In roughly 15 years of parking my carcass in bars all over Asia, I expect that I've sat down next to a few drug fiends, but never anyone who has come at me with a broken bottle or a knife. I know a few ladies who wont have anything to do with other girls - including family - because 'she take drug', but mercifully I've had very little direct contact with said Yaba addicts. Possibly the saddest case was an ex-GF's sister who went from being an absolute stunner to a scrawny, hyperactive shadow of her former self after her Thai BF dragged her into his world. Not 'Breaking Bad' nasty, but its obviously not the same human being, and that was sad given the girl I'd met just a few short years earlier. Her sisters tried to tell me that she was serious about ditching Khun LoserBF, but dont all addicts tell their families what they want to hear ?

http://www.thecabinchiangmai.com/archive/yaba_addiction__a_drug_terrorizing_thailand

Yaba addiction is one of the fastest growing drug epidemics in the world. It is estimated that there are over 30 million users in Southeast Asia alone. Yaba is the same drug known as “Shabu” in Japan and Indonesia, “Bingdu” in China and “Batu” in the Philippines.

The yaba crisis is creating a society of addicts that will have detrimental and long term effects on Thailand. Higher crime rates, a rise in violence, and an increase in HIV infection rates are just some of the repercussions already felt by the widespread abuse of this vicious drug. Without treatment, yaba users are likely to experience extreme psychosis and ultimately harm themselves or others.

Fast forward to 2013, and our media is convinced we are on the brink of 'Generation Ice' here in Oz:

http://www.news.com.au/national/deadlier-than-ever-welcome-to-the-new-ice-age/story-fncynjr2-1226758663681

For all the hysteria, the drug I've seen do the most damage in Asia is invariably alcohol. Perhaps I'm just hanging out with a better class of lowlife or extremely unobservant - I kinda think I'd notice people like the woman in that article, but clearly that's an extreme case.

Thoughts ?

Some of the issues with YaBa in Thailand is continuing esculation of violent street crime, road safety, contribution to the endemic corruption in law enforcement agencies and so on. I know some Thais, via my Thai family, who were caught in possession for sale and all they did was 'compensate' the RTP and released back on the streets. If they don't have enough cash just borrow on the black market. Same applies for those tested positive for YaBa, to avoid rehab sentence of 45 days, just compensate the cops and the cycle continues. As a generalisation it's the poor who are the ones who do jail time; in reality was does that achieve in the longer term?

Where I live in East Pattaya, in a matter of hours, 80 Thais were tested positive for YaBa during a road check point exercise. Alcohol is well know for damage to people & society, but YaBa in Thailand has far worse overall ramifications.

Edited November 13, 201312 yr by simple1

I agree that it's a hideous drug, with the extra 'suck-in' factor that it's so cheap. All of the statistics are chilling - imagine getting behind the wheel with something like that racing through your veins ? That said, no shortage of Thai motorbike riders getting around well over the limit for alcohol - these people clearly have no regard for their own life or anyone else's.

^{Ice is evil.}

^{My ex got hooked.}

^Result?

^{Marriage destroyed, two kids with no parents.}

^{She is selling herself in Singapore.}

^{She lost 10 million baht worth of houses that were owned outright. They were bringing in 70,000THB per month rental income.}

^{A 1.3 million baht Toyota gone.}

^{I can't visit my kids because I don't trust I will remain alive. I know, dramatic but after 7 years of separation I still get constant death threats "you come thailand you die" "you gib me money or you die" "I cant take care of the kids, please come and take the kids" 5 mins later "You come thai you die" "F*&^k you" "I already pay man for you die if you come thailand"}

^{Ice turned her into a raving lunatic and she has sunk to become the lowest form of life.}

^{It happened slowly at first, she would go out and come back late. Then she stopped coming home for days and when she did get home she looked like she had spent the last week in a brothel.}

^{She became violent. I dodged knife attacks, hurled objects, vuccuum cleaner pipes and so on.}

^{I had no choice but to leave (I needed work, and I got work in Indonesia). Leaving was more an escape. A fellow TV member answered my call for help one night and come to pick me up. Only I was being held against my will by the Father and the Uncle. The ex was hitting me with a chair.}

^{I managed to shake myself free and dived into my mates car as he was driving off.}

^{I know, people will call BS on this story. I dont mind.}

^{Ice is the devil MrWW. The devil.}

^{(I just know I will regret posting this)}

Edited November 13, 201312 yr by tuky

sounds like a script from a tv show but sorry for you you must miss your kids drugs are family destroyers

Edited November 13, 201312 yr by johnmarhall

Tuky, Good post considering the bad circumstances it is written about.

I would like to hope that this would bring a message across to anyone 'experimenting' with this stuff. Even if only one person heeds your warning it would be one less wreck further down the line.

I notice that the OP in a couple of his posts in the topic has referred to alcohol doing the most damage in Asia. From this viewpoint, he has obviously no idea of what this drug is capable off.

I now just wait to the 'legalize drug' fraternity of TV to come in defense of it............

Again Tuky, thanks for the honest post.

Tuky, Good post considering the bad circumstances it is written about.

I would like to hope that this would bring a message across to anyone 'experimenting' with this stuff. Even if only one person heeds your warning it would be one less wreck further down the line.

I notice that the OP in a couple of his posts in the topic has referred to alcohol doing the most damage in Asia. From this viewpoint, he has obviously no idea of what this drug is capable off.

I now just wait to the 'legalize drug' fraternity of TV to come in defense of it............

Again Tuky, thanks for the honest post.

alcohol is by far the most destructive drug in any country.

^{Ice is evil.}

^{My ex got hooked.}

^Result?

^{Marriage destroyed, two kids with no parents.}

^{She is selling herself in Singapore.}

^{She lost 10 million baht worth of houses that were owned outright. They were bringing in 70,000THB per month rental income.}

^{A 1.3 million baht Toyota gone.}

^{I can't visit my kids because I don't trust I will remain alive. I know, dramatic but after 7 years of separation I still get constant death threats "you come thailand you die" "you gib me money or you die" "I cant take care of the kids, please come and take the kids" 5 mins later "You come thai you die" "F*&^k you" "I already pay man for you die if you come thailand"}

^{Ice turned her into a raving lunatic and she has sunk to become the lowest form of life.}

^{It happened slowly at first, she would go out and come back late. Then she stopped coming home for days and when she did get home she looked like she had spent the last week in a brothel.}

^{She became violent. I dodged knife attacks, hurled objects, vuccuum cleaner pipes and so on.}

^{I had no choice but to leave (I needed work, and I got work in Indonesia). Leaving was more an escape. A fellow TV member answered my call for help one night and come to pick me up. Only I was being held against my will by the Father and the Uncle. The ex was hitting me with a chair.}

^{I managed to shake myself free and dived into my mates car as he was driving off.}

^{I know, people will call BS on this story. I dont mind.}

^{Ice is the devil MrWW. The devil.}

^{(I just know I will regret posting this)}

Don't regret it, thanks for your honesty. Your right it is evil and a vicious downhill spiral.

I'm involved with the largest drug rehab in Thailand, where I have been going regularly(once a week or more) for the past 9 years.

Ya ba is bad and everywhere at the moment. It does seem to come and go though.

IMHO there is a bigger problem with alcohol as it is legal. The Ya Ba addicts have a lower recidivism rate than the alcoholics. Which is worse? I'd say alcohol by a long shot.

Not everyone gets addicted to Ya Ba - I didn't years ago, when it was called Ya Maa. Not everyone gets addicted to alcohol. It is stupid to make one legal and the other not.

Edited November 13, 201312 yr by Neeranam

Unfortunately there is far too much of it going around, it really has permeated into Thai society, at all levels. Don't think for one moment, that it is just the choice of poorly paid provincial Somchais and Somporns, it is prevalent in the more affluent Bangkok scene as well, including , business, TV, Models and Musicians. Then there are the holidaymakers that come, and also get involved in the scene.

I've put this link in here as well, as it highlights one of the incidents that happened on our island last year - it was really pretty unpleasant.

http://kohchangsun.com/sexy-and-deadly-a-drug-called-ice/

Tukky's story a few posts back, is a warning of how the drug will take it all and is a good example of how powerful drug addiction is.

I hope this thread doesn't get into the "Alcohol is far worse", or "lets legalize this", but use it as an example for all to see the effects of this particular drug, and how powerful and also how destructive addiction is, be it meth, coke, alcohol etc.

Edited November 13, 201312 yr by mrtoad

Tuky, Good post considering the bad circumstances it is written about.

I would like to hope that this would bring a message across to anyone 'experimenting' with this stuff. Even if only one person heeds your warning it would be one less wreck further down the line.

I notice that the OP in a couple of his posts in the topic has referred to alcohol doing the most damage in Asia. From this viewpoint, he has obviously no idea of what this drug is capable off.

I now just wait to the 'legalize drug' fraternity of TV to come in defense of it............

Again Tuky, thanks for the honest post.

alcohol is by far the most destructive drug in any country.

I would not deny alcohol is probably the most destructive 'legal' drug in the world. Ironically, due to the very fact that it is legal, the accessibility to it is vast. It is part of our cultures in certain areas of the world.

My comment was based on the drug doing the most damage to Asia. This goes from the production, shipping, distribution, cutting and selling to the end user of a highly addictive product. The lives affected during every stage. The explosion of corruption created by it.

It would also take into consideration the user's change of life, for themselves and those around them and the adaption of life to meet the payment for their addiction.

I myself do not drink, that was a personal choice. I am not however against alcohol, nor am I against 'recreational' drugs even though I use neither. But when it comes to hard drugs like crystal meths, produced only for their addictive properties to create profit, with no regard for the destruction it causes the user and society in general, that is where I make a stand.

As food for thought, next time you are passing a school, any school, consider how many of the children are already experimenting and how many of their lives will be changed forever through this experimentation.

Tuky, Good post considering the bad circumstances it is written about.

I would like to hope that this would bring a message across to anyone 'experimenting' with this stuff. Even if only one person heeds your warning it would be one less wreck further down the line.

I notice that the OP in a couple of his posts in the topic has referred to alcohol doing the most damage in Asia. From this viewpoint, he has obviously no idea of what this drug is capable off.

I now just wait to the 'legalize drug' fraternity of TV to come in defense of it............

Again Tuky, thanks for the honest post.

alcohol is by far the most destructive drug in any country.

I would not deny alcohol is probably the most destructive 'legal' drug in the world. Ironically, due to the very fact that it is legal, the accessibility to it is vast. It is part of our cultures in certain areas of the world.

My comment was based on the drug doing the most damage to Asia. This goes from the production, shipping, distribution, cutting and selling to the end user of a highly addictive product. The lives affected during every stage. The explosion of corruption created by it.

It would also take into consideration the user's change of life, for themselves and those around them and the adaption of life to meet the payment for their addiction.

I myself do not drink, that was a personal choice. I am not however against alcohol, nor am I against 'recreational' drugs even though I use neither. But when it comes to hard drugs like crystal meths, produced only for their addictive properties to create profit, with no regard for the destruction it causes the user and society in general, that is where I make a stand.

As food for thought, next time you are passing a school, any school, consider how many of the children are already experimenting and how many of their lives will be changed forever through this experimentation.

not nearly as many as are going to be ruined thru the use of alcohol.

I've seen marriages broken, relatives abandoned, friendships trashed, jobs, cars and houses lost. It must be good to be worth all that.

I've seen marriages broken, relatives abandoned, friendships trashed, jobs, cars and houses lost. It must be good to be worth all that.

you wont find many addicts that will say its worth it

From what I see in CM, way more young Thais taking YaBa (or YaIce) as there are alcoholics.

It is easily and cheaply available everywhere.

^{Ice is evil.}

^{My ex got hooked.}

^Result?

^{Marriage destroyed, two kids with no parents.}

^{She is selling herself in Singapore.}

^{She lost 10 million baht worth of houses that were owned outright. They were bringing in 70,000THB per month rental income.}

^{A 1.3 million baht Toyota gone.}

^{I can't visit my kids because I don't trust I will remain alive. I know, dramatic but after 7 years of separation I still get constant death threats "you come thailand you die" "you gib me money or you die" "I cant take care of the kids, please come and take the kids" 5 mins later "You come thai you die" "F*&^k you" "I already pay man for you die if you come thailand"}

^{Ice turned her into a raving lunatic and she has sunk to become the lowest form of life.}

^{It happened slowly at first, she would go out and come back late. Then she stopped coming home for days and when she did get home she looked like she had spent the last week in a brothel.}

^{She became violent. I dodged knife attacks, hurled objects, vuccuum cleaner pipes and so on.}

^{I had no choice but to leave (I needed work, and I got work in Indonesia). Leaving was more an escape. A fellow TV member answered my call for help one night and come to pick me up. Only I was being held against my will by the Father and the Uncle. The ex was hitting me with a chair.}

^{I managed to shake myself free and dived into my mates car as he was driving off.}

^{I know, people will call BS on this story. I dont mind.}

^{Ice is the devil MrWW. The devil.}

^{(I just know I will regret posting this)}

Wow. This does put things into the proper perspective. To all the farangs complaining about their wives watching too many soaps, using too much skin whitener, not speaking enough English, changing her hair color, or even calling you "farang," you've got nothing on this guy!

I've seen marriages broken, relatives abandoned, friendships trashed, jobs, cars and houses lost. It must be good to be worth all that.

you wont find many addicts that will say its worth it

I agree.

At 34 years of age I could have been sitting in Thailand with my kids living off rental income if I had chosen.

Now nobody has anything except the ex-wife's dealer and the local loan shark. they have everything.

I am not sure if the ex-wife still smokes the crap, but going by her sms messages I have to assume so.

Alcohol is by far the most damaging drug, both socially and physically. In all the years I've been here, I've seen a huge rise in yaba, in the 2000 was a time when I could flag a motorcycle taxi and I'd have the substance in minutes. And that was anywhere in Thailand. Later Thaksin (whatever else you may think of him) declared war on drugs and within months it went from 30bt to 500bt per pill.

Since his oust it has steadily crept back and Ice is the one that has really gripped the nightlife people in Bkk (and other cities). Crystal meth is a real bad one yet is a drug of recreation. Yaba however, for the masses, is a way to work longer hours and make more money. Both will cripple the country and all should be done to keep it down to a minimum.

Another wee poem,

Substance Abuse

Substance abuse

Or using stuff,

Can make you feel good

Or pretty rough

Drugs we call them

There’s many around

Some are abundant

Others can’t be found.

Some will make you laugh

Others make you cry

Some are quite harmless

Some will make you die!

What about legality?

The law is a joke

You can get legless on whisky

But don’t touch coke

Cigarettes are fine

They help you to relax

Governments promote them

Well look at all that tax!

I’ve tried them all

I guess I have a need

And if I had to choose one

I’d stick with the weed

Being stoned is nice

The world’s a better place

Even the bad is good

When you’re stoned off your face!

Now acid….. there’s a thing

I’m at one with nature, look at me!

High on blotters

I’m sure I’m a tree

Valium’s a downer

Or call it Tamazepam

Two or three of those

And you won’t give a damn!

Heroin is a no no

Not even a little bit

Once you get on that road

It’s difficult to quit

E is the party drug

It makes you feel so gay

I love it now and then

Hooray for MDMA

Amphetamine or whizz

Can sure create a need

It pumps up your heart

To supersonic speed

It doesn’t make you hungry

Or want to take a nap

You can’t sit still

And your mind is in a flap

Ice is a new one

Ten times as strong as speed

It’ll turbocharge your ticker

Till your kidneys bleed!

Is yaba ice or meth?

These 2 are different drugs.

^{Ice is evil.}

^{My ex got hooked.}

^Result?

^{Marriage destroyed, two kids with no parents.}

^{She is selling herself in Singapore.}

^{She lost 10 million baht worth of houses that were owned outright. They were bringing in 70,000THB per month rental income.}

^{A 1.3 million baht Toyota gone.}

^{I can't visit my kids because I don't trust I will remain alive. I know, dramatic but after 7 years of separation I still get constant death threats "you come thailand you die" "you gib me money or you die" "I cant take care of the kids, please come and take the kids" 5 mins later "You come thai you die" "F*&^k you" "I already pay man for you die if you come thailand"}

^{Ice turned her into a raving lunatic and she has sunk to become the lowest form of life.}

^{It happened slowly at first, she would go out and come back late. Then she stopped coming home for days and when she did get home she looked like she had spent the last week in a brothel.}

^{She became violent. I dodged knife attacks, hurled objects, vuccuum cleaner pipes and so on.}

^{I had no choice but to leave (I needed work, and I got work in Indonesia). Leaving was more an escape. A fellow TV member answered my call for help one night and come to pick me up. Only I was being held against my will by the Father and the Uncle. The ex was hitting me with a chair.}

^{I managed to shake myself free and dived into my mates car as he was driving off.}

^{I know, people will call BS on this story. I dont mind.}

^{Ice is the devil MrWW. The devil.}

^{(I just know I will regret posting this)}

Is she selling herself in a legal or illegal brothel?

Does it matter?

Alcohol is by far the most damaging drug, both socially and physically. In all the years I've been here, I've seen a huge rise in yaba, in the 2000 was a time when I could flag a motorcycle taxi and I'd have the substance in minutes. And that was anywhere in Thailand. Later Thaksin (whatever else you may think of him) declared war on drugs and within months it went from 30bt to 500bt per pill.

Since his oust it has steadily crept back and Ice is the one that has really gripped the nightlife people in Bkk (and other cities). Crystal meth is a real bad one yet is a drug of recreation. Yaba however, for the masses, is a way to work longer hours and make more money. Both will cripple the country and all should be done to keep it down to a minimum

Cocaine - if you want to call it that - remains the drug of choice in the farang/upmarket Thai segment of nightlife but you're very lucky if it's even 20% pure. So I'm told

Is yaba ice or meth?

These 2 are different drugs.

Yaba is ice/meth laced with caffeine - cheap but nasty

Ice is crystal meth - expensive but less nasty

Has different effects on different people.

Some say it's a wonderful rush; others say it just keep them awake.

Yaba is everywhere. Before I joined my wife's company, all the boys she had working for her, except one were using it.

They started stealing stuff to sell for money.

She fired all of them.

Nearly all guys working long hours in setting up events use it to stay wake and have energy to work.

My sis in law had a BF who got caught selling it. Not sure if he was a user, but he got 5 years in the can.

Its pretty easy to spot the guys using it after a while. Some can handle it and work, some go crazy.

Not going to bother with legalization or alcohol on this one.

I had dealers on my block, someone would ring and a lad on a bike would deliver from wherever he was. It kept the drugs away from the house and if caught he would only have a few. One night a bust happened and one young man said "but my dads in the police" his reply "you should have known better then".

I read all these legalise drugs and it will all be fine bs,however not with meth imho. It releases your dopamine until one day you will be just a depressed zombie as damage to your congnative abilities maybe become permanent.

Add paranoia, insomnia, phycosis,delusions and hallucinations. All sounds like a great legal way to kill yourself even quicker than booze.

Don't get me wrong, drugs which cause less damage even heroin can cause less damage if managed correctlly by legalisation but meth is ruining millions of lives and the only way to sort it is rehab.

^{Ice is evil.}

^{My ex got hooked.}

^Result?

^{Marriage destroyed, two kids with no parents.}

^{She is selling herself in Singapore.}

^{She lost 10 million baht worth of houses that were owned outright. They were bringing in 70,000THB per month rental income.}

^{A 1.3 million baht Toyota gone.}

^{I can't visit my kids because I don't trust I will remain alive. I know, dramatic but after 7 years of separation I still get constant death threats "you come thailand you die" "you gib me money or you die" "I cant take care of the kids, please come and take the kids" 5 mins later "You come thai you die" "F*&^k you" "I already pay man for you die if you come thailand"}

^{Ice turned her into a raving lunatic and she has sunk to become the lowest form of life.}

^{It happened slowly at first, she would go out and come back late. Then she stopped coming home for days and when she did get home she looked like she had spent the last week in a brothel.}

^{She became violent. I dodged knife attacks, hurled objects, vuccuum cleaner pipes and so on.}

^{I had no choice but to leave (I needed work, and I got work in Indonesia). Leaving was more an escape. A fellow TV member answered my call for help one night and come to pick me up. Only I was being held against my will by the Father and the Uncle. The ex was hitting me with a chair.}

^{I managed to shake myself free and dived into my mates car as he was driving off.}

^{I know, people will call BS on this story. I dont mind.}

^{Ice is the devil MrWW. The devil.}

^{(I just know I will regret posting this)}

Man up and take care of your kids. SHe has no money to pay a hitman.

I tried LSD back in the late 70s, but once was enough to scare me off any form of hallucinogen. Despite being born into a family with a long history of alcohol problems, I've enjoyed drinking since I was 16 or so, but I've also seen the damage it does. I can drink every night for 3 months and then go without for 9 months - currently one drink in the last 20 months - but I've know people who have to make a conscious effort to 'dry out', and they are only 'social' drinkers.

Had a friend at Uni who claimed speed (another amphetamine) allowed her to do something like a 'move out clean' - she would just clean for 36 hours straight. Truck drivers use it for the same reason, but that lone LSD experience told me everything I need to know about drugs. To be fair, I've had hangovers where I've felt much the same way about alcohol, but it's rarely been as profound as the morning after that 'bad trip'.

All that aside, look at the photos in that article I linked to earlier. We've all seen the 'before and after' mugshots of crack addicts - those photos look just as nasty. Who the hell wants to look like that ?

yeah the worst drug to ever hit the streets.

heroin 's got nothing on yaba.

my wife's nephew was at his folks front door hitting it with an axe screaming for them to give him money.

eventually we realised he was going to kill someone so his sister called the cops and dobbed him in as a dealer.

got 7 years and died in prison shooting up meth, got hep c.

it's the scourge of the modern age.

i liked Thaksin's approach.

One chance to give it up then..... bang

better off dead than wreaking havoc on surrounding family and neighbours.

This is an interesting thread.

Someone made the comment above about the effect that yabba etc has causing violent crime. Ive been a victim of this and was attacked by 3 crazy guys in cambodia. Its a bad situation when your in the wrong place at the wrong time around people who are messed up on yabba. I can assure you of this.

I'm involved with the largest drug rehab in Thailand, where I have been going regularly(once a week or more) for the past 9 years.

Ya ba is bad and everywhere at the moment. It does seem to come and go though.

IMHO there is a bigger problem with alcohol as it is legal. The Ya Ba addicts have a lower recidivism rate than the alcoholics. Which is worse? I'd say alcohol by a long shot.

Not everyone gets addicted to Ya Ba - I didn't years ago, when it was called Ya Maa. Not everyone gets addicted to alcohol. It is stupid to make one legal and the other not.

That is so true. The 'I've never tried drugs but I believe everything the anti drug establishment tell me' crowd seem to think that everyone that tries a drug gets hooked straight away.

The reality is that like alcohol, many people who try drugs never get hooked.

Yes it is sad when they do, particularly if they are poor and get hooked in crap like Ya Ba.