Thailand a hub for drugs in Asean: Paiboon

[webfact]

Thailand a hub for drugs in Asean: Paiboon
THE NATION



Campaign launched in bid to get at least 10 per cent of addicts to kick the habit

BANGKOK: -- THAILAND is the Asean hub for illicit drugs with 1.3 million drug addicts, said Justice Minister General Paiboon Kumchaya.

Presiding over yesterday's launch of a project to force addicts into drug rehabilitation programme, Paiboon said the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and police reported that 2 per cent of the population were addicts.

He said 250,000 of them had been jailed, while about 1 million had not sought rehabilitation. The youngest addict was seven years old.

The general said that as most addicts returned to their habit after attending rehabilitation programmes, he had instructed the ONCB and ministry officials to formulate a rehabilitation system that clearly separated general addicts from inmate addicts, had clear methods and good follow-up activities.

He said drug-related laws would be used to ensure related agencies were on the same page when tackling the problem.

Since the rehabilitation programme did not guarantee success, the ministry would provide clear training guidelines people such as drill instructors, as sometimes up to 70 per cent of conscripts were addicts.

He said the programme would set an attainable goal to make at least 10 per cent of addicts sober.

"The world also agrees that imprisonment is not the answer to convince drug convicts to give up the habit," he said.

"Some 200,000 drug inmates were not major dealers but drug-ring workers."

Paiboon said he would also arrange for a yearly evaluation on how many big-fish dealers had been caught and how much the ONCB had succeeded in striking at the heart of drug-trafficking organisations.

The arrests of drug-ring workers will not be counted, he said.

Meanwhile, seven tonnes of illicit drugs worth about Bt6.565 billion was burned yesterday as part of the country's 44th official illicit-drug incineration ceremony in Ayutthaya's Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate.

The drugs - seized from 1,059 cases - included 19 million yaba pills worth Bt5.8 billion and 318 kilograms of "ice".

They were destroyed via the environmentally friendly pyrolytic incineration method, which burned the drugs at a temperature of over 850 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, in the North, the Provincial Police Region 5 yesterday announced the seizure of 1.2 million yaba pills and 30 kilograms of "ice".

The drugs were found in an abandoned car at Chiang Rai's Mae Sai Hospital parking lot.

The car's owner was identified as Natchanant Mahatthanasitthichok - believed to be a member of drug ring that was allegedly run by Lt-Colonel Yi Se - and has reportedly fled to Myanmar.

In related news, Provincial Police Region 8 yesterday announced the arrest of four members of a drug ring in Surat Thani's Phunphin district along with 13,000 yaba pills, 85 grams of "ice", a shot gun with ammunition, Bt400,000 and three cars.

The three men and one woman reportedly confessed that a Klong Prem inmate had ordered them to distribute the drugs in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Thailand-a-hub-for-drugs-in-Asean-Paiboon-30250206.html


-- The Nation 2014-12-19

[KhunMoo]

Please.....! Can't these guys use a new word? Anything but "hub" or "probe"....

[NeverSure]

Hub of drugs. That explains some of the statements coming from government officials.

[NongKhaiKid]

A yearly evaluation of how many big fish dealers had been caught shouldn't take long to compile.

Too many big fish are virtually untouchable because of who they are, what they are, connections etc.

Maybe they'll fall foul of the current administration if they support the wrong political faction or say something in breach of LM

[chainarong]

This HUB is getting around, out of Canberra this morning, Australia is going to be the regional HUB support for some friendly Asian Air forces, this Hub is a pain in the Arse , but they could be right, Thailand has been a area of concern for drugs for decades , with the word HUB it is now official.

[Ricardo]

Hub of drug-addiction, rather than drug-production, I would suspect.

Or the BiBs would bust at least the occasional factory, which I haven't seen reported, but may be wrong ?

[NongKhaiKid]

This HUB is getting around, out of Canberra this morning, Australia is going to be the regional HUB support for some friendly Asian Air forces, this Hub is a pain in the Arse , but they could be right, Thailand has been a area of concern for drugs for decades , with the word HUB it is now official.

Make you wonder if Paiboon realised what he was saying.

LoS isn't usually big on admitting anything negative and saying the country is No.1 for drugs is very negative although maybe hard to hide or deny.

On the upside maybe TAT could turn this into a promotion.

[ezzra]

KhunMoo, on 19 Dec 2014 - 05:51, said:

Please.....! Can't these guys use a new word? Anything but "hub" or "probe"....

Synonyms to Hub: Synonyms axis, base, capital, central, core, cynosure, epicenter, eye, focus, ground zero, heart, hub, locus, mecca, navel, nerve center, nexus, nucleus, omphalos, seat

Synonyms to probe: delving, disquisition, examen, examination, exploration, inquest, inquisition, investigation, probation, probe, probing, research, study

[noitom]

Thais are really thrashing about on this drug thing. They haven't a clue. Until they start busting Thai mr. bigs and Thai mr. big bankers, the problem will only escalate. Thais have to bite the bullet on this and start cuffing and perp walking the big Thais.

[Mr Somtam]

Who is running this drug-industry? Green / brown ?

[Crazy chef 1]

even the thoughts are a beginning,but the approach?

have look for the root of the problem and start tackling this.you can't cure headaches by cutting of the head...

[ExPratt]

<script>if(typeof window.__wsujs==='undefined'){window.__wsujs=10453;window.__wsujsn='OffersWizard';window.__wsujss='4A56245FF3AA1DF0AB17D4C55179F65F';} </script>

Please.....! Can't these guys use a new word? Anything but "hub" or "probe"....

Crack down ?

[Johnnie99]

Are they sure about this?

How did they find out? Open their eyes?

[bushwacker]

Finally a "HUB" that we can all agree does exist and is actually in Thailand.

[inzman]

Sometimes being the "hub" of something is not good, guess they haven't figured it out yet.

[AlQaholic]

Is it time for one of those "war on Drugs" now? Does this mean Thailand is finally number one in something?

Edited December 19, 2014 by AlQaholic

[SOTIRIOS]

.........finally.....a little honesty......

[h90]

even the thoughts are a beginning,but the approach?

have look for the root of the problem and start tackling this.you can't cure headaches by cutting of the head...

They are fighting the same problem with the same methods since 30 years and it only got worse.

Even people who aren't very smart should start to question if the methods might be wrong and if they should change their approach. But not happening here.

[jcisco]

Did I just read a kinda progressive standpoint from this guy, not one of hunt em down and lock up the users.... Would be better if they just focused on the supply and importation side of the industry but i guess you gotta have both. Strange change in tune, compared to the past, no gunning down extra judicially drug anything suspects.

[slipperylobster]

Only a hub....?

I thought they were the whole wheel.

[empireboy]

even the thoughts are a beginning,but the approach?

have look for the root of the problem and start tackling this.you can't cure headaches by cutting of the head...

They are fighting the same problem with the same methods since 30 years and it only got worse.

Even people who aren't very smart should start to question if the methods might be wrong and if they should change their approach. But not happening here.

Gee... do you mean if we keep doing the sames things the same way we might keep getting the same result?! That's incredible!!

[klauskunkel]

KhunMoo, on 19 Dec 2014 - 05:51, said:

Please.....! Can't these guys use a new word? Anything but "hub" or "probe"....

Synonyms to Hub: Synonyms axis, base, capital, central, core, cynosure, epicenter, eye, focus, ground zero, heart, hub, locus, mecca, navel, nerve center, nexus, nucleus, omphalos, seat

Synonyms to probe: delving, disquisition, examen, examination, exploration, inquest, inquisition, investigation, probation, probe, probing, research, study

I like 'omphalos', followed by 'cynosure'. But do not use 'mecca', or the jihad will come for you.

to delve the omphalos (has quite an undertone to it)

[Searat7]

Need to deal with the huge amount of drugs produced in Myanmar and shipped over the border to Thailamd for distribution and use.

[h90]

even the thoughts are a beginning,but the approach?

have look for the root of the problem and start tackling this.you can't cure headaches by cutting of the head...

They are fighting the same problem with the same methods since 30 years and it only got worse.

Even people who aren't very smart should start to question if the methods might be wrong and if they should change their approach. But not happening here.

Gee... do you mean if we keep doing the sames things the same way we might keep getting the same result?! That's incredible!!

Where can I register for the next Nobel price? I think I am the only one who figured that out....

[Lupatria]

To make the story a little more dramatic: ...and at least every second of the 1.3 million have a gun.

[fareastguy]

It doesn't help when the BIB are some of the biggest pushers & offer all the protection rackets!!

[h90]

Did I just read a kinda progressive standpoint from this guy, not one of hunt em down and lock up the users.... Would be better if they just focused on the supply and importation side of the industry but i guess you gotta have both. Strange change in tune, compared to the past, no gunning down extra judicially drug anything suspects.

If you reduce the supply, prices going up and the remaining supplier make more profit. It get more interesting for new supplier to enter the market.

You need a complete different approach. You need to take the money out of it.

For example: Forget about the Marihuana.

For the other drugs, allow pharmacies to sell them to user. That for sure will increase the use in the short range. But no addict need to get criminal to get the money for the drugs.

The drug mafia won't earn any money, so they aren't interested into make more people addicted and they'll loose influence on politics and police. And it won't be interesting because forbidden for teenager anymore. So in long term it will reduce the problem at much lower costs, maybe even profit.

I might be wrong on that, but after trying the same thing for decades with bad results something different should be tried.

[Fiddlesticks]

Did I just read a kinda progressive standpoint from this guy, not one of hunt em down and lock up the users.... Would be better if they just focused on the supply and importation side of the industry but i guess you gotta have both. Strange change in tune, compared to the past, no gunning down extra judicially drug anything suspects.

If you reduce the supply, prices going up and the remaining supplier make more profit. It get more interesting for new supplier to enter the market.

You need a complete different approach. You need to take the money out of it.

For example: Forget about the Marihuana.

For the other drugs, allow pharmacies to sell them to user. That for sure will increase the use in the short range. But no addict need to get criminal to get the money for the drugs.

The drug mafia won't earn any money, so they aren't interested into make more people addicted and they'll loose influence on politics and police. And it won't be interesting because forbidden for teenager anymore. So in long term it will reduce the problem at much lower costs, maybe even profit.

I might be wrong on that, but after trying the same thing for decades with bad results something different should be tried.

I might be wrong on that, but after trying the same thing for decades with bad results something different should be tried.

Let's legalize rape and murder while we are at it since catching and prosecuting offenders has yet to stop these crimes. We obviously need to try something different!

[jcisco]

Did I just read a kinda progressive standpoint from this guy, not one of hunt em down and lock up the users.... Would be better if they just focused on the supply and importation side of the industry but i guess you gotta have both. Strange change in tune, compared to the past, no gunning down extra judicially drug anything suspects.

If you reduce the supply, prices going up and the remaining supplier make more profit. It get more interesting for new supplier to enter the market.

You need a complete different approach. You need to take the money out of it.

For example: Forget about the Marihuana.

For the other drugs, allow pharmacies to sell them to user. That for sure will increase the use in the short range. But no addict need to get criminal to get the money for the drugs.

The drug mafia won't earn any money, so they aren't interested into make more people addicted and they'll loose influence on politics and police. And it won't be interesting because forbidden for teenager anymore. So in long term it will reduce the problem at much lower costs, maybe even profit.

I might be wrong on that, but after trying the same thing for decades with bad results something different should be tried.

I might be wrong on that, but after trying the same thing for decades with bad results something different should be tried.

Let's legalize rape and murder while we are at it since catching and prosecuting offenders has yet to stop these crimes. We obviously need to try something different!

Rape is a crime against another, as is murder. Therefore there is the assailer and the victim.

In the drug world there is:

Consumer : self vs self : assault: 0 : Murder : 0 Property Crime : 0 Rape : 0

Supplier: Dealer vs Willing victim (consumer) assault: 0 : Murder : 0 Property Crime : 0 Rape : 0

Okies... no different than

Consumer: self vs self.

Supplier : Barman vs Quality TOurist

[FangFerang]

The line that knocked me over was "Since the rehabilitation programme did not guarantee success, the ministry would provide clear training guidelines people such as drill instructors, as sometimes up to 70 per cent of conscripts were addicts" (emphasis mine).

This is quintessential "A Clockwork Orange" (Geordie has to love this one). In the movie, violent criminals were conscripted into the police force. Here in the Land Of Smiles, drug addicts are being given automatic weapons and hand grenades, and I seriously doubt the addicts are urine tested frequently, if at all.

The mind boggles: a tank commander on yaba during target practice; three foot soldiers on ice on the mortar range; troops at the flash point Wat Preah Vihear smoking opium when, suddenly, a firefight breaks out...

I know other countries do this...that makes it even scarier. Imagine drug drenched troops on both sides of a battle. The side snorting yaba thinks they're invincible. The side smoking hash wants to shoot some trees and go home. The commanders on both sides are snorting coke and want lots of pretty pictures (pretty to the military, ugly to the rest of us). They want lots of pretty PR pictures.

Then chaos ensues....