Koh Phangan To Be Drugs-free Family Destination

[McPhong]

Ha ha - just replying to the headline without reading anything else:

AND PIGS WILL FLY.

I wish the headline was true and I wish it could be drugs free and a family destination - but I think like many others, I have no faith in the authorities to be able to do this, or even make a real attempt at it.

um... SWINE FLEW!!!!!!!!!!

[BlackArtemis]

I love getting funny jokes in my e-mail!

On a side note, I went to one in Feb 2006. Biggest disappointment in my life... I love techno/electronica and thought it would be a giant rave, but it was just a bunch of farang sitting on the beach drinking beer and taking drugs (12,000+ of them). I would say 10% were dancing or even cared about the music, and they trashed that beach...

I would say the funniest thing is the choice of the beach, the moon disappears over the mountain, not the water. Didn't matter though, I left early disgusted and disappointed

Though i did learn a new phrase that night "Farang kii nok". So I guess all was not lost.

[onomataho]

I'm glad I'm so old now that I could care less if there is a party, or drugs, or whatever.

Just give me a nice sunset, a seafood BBQ, and a fan room w/o bugs and I'm a happy tourist!

OK, maybe some nice local company, too!

[SteveB2]

...and so the powers that be are going to try and stop adults buying stuff they want from other adults who want to sell it... on koh Pangnan of all places.

Yer right - guess they'll be trying to ban prostitution next...

[vision]

Wasn't it like 6 or 7 years ago that Las Vegas announced they were going to clean up the streets, fight alcoholism, run the prostitutes out, and become a "Family Oriented" destination. The whole campaign failed miserably and after 2 years of it a new campaign "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" was launched and the crowds returned overnight.

[angiud]

Funny KPG people don't contribute to this thread.

Maybe because the crackdown on KPG drug, close the FMP, family destination, nature island, new airport, cyclically happen every 2/3 years, but magically nothing gonna change...

[BlackArtemis]

I'm glad I'm so old now that I could care less if there is a party, or drugs, or whatever.

Just give me a nice sunset, a seafood BBQ, and a fan room w/o bugs and I'm a happy tourist!

OK, maybe some nice local company, too!

You don't have to be old to think this way, this sounds much more appealing to me than what I went to, and I'm 27

[skullyman2727]

Koh Phangan full moon image change

Phangan 'just says no'

File photo.

KOH PHANGAN: -- Long associated with debauchery and wild Full Moon parties, moves are afoot to change Koh Phangan's image and make it a drugs-free island,

Koh Phangan, long associated with wild Full Moon parties, is undergoing an image change to make the island a family destination.

The monthly all-night Full Moon party on the Surat Thani island's Had Rin beach draws mostly foreign tourists and the event is synonymous with illicit drug use.

However, moves are afoot to rebuild the island's image as a drugs-free haven for holiday makers, with drugs authorities, residents and tourism operators committed to the efforts.

The Office of the Narcotics Control Board's Division 8, responsible for the upper South, has implemented a joint operation with residents and tour businesses to prevent the use of illicit drugs at the beachside party.

"The operation is the vehicle of our social order campaign to ensure partygoers stay away from drug abuse at the party," said Division 8 chief Surasak Klam-in.

The campaign is being conducted in consultation with stakeholders, including local leaders and tourism businesses from nearby Koh Samui, he said.

The division has asked locals to tip off police about any suspected drug-related activities on Koh Phangan.

Police have set up checkpoints along the main roads and at piers on both Phangan and Samui islands.

Police check partygoers at random for possession of drugs, such as cannabis, ecstasy and crystal methamphetamine, known as ya ice.

Undercover officers on the lookout for criminal activity mingle with the crowds.

Locals say the first Full Moon party was held 24 years ago. A resort on the island organised a farewell party for a group of about 20 foreign guests after an extended stay.

Since then a party has been held on Had Rin beach every full moon.

As the island's nightlife capital, the beach is home to dozens of nightclubs, pubs and restaurants.

Sound systems are erected along the one-kilometre beach to cater for the thousands of revellers who flock to the party every month.

Some revellers party too hard to be able to make the journey back to their guesthouses and end up sleeping on the beach.

"No one knows exactly when illicit drugs were first brought to the party," says Nikom Somwong, chairman of the Samui-Phangan Community Strength project.

Mr Nikom said as a community leader he was well aware of drug use at the parties. But he also recognised the monthly event is a big cash-spinner for Phangan and Samui islands.

Significant revenues are earned from food and drinks sold at the party.

Jongdee Thongchan, chief of Takian village in tambon Angthong on Koh Samui, said some people from the village go to the Full Moon party.

He was worried they would be exposed to drugs and could develop a drinking habit.

Mr Jongdee said he worked closely with family networks and drugs authorities to raise awareness of the risks of taking illicit drugs at local schools and homes.

Many partygoers, however, say it is perfectly possible to enjoy the world famous party without taking drugs.

Ilkka Happonen, a 24-year-old Finnish student, could not hide his excitement about attending the Full Moon party for the first time.

The Finn chose the island to celebrate graduating from the National University of Singapore.

"I'm very happy to be here. I have lots of fun and a great time with my friends. We drink and dance together and never take drugs," he said.

Grant Ligon, 21, from the United States, said he heard about the party from a friend who spent time on the island last year.

"He told me the party was full of fun and also warned me to avoid taking drugs there or I would be caught and sent to jail," said Mr Ligon.

-- Bangkok Post 2009-09-12

drugs-free I love the education of people covering the news.

[Johpa]

"No one knows exactly when illicit drugs were first brought to the party," says Nikom Somwong, chairman of the Samui-Phangan Community Strength project.

I know that back around 1981 on Chaweng Beach, the man on the bicycle selling ice cream between wafers, or into a cup if your provided the cup yourself, also sold marijuana. And Munchies guest house had a sign on the beach advertising "Magic Mushrooms Everyday". So I would venture a guess that across the water, the drugs existed on Koh Phangan well before the first full moon party. Well OK, not really a guess. The officials in Surat Thani have been making a whole lot of money from the drug trade for decades and no public pronouncement to the contrary is likely to change anything.

[IvanDobsky]

"No one knows exactly when illicit drugs were first brought to the party," says Nikom Somwong, chairman of the Samui-Phangan Community Strength project.

I know that back around 1981 on Chaweng Beach, the man on the bicycle selling ice cream between wafers, or into a cup if your provided the cup yourself, also sold marijuana. And Munchies guest house had a sign on the beach advertising "Magic Mushrooms Everyday". So I would venture a guess that across the water, the drugs existed on Koh Phangan well before the first full moon party. Well OK, not really a guess. The officials in Surat Thani have been making a whole lot of money from the drug trade for decades and no public pronouncement to the contrary is likely to change anything.

Like the little lady selling mushrooms and hash cookies back in 2002 at Thong Nai Pan. Nice little earner for the locals who habitually warned everyone about doing any of that stuff at the full moon in Had Rin. 'police get big money. don't do'

If they really eradicate drugs on KPN, where will the police earn their money?

Some parts of KPN were great in 2002, god knows what they're like now. If I leave my 1million plus inhabited city in Europe to come away and find relaxation, sharing a beach with twenty thousand <deleted> is not my idea of fun. No offence meant .

Walking along the beach is nice. One step, ciggy butt, two step, plastic bottle and ciggy butt, three steps, toilet seat and ciggy butts etc ad nauseum

They found paradise and they put up a parking lot? Nah, they just trashed it.

[wrecker]

This is a powerhouse of the Democratic party. The democrats are not too often in the position to form a government. Local elite must be rewarded for their loyalty. They have been informed long before the "family friendly destination" statement was made public. So they have been involved already in a land grab. Next the land will be made absurd pricey and sold off to the hated foreign hotel conglomerates. So the local elite take the money, the foreigner the blame, a destination is ruined, and the prices go up what makes it very family unfriendly but that is the way things go in Thailand under the current elitist system.

[DickFarang]

Less than 1 year ago, we have seen a “family friendly” blockade of both BKK airports.

[Jonathanpattaya]

Why not just shoot yourself in the foot and be done with it?

[IvanDobsky]

Less than 1 year ago, we have seen a "family friendly" blockade of both BKK airports.

Since ten years ago we've seen a family friendly coup de'tat, a family friendly murder of 3000 or so 'drugs dealers', a family friendly scanner scam, a family friendly crackdown on westerners who don't have 800k in the bank and a family friendly welcoming committee to 800k-ish Burmese illegals. Bonuses collected by the family friendly BIB.

Yet I still live here.

[KarenBravo]

Three, or,four yearas ago goverment officials rang a bell to anounce that Phuket was drug free.

Funny how the BiB are still arresting people for ya bah and other drugs.

Just another non-believable PR exercise.

Edited September 12, 2009 by KarenBravo

[Neeranam]

"No one knows exactly when illicit drugs were first brought to the party," says Nikom Somwong, chairman of the Samui-Phangan Community Strength project.

I know that back around 1981 on Chaweng Beach, the man on the bicycle selling ice cream between wafers, or into a cup if your provided the cup yourself, also sold marijuana. And Munchies guest house had a sign on the beach advertising "Magic Mushrooms Everyday". So I would venture a guess that across the water, the drugs existed on Koh Phangan well before the first full moon party. Well OK, not really a guess. The officials in Surat Thani have been making a whole lot of money from the drug trade for decades and no public pronouncement to the contrary is likely to change anything.

Like the little lady selling mushrooms and hash cookies back in 2002 at Thong Nai Pan. Nice little earner for the locals who habitually warned everyone about doing any of that stuff at the full moon in Had Rin. 'police get big money. don't do'

If they really eradicate drugs on KPN, where will the police earn their money?

Some parts of KPN were great in 2002, god knows what they're like now. If I leave my 1million plus inhabited city in Europe to come away and find relaxation, sharing a beach with twenty thousand <deleted> is not my idea of fun. No offence meant .

Walking along the beach is nice. One step, ciggy butt, two step, plastic bottle and ciggy butt, three steps, toilet seat and ciggy butts etc ad nauseum

They found paradise and they put up a parking lot? Nah, they just trashed it.

If it weren't for those drug-crazed hippie back in the day, I would never have found Haad Rin beach back in 1992.

Thailand certainly has changed for the worse since then especially with the arrival of internet 'dating/scamming/prostituion'.

I met some really intresting adventurous people back then - now I meet retired civil servants or scaffolders whose first visit out of Bolton or Kansas is to these shores.

Why don't they ban alcohol in Pattaya, where a lot more damage is done than a few harmless people eating a few mushooms.

[KarenBravo]

So, the full moon parties are toast then?

[cumtotysoon]

Are there not enough "family friendly" places in Thailand? Do they really need to start messing with this place? In fact arn't the only two places in Thailand that are more Adult oriented, Pattaya & Kho Panag's full moon party. And no I'm not talking about a few lil strips in BKK like Soi Cow Boy, either I mean proper resort destination wise.

Are u for real? Just cause this is Thailand should they allow adults to behave and cavort on drugs?

Theres a lot to look at with this new idea the Thai's are putting together. Pangnan wont work as a family destination, the island is not geared up for it. Where will the future parties be held?? Whos gonna buy all the new boats to get (real holiday makers) there and back to Samuii or the the mainland? Pangnan makes more money in the few days before and after the full moon than most resorts make all month, families could get no where near the takings that the party people hand over. Shit, we could go on forever. Best leave it how it is, a small % of foreigners get caught with whatever, most pay up before it goes further, some do a bit of jail before court in Surathani, they usually all pay around 1000GBP, may have gone up a bit these days. <deleted> are the thais saying, the country has been a haven for adventurers, traders, drug users, suppliers, prostitutes, pimps, families, sinlge people, groups and all the other visitors that come and go,

and more often than not they say, "I love Thailand".

I do love thailand and want to live here full time eventually, but F==K, if they keep moving the goal posts, i think i might look elsewhere. Im not such a huge raver these days but have done my time in pangnan over the last 15 years, its a cool place and should be left as it is. Let the cops get their share of arrests and and dont start sticking up fancy hotels and spars.

Actuually, i dont think you will see much change within the next 5 years.

[walterego]

I think it is MORE than a coincidence we get this news a day after the - no more back to back tourist visa news.

In my opinion this is a backlash from the recent documentary big trouble in tourist Thailand which was aired on UK TV the other day.

Yeah, I agree. Here's the link to the first episode in 4 parts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9Bjmemu474

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5rh9SRp9Hc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_0vZrpQ8QU&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJXNQEvddjw

It shows Thailand to be a place full of shakedowns and unscrupulous shesiters and a lot of drunken foreigners. Nobody comes out of this looking good!

Hannibal

Yep thanks for posting them up. (got em already though) People might do well to use www.savetube.com also I think that these will be blocked fairly shortly. (hope it is on thep2ps/trackers)

[Johnny Tahoe]

Was it a Buddhist who said, "Change is the only constant"?

I had a wonderful time at the full moon party I attended until one of the poor, abused locals stole my cell phone! That was about 4 years ago, I'm sure the party was better 10 or 15 years ago.

Relevant to this topic is the case of Koh Phi Phi. The tsunami changed things there more efficiently than any government crackdown. Does anyone like the new slick look there? All the charm of small, family-run businesses is gone. Money seems to ruin everything when that is the focus.

[sassienie]

I think it is MORE than a coincidence we get this news a day after the - no more back to back tourist visa news.

In my opinion this is a backlash from the recent documentary big trouble in tourist Thailand which was aired on UK TV the other day.

Yeah, I agree. Here's the link to the first episode in 4 parts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9Bjmemu474

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5rh9SRp9Hc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_0vZrpQ8QU&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJXNQEvddjw

It shows Thailand to be a place full of shakedowns and unscrupulous shesiters and a lot of drunken foreigners. Nobody comes out of this looking good!

Hannibal

I watched the Big trouble in tourist Thailand documentary, very entertaining.

It was obvious the Jet Ski saga was semi staged and I really loved that J.J character. I wasn’t sure if he is completely Thai and if I were a Hollywood film producer, I would choose J.J for the role of a South American drug baron, like Al Pacino in the film, Scarface. Definitely a budding film star, if only the movie moguls could see his potential.

I felt the voluntary Farang police were on a power trip and enjoyed the status that went with their Mickey Mouse police uniforms, although they were being used by the real police as canon fodder in the front line of it all.

The young girl that was caught with drugs at the full loon party, her whole plight was brought on by her loser boyfriend and yet, no one put any blame on him for anything.

The girl was surprised by her treatment from the Thai authorities and couldn’t understand why she was not let off with a slap on the wrist, the same as if she would have committed the offence in England. They just don’t seem to get it. The message here is, get involved with losers, become a loser, yourself.

As for the rest of the show, mostly portrays the antics of the same scum that we see in England during the pub animal chucking out times, hanging about the high streets after dark and holidaying in Spain. The Jordie guy in prison, he would probably had ended up in prison no matter which country he resided in, just a pity that he has ended up as the responsibility of us taxpayers here in Thailand. The guy is now living in his natural environment and like many of these types is self destructive and beyond help. Have no sympathy for him, whatsoever.

This documentary has worried the Thai authorities enough for them to had showed clips of the programme on Channel 3 news a couple of days ago, so I guess that this new apparent clamp down on drug users at the full loon parties is a reaction brought on by this documentary.

Overall, enjoyed the show, good entertainment and looking forward to next weeks exciting episode.

Edited September 12, 2009 by sassienie

[MaiChai]

Nice local Thais living in koh phangan? Remember this was an island with nothing but coconuts and a very small population working the coconut plantations. The Thais there now have all been drawn to the island by tourism. Thus the 'local Thais' are not locals? Exactly the same senario in Koh Samui. Thus the Thais drawn to live on the island who are making money from the tourists will also have to put up with some of the negative effects of tourism too? Can't have your cake and eat it?

[lazygourmet]

Funny KPG people don't contribute to this thread.

Maybe because the crackdown on KPG drug, close the FMP, family destination, nature island, new airport, cyclically happen every 2/3 years, but magically nothing gonna change...

Right...

Do you remember several years ago when they canceled all the parties?

They organized family parties instead... during one month or so... and then back to "normal"!

[Lite Beer]

Off Topic Posts. Discussing Moderation Posts and Thai bashing posts have been deleted.

[antony77]

we used to love unspoilt koh pangnaan until low life foreign drug takers infested the place.

Lets hope the authorities rid the island of these undesirables. But I doubt it. Too much vested interest in all the bars

and places they built to cater for these people. And of course all the traffickers who sell the drugs are well connected too.

[hhiser]

Family oriented tourist destination? Thailand has to improve its reputation first, ie stabilize its political system and clean up the scams infecting its torist industries! Until then they should be thankful for the tourist that do come here! 

[carmine]

we used to love unspoilt koh pangnaan until low life foreign drug takers infested the place.

Lets hope the authorities rid the island of these undesirables. But I doubt it. Too much vested interest in all the bars

and places they built to cater for these people. And of course all the traffickers who sell the drugs are well connected too.

It might be worth thinking about who is selling them the drugs.

[cyb]

Family oriented tourist destination? Thailand has to improve its reputation first, ie stabilize its political system and clean up the scams infecting its torist industries! Until then they should be thankful for the tourist that do come here!

Is that what they are possibly trying to do by taking this action? ie Jetski and drugs.

[alstaxi]

So, the full moon parties are toast then?

Yes , they are over, same same as girls outside soi 6 bars, after the tv special shining an unfavourable light on them, lasted less than a week, then right back to mayhem.

Knee jerk PR crackdown , there wont be another full moon party, until the next full moon.

[Mark Wolfe]

carmine

It might be worth thinking about who is selling them the drugs.

BINGO!