Koh Phangan To Be Drugs-free Family Destination

[Rooo]

The roads from the ferry port to Haad Rin beach where the full moon party is held are treacherous. To encourage family orientated holiday makers the authorities would need to spend some money on infrastructure.

...and there lies the problem. The authorities spending money on anything but themselves. While a lot of money and wealth is generated on these islands. Very little comes back for trivial things like roads. It all goes to surat thani and is never seen again.

Samuhi on the other hand would have been perfect. One only needs to visit to see what a complete concrete mess they've made of that. Beautiful island 20 years ago.

Thank you Pui, but please do some homework re Samui status & expenditure before commenting.

Now back to KPG subject.

Rooo,

Would it be possible to explain what you mean regarding your "do your homework statement" rather than just dismissing Pui - if what was said above is not true then the explanation in itself would be very much on topic.

The point about the roads and where the money is spent on the island is also very much on topic and well made.

Tom.

The discussion is about KPG & not Samui.An off the cuff remark about Samui infrastructure & the status of the island, shows how little he knows about the current situation.Do a search on the Samui forum & you will be enlightened.

Again it's KPG & not Samui.

[dageshi]

I was at a black moon party in KPG about 3-4 months ago, it was a pay to get in affair and it was full of thai guys offering drugs, could they have been working for a foreigner? Perhaps but the way the event was organised it certainly wasn't without the blessing of someone local in the know. At any rate Thailand is beginning to price itself out of the backpacker market anyway, prices on KPG for accomodation are relatively high by Backpacker standards, so they will likely go elsewhere, where? Sihanoukville I would expect.

My personal opinion is that upper class Thai's despise foreigners in their country and want to crack down on the excesses as they see it. The problem of course is that like all societies where corruption is standard practice they can't enforce what happens at those grubby levels where it's happening. I'm sure the police are getting a cut of everything sold on KPG.

[Mercury]

Yeah, flying pigs will come first. Like removing prostitution from Pattaya (or Thailand in general). Just another nonsense new article.

[joninthailand]

Its interesting that since the decline in backpacker toursim over the last couple of years the Island has seen an increase in high end , wealthy tourists. Along with the emergence of some very expensive luxury resorts. As with most things on koh phangan when one thing does well everyone copies it and it has been noticed that the expensive 10,000bht / night resorts are quite often up to 80% full whilst the 500bht / night places are empty ! So there now seems to be a push to focus on the higher end tourism. I think that they are mis-representing them by calling them families as they are often just people on 2 week holidays, using suitcases as opposed to backpacks. They still spend their money in local shops and restaurants , and they still go to parties too , they probably still buy the drugs at the parties.

[JatujakShopper]

People of Koh Phangan (and other places like it in Thailand), say good-bye to all those patchouli scented, grass puffin' hippie kids and their all their sweet money! Your loving government (which cares deeply about you!) has run them off at long last! Say hello to Chuck E Cheeze and skinflint parents on a tight budget with their over-heated whiny brats!

People of Sihanoukville (and places like it in Cambodia), rejoice and welcome the somewhat unwashed but generous with a tip youth that have been banished from the realm of your pretentious neighbors, rejoice because even if these wandering happy folk wear funny clothes (or not enough of them) and love to puff funny herbs while they dance around on the beach, they all have big fat credit cards, hemp bags full of cash and they are coming your way! PARTY!!! It is your big day so start building bigger bars!

Seriously, Thailand is Nerdsville any more, I'd rather spend an afternoon at the Christian Science Reading Room. Way to go, you sure showed them! Thailand very badly wants to become a place that sucks to hang out in if you are under 70 and have even half a sense of adventure.

[frankman]

Yeah, flying pigs will come first. Like removing prostitution from Pattaya (or Thailand in general). Just another nonsense new article.

100% agreed

[MUYTHAI]

The roads from the ferry port to Haad Rin beach where the full moon party is held are treacherous. To encourage family orientated holiday makers the authorities would need to spend some money on infrastructure.

...and there lies the problem. The authorities spending money on anything but themselves. While a lot of money and wealth is generated on these islands. Very little comes back for trivial things like roads. It all goes to surat thani and is never seen again.

Samuhi on the other hand would have been perfect. One only needs to visit to see what a complete concrete mess they've made of that. Beautiful island 20 years ago.

Thank you Pui, but please do some homework re Samui status & expenditure before commenting.

Now back to KPG subject.

Yeah... Pui...your a bad boy or girl. Seems to me Pui was on the subject of KPG. Maybe you were just joking with Pui. Pui is correct at pointing out that Samuhi is an island destroyed.

[JatujakShopper]

The Phra Nang Peninsula, Ryleh Beach in Krabi. Twenty years ago it was paradise on Earth, cheap bungalows, good food, topless Swedish girls sunbathing, all the beer and smoke a body could want, friendly Thai people making good money- total freedom to relax and enjoy everything.

Go there now- it's a concentration camp. I'd rather spend a week in a Carrefour parking lot. They have destroyed it utterly, 15 years later I wept as my wife led me back to the boats to Ao Nang.

Edited September 12, 2009 by JatujakShopper

[Rooo]

The roads from the ferry port to Haad Rin beach where the full moon party is held are treacherous. To encourage family orientated holiday makers the authorities would need to spend some money on infrastructure.

...and there lies the problem. The authorities spending money on anything but themselves. While a lot of money and wealth is generated on these islands. Very little comes back for trivial things like roads. It all goes to surat thani and is never seen again.

Samuhi on the other hand would have been perfect. One only needs to visit to see what a complete concrete mess they've made of that. Beautiful island 20 years ago.

Thank you Pui, but please do some homework re Samui status & expenditure before commenting.

Now back to KPG subject.

Yeah... Pui...your a bad boy or girl. Seems to me Pui was on the subject of KPG. Maybe you were just joking with Pui. Pui is correct at pointing out that Samuhi is an island destroyed.

Up to you what you guys think, nor do I think much of your witty sarcasm . If you want to comment, use the whole quote & not selections. Do not twist my words here. He mentioned Samui money going to Surat, NOT the case anymore since they have changed Samui status. New Mayor, doing lot's of work on the island,Samui money staying here with a minimal payment to Surat. 900 Million government grant to help island infrastructure.

So before you comment , please do some homework.

Again Samui has nothing to do with KPG, government wise or anything, maybe a launching point, but so is Dongsak with ferries to the island.

Again this is a KPG thread, & not about Samui or it's ruined environment or concrete jungle or whatever .

If you guys want a debate, fine start another thread.

[sangfroid]

Yeah, flying pigs will come first. Like removing prostitution from Pattaya (or Thailand in general). Just another nonsense new article.

100% agreed

How about supplying a "Flying Pig" Emoticon TV

[MUYTHAI]

People of Koh Phangan (and other places like it in Thailand), say good-bye to all those patchouli scented, grass puffin' hippie kids and their all their sweet money! Your loving government (which cares deeply about you!) has run them off at long last! Say hello to Chuck E Cheeze and skinflint parents on a tight budget with their over-heated whiny brats!

People of Sihanoukville (and places like it in Cambodia), rejoice and welcome the somewhat unwashed but generous with a tip youth that have been banished from the realm of your pretentious neighbors, rejoice because even if these wandering happy folk wear funny clothes (or not enough of them) and love to puff funny herbs while they dance around on the beach, they all have big fat credit cards, hemp bags full of cash and they are coming your way! PARTY!!! It is your big day so start building bigger bars!

Seriously, Thailand is Nerdsville any more, I'd rather spend an afternoon at the Christian Science Reading Room. Way to go, you sure showed them! Thailand very badly wants to become a place that sucks to hang out in if you are under 70 and have even half a sense of adventure.

I totally agree.

BTW...at least the partiers can still imbibb in the drug that causes violent behavior (alcohol) instead of a drug that causes peaceful behavior (ganja). A family oriented destination will be the death of the island's beauty. I have seen it happen on islands and beach-front property all over Asia, the South Pacific, and Latin Amercia. Very sad if the change takes place.

Good bye KPG...hello Disney Land!

[MUYTHAI]

The roads from the ferry port to Haad Rin beach where the full moon party is held are treacherous. To encourage family orientated holiday makers the authorities would need to spend some money on infrastructure.

...and there lies the problem. The authorities spending money on anything but themselves. While a lot of money and wealth is generated on these islands. Very little comes back for trivial things like roads. It all goes to surat thani and is never seen again.

Samuhi on the other hand would have been perfect. One only needs to visit to see what a complete concrete mess they've made of that. Beautiful island 20 years ago.

Thank you Pui, but please do some homework re Samui status & expenditure before commenting.

Now back to KPG subject.

Yeah... Pui...your a bad boy or girl. Seems to me Pui was on the subject of KPG. Maybe you were just joking with Pui. Pui is correct at pointing out that Samuhi is an island destroyed.

Up to you what you guys think, nor do I think much of your witty sarcasm . If you want to comment, use the whole quote & not selections. Do not twist my words here. He mentioned Samui money going to Surat, NOT the case anymore since they have changed Samui status. New Mayor, doing lot's of work on the island,Samui money staying here with a minimal payment to Surat. 900 Million government grant to help island infrastructure.

So before you comment , please do some homework.

Again Samui has nothing to do with KPG, government wise or anything, maybe a launching point, but so is Dongsak with ferries to the island.

Again this is a KPG thread, & not about Samui or it's ruined environment or concrete jungle or whatever .

If you guys want a debate, fine start another thread.

I did use the whole quote. I pressed "quote" and then I pressed "reply". I deleted nothing before commenting. I did not comment on or twist your words. Go back an find the quote I commented on and you will see that the whole thing is quoted and nothing was deleted. I was debating with no one. I was commenting. Last time I checked, people on TV were allowed to have a little fun while commenting. I guess this has changed.

[Rooo]

I did use the whole quote. I pressed "quote" and then I pressed "reply". I deleted nothing before commenting. I did not comment on or twist your words. Go back an find the quote I commented on and you will see that the whole thing is quoted and nothing was deleted. I was debating with no one. I was commenting. Last time I checked, people on TV were allowed to have a little fun while commenting. I guess this has changed.

You have used the whole quote, my apologies. No things have not changed, there is fun & there is unwarranted off topic posts , valid as they might be, do not belong in this thread.

[bassep]

So a "joint operation". Sounds like the party will continue!

[MUYTHAI]

They should terminate these full moon parties completely.

Thailand has a unique way of life, why destroy this with the infiltration of Western yob culture.

Sooner or lately these activities will spread to other parts of the country like a cancer, so now is the time to get rid of it before the rot really sets in.

Very funny!

Criminalize the consumption of ethyl alcohol and legalize the use of other drugs and the place will quite down quickly, even if the population of the parties remains the same. Alcohol...the drug of craziness and violence.

[steve28]

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?

Hi,

Do they not turn family friendly places into family unfriendly places in a very short time, do you really want to take your children for a walk with the girls outside the massage palours and bars, pay 5 times as much as a Thai to visit a national park without so much as a western toilet, be hustled by vendors on the beach, and constantly ripped off. Thailand is not the tourist destination it was.

cavoert on drugs, does that include alcahol?

[Supernova]

I went to three full-moon parties, twice in 1990 and in 1991. I never partied so hard in my life, lol. I was 19! Ahh the good ol' days... Just hearing people talk about Koh Phangan brings back memories. I'm glad I was there to experience 'paradise' the way it was meant to be. No cops, no rules -- just a bunch of people gathered together for a good time. Those were the days, man. I would do it all over again if I could.

[globin]

[

what i think is this 'FAMILY RESORT' CRAP should have a clampdown on it. more bars, more girls please..... family resorts are so boring and will not bring more visitors/cash.

Total agreement to an extent.

No more Momy Poko resorts, leave your families at home, we have enough Thai rugrats already. The crackdowns are pushing party zones into areas that are residential, then established locals have to deal with it and then cops want money to do nothing, then everything goes to <deleted>. KEEP THE PARTY ZONES! or the new world order and its chaos will be everywhere.

[Alboy301]

I'm sure some things are just designed to pee people off,

KPG is never gonna be a family destination, I took my parents there and they felt well over aged for the place, its a young persons place so just leave it as a such

This is simply BS said because some people high from their bribes have nothing better to do than to make empty promises.

Apart from anything else, when will Thailand come into line with so many other developed countries in realising that drugs are not equivilant to satan and are simply better understood (and even enjoyed) rather than suppressed

I assume u are a sixty year old with long hair, ripped jeans and an Anarchy tattoo!!!!! One of the most ridiculous posts I've read on this forum.

Lots of us have smoked some weed mate, but could u imagine the consequences if the Thai government supported your view!!

[vinceentz]

Seems like its the time for impossible crackdowns. If they want to waste further money on other crackdowns I have a suggestion :

Remove bargirls from Pattaya.

That would be equally impossible as fixing the Taxi problem in the airport, and remove drugs from Koh Phangang and locating farang owned land/business

[TPI]

I'm sure some things are just designed to pee people off,

KPG is never gonna be a family destination, I took my parents there and they felt well over aged for the place, its a young persons place so just leave it as a such

This is simply BS said because some people high from their bribes have nothing better to do than to make empty promises.

Apart from anything else, when will Thailand come into line with so many other developed countries in realising that drugs are not equivilant to satan and are simply better understood (and even enjoyed) rather than suppressed

I assume u are a sixty year old with long hair, ripped jeans and an Anarchy tattoo!!!!! One of the most ridiculous posts I've read on this forum.

Lots of us have smoked some weed mate, but could u imagine the consequences if the Thai government supported your view!!

Look around my friend, the consequences of locals dealing in Ya Ba are plain for the eyes to see! Ganja is so boring that only teenyboppers use it anyway...the problem is yobs and alcohol, that and missing out on a Baht or two is what has got up the locals nose! IMMHO

[Abrak]

The thing I feel a bit irritating about this is this....

To do drugs generally in Thailand is a highly risky business that may well result in jail term. However, the full moon party is advertised as a drug enhanced party throughout the world - it is world famous. Honest tourists go there thinking they can have an 'e' or smoke a joint at their free will.

It is generally advertised as a 'rave' whereby the consequences for treating it as such can be horrendous. If Thailand doesnt want it then close it down but it somehow gets advertised as some 'drug' enhanced party while people who go there on that basis have suffered horrendous consequences.

I dont mind if the country takes a hard line on drugs at all or if they let some world famous drug fest go on every month, but to allow it to be advertised as one thing and for people to suffer the consequences of it being another is somewhat deceitful.

[gbswales]

Do they not turn family friendly places into family unfriendly places in a very short time, do you really want to take your children for a walk with the girls outside the massage palours and bars, pay 5 times as much as a Thai to visit a national park without so much as a western toilet, be hustled by vendors on the beach, and constantly ripped off. Thailand is not the tourist destination it was.

I think there is a big difference to "family destination" being a place where you can take children and show them life as it actually is in another country, and the current "popularist" defnition, which consists of blocks of one room apartments overlooking fancy restaurants and what used at one time to be a nice beach. Where all they will see of the country is inhabitants paid pitifiully low wags to pander to their every need. I dont object to such places existing, heck I have been to disneyworld and universal studios and laid in the sun by sumptuous pools like a lot of people. However that doesnt mean that this is the only kind of experience people need for a holiday. Diversity is the key and sometimes I think that many adults treat their children as naive innocents who should only ever be exposed to some kind of fantasy world that just isnt real. Anyone who has been to island resorts in other countries sometime will have seen people running nud_e into the sea, partying, getting drunk etc. This generally only spoils it for the parents I have always observed that kids find it all highly amusing

I am not condoning illegal behaviour but it is perfectly possible to control this most of the time without spoiling it for everyone else. When I had a young family we simply avoided places that were going to be full of bars and nightlife (mainly because we needed sleep). There is room for everything in life and the world is a mixture of ill defined good and bad. Individual definitions of good and bad can also be completely different. I have always believed that if I go somewhere that I dislike for some reason then I simply move on somewhere else and leave those people that like it to enjoy themselves.

As for the effect on locals then I would pose the question is the lot of young thais slaving away in hotels for 14 hours a day where they cant afford to buy a meal, never mind stay, really any better that those that work in the bars, or the taxi drivers who have to bargain for a living - its all a kind of slavery just as going to work every day is for most of us.

[adam1]

yeah, stay away from KPG - horrible place. Better go to Phuket, lots of nice high concrete hotels, and you can enjoy buying coffee and a croissant for 300baht! Lovely!

I kinda hope we have a super big economic shakedown so families can't fly around everywhere - then, locals can go back to being locals, and any foreigner will be welcomed warmly and be able to chill out in relative peace, simply enjoying nature, or what's left of it.....

[surfaxxis]

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.

-- Bangkok Post 2009-09-12

OK, I am an old fart who now resides in Thailand and lord knows that I did my share of crapola in my misspent youth - but I did it in my own country. I am amused that people get so miffed at the idea that Thailand is somehow not going to just ignore their laws and culture for the tourists. It could not be more clear what the consequences are for doing drugs here. It's like the two blokes that got executed in Singapore a couple of years ago for smuggling coke and the whole world was outraged. hel_l, they tell you right on the customs form what they will do to you! If you are swimming bleeding in a pool of sharks you can expect to get bitten. Everyone acts surprised that the BIB bust them and then want cash to get them out of incarceration. God bless the kids but if ya pays your money then ya takes your chances........................

Agree, doing drugs will cop a big "bangkok hilton stay" do that shit in your own country and leave LOS to those that respect the people who live here

[Mark Wolfe]

The roads from the ferry port to Haad Rin beach where the full moon party is held are treacherous. To encourage family orientated holiday makers the authorities would need to spend some money on infrastructure.

...and there lies the problem. The authorities spending money on anything but themselves. While a lot of money and wealth is generated on these islands. Very little comes back for trivial things like roads. It all goes to surat thani and is never seen again.

Samuhi on the other hand would have been perfect. One only needs to visit to see what a complete concrete mess they've made of that. Beautiful island 20 years ago.

Thank you Pui, but please do some homework re Samui status & expenditure before commenting.

Now back to KPG subject.

Rooo,

Would it be possible to explain what you mean regarding your "do your homework statement" rather than just dismissing Pui - if what was said above is not true then the explanation in itself would be very much on topic.

The point about the roads and where the money is spent on the island is also very much on topic and well made.

Tom.

The discussion is about KPG & not Samui.An off the cuff remark about Samui infrastructure & the status of the island, shows how little he knows about the current situation.Do a search on the Samui forum & you will be enlightened.

Again it's KPG & not Samui.

I agree tomster. Not just a tad touchy on the particular issue of KP, are we Rooo? To a large extent, Samui and KP are closely related, and not only in proximity. Aside from the small number of people coming to the full moon parties from KT, and those using the secret X-men invisible hangar on KP to get back to Bangkok after the event, Samui is the transit point for the full moon parties. And relevant.

[surfaxxis]

I'm sure some things are just designed to pee people off,

KPG is never gonna be a family destination, I took my parents there and they felt well over aged for the place, its a young persons place so just leave it as a such

This is simply BS said because some people high from their bribes have nothing better to do than to make empty promises.

Apart from anything else, when will Thailand come into line with so many other developed countries in realising that drugs are not equivilant to satan and are simply better understood (and even enjoyed) rather than suppressed

I assume u are a sixty year old with long hair, ripped jeans and an Anarchy tattoo!!!!! One of the most ridiculous posts I've read on this forum.

Lots of us have smoked some weed mate, but could u imagine the consequences if the Thai government supported your view!!

It may have missed many people in the news, that Amsterdam, will impliment measures to control the smoking of weed in cafes, so why not Thais,

they do not want their young exposed to this type of behavour, and they respect the old people

[norwayeagle]

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.

If they move away all inhabitants they will succeed.Maybe give the Island to Mormons or some similar.The Island is a world inside the world.And to get rid of "drugs" in the world is Mission impossible. Maybe erase the humans on the planet? By the way The Drug alcohol is the BIG problem, that make eeee, problems all over.

[masterjedi]

There is one thing a lot of people overlook or just don't know about, and that is the organised gangs. I have known far too many people either robbed and attacked by organised gangs at KPN it is just untrue. Far too many people have died here too from either drug related incidents or attacks. I hope it stays a party destination but it is good the police are getting involved, it needed doing.

Good point about the money made here too not being used for the roads etc. I know TonSai in Krabi has a similar problem, the guys in charge of everything take too much money and spend very little on the infrastructure and the general upkeep. Things need to change.

[Rooo]

I agree tomster. Not just a tad touchy on the particular issue of KP, are we Rooo? To a large extent, Samui and KP are closely related, and not only in proximity. Aside from the small number of people coming to the full moon parties from KT, and those using the secret X-men invisible hangar on KP to get back to Bangkok after the event, Samui is the transit point for the full moon parties. And relevant.

Thank you for your contribution.