted it was all his. He told police he bought expired or near-expiry milk in bulk from warehouse auctions in Samut Prakan for as little as one baht per box. If the cartons looked undamaged, he erased the old dates and printed new ones, then sold the milk online for 10 baht per box. He said he had been doing this for about two years.

He also confessed to making instant coffee without any permit—mixing raw ingredients himself and sealing them into unlabelled sachets. Each pack sold for 55 baht, with as many as 150 packs moving in a single day.

Police have filed charges under the Food Act B.E. 2522 (1979).