Brit, 42, arrested for running 'illegal beauty clinic that caused severe allergies and facial paralysis'

A British beautician was arrested for allegedly running an illegal beauty clinic that caused severe allergic reactions and paralysis in a customer in Thailand.

Thomas Foley, 42, reportedly offered Botox and filler injections at a rented house on Koh Pha Ngan island in Surat Thani province.

Police descended on the clinic on September 3 following a complaint from a furious client who claimed she suffered redness, swelling, bruising, and facial paralysis after receiving a Botox injection from the Brit.

The officers swept through the property and seized more than 100 drugs and medical equipment worth 3.5 million THB (78,000 GBP).

They said the house appeared to have been converted into a makeshift clinic and also included a storage area and living quarters. They also found a note at the front door that said: 'Delivery to Tom Foley, Jessica Piff, 6 Moo 5 Koh Phangan.'

Officials have not clarified the identity of Jessica Piff.

A plaque in the premises showed that Thomas completed a course from the UK-based RA Aesthetics Training Academy. The certification was for 'Botulinum toxin and dermal fillers'.

Thomas said he had been renting the house at 29,000 THB (646 GBP) a month. He added that he advertised his services through a WhatsApp account called 'Botox Koh Phangan'.

He said he offered both on-location and in-house injections between 800 to 10,000 THB (18 to 223 GBP). The drugs he used were sourced from Chinese stores in Alibaba or local shops in Thailand.

Thomas faces charges of operating a clinic without a licence, selling drugs without permission, selling unregistered medicine, hiding, distributing, taking away, or buying an untaxed product, and working in Thailand without a valid work permit.

Police Lieutenant General Saksira Phueakum, commissioner of the Tourist Police, said: ‘I have ordered the superintendents of Tourist Police in tourist hotspots and nearby regions to eliminate foreigners committing all forms of crime.'

Thomas's arrest comes amid a crackdown on illegal beauty clinics and quack doctors in Thailand.

In late August, the Central Investigation Bureau raided four unlicensed clinics and detained five quack doctors in Phuket and Rayong provinces.

(1 THB = 0.022 GBP)