Thailand seeks help from UN, ADB to fight drug problem

[webfact]

Thailand seeks help from UN, ADB to fight drug problem
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya yesterday asked the United Nations and Asian Development Bank to help block the smuggling of precursor chemicals from source countries.

Paiboon met with Jeremy Douglas, regional representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to discuss several issues related to drug trafficking.

They talked about international efforts to stop production and smuggling of chemical precursors, joint cooperation between UNODC and Thailand's Department of Special Investigation, as well as providing proper training to investigators.

The UN has asked Thailand to also provide training to drug investigators in the neighbouring countries of Laos and Myanmar.

Paiboon said Thailand was mapping its second-stage operation plan to tackle the drug problem in the Asean region.

"We need cooperation from concerned agencies, and especially funding from the ADB and the UN to ensure security in this region," he said.

Representatives of the UNODC and the Office of Narcotics Control Board recently joined forces to check economic routes linking South China with Thailand and Myanmar, and learned that there were issues that need to be tackled by the three countries together.

Thailand will host a meeting on April 28-29 to draw up measures to prevent the production of precursor chemicals as well as implement agricultural projects to replace crops that can be used in the production of narcotics.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Thailand-seeks-help-from-UN-ADB-to-fight-drug-prob-30257796.html


-- The Nation 2015-04-10

[issanaus]

A constructive and positive approach that recognises that this issue is an international one that requires international cooperation. This builds on the bilateral agreements that the government has made with other individual countries.

If previously announced policies that separates out the issue of supply and use into a criminal justice and heath issues then I believe that the country is heading in the right direction on this issue.

[geriatrickid]

Thailand should use some of its bloated military budget to pay for its anti drug trafficking effort. Better yet, it should ask its new best friendsRussia and China to pay for it.

[connda]

The "War on Drugs" is unwinnable regardless of what country you're talking about. Decriminalizing at the user level, setting up treatment centers, education targeting school aged children, decriminalizing completely drugs like kratom and pot, and then focusing government and international resources of cracking down on the sources and top-level traffickers, and individuals within legitimate corporations and government that facilitate the trafficking of drugs.

The best that can be done is to slow it down. Stop it? Never happen. The governments need to pick their fights a little more wisely. Tossing users and mules in jail looks good on TV and in the press (we see it daily, right), but the guys at the top laugh all the way to the bank that launders their money for them. And here in Thailand with their patronage system? Lol. They'll just keep tossing users and mules in jail, and keep issuing press releases.
This is all hot air.

[Neeranam]

The "War on Drugs" is unwinnable regardless of what country you're talking about. Decriminalizing at the user level, setting up treatment centers, education targeting school aged children, decriminalizing completely drugs like kratom and pot, and then focusing government and international resources of cracking down on the sources and top-level traffickers, and individuals within legitimate corporations and government that facilitate the trafficking of drugs.

The best that can be done is to slow it down. Stop it? Never happen. The governments need to pick their fights a little more wisely. Tossing users and mules in jail looks good on TV and in the press (we see it daily, right), but the guys at the top laugh all the way to the bank that launders their money for them. And here in Thailand with their patronage system? Lol. They'll just keep tossing users and mules in jail, and keep issuing press releases.

This is all hot air.

I agree with some of your points and would like to add that the government should make the country aware of what the most problematic "drug" is - alcohol, of course by a long way. In the next WEEK 750 odd people will DIE as a direct result of alcohol.

I estimate maybe 1 person has died as a result of taking pot in the last 5 years.

Even heroin or methamphetamine kills nowhere near the number alcohol does. These drugs, if pure are like smarties compared to Johnny Walker.

[aaacorp]

The "War on Drugs" is unwinnable regardless of what country you're talking about. Decriminalizing at the user level, setting up treatment centers, education targeting school aged children, decriminalizing completely drugs like kratom and pot, and then focusing government and international resources of cracking down on the sources and top-level traffickers, and individuals within legitimate corporations and government that facilitate the trafficking of drugs.

The best that can be done is to slow it down. Stop it? Never happen. The governments need to pick their fights a little more wisely. Tossing users and mules in jail looks good on TV and in the press (we see it daily, right), but the guys at the top laugh all the way to the bank that launders their money for them. And here in Thailand with their patronage system? Lol. They'll just keep tossing users and mules in jail, and keep issuing press releases.

This is all hot air.

I agree with some of your points and would like to add that the government should make the country aware of what the most problematic "drug" is - alcohol, of course by a long way. In the next WEEK 750 odd people will DIE as a direct result of alcohol.

I estimate maybe 1 person has died as a result of taking pot in the last 5 years.

Even heroin or methamphetamine kills nowhere near the number alcohol does. These drugs, if pure are like smarties compared to Johnny Walker.

Agree with the alcohol problem.

However there still is a problem in Thailand : many officials are in the drug rings, especially Ice and Yaabaa and make a lot of money from the traffic.

The small fishes get caught but strangely few wholesalers or suppliers are arrested.

On the other hand you can see people get caught with Kratom, which is far from any hard drug, have chewed some when i was in Isaan, not really any effect.

Maybe the dear Generalissimo could stop bother with the predictions and other useless and non productive stuff and just make sure that the existing laws are enforced for alcohol and prevention

[Srikcir]

"block the smuggling of precursor chemicals from source countries"

China has severe penalties for drug use in China. However, many of the raw materials used to make addictive drugs are legal in China. China only blocks the manufacture and sale of addictive drugs within the Chinese borders. But China does not prevent the sale of raw materials to third parties outside of China. It's all about commercial export value.

Perhaps the Junta should use its new partnership with China to press for stricter control over the manufacture of raw drug materials to stem their export.

Edited April 10, 2015 by Srikcir

[cookee68]

Waste of time they will never stop it of inforce anything, or even block it,

[Strangebrew]

Wait a second you think there new buddies would approve of this cutting into the profit of there drug trade? What you think that this could happen without approval of China.

[jaidam]

Thailand's war on drugs was conclusively won back in the early 2000's. All it took was for a few thousand men, women and children to be assassinated by govt operatives loyal to the then CEO prime minister. A surprising strategy, and I was skeptical until Dr.T confirmed that it was in fact mission accomplished and that Thailand was "free of all drugs". Well done.

[chooka]

Thailand should use some of its bloated military budget to pay for its anti drug trafficking effort. Better yet, it should ask its new best friendsRussia and China to pay for it.

But they want to buy 2 submarines from China, to park next to thier aircraft carrier without planes.

[BSJ]

Well some of you are right about the little fish getting caught and the big ones getting away. The PM should use his far ranging powers and grab as many big fish as he can while he can.

A quick trip through the courts followed by a quick trip to the firing squad and seize all the assets.

[chooka]

The "War on Drugs" is unwinnable regardless of what country you're talking about. Decriminalizing at the user level, setting up treatment centers, education targeting school aged children, decriminalizing completely drugs like kratom and pot, and then focusing government and international resources of cracking down on the sources and top-level traffickers, and individuals within legitimate corporations and government that facilitate the trafficking of drugs.

The best that can be done is to slow it down. Stop it? Never happen. The governments need to pick their fights a little more wisely. Tossing users and mules in jail looks good on TV and in the press (we see it daily, right), but the guys at the top laugh all the way to the bank that launders their money for them. And here in Thailand with their patronage system? Lol. They'll just keep tossing users and mules in jail, and keep issuing press releases.

This is all hot air.

I agree with some of your points and would like to add that the government should make the country aware of what the most problematic "drug" is - alcohol, of course by a long way. In the next WEEK 750 odd people will DIE as a direct result of alcohol.

I estimate maybe 1 person has died as a result of taking pot in the last 5 years.

Even heroin or methamphetamine kills nowhere near the number alcohol does. These drugs, if pure are like smarties compared to Johnny Walker.

The anti alcohol brigade. Nice analogy between pot and alcohol both a drug and did you know that there are no reported deaths from people consuming a shandy that makes pot more deadly.

In Victoria Australia 14 people have died as a direct result of the drug ice, many in an extremely violent manner. Crime is on the increase and more people are being detected driving under the influence of drugs than alcohol. In road fatalities drugs have played a larger part than alcohol. One in 7 heavy haulage truck drivers are driving on the drug ice.

Ice is now seen as a bigger problem in Australian society than alcohol, it is considered epidemic and as such a special federal/state task force has been established to concentrate on the drug. Drugs are having a huge impact on the health system draining millions of dollars a year. Fred Smith who enjoys a glass of wine with dinner contributes to the public health system your pot smoker and meth heads do not.

Edited April 11, 2015 by chooka