June 23, 200817 yr Yep and apparently he is actually really good. Remains to be seen but he has been educated in UK and America and is apparently very keen on supporting farang owned businesses on the island and increasing tourism. His first action was to stop the ridiculous amount of police checks on the road designed to extort money from tourists carrying small amounts of drugs and instead focus the anti drugs push on the seriously burgeoning yabba problem the island has developed since Thaksin was ousted. This was very obvious around full moon. Last month I was stopped 4 times in one week on my way to work - this month, not once. Ultimately it is the Thais supplying the drugs and how often do they even get stopped at check points? they used to just be waved through. They are also well aware of when and where checks are taking place so in terms of stopping the supply of drugs on the island, road blocks are completely useless.
June 23, 200817 yr The question is if its still possible to pay youre way out of situations. For example if youre carrying a small amount of smoke
June 23, 200817 yr The question is if its still possible to pay youre way out of situations. For example if youre carrying a small amount of smoke Sure, and feed the corruption of the local police.... You want to smoke in Thailand, you must accept the consequences. This is not Europe with the small amount, here cops are always happy to take your money for a joint.
June 23, 200817 yr Author yep everybody knows, if not rhen you're a complete idiot, that if you get caught in thailand with drugs that you've a problem. That you can buy you're way out is an "xtra service" but if it is really a small amount then take it to court you will get a fine, but it can take a few months before it goes to court.
June 23, 200817 yr Yep and apparently he is actually really good. Remains to be seen but he has been educated in UK and America and is apparently very keen on supporting farang owned businesses on the island and increasing tourism. His first action was to stop the ridiculous amount of police checks on the road designed to extort money from tourists carrying small amounts of drugs and instead focus the anti drugs push on the seriously burgeoning yabba problem the island has developed since Thaksin was ousted. This was very obvious around full moon. Last month I was stopped 4 times in one week on my way to work - this month, not once. Ultimately it is the Thais supplying the drugs and how often do they even get stopped at check points? they used to just be waved through. They are also well aware of when and where checks are taking place so in terms of stopping the supply of drugs on the island, road blocks are completely useless. Sorry mssabai, but I have to refute this particular claim: the seriously burgeoning yabba problem the island has developed since Thaksin was ousted. The Ya Ba problem on the island started years ago, and really is not a new trend, yes it is growing but it has been growing all along and the rapid increase is really nothing new. Perhaps the only rapidly burgeoning trend on the island is the number of Ya Ba addicts moving to the island. But the problem has been around and big for quite some time now. It would be nice if the new guy does have an effect on this as it has been a very serious problem on the island for quite a few years now.
June 24, 200817 yr No agreed the yabba trend is not new but Thaksin's radical anti drugs campaign certainly scared people away from dabbling in it - particularly dealing it. Compared to last year, the amount of people I have heard about who are using it has doubled, and I am hearing about more and more farangs taking it now than I ever used to. It is spreading like wildfire amongst the very young bar boys in Had Rin (17-21). I also have heard of people who used to deal, who stopped under Thaksin and have since started again now that the heat seems to have been taken off them.
June 24, 200817 yr So how much is small amount????? Drugs are drugs and there should be severe penalties for using.Mssabai sounds like you enjoy a bit of blow as you are very defensive about cutting down the SMALL amount of drugs.If there wasnt a massive amount of SMALL drugs then no stop and search
June 24, 200817 yr So how much is small amount?????Drugs are drugs and there should be severe penalties for using.Mssabai sounds like you enjoy a bit of blow as you are very defensive about cutting down the SMALL amount of drugs.If there wasnt a massive amount of SMALL drugs then no stop and search What assumptions you make bratpack. A small amount is a couple of grams of weed, a big amount is 5000 yabba tablets. I personally think you are stupid if you carry any amount of drugs around on this island and deserve everything you get. What irks me though is the police sparing six cops to stand by the side of the road for days on the end when their only aim appears to be stopping young farangs in the hope of scoring a nice big fat bribe. Their time would be much better spent working out how the drugs are getting on the island in the first place. In Samui you hear of a drug dealer bust every week. How often do you hear of that in Phangan?
June 24, 200817 yr ....Thaksin's radical anti drugs campaign certainly scared people away from dabbling in it - particularly dealing it. .... Mr.Toxic's Government action had absolutely nothing to do with it - I know of a person who is in it since years.... has made a fortune and is showing it... in this campaign NOTHING happened to him and other "well established businesses"! May I ask you? It is widely known, that money does the talking... people, so called "influential people", call 'em godfathers... will never ever be touched unless they fall from grace - it's a very subtle and very well established pyramid in this society and the pyramid decides what happens, how, when and to whom.... no education, no "new hot shot", will change anything at will.... they are allowed to scrape on the surface, at best do their job according to the guidelines, none else! Here "they" are in Place to protect the business of unwanted interference and "troublemakers".... or do we live in a different Thailand?
June 24, 200817 yr Look guys, lets differ to what is what. Jaa baa is dangerous. How many people have an unsocial behaviour on smokes!? And who are these gouverments to tell us what is allowed or not. And to SAMUIAN, you are right, because when you live here long enought and you don't see the pyramide or be part of it= No game. KPG is not Thailand , and never will be. But back to the drugs. All pills, pouders, cristals, papers, drops or whatever these wierdos are taking; if you get cought = death would be right for you. Just my opinion. But for smokes, give me a break. Culture over 5000 years old , very well accepted all over the world. So pay a few dollars extra and feel free. In western countries they don't even bust you for a smoke, because they have real work to do on the street, like busting rapists and killers. PEACE to you all
June 24, 200817 yr Look guys, lets differ to what is what. Jaa baa is dangerous. How many people have an unsocial behaviour on smokes!? ..............................edit............... Culture over 5000 years old , very well accepted all over the world. So pay a few dollars extra and feel free. In western countries they don't even bust you for a smoke, because they have real work to do on the street, like busting rapists and killers. Hmmmm... A red Light is a red Light if you run it and cause an accident/..... so is with Things illegal, soft, hard or crack... can't bend the law to ones specific liking... how much is "a little"? What worries me most is that the consumer, even of the heralded "light stuff", dreams of a neat little clean and happy world, with elves, fairies and rainbows while the same time he supports mafia cartels and condones organized crime...... No way - can do without!
June 24, 200817 yr Look guys, lets differ to what is what. Jaa baa is dangerous. How many people have an unsocial behaviour on smokes!? ..............................edit............... Culture over 5000 years old , very well accepted all over the world. So pay a few dollars extra and feel free. In western countries they don't even bust you for a smoke, because they have real work to do on the street, like busting rapists and killers. Hmmmm... A red Light is a red Light if you run it and cause an accident/..... so is with Things illegal, soft, hard or crack... can't bend the law to ones specific liking... how much is "a little"? What worries me most is that the consumer, even of the heralded "light stuff", dreams of a neat little clean and happy world, with elves, fairies and rainbows while the same time he supports mafia cartels and condones organized crime...... No way - can do without! so what? both is real, the real world, no disc anymore as they found out long ago.....
June 24, 200817 yr yep everybody knows, if not rhen you're a complete idiot, that if you get caught in thailand with drugs that you've a problem. I support the legalisation of many drugs but don't want to be around any of in Thailand. Others can't do without and press their luck. Me, I'll stick with that really dangerous - yet legal - local stuff - the Sang Som Set. btw - good luck with the new police chief. It would be nice to know a decent one is around.
June 24, 200817 yr Employing drug sniffing dogs at the ferry terminal would work wonders. The ferry company I work for (in the U.S.) does this....not daily (due to cost) but makes themselves extremely visible. There has been a significant drop in drug related crime on the island. It may not be so cost prohibitive in Thailand to employ a full time K-9 unit....no drug dealer will use the ferry. You can then focus on alternative methods of transportation, soon strangling the flow to the island. Of course this would mean the end of the drug fueled cash cow called full moon.....so it won't happen.
June 25, 200817 yr That's my point. Smokes are not that , they are NO chemicals . Beer or Sang Som is much worse, I guess. Just my opinion.
June 25, 200817 yr No agreed the yabba trend is not new but Thaksin's radical anti drugs campaign certainly scared people away from dabbling in it - particularly dealing it. Compared to last year, the amount of people I have heard about who are using it has doubled, and I am hearing about more and more farangs taking it now than I ever used to. i noticed a huge increase in ya ba just before i left the island 2 months ago (and it explained the actions of a few people around in retrospect too)... it is a scary drug that makes scary people. but you know, if i know where to get it and i am not involved in that scene at all, why don't the police know this and stop it? these are not people at the top of the "pyramid" for the most part who are doing it. But for smokes, give me a break. Culture over 5000 years old , very well accepted all over the world. So pay a few dollars extra and feel free. totally agree. i wish all said ya ba heads would go back to smoking. it is ridiculous to put weed and methamphetamines in the same vilified category. marijuana is a huge source of income for most of the local bar owners as well. There has been a significant drop in drug related crime on the island. how do you figure?
June 25, 200817 yr If smoking weed is so illegal in thailand. Why dont the cops bust all the bungalow owners who sell shrooms shakes and weed on Koh Phangan ?? They should just legalized the softdrugs and focus on Yabaa and hard drugs in general.
June 25, 200817 yr You are new in Koh Phangan. You forget all the connections local BIB have with local pushers. Weed is at your risk. When in Rome do as the Romans
June 25, 200817 yr Author Yep the BIB are not arresting themselves,some own resorts, or their brother nephew, niece, uncle etc. it's a small island so everybody is related or knows ech other.
June 25, 200817 yr Police are generally not local but come from other parts of the country. That doesn't mean they don't develop local "connections" but rather that those wouldn't necessarily be the large extended families seen amongst the locals.
June 26, 200817 yr Yup! When on Phangan do as the Panghanians. Same like the Romans when in Rom. Agreed! Phangan was, is, and will, never change. Bless!!! Let the good times roll.
June 27, 200817 yr I don't know. Both, I guess. If you're here long enough and live within a thaifamily I think they accept you for what you are. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to do that. But who runs the island? I guess the Thais. As a farang it's not easy, I have to make a few adjustments every day. Some things I keep on doing farangstyle...lol
June 27, 200817 yr I wonder if people here realize that the local population is well in the minority now? Sure the local families still run the island but there are far more non-local Thais than locals anymore these days. The local population is about 7-8000 and the total island population is well over 15,000. Probably more like 20,000. Most of those service people you are complaining about won't be from the island, indeed many of them seem to be Burmese with a limited supply of Thai much less English. I know who the locals are, and sure some of them are surly but after having dealt with hordes of young drunken tourists for the past 20 years its kind of hard to blame them for their generosity and hospitality having worn thin.
June 28, 200817 yr Author I'm pretty sure that the thais still run the island. I agree that the locals are worn their friendliness out after 20 yrs of drunk rude respectles farangs, even I get sometimes tired of them. And the corrupt police, I can understand them a little bit, because a starting police man gets paid 6000-7000 baht a month. Then he has to buy his own gun, uniforms, motorbike, handcufss etc. So they start with a huge debt. I Don't say it is right but this way it is being created.
June 28, 200817 yr No wonder their friendlyness is worn out. Go to haad rin at night. It's not nice how the young tourists behave. And after 20 years of seeing that you really can't blame the young Thais who grow up with all this fighting, when they get out of hand sometimes. So haad rin for me just in the daytime or I take a few famelymembers from the island and walk behind them. peace
June 29, 200817 yr No wonder their friendlyness is worn out. Go to haad rin at night. It's not nice how the young tourists behave. And after 20 years of seeing that you really can't blame the young Thais who grow up with all this fighting, when they get out of hand sometimes. So haad rin for me just in the daytime or I take a few famelymembers from the island and walk behind them. peace sorry in my mind that's b.....t. Why does so many "old" people forget about their youth? When 20'000 youngster get together for dancing, drinking, smoking, flirting, looking for somebody, enjoying live, under palms at the beach, undergoing a beautiful live marking experience (they never will forget that night, if they where lucky). Have you seen those faces the other day, still having some color on their body from the party? A fullmoon party at he beach? I think that is much cooler, then sitting behind a screen and watching and being exiting about some "ting tongs" running behind a ball. Millions of thoose! And the Thai's are not happy at all that they leaving the island so fast, they like it when it is full, crowded! Thats why they invested their land and money for it. I see everyday friendliness on this island, also in hadrin! What you people is focused on? Just everything is happen more! Back home they (youngster) doing the same thing now in summer evrywhere, globally. Sometimes I feel kinda jalousy here! They young and they don't care. They want to enjoy for what and which is left for them. Keep on dancing people! ham (soon 60)
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