The never-ending struggle against the drug trade in Thailand and the culture of impunity around it

[webfact]

 

By Tisana Choonhavan

 

The drug trade in Thailand is valued at US $71 billion (2.2 trillion baht) in 2020. That is a fourfold increase from 2014 when Prayut Chan-ocha took power.

 

But apart from the staggering raw numbers of drug production in the region is the human cost that is often unreported and the culture of impunity, prosecution, and legal grey areas of the border regions that has fueled the drug trade and driven it underground.

 

The approach of the Thai government, when it comes to viewing drug-related crime, and the justice system has also created a culture that fuels an endless cycle of prosecution, incarceration, and corruption.

 

Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/32438/the-never-ending-struggle-against-the-drug-trade-in-thailand-and-the-culture-of-impunity-around-it/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2021-09-09

 

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[mahtin]

More of an editorial than a story.

[law ling]

1. A lot of good ideas in the article attached to the OP - but they'd all cost much more money than the present incarceration solution, so I doubt there'd be any appetite for change (whilst submarines, fancy street lights and beach restoration projects have a greater call on available funds).

2. If the police presently profit (albeit corruptly) under the current systems ... then you'd get no help from them - they being the one group you'd need to have on board for any change.

Edited September 9, 2021 by law ling

[mtls2005]

The skim on this is HUGE, and with the authorities providing protection, the ramp up in trans-shipment is understandable.

 

thailand provides safe shipment of drugs. Yes, they confiscate some but that's down to some not paying enough for protection.

 

72 hours:

 

https://twitter.com/jdouglasSEA/status/1435185607207055361?s=20

 

[Will B Good]

As the RTP are the major beneficiaries of the drug trade nothing will change anytime soon.

[DirtyHarry55]

There must be someone powerful organizing those drug smuggling logistics.

Is it a coincidence one of the most powerful men in Thailand is a convicted drug smuggler?
Is it also a coincidence most of the drugs are being shipped to Australia?
 

[VocalNeal]

6 minutes ago, DirtyHarry55 said:

Is it a coincidence one of the most powerful men in Thailand is a convicted drug smuggler?

But not convicted in Thailand?

[Jimbo2014]

The war on drugs is the greatest ideological failure of the 21st century.  The countries with the lowest drug abuse have the laxest laws.  Legalize drugs and providing counseling and education will reduce crime, reduce incentives to push drugs illegally and reduce drug deaths.  Mad. 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The drug trade in Thailand is valued at US $71 billion (2.2 trillion baht) in 2020. That is a fourfold increase from 2014 when Prayut Chan-ocha took power

They promised to get in control of the drugs trade, I think they've achieved their objective.

Nice earner.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, DirtyHarry55 said:

There must be someone powerful organizing those drug smuggling logistics.

Is it a coincidence one of the most powerful men in Thailand is a convicted drug smuggler?
Is it also a coincidence most of the drugs are being shipped to Australia?
 

Only the small drug mules get caught out... very few of the Big money men get touched.

[Will B Good]

4 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

The skim on this is HUGE, and with the authorities providing protection, the ramp up in trans-shipment is understandable.

 

thailand provides safe shipment of drugs. Yes, they confiscate some but that's down to some not paying enough for protection.

 

72 hours:

 

https://twitter.com/jdouglasSEA/status/1435185607207055361?s=20

 

And probably more profitable as I am sure a good proportion of the confiscated drugs are recycled courtesy of the likes of Joe Ferrari 

[Artisi]

3 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

But not convicted in Thailand?

That's OK then as it doesn’t count, and it was just a big understanding anyway - so all is sweet.... 

[trainman34014]

Prayut and his Gangsters in Government House have no interest in stopping it as it will stop a very nice cash flow.

 

Anyway; Prayut is the talk about everything man who produces exactly nothing but misery for his people instead of the 'Returning Happines to the People' that he promised along with dozens of other empty promises !

[vandeventer]

30 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

They promised to get in control of the drugs trade, I think they've achieved their objective.

Nice earner.

Not just Thailand all around the world. Just look at the southern border in the USA. Which is open to anyone, some real drug control there.

[Aussieroaming]

Between the corrupt ex-con government ministers and the corrupt RTP the drug business has flourished because it gets treated with love and attention. Prayut presides over his team of peddlers and the buck (not the dollar kind of buck) is supposed to stop with him. I'm sure that the drug enforcement agencies from around the world get pretty jaded with having to deal with these muppets, knowing which ones are dirty.

[mrfill]

1 hour ago, Jimbo2014 said:

The war on drugs is the greatest ideological failure of the 21st century.  The countries with the lowest drug abuse have the laxest laws.  Legalize drugs and providing counseling and education will reduce crime, reduce incentives to push drugs illegally and reduce drug deaths.  Mad. 

Virtually all wars are prolonged because huge profits are made. Its why drug dealers and arms dealers are both huge money making ventures.

[VocalNeal]

1 hour ago, Artisi said:

That's OK then as it doesn’t count, and it was just a big understanding anyway - so all is sweet.... 

No just a legal thing. Just like it is illegal to import drugs into some countries but not necessarily illegal to export them. 

 

Some politicians don't inhale. Some drive to a distant town to get their eyes tested.

Edited September 9, 2021 by VocalNeal

[ncc1701d]

I watched an interview if a cop in the uk who went undercover for about 12 months, got trusted, had to do pretty horrendous things to gain that trust, risking his life and family safety etc. eventually his unit had caught the ones they wanted to catch etc all happy. Only to find out that they managed to stop the flow of drugs for about 4 hours.

[canthai55]

3 hours ago, Jimbo2014 said:

The war on drugs is the greatest ideological failure of the 21st century.  The countries with the lowest drug abuse have the laxest laws.  Legalize drugs and providing counseling and education will reduce crime, reduce incentives to push drugs illegally and reduce drug deaths.  Mad. 

Hear Hear

Want to destroy cartels, stop corruption, suspend the need to build more prisons to house non violent offenders, restore drug users to soceity and their families, release untold Trillions of dollars world wide ?

DeCriminalize ALL drugs. Spent the money on health care and prevention, and services for those addicted.

Drug use and abuse is a health and social services problem, not a criminal justice problem.

But it will never happen - too much money to be made outfitting police forces, and ramming drug laws down other countries throats in exchange for financial assistance in any and all areas.

 

Edited September 9, 2021 by canthai55

[overherebc]

33 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

Hear Hear

Want to destroy cartels, stop corruption, suspend the need to build more prisons to house non violent offenders, restore drug users to soceity and their families, release untold Trillions of dollars world wide ?

DeCriminalize ALL drugs. Spent the money on health care and prevention, and services for those addicted.

Drug use and abuse is a health and social services problem, not a criminal justice problem.

But it will never happen - too much money to be made outfitting police forces, and ramming drug laws down other countries throats in exchange for financial assistance in any and all areas.

 

Easy fix. Make them all legal and just pass out big boxes of them for free so those who want can eat them, snort them, stick them in their arms or up their bums for all I care.

The only expense would be the garbage trucks to take all the bodies to the local tip. All the other money could be used for education and medical services for genuinly sick people who deserve and need it.

Edited September 9, 2021 by overherebc

[zzaa09]

7 hours ago, Will B Good said:

As the RTP are the major beneficiaries of the drug trade nothing will change anytime soon.

Actually, the RTP play a minor role - convenient middle men if you might. 

The true bosses derive from the usual circles. 

[spidermike007]

Simple solution. Legalize most drugs. Eliminates both the gangs and the police franchises. 

 

Likely not something the fake puritan leaders would support. 

[Jimbo2014]

51 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

Hear Hear

Want to destroy cartels, stop corruption, suspend the need to build more prisons to house non violent offenders, restore drug users to soceity and their families, release untold Trillions of dollars world wide ?

DeCriminalize ALL drugs. Spent the money on health care and prevention, and services for those addicted.

Drug use and abuse is a health and social services problem, not a criminal justice problem.

But it will never happen - too much money to be made outfitting police forces, and ramming drug laws down other countries throats in exchange for financial assistance in any and all areas.

 

You are very very right.  Sadly.  Perhaps now that the Taliban will go back to Opium farming, and Americans are becoming more libertarian, we may see change - faint hope. 

[rct99q]

4 hours ago, Jimbo2014 said:

The war on drugs is the greatest ideological failure of the 21st century.  The countries with the lowest drug abuse have the laxest laws.  Legalize drugs and providing counseling and education will reduce crime, reduce incentives to push drugs illegally and reduce drug deaths.  Mad. 

I am not a big fan of drugs, drug dealers, or druggies.

As such I do believe in the idea of legalizing it. But even go one step farther. 

Governments should contract it out to one supplier. Make the product safe, cheap, and plentiful. In less than a year you would do away with the issue. 

Take the profits and invest in rehab and counseling programs. 

 

[mark131v]

'The never-ending struggle against the drug trade in Thailand and the culture of impunity around it'

 

The never-ending struggle against military interference/ corruption/ nepotism/ injustice/ torture/ petty mindedness/ murder in custody in Thailand and the culture of impunity around it

 

Blimey that headline covers most everything that is wrong with Thailand...

Edited September 9, 2021 by mark131v

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and the replies have been removed. 

[kickstart]

6 hours ago, hotchilli said:

12 hours ago, webfact said:

The drug trade in Thailand is valued at US $71 billion (2.2 trillion baht) in 2020. That is a fourfold increase from 2014 when Prayut Chan-ocha took power

They promised to get in control of the drugs trade, I think they've achieved their objective.

Nice earner.

It is said one reason why the coup that outed Tucksin happened because he gave the police almost a free rain to do away with drug dealers ,which they did, the wife still talks about it now ,not much of a drug problem where we are then .

But the army guy's who ran the drug trade were not happy about it and the loss of income, hence the coup d'étatno not , surprised at the four-fold increase ,where I am now  one Yar Bar pill is only a few bahts   

[tracker1]

6 hours ago, vandeventer said:

Not just Thailand all around the world. Just look at the southern border in the USA. Which is open to anyone, some real drug control there.

When a country send it's military into one of the biggest opium poppy growing countries and does not destroy them makes one wonder !

 

[brianthainess]

On 9/9/2021 at 8:37 AM, webfact said:

That is a fourfold increase from 2014 when Prayut Chan-ocha took power.

I'll Say no more.

[Emdog]

Struggle? What struggle against?

Seems only "struggle" is about who gets how much of the profits