Report Staggering 80% of Thai Army Conscripts Battling Drug Addiction

[Magictoad]

13 minutes ago, kaneko86 said:

 

Yeah and you know what? That is also the reason why so many Thai men turn gay... 

Have you ANY evidence to support that assertion. With all the available pretty girls around I think the young men are more likely to turn into sex maniacs 

[impulse]

8 minutes ago, Magictoad said:

It will be harder stuff like Diazapam etc

 

Your guess has been noted.  I'm not saying you're wrong.  I just don't know, and the OP didn't mention.  80% sounds a little high for YABA or Meth, etc.  Sounds about right for weed and/or Kratom.  But I admit I don't know. 

 

Edit:  I'd add that the 10% serious addiction rate sounds about right for the really hard stuff.

 

[GammaGlobulin]

5 hours ago, hotsun said:

Thats not good. What happens if someone invades thailand?

 

Tourists are invading Thailand, as we speak.

And, we know what happens.

 

[BusyB]

 

National Service as rehab.

 

But does it work long term after the threat of military discipline is gone?

 

Not likely.

[UbonEagle]

The number sounds a little far fetched to me, are we sure this isn't some sort of political stoush the minister has with the army ? Perhaps they were surveyed and 80% said they'd used drugs... Whoopy do they are young males...

I play golf inside an army base and believe me most are hard fit and healthy looking to my eye

[Andycoops]

I am not surprised with the medieval conditions and neanderthal attitude of instructors, with servant like duties to perform, abusive behaviour from training NCOs etc etc

[kingstonkid]

6 hours ago, LOS1 said:

Look at it this way: the family has no where to turn with young Somchai doing his thing with all the peer pressure around him. No guiding adult in his life (they're all busy working or on drugs themselves). The nuclear family is disappearing in thai society. He turns to his buddies for relationships and a common theme amongst them is: feel good... any way to achieve that be it alcohol, sex, or drugs. You can say that about many drug conflicted countries.     

 

The nuclear family is disappearing in all countries. Take a look at the number of fatherless children in the U.S. and the girls who want a baby so that they will have someting ot love and be like their friends.

[WHansen]

10 hours ago, Zaphod Priest said:

 

A common misbelief.

 

"frequent marijuana use is associated with the development of physiological dependence, a distinct withdrawal syndrome, and addiction."

 

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/marijuana-rehab/is-it-addictive#:~:text=frequent marijuana use is associated with the development of physiological dependence%2C a distinct withdrawal syndrome%2C and addiction.

Just my personal experience here.

After returning from Thailand and smoking weed, 5 or 6 joints daily for 4 months it was time to clear my system as i regularly get tested via urine and saliva tests.

It was tough as i constantly thought about smoking a nice joint for a couple of weeks, but didn't crack.

I have gone through this process many times over the last 40 years.

I believe THC 'addiction' is psychological rather than physical, wanting rather than needing.

 

Nicotine on the other hand... i hate that i use nicotine but try as i may, too many times to mention over the past 40 years, i can not stop, without nicotine i am consumed with thoughts of how to get some and i feel somewhat different bodily.

 

For me there is a big difference between bodily needing nicotine and mentally wanting THC.

Others may well have different experiences though.

[kingstonkid]

2 hours ago, UbonEagle said:

The number sounds a little far fetched to me, are we sure this isn't some sort of political stoush the minister has with the army ? Perhaps they were surveyed and 80% said they'd used drugs... Whoopy do they are young males...

I play golf inside an army base and believe me most are hard fit and healthy looking to my eye

 

Agreed but these are the ones that have been through Boot and are there for a long time.

 

Does anyone know the percentage that stqay in after doing their 2 years.   

[GoodieAfterDark]

 

[bendejo]

16 hours ago, Dr B said:

My guess is that the 80% addiction has nothing to do with hard drugs such as Yaba, Crustal Meth, etc.

It is all about kratom, which is widely available in the rural areas, openly sold at the road side in bottles, and can become seriously addictive.

 

Saw something on Al Jazeera a few years ago about rural lads in the south of Thailand smoking weed mixed with the powder from fluorescent tubes, definitely an unhealthy thing.

80%?  I wonder how the supply and distribution of all that contraband is dealt with.

 

[bamnutsak]

Given the pool is 17 - 21 YO males, mostly from rural areas with little education and few employment prospects - those who can, buy their way out of the red/black challenge, and that Meth is essentially free (as little as 1 baht/tab), the 80 % figure seems legit.

 

If the problem drugs were cannabis (remember that it is legal), or kratom or some opioid, the good general would have mentioned it.

 

 

[save the frogs]

On 4/24/2025 at 9:09 PM, spidermike007 said:

Well I'm sure there's a number of blreasons behind this phenomenon, but could part of it be the fact that they're representing a morally bankrupt organization that really serves no purpose whatsoever?

the purpose is to defend the country in case of an attack.

 

[bamnutsak]

3 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

the purpose is to defend the country in case of an attack.

 

 

 

If you believe that I have an aircraft carrier that might interest you.

 

The purpose of the Thai military is to police citizens when they start to get ideas.

[spidermike007]

32 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

the purpose is to defend the country in case of an attack.

 

Of course. Malaysia, Burma, Cambodia and Laos are quite threatening. Very, very scared. 

[save the frogs]

11 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Of course. Malaysia, Burma, Cambodia and Laos are quite threatening. Very, very scared. 

you never know who might attack. not necessarily a neighboring country

[save the frogs]

11 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

 

 

If you believe that I have an aircraft carrier that might interest you.

 

The purpose of the Thai military is to police citizens when they start to get ideas.

 

police citizens.

ok, maybe. 

or maybe both though?