Koh Phangan To Be Drugs-free Family Destination

[BigC]

not much to say anout this new prime minister. stopping the old full moon parties. stop people handing out tourist visa's to tourists in penang. now more expensive. Are people still going to come to samui next year as a cheap get your mnoney's worth holiday in parradise here any more.

I mean u get ride of the rade mark part for the south east coast of thailand then that would stop alot of business as it is famous round the world. yet silver moon black moon and the other moons will still operate. are boring. thailand starting to anoy me now.

[Garret]

Crackdown on all forms of tourism....kick all Frangs out of Thailand....Maybe the Govt could create a new national office that could be responsible for figuring out how to get all Farangs just to stay home but just mail all there money here. Then they could distribute it around to the top 3% of the people .

[Mark Wolfe]

Maybe the Govt could create a new national office that could be responsible for figuring out how to get all Farangs just to stay home but just mail all there money here.

That would be the Ministry of Thai Girlfriends...

[Beacher]

Maybe the Govt could create a new national office that could be responsible for figuring out how to get all Farangs just to stay home but just mail all there money here.

That would be the Ministry of Thai Girlfriends...

Yes, Thailand has its own government ministries that are somewhat unique to the rest if the word. The original press release about making Koh Phangan a drug-free family destinantion came from the same office that announced (when Thaksin was in power) that Thailand will be "drug free" in 6 months - the Ministry of Silly Statements. (A new skit for John Cleese?)

[Geekfreaklover]

I wish they shut down the party and the drugs,

and get the people to come here with nice events like;

the "red hot chilli peppers" on the beach.

But first, pigs will fly.

I guess

The "red hot chilli peppers" have taken more drugs between them than an entire full moon party combined !! The guitarist died of an overdose.

not anymore, they also grew old now,,,lol,,,

Why not Ian Curtis coming to play the original version of Blue Monday...

when New Order used to be called Joy Division?

And actually, where did you get these mushrooms from? Could you EMS me some?

haha. Ian Curtis doesn't play 'live' anymore.

[lazygourmet]

Cheers Geekfreaklover...

You are the first one who noticed this intended mistake

[samuijimmy]

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

Well, it's too bad KP has been painted with one brush... giving the whole island a bad name, just as Thailand is painted as being totally sex crazed... It's NOT!!!

There are many nice places to stay (and family friendly) that are located in a number of areas of KP.... just not the stretch from Tonsala to Haad Rin, including Baan Tai.

I was on KP on the week end, it was quiet and very beautiful, along the west coast (Su-thanu)sp? and up at Mae Haad... I was actually surprised Island View Cabana & Wang Sai resorts where quite busy too.

Island View Cabana, has spent I would guess several million baht on a face lift... certainly gone "up market" ... on what I think is one of the nicest beaches on the Island... Where beach vendors are not allowed, also. Also it gets some beautiful sunsets!

I've stayed in NW KP (Mae Haad) many times over the years, and would say judging by the amount of families who stay there during the "winter season" it's certainly a safe place for "normal every day people" and not any thing like the drug crazed area of Haad Rin....

Give the rest of KP a break!

[t.s]

You must have had a blindfold on the whole time if u didn't see any drugs or been offered them. Its well know that u can get anything u wish. I went to the full moon party over 18 years ago and pot, pills and brownies along with magic mushrooms were freely avaible and i have heard nothing has changed.

wow, 18 years ago? your opinion is timely and relevant indeed.

when will people learn that haadrin does not koh phan ngan make? I spend my time in chaloklam, and believe it or not haadrin is a long way away.

if you do not choose to turn right out of thongsala and drive for 30 minutes, its like it doesn't exist. Kpg is already a family destination, many of us who were there 15 years ago keep coming back, and guess what, we have children and we bring friends and family.

if you prefer the saftey of chaweang and lamai, well that is your call. Phuket, richard? no drugs there. at least not when i was there in the 1920's.

[t.s]

Every time I drive past on my own on my motorbike the bar girls scream as though they have just been stabbed to grab my attention. I wonder how many people fall off their bikes when this happens and they don't know to expect it.

um, they likely have just been stabbed.

[mssabai]

The biggest drugs problem on the island is caused by methamphetimes. Yabba before and now Ice (Crystal Meth). 99% of those who are consuming this are Thai. Yes other recreational drugs are available on the island, but only a very small percentage of farangs who come to the island dabble. The vast majority of people are high on buckets alone. These statements are meaningless PR stunts by the government. If they really cared about ridding the island of drugs, they would be targetting the local Thais who are getting affected by the methamphetamine blight, rather than the odd farang who takes one ecstacy or who is carrying a few joints.

[angiud]

How true, but always better see in the neighbor's backyard

[Adagio]

The biggest drugs problem on the island is caused by methamphetimes. Yabba before and now Ice (Crystal Meth). 99% of those who are consuming this are Thai. Yes other recreational drugs are available on the island, but only a very small percentage of farangs who come to the island dabble. The vast majority of people are high on buckets alone. These statements are meaningless PR stunts by the government. If they really cared about ridding the island of drugs, they would be targetting the local Thais who are getting affected by the methamphetamine blight, rather than the odd farang who takes one ecstacy or who is carrying a few joints.

Local meth heads don't pay bribes

Only just noticed this story as I'm in the UK at the moment getting my annual visa. Lived on the island 4 years and I've never heard of farangs taking the real problem drugs mentioned above but they really are destroying some of the locals. I like the island the way it is though I wouldn't begrudge the locals getting a better income. Hopefully this really is just another knee jerk reaction to some bad publicity on UK TV.