My village as I suppose most Isaan villages, has a high number of YaBa users. Quite a few end up selling it, then end up in jail and then when they come back to the village the cycle starts again. I was wondering if anyone knew of any treatment centres in Isaan for YaBa users? Just throwing them in jail or as has happened before killing them isn't going to solve the problem. They need treatment and then something to do other than take YaBa to solve the problem. When I first came to Isaan 10 years ago they use to have evening workout sessions at the health centre, that seemed to help keep the women occupied and some men, but they haven't done that for a long time and the YaBa problem seems to have got worse since they stopped them. I don't know if it's coincidental or not.

Waste of time mate, very few of them ever change, if they don't have the brains ( which they don't ) to figure out it's bad news then tough titties...

http://siam-rehab.com/location.html

http://www.thamkrabok.net/html/the_monastery.html

These are the closes I can find.

You might get an address from the provincial hospital. You're right that it got worse and nobody seems to care. A guy in my wife's village's always in and out of prison.

Even the best therapy doesn't help, when they come back to the same environment. Mostly no jobs, money, wives,etc..

Places like Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Sisaket etc.. are flooded with this shit.

You might get an address from the provincial hospital. You're right that it got worse and nobody seems to care. A guy in my wife's village's always in and out of prison.

Even the best therapy doesn't help, when they come back to the same environment. Mostly no jobs, money, wives,etc..

Places like Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Sisaket etc.. are flooded with this shit.

Worked in a related field for much of my life, drugs are a life style choice, to say when they get out of prison no work, plenty of yabba users round here and I am 7 workers down and pay well.

Far as I am concerned, be it here, Australia or elsewhere you as a user make a choice, there is no treatment or cure. If you want to change you change, must don't want to change.

Sad fact of life, seen many ODs and young people die with a whole life ahead of them. The hit is just more enticing then working and living. Jim

From the research I've done on yaa baa, ( for a friend whose wife is into it), the psychological effects are quite horrible, with mental changes that may or may not be reversible, depending on the specific drug used and the period of usage. The use of yaa baa in our small town has skyrocketed in the 15 years I've been up country, resulting in a significant rise in petty crime, home burglaries and muggings. Home security becomes a matter of priority and it's not entirely safe to be on the streets late at night.

I don't know of any re-hab programmes locally. The solution offered by the police is prosecution and jail. (How useful is that?). They seem to manage to thin out their numbers that way, or by picking up the bodies after lunatic 'bike accidents. I guess you have to wonder why this might be. Given the poor educational standards, the loss of family land to deal with debt problems and the unavailability of worth-while employment, it might be a result of desperation. Mostly, our locals cluck-cluck about it, but tearfully defend the reputation of their sons when they get nabbed or killed in accidents or local violence.

Until the social problems of rural Thailand are addressed, things will only get worse. But there's the rub - who wants educated farmers?

From the research I've done on yaa baa, ( for a friend whose wife is into it), the psychological effects are quite horrible, with mental changes that may or may not be reversible, depending on the specific drug used and the period of usage. The use of yaa baa in our small town has skyrocketed in the 15 years I've been up country, resulting in a significant rise in petty crime, home burglaries and muggings. Home security becomes a matter of priority and it's not entirely safe to be on the streets late at night.

I don't know of any re-hab programmes locally. The solution offered by the police is prosecution and jail. (How useful is that?). They seem to manage to thin out their numbers that way, or by picking up the bodies after lunatic 'bike accidents. I guess you have to wonder why this might be. Given the poor educational standards, the loss of family land to deal with debt problems and the unavailability of worth-while employment, it might be a result of desperation. Mostly, our locals cluck-cluck about it, but tearfully defend the reputation of their sons when they get nabbed or killed in accidents or local violence.

Until the social problems of rural Thailand are addressed, things will only get worse. But there's the rub - who wants educated farmers?

Drugs are a wold wide problem, Australia has the highest heroin use per capita in the world. Been enforcing stupid drug laws for a lot of my life. It's not a law enforcement problem, but a health problem and education problem.People sniff glue, petrol, eat magic mushrooms or a 1000 other substances to get high,

Drugs are not the real problem, people are and if they see no better way they will take to drugs, or booze. That's life, I can't talk as I drink and smoke, but there is a difference between a functional addict, be it booze or drugs and an none functional user. Many people live and are productive and take drugs for recreational use.

It's a hard line, freedom for people to do as they wat, or a Government telling what's best. Jim

From the research I've done on yaa baa, ( for a friend whose wife is into it), the psychological effects are quite horrible, with mental changes that may or may not be reversible, depending on the specific drug used and the period of usage. The use of yaa baa in our small town has skyrocketed in the 15 years I've been up country, resulting in a significant rise in petty crime, home burglaries and muggings. Home security becomes a matter of priority and it's not entirely safe to be on the streets late at night.

I don't know of any re-hab programmes locally. The solution offered by the police is prosecution and jail. (How useful is that?). They seem to manage to thin out their numbers that way, or by picking up the bodies after lunatic 'bike accidents. I guess you have to wonder why this might be. Given the poor educational standards, the loss of family land to deal with debt problems and the unavailability of worth-while employment, it might be a result of desperation. Mostly, our locals cluck-cluck about it, but tearfully defend the reputation of their sons when they get nabbed or killed in accidents or local violence.

Until the social problems of rural Thailand are addressed, things will only get worse. But there's the rub - who wants educated farmers?

Drugs are a wold wide problem, Australia has the highest heroin use per capita in the world. Been enforcing stupid drug laws for a lot of my life. It's not a law enforcement problem, but a health problem and education problem.People sniff glue, petrol, eat magic mushrooms or a 1000 other substances to get high,

Drugs are not the real problem, people are and if they see no better way they will take to drugs, or booze. That's life, I can't talk as I drink and smoke, but there is a difference between a functional addict, be it booze or drugs and an none functional user. Many people live and are productive and take drugs for recreational use.

It's a hard line, freedom for people to do as they wat, or a Government telling what's best. Jim

Maybe there are some users that are functional but many inflict a huge degree of harm on their families through it. There are many families with children who only occasionally see their father as he keeps dissapearing for fisrt a few months then years in jail. Thats after periods of random behavior and inability to maintain even a semblance of a normal life. Who picks up the pieces for the kids crying themselves to sleep every night and the mothers trying to keep things together for them.

While I would like to be free choice I think the harm it does others means at least with Yabba strong measures to stop it are justified.

From the research I've done on yaa baa, ( for a friend whose wife is into it), the psychological effects are quite horrible, with mental changes that may or may not be reversible, depending on the specific drug used and the period of usage. The use of yaa baa in our small town has skyrocketed in the 15 years I've been up country, resulting in a significant rise in petty crime, home burglaries and muggings. Home security becomes a matter of priority and it's not entirely safe to be on the streets late at night.

I don't know of any re-hab programmes locally. The solution offered by the police is prosecution and jail. (How useful is that?). They seem to manage to thin out their numbers that way, or by picking up the bodies after lunatic 'bike accidents. I guess you have to wonder why this might be. Given the poor educational standards, the loss of family land to deal with debt problems and the unavailability of worth-while employment, it might be a result of desperation. Mostly, our locals cluck-cluck about it, but tearfully defend the reputation of their sons when they get nabbed or killed in accidents or local violence.

Until the social problems of rural Thailand are addressed, things will only get worse. But there's the rub - who wants educated farmers?

Drugs are a wold wide problem, Australia has the highest heroin use per capita in the world. Been enforcing stupid drug laws for a lot of my life. It's not a law enforcement problem, but a health problem and education problem.People sniff glue, petrol, eat magic mushrooms or a 1000 other substances to get high,

Drugs are not the real problem, people are and if they see no better way they will take to drugs, or booze. That's life, I can't talk as I drink and smoke, but there is a difference between a functional addict, be it booze or drugs and an none functional user. Many people live and are productive and take drugs for recreational use.

It's a hard line, freedom for people to do as they wat, or a Government telling what's best. Jim

Maybe there are some users that are functional but many inflict a huge degree of harm on their families through it. There are many families with children who only occasionally see their father as he keeps dissapearing for fisrt a few months then years in jail. Thats after periods of random behavior and inability to maintain even a semblance of a normal life. Who picks up the pieces for the kids crying themselves to sleep every night and the mothers trying to keep things together for them.

While I would like to be free choice I think the harm it does others means at least with Yabba strong measures to stop it are justified.

Again you are talking addicts not users, not everyone who drinks is an alcoholic or every high flyer in the west who snorters cocaine is is a useless junkie.

I just happen to believe in freedom, if you want to kill yourself through drugs or Lao Kow up to you.

Governments will never control how families work, some kids grow in loving caring homes, some will grow in poverty and hardship. Many will grow never having seen a father.

It's a bad world, but I don't like Governments telling me what I can do our not do on principle, I am a free man. Jim

ศูนย์บำบัดรักษายาเสพติด Soon Bam Bat Rak Sa Yaa Sep Dtit Center for Treatment of Drug Addiction775 Moo 19, Amphur Muang, Changwat Khon Kaen775 หมู่ 19 อำเภอศิลา จังหวัดขอนแก่น

tel no. 043-345 391-2, ext 311 or 314

They have incorporated a 12 step program(AA, NA) for the last 8 years. Actually around Isarn there are now around 15 hospitals that have AA meetings.

If you tell me what area you are in I can let you know the local hospital.

Thanks very much for the addresses. I agree with Jim, prohibition doesn't work, it was proved with alcohol, but governments never learn. Unfortunately people need treatment in their own village, not 200 kilometers away. I think half the time if there was just someone they could go and talk to about their problem perhaps it would help. Also give them something to do, promote sports and activities in the villages, perhaps have lottery prices people could win, they would get tickets each time they participated. Just a thought.

Jails what fixes drug addicts.

Tough love. Not a shoulder to cry on.

Jails what fixes drug addicts.

Tough love. Not a shoulder to cry on.

One of my jobs was as a prison officer in Victoria and the junkies came in, did there time, went out. Came back again for another drug related crime, round and round it went.

The only good prison did is extend their life, they were well feed, given proper medical care, got fit and left prison in good shape, but most where back on the stuff same day as they left. Jim

I lived for a while in Victoria, B.C., Canada and compared to the problems they have the yabbaa thing here is not so bad. Or the downtown eastside area of Vancouver known at onetime as the poorest postal code in all of Canada.

In my area here Northeast Thailand about every third household has a dealer. The "good" ones (those that don't take the drugs, just sell) live in nice homes. They do however spend a couple of months in the local jail every year if they do not pay their yearly "fines".

It is a lifestyle. Better education, not jails

drugs are a life style choice

drugs including alcohol

Treating the users for their addiction is important and educating the future users is more important,but in my opinion prevention is better than cure.

In my ideal world the manufacturers would all be shut down,the suppliers and dealers would never see the light of day again....would this ever happen?Hell no because there are always greedy ,evil people that want to make money from the weak.

JAIL, come, meet more people like yourself, Make more business contacts, learn new skills. All in a relaxed, no rush atmosphere. Food and drink will be provided.

Jails what fixes drug addicts.

Tough love. Not a shoulder to cry on.

If even half the tales I hear of life behind bars in Thailand are true, jail would seem to be the one place where a regular supply of the drug of choice is available - much of it coming by courtesy of the guards. Some years ago I talked with a prison warder from the UK and the question of drugs came up. His response was quite a surprise - he said that the prison authorities tended to turn a blind eye to the in-house drug deals, the reason being, apparently, that it kept the prison population quiet and controllable by the prison staff which, too often, was badly under-manned.

I would not expect that attitude to be greatly different in Thailand, but I guess it would depend on how well you're fixed for cash. I reckon I'd agree with Jim when he says that many of the inmates become regular repeat offenders. Do the jails actually try to deal with the addiction? Is it really possible to give specific treatment to individuals? I rather doubt it.

All that can be said is that once the addicts are inside, they're not on the outside causing trouble in their quests for money to feed their habits.

Jails what fixes drug addicts.

Tough love. Not a shoulder to cry on.

If even half the tales I hear of life behind bars in Thailand are true, jail would seem to be the one place where a regular supply of the drug of choice is available - much of it coming by courtesy of the guards. Some years ago I talked with a prison warder from the UK and the question of drugs came up. His response was quite a surprise - he said that the prison authorities tended to turn a blind eye to the in-house drug deals, the reason being, apparently, that it kept the prison population quiet and controllable by the prison staff which, too often, was badly under-manned.

I would not expect that attitude to be greatly different in Thailand, but I guess it would depend on how well you're fixed for cash. I reckon I'd agree with Jim when he says that many of the inmates become regular repeat offenders. Do the jails actually try to deal with the addiction? Is it really possible to give specific treatment to individuals? I rather doubt it.

All that can be said is that once the addicts are inside, they're not on the outside causing trouble in their quests for money to feed their habits.

Did a stint in a prison call Marngoneet, it was not called a prison, but a therapeutic community. More counselors than prison officers, lots and lots of tax payer dollars.

One unit was specifically for drug related crime, one day it was decided to test every prisoner in that unit, 48% came back positive for drugs. Remember this is a walled brand new prison, state of the art security and nearly half the prisoners on any given day were under the influence of illegal drugs.

It's a no win situation, if you can't stop drug abuse in a high security environment, how the hell can you stop it in the outside world. Jim

Is it true that they don't have so much of this problem in Singapore?

Much higher standard of living in Singapore, I don't think meth is much of a problem. I am told that Cocain is not too hard to come by and I see regular news stories about couriers being busted at the causeway check points trying to import heroin. So there are drug issues in Singapore.