Report Staggering 80% of Thai Army Conscripts Battling Drug Addiction

[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? 

[kiwikeith]

On 4/25/2025 at 2:03 PM, kiwikeith said:

 

I

Plus weed, what a stupid thing Thailand has done, legalising uncontrolled weed

Obvious there is plenty of people that smoke weed, that are blind to the effect it it having on the people of this country, school kids and younger are smoking this now, so change the name of LOS to LOD land of dopes

[ReedTeller]

Why is drug addition rising across various parts of Asia? Everywhere I look, there's people involved in drugs on this continent. 

[Sydebolle]

Unless the stuff (which would need to be specified as well) is available over the counter at each and every 7/11 I seriously wonder, where the drugs come from. 
Next question is, what kind of money do these recruits spend; many of them are unemployed and quite glad being listed in the army. 

 

[Aussie999]

On 4/25/2025 at 11:01 AM, Aussie999 said:

I guess next you'll tells us you can't get addicted to nicotine.

Just 5 second search.

"Yes, it is possible to become addicted to cannabis. About 10% of people who begin smoking cannabis will become addicted, and 30% of current users meet the criteria for addiction.

 The risk of addiction is higher for those who start using cannabis in adolescence."

Amazing, I got a down-vote, from some nameless coward, unwilling to debate the issue, or counter the info supplied... not simply made up... simple people, with simple minds, can't do their own research...

[Aussie999]

1 hour ago, ReedTeller said:

Why is drug addition rising across various parts of Asia? Everywhere I look, there's people involved in drugs on this continent. 

could be because it's readily available, and it suits the government to keep the populations brains numb. Russia is using the same thing on it's soldiers, and I believe the US might also be guilty, if not now, certainly in the past.

[watchcat]

22 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

Tourists are invading Thailand, as we speak.

And, we know what happens.

 

 

We try to avoid the tuorist places: Phuket, pattaya, Samui, Koh Pangan etc.

[connda]

On 4/25/2025 at 6:52 AM, KhunLA said:

Disagree, as a youngin', smoked my fair share, on a daily basis for years, and never had withdrawal symptoms when quitting.

 

Definitely habit forming,  especially in social setting, but physical dependency with withdrawal symptoms, definitely not.

 

To the title ... 80%, I find that very hard to believe.

But for those who have never used cannabis and who are on the Cannabis Temperance Union bandwagon, the trope that weed is "highly addictive" never dies.  It doesn't need proof, it just needs to be repeated over and over and over again. 

Fyi - I used pot to help break a nicotine addiction in my 20s. It's funny how many of the "Weed Kills" types are cigarette puffing nicotine addicts. 

 

[KhunLA]

1 minute ago, connda said:

But for those who have never used cannabis and who are on the Cannabis Temperance Union bandwagon, the trope that weed is "highly addictive" never dies.  It doesn't need proof, it just needs to be repeated over and over and over again. 

Fyi - I used pot to help break a nicotine addiction in my 20s. It's funny how many of the "Weed Kills" types are cigarette puffing nicotine addicts. 

 

Remember 'Reefer Madness' being shown in HS, social development class, as a documentary.   Even the teacher got a laugh out of it.   Apparently force curriculum, as all us pot heads quite enjoy the chuckle.

 

Trying to pass that off as some type of documentary.   Sad, as then the warnings about harder drugs: alcohol, meth & heroin, are ignored, since lied about one, why believe anything else they state.

 

Especially alcohol, as the entry drug to all the rest among my friends & peers.  

 

Luckily my parents were stone Alkys, and seeing the negative effects on their lives, overflowing to mine, sort of showed me, that's one drug to avoid.  Only a weekend warrior, which diminished to a monthly warrior as I got older.   To no real interest at all now.

[connda]

And for the sake of the ignorant expat-types who live in farang gated communities and actually don't rub shoulders with the commoner Thais, the problem is methamphetimines - yaba.  It's extremely cheap, very available, and wayyyyy too many kids in the villages use it.  And the connection between those who manufacture it, traffic it, sell it at the local level and those in positions of power to stop it, well, they've been walking hand-in-hand for a very long time.
Big money in the yaba trade.  There are a lot of casual users? Most "users" simple take pills and they are sort of limited by money, to some extent.  The sh*t is really cheap now.  Addicts?  Some but its probably in direct proportion to each individuals ability to get their hands on enough money to afford vapable quantities of crystal meth.  Tweekers - meth addicts - bad news baby.  I was around that scene back in the 60s and 70s but it was never my cup of tea.  I'm glad I never had a physical attraction to it.  I was more of a kegger and pot type of guy back in those daze with a few analogues of this and that throw in for fun.  Once out of university I bagged that scene for good and moved on to being a working family man.  That's a whole other story which ended in me dumping my tweeker ex-wife and moving on. 

[Magictoad]

On 4/25/2025 at 6:45 AM, 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.

But it's a lie based on flawed research.  It's BS. They have been pushing this rubbish since the 30s.

[Magictoad]

24 minutes ago, connda said:

But for those who have never used cannabis and who are on the Cannabis Temperance Union bandwagon, the trope that weed is "highly addictive" never dies.  It doesn't need proof, it just needs to be repeated over and over and over again. 

Fyi - I used pot to help break a nicotine addiction in my 20s. It's funny how many of the "Weed Kills" types are cigarette puffing nicotine addicts. 

 

Great stuff.  And to think people actually believed this kind of propaganda 

[Magictoad]

The really dangerous addiction comes from the system.  From your Dr.

Valium, Xanax, all the Diazapams, and now The Prozac type SSRI that are punishing to stop causing serious illness and sometimes death.  The one they're pushing now is called Mirtzapine sold as Zamir for insomnia and depression.

[connda]

33 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Remember 'Reefer Madness' being shown in HS, social development class, as a documentary.   Even the teacher got a laugh out of it.   Apparently force curriculum, as all us pot heads quite enjoy the chuckle.

 

Trying to pass that off as some type of documentary.   Sad, as then the warnings about harder drugs: alcohol, meth & heroin, are ignored, since lied about one, why believe anything else they state.

 

Especially alcohol, as the entry drug to all the rest among my friends & peers.  

 

Luckily my parents were stone Alkys, and seeing the negative effects on their lives, overflowing to mine, sort of showed me, that's one drug to avoid.  Only a weekend warrior, which diminished to a monthly warrior as I got older.   To no real interest at all now.

I had "The Talk" with my pre-teen daughter.  What you can take, what should be used with caution or judiciously, then the sh*t that you don't ever want to take even once (like crack and vaping crystal).  Interesting tho' my kid really wasn't into drugs or alcohol.  She was raised by her mom who had both drug and alcohol problems, and of course the courts at that time simply awarded custody to my ex because "mothers make the best parents."  I got custody of my daughter when she was 11.  The kid had seen a lot and I emancipated her at her request at 17 so she could give life a try on her own.  She was a good kid.  Her boyfriend killed her in a car accident the week she was to graduate from High School. Speed kills - ironically.  Only child...you never get over that.

[connda]

30 minutes ago, Magictoad said:

But it's a lie based on flawed research.  It's BS. They have been pushing this rubbish since the 30s.

Yep!