Is There A Yaba Epidemic In Thailand?

[giddyup]

Every day I watch the Thai news channels with my GF (she translates for me) and the predominant news stories every day usually concern either huge Yaba drug busts or drug dealers blown away in gang violence. I was told by my GF that the money confiscated during the drug busts is no longer going to be displayed along with the drugs, as was the case before. Apparently the sight of all that money (sometimes millions) is just too much of a temptation and it's only encouraging people to sell drugs. Without any exaggeration I would say that at least 50% of news time is taken up with drug stories. It would appear that Thailand along with a lot of other countries is definitely not winning the war on drugs.

[flying]

I tend to not watch the news these days except for financial news...no matter what country I am in

It is all bad.....I guess they get better ratings...although a good news only station may be a nice change.

As for them not showing the money I would not be too sure that is the reasons.

As for them not winning the war on drugs...Since you say more than 50% of the news is about drug

busts I would say they are making a pretty good go of it

Anytime there is money to be made supplying what ever tools of the trade...there will be those willing

to risk supplying the tools. legal or not.

[giddyup]

I tend to not watch the news these days except for financial news...no matter what country I am in

It is all bad.....I guess they get better ratings...although a good news only station may be a nice change.

As for them not showing the money I would not be too sure that is the reasons.

As for them not winning the war on drugs...Since you say more than 50% of the news is about drug

busts I would say they are making a pretty good go of it

Anytime there is money to be made supplying what ever tools of the trade...there will be those willing

to risk supplying the tools. legal or not.

I don't know what other reason there would be for not showing the money, and according to my GF that reason was given as part of the news story. Just because the news channels are preoccupied with stories on drug busts doesn't mean they are winning the war. It's like an iceburg, there's more unseen than seen. America has the same problem, they have huge drug busts in the many tons, of cocaine predominantly, but they admit it's only the tip of the iceberg, and also admit they are losing the war.

Edited May 6, 2012 by giddyup

[simple1]

To answer your question - Yes. Look at the recent new articles in the English language press here in Thailand and the massive amounts of the precursor drugs being illegally imported from the likes of China and South Korea - billions of cold tablets. The newspaper stories alledge even the hospital procurement managers are involved along with "influential persons"

[Ulysses G.]

There seemed to be a bigger speed epidemic in Chiang Mai a few years ago. I'm not sure if Taksin's War really worked, but not so many in your face speed freaks as back then.

[isanbirder]

I don't think the 'epidemic' has ever stopped. It fluctuates from time to time, possibly affects the farang population more at some times than others, but it has never gone away.

[TomTao]

Ice is a problem all over the world, it is easy to make without too much investment and reaps big rewards, all the perp needs is a basic knowledge of chemisty. I know of one person who is a nurse at a community medical center who I have been told uses the drug to set up people who don't get along with her, she visits and leaves a hidden surprise for the poilce to find when they arrive.

[trainman34014]

Don't forget Chalerm's cunning plan to eradicate drugs in Thailand by next February. Oh; I just remembered, Wonder Woman said it's going to take six months longer so could be August !

[GuestHouse]

When was the last time they caught and prosecuted one of the Drug Lords?

Right now the authorities are chasing down the missing pharma supplies and suppliers which they know are feeding the illegal drug trade - a handful of pharmacists and hospital supply clerks have been named, while Hospital directors are suspected not charged and not named - The ring leadrrrs are illuded to but again never named.

Its perhaps time they caught a small time foreign user to nail up and distract attention.

[phuturatica]

There is a drug epidemic all over the world.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Yes. This part of the world is a major manufacturing source, and the neighboring countries export both to and through Thailand. It's cheaper than shit and very addictive, usage AFAIK has only been increasing over the years.

If you see a working Thai all twitchy, eyes jumping around that's most likely why - don't bother trying to talk sense if you disagree and don't get into a direct confrontation - but that's generally true anyway 8-)

[submaniac]

Yabba/meth is a problem all over not just in Thailand, as has already been said before. It's not like cocaine or heroin where it has to cultivated from plants (which makes it more difficult to manufacture). The chemical components are legal, and readily obtainable. Someone with a little bit of knowledge of chemicals can make it.

[evadgib]

meanwhile anyone trying to purchase actifed/sudofed in normal quantities & for use as intended can no longer do so

[BigJohnnyBKK]

> Every day I watch the Thai news channels with my GF (she translates for me)

BTW this is a very bad habit for mental health, don't think you're getting an accurate view of Thai reality.

Not a good idea back home either IMO, but here even more so.

[bendejo]

There seemed to be a bigger speed epidemic in Chiang Mai a few years ago. I'm not sure if Taksin's War really worked, but not so many in your face speed freaks as back then.

IMO that war was probably fought selectively.

Aside from the full-time speed freaks, I think a lot of the market for this stuff is kids going out and partying. In the same way kids in the US smoke weed.

[phl]

ITS no more or less than any other country in the world.

The only difference is in other parts of the world, police does not feel the need to parade every drugs related arrest they made in front of the media

Edited May 6, 2012 by phl

[nocturn]

i would say ice is more of a growing epidemic.

It seems to me that the folks i would encounter that were predisposed to a puff of the little pink pill are doing ice now instead.

but it is six to the half-dozen really. both are very similar in effect

[nocturn]

There seemed to be a bigger speed epidemic in Chiang Mai a few years ago. I'm not sure if Taksin's War really worked, but not so many in your face speed freaks as back then.

IMO that war was probably fought selectively.

Aside from the full-time speed freaks, I think a lot of the market for this stuff is kids going out and partying. In the same way kids in the US smoke weed.

i suspect you mean the same way kids in the us do coke or exctacy, or ice

[wana]

thaksins method worked for sure ,bar a few accidents

i heard a married couple were executed in the home because neighbours suddenly noticed them having a suspicious amount of wealth

it later transpired they had won a nice amount of money on the lottery .............but decided not to tell everyone like neighbours

[RogueExpat]

Is there a Yaba (Yah-mah) epidemic?

Chalerm, Thienthong, Barnharn and Co., would sure like you to think there is one.

Thaksin loves it because it is the best smoke screen while the pilfering goes on un-abated in public procurement, technology, communication, agriculture, energy and education sectors. Did I leave any out?

I mean, who is going to argue about figures of cash mising anyway, easily one of the best "off the books" revenue generators.? Do you see the drug dealer complaining about the missing cash?

Probably answers the OP's suspicion of not seeing the cash on the evidence table, and top cops driving around in Porches, Aston Martins, and Bently's.

[surayu]

In a country where people are struggling to get a 300 Bahts legal daily wage, you have the medias constantly splashing out something that looks much more like some sort of commercial advertisement rather then "news", showing off millions of Bahts apparently easily accumulated by the average Joe, with the cameras and speaker constantly going around the cash, instead to display how harsh the punishments will be for them.

When i did try to ask some normal working thais what are their feelings about it, guess what kind of answers do i get??? ....."yes i would do it too" and i am not surprised by this.

Is this happening because of naiveness/pure ignorance or there is some plan behind it?

I usually look at the news with interest, but when they start with these "teasers" it just upset me somehow.

[DP25]

Yes it's a problem but Thais insistence on blaming Yaba for every single thing that ever goes wrong in the entire country borders on superstition. Everything is blamed on drugs, from all crimes ever committed to the entire southern insurgency to rude store clerks, without any testing or evidence. Despite all of the drugs coming across the border from Burma the problem isn't nearly as severe as in the US. Average Thai copper would poop their pants if confronted with some real pipe hitting LA gang bangers and had to patrol areas infested and overrun with them.

Edited May 6, 2012 by DP25

[wana]

Yes it's a problem but Thais insistence on blaming Yaba for every single thing that ever goes wrong in the entire country borders on superstition. Everything is blamed on drugs, from all crimes ever committed to the entire southern insurgency to rude store clerks, without any testing or evidence. Despite all of the drugs coming across the border from Burma the problem isn't nearly as severe as in the US. Average Thai copper would poop their pants if confronted with some real pipe hitting LA gang bangers and had to patrol areas infested and overrun with them.

average thai cop would probably forget he was in america and shoot every crackhead gang banger that got in his face ,thinking in the thai way

that its fine to shoot someone of less importance

[surayu]

...although a good news only station may be a nice change.

Have you thought about North Korea?

[Marcel1]

Interesting subject, but also rather useless to worry about. I dont like it also. But as long de minimum wage is 300b a day and the average thai who gets that is not smarter than an trained monkey (no offence) they will always do the drug jobs where they can get more money, cause they not think about the what if....

Also the government not really mind about this cause they can collect the money. Like said before, the higher cops in expensive cars. And a thai friend of mine who know some people in the current goverment told me that not long ago someone went to the casino and lost aproxx. 100mln b. in one night. Guess where thats money is from... So we can worry/get angry about this but as long corruption rules this country, nothing ever will change.

So just turn off the news and keep smiling ;-)

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[flying]

...although a good news only station may be a nice change.

Have you thought about North Korea?

Yes but you see the problem?

한국어/조선말,

Edited May 6, 2012 by flying

[Jessi]

Its an epidemic world wide. Its destroying the youth of Asia in particular because its cheap compared to some other drugs and very very addictive.

[theblether]

Where I live in Glasgow is racked with drugs and junkies. It's tragic. I see people every day in life who have been destroyed by drugs, and I feel sorrow and pity for them.

It is the greatest single failure of governments that they have allowed the mass destruction of so many lives. The supply cannot be cut off, but I can be controlled and de-criminalization is essential. Prohibition is making it worse.

As for Thailand, I have seen many young people ( in their 20's ) on Yaba in Chiang Mai. There are two Thai bar areas relatively close to / behind Chiang Mai Gate which are polluted by Yaba users.

I stopped off in these bars a few times when I first visited CM, wanting to experience real thai pubs so to speak, but then I started clocking how many sad and damaged people worked in and frequented these bars. They are not all on Yaba, but plenty are.

What put a cap on it for me was watching other farangs arrive on the scene. They'd buy a small leo and wait for the motorcycle courier to turn up. Within 5 minutes they'd be in the toilet and would come back out melted. These are the desperado farangs you really don't want to meet.

There was a famous case of a big Canadien guy last year ( aged about 40 I think ), who hit the Yaba hard, started shoplifting from 7/11 and the market stalls, and had the police chasing him all over the city. He intimidated a regular winter visitor to CM, a little 5 foot tall lady approaching her 70's, and that was seen by the Thai cafe owners at CM Gate. He disappeared the same day. What happened to him I don't know, I reckon he was tracked by one particular owners son and the police lifted him. He literally disappeared.

I've seen a few, ( 4 or 5 ) backpacker types on Yaba. They stand out like a sore thumb. Zoe in Yellow attracts a young crowd of farangs, I would say thankfully that the vast vast majority will enjoy a good drink but stay away from the chemicals.

It takes a special kind of farang idiot to get involved in chemicals in Thailand. People are being habitually set up by dealers and police. The prisons are full of idiot farangs of all ages doing mental sentences.

I predict it's going to get worse, there are more and more people flowing in from farang land, more and more people getting caught up in the fantasy that Thailand is a gentle forgiving place, and they will be sucked in by the ever increasing numbers of farang drug dealers.

That movie The Beach, with Leonardo DiCaprio has a lot to answer for.

Just saying

[wintermute]

Thailand has been a primo trafficking and manufacturing spot since the 50's. First it was heroin and now it's a little more broad with Meth and Cocaine making a big impact in this region. First off most meth is shipped in from Myanmar where the big time manufacturing takes place. There are smaller producers in Thailand as well and probably a few mega labs that will never be uncovered. The drug lords here are connected to the very top and are untouchable.

I'm not certain if these drug lords are from the same family that used to run the golden triangle cartels but I wouldn't be surprised if they are somehow related or from the same organization. If it is then they would at least be on the 3rd generation as drug cartel lords. The original golden triangle cartels were aided by the CIA and were overwhelmingly of Shan or ethnic Chinese (former KMT) descent.

Thailand's borders are extremely porous with major networks all over the Mekong so it's easier for small town operators to get in on the action too. What you see on the news are mostly small fry independents getting busted. The big time guys and the mega labs will never be seen in the media. The major cartels are big here at least as big as they are in Mexico and probably more "legitimatized" in their positions. That's how bad it is. Plus it's easy as hell to launder drug profits in Thailand and most of SE Asia.

[wana]

Plus it's easy as hell to launder drug profits in Thailand and most of SE Asia.

theres no need to even launder it ,AFAIK there is no check ups on peoples houses ,cars or bank accounts in thailand /cambodia /.laos etc

i remember being in a bank in dublin one day a few years ago and to lodge more than 5000 euros required an anti money laundering form being filled in and recoreded with an explanation of where of the money came from (Ihis is law in irish banks apparenty )

no such bullshit in thailand ,i have lodged and withdrawn and re-lodged millions without ever being questions

bought and sold property and cars and motorcycles ,usually all with cash or transfer ,whateverthe seller wants (no questions asked ,ever )

similar to how a young low paid policeman can purchase a 5 million thb house ,a new mercedes and a harley davidson and nobody ever asks .....How?

it will be another decade or two before thailand is up to speed with modern western countries ,probably a bit longer for cambodia and the likes .........