Bangkok’s Sex Shops, Street Bars Survive Graft Crackdown

[geriatrickid]

What the??? You dont think he was arguing there was any credit to Thaksin for this deplorable exercise.!!!! The man stated, "Drug War. Probably one of the most important and effective anti corruption actions taken in Thailand." I concede that it had the support of some very senior Thais, but so did the coup and the present military government and that doesn't make it moral. Drugs didn't kill these 2800 people, Thaksin's policy did. This plus many other crimes against humanity, many corrupt scams that raped the Thai treasury are ample reasons to dislike Thaksin.

​The fact he hasn't been charged as yet is just an indication of how immoral Thai politics can be and the constant attempts by TVF members to justify , dismiss or honour Thaksin for his action is a reflection of their lack of humanity

I think I know what my intent was. Whether you want to believe it or not, Thailand was under the control of some heavy duty potent drug cartels. Those drug lords had judges, police, politicians, prosecutors, military commanders, bankers and others on their payroll. The war on the drug cartels was a bonafide fight for the survival of Thailand. I am not defending any abuses that may have occurred. In any war, there is the loss of innocent people. The fact of the matter is that the drug war took a bite out of the corruption the drug money was financing and it occurred during the Thaksin era. Just as you wish to blame Thaksin for the errors the army and police made during the operation, he must be acknowledged for supporting the operation which broke the back of the cartels. Unfortunately, it didn't last long.

You and the others who exaggerate the damages are awfully quiet when it comes to the current drug trafficking. Who controls the borders of Thailand? How is it that tons of yaba can make its way across the Burmese border? The army is quite good at rounding up unarmed university students, yet it cannot stop the large amounts of drugs crossing the border. Why's that? How did the Rohingya trafficking, and the trade in sex slaves from Cambodia go on for so many years? It wasn't Yingluck or Thaksin transporting these people on someone's trucks. I can't recall you ever saying a word on this matter. Come to think of it, have you ever lamented the 6000+ people who have lost their lives due to the southern insurgency? The military has run the show in the south since day one so you can't blame this on Thaksin or Abhisit or Yingluck or anyone not in the army.

[waza]

What the??? You dont think he was arguing there was any credit to Thaksin for this deplorable exercise.!!!! The man stated, "Drug War. Probably one of the most important and effective anti corruption actions taken in Thailand." I concede that it had the support of some very senior Thais, but so did the coup and the present military government and that doesn't make it moral. Drugs didn't kill these 2800 people, Thaksin's policy did. This plus many other crimes against humanity, many corrupt scams that raped the Thai treasury are ample reasons to dislike Thaksin.

​The fact he hasn't been charged as yet is just an indication of how immoral Thai politics can be and the constant attempts by TVF members to justify , dismiss or honour Thaksin for his action is a reflection of their lack of humanity

I think I know what my intent was. Whether you want to believe it or not, Thailand was under the control of some heavy duty potent drug cartels. Those drug lords had judges, police, politicians, prosecutors, military commanders, bankers and others on their payroll. The war on the drug cartels was a bonafide fight for the survival of Thailand. I am not defending any abuses that may have occurred. In any war, there is the loss of innocent people. The fact of the matter is that the drug war took a bite out of the corruption the drug money was financing and it occurred during the Thaksin era. Just as you wish to blame Thaksin for the errors the army and police made during the operation, he must be acknowledged for supporting the operation which broke the back of the cartels. Unfortunately, it didn't last long.

You and the others who exaggerate the damages are awfully quiet when it comes to the current drug trafficking. Who controls the borders of Thailand? How is it that tons of yaba can make its way across the Burmese border? The army is quite good at rounding up unarmed university students, yet it cannot stop the large amounts of drugs crossing the border. Why's that? How did the Rohingya trafficking, and the trade in sex slaves from Cambodia go on for so many years? It wasn't Yingluck or Thaksin transporting these people on someone's trucks. I can't recall you ever saying a word on this matter. Come to think of it, have you ever lamented the 6000+ people who have lost their lives due to the southern insurgency? The military has run the show in the south since day one so you can't blame this on Thaksin or Abhisit or Yingluck or anyone not in the army.

The groups controlling the drug cartels back then are still running the drug cartels now. What Thaksin did was give a licence to kill to the ISOC, RTA and RTP and set kill quotas. This resulted in the mass murder of Thais for paid assassination, revenge, power struggles even to make quota, most had nothing to do with drugs.

"Thailand's War on Drugs "victory" was temporary. PM Thaksin's campaign has decimated the drug market at the local drug trafficker and street-user level, but it has not reduced cross-border trafficking or attacked the drug trade's higher elements. Additionally, his battle against "Dark Influences" has been ineffective, with few arrests of note......According to some sources this resulted in around 800 million yaba tablets being stored along the Thai/Burma border waiting for the anti-drug pressure to subside. PM Thaksin has also begun a second war, this one a war on dark influences, aimed at eliminating the high level drug traffickers and the government personnel protecting or backing them. This war has had very few published successes as the financial and political backing of these influential people is deeply intertwined with Thaksin's own government."

Your intents is always the same, to glorify Thaksin and spin his machinations.

Edited July 3, 2015 by waza

[brewsterbudgen]

Just look at Walking Street in Pattaya to see the hypocrisy, or Nana

but, of course, it's all an illusion as Thailand has NO prostitution the Good General would never allow it he would shut it down as he has the on-line porn (a friend tell's me)

Places like Nana Plaza and Walking Street are regulated and mostly operate within the law. This thread is about the street bars, sex stalls and street prostitution.

[mike324]

Do people honestly expect Thailand to change overnight? At least more laws are enforced and more cases are brought against corrupt politicians / civil servants... if you don't feel the change, perhaps you are living in the sticks to see the change?

I live in Bangkok and have done for over 6 years now. While there was a few minor crackdowns places like sukhumvit are all business as usual. A few heads have rolled from the PTP side to be replaced by some one Junta friendly.

And to the poster saying this is ALL the Cops. While the cops more than play there part (a main role yes) do you think some of the higher ups in the very swollen army ranks don't have their fingers in some juicy illicit pies?

18 coups before this one changed nothing (well, the first one did) why do you morons think this one is any different? Your wives told you so right?

I've lived here over 30 years and been through and seen through more than you would imagine. You honestly think I don't know the corruption that's behind the army and even police. I've seen the torture camps used in Lop Buri special forces training center, been in Bang Kwang central prison witness police beating up suspects.

It seems like people don't realize that for a better society, it simply starts with law enforcement from the lowest level which is the police / civil servants. They are the ones with the biggest impact effecting citizens and public alike, they are the role models of the society. If you break the habit of bribes and corruption starting with the police / civil servants it will slowly reach the top. Yes easier said than done, but just take a look at examples now - more traffic laws enforced, civil servants are watching their backs as many fear repercussion. Believe it or not, with prevalent use of smartphones many folks fear being caught in the act too.

Once police / civil servants do their jobs properly, people's attitudes and views will change. If you can't change that do you honestly believe we can start with enforcement from the very top and work all the way down? Perhaps only morons will think so ...

Again I repeat, if you don't see the small changes now, you obviously don't run a business and are still stuck on the issue of "pro-democracy", vengeance, coup and what not.

[jayboy]

Just out of curiosity: what did Thaksin do about it?

Drug War. Probably one of the most important and effective anti corruption actions taken in Thailand. At the time several provinces and large parts of the border region had all but been taken over by the drug cartel(s), The cartel's influence reached into the police, the judiciary, political leaders, and the military. The influx of cheap drugs was ripping the social fabric of Thailand apart and every month,thousands were becoming addicted. This cleanup has been much discussed in TVF and Thaksin blamed for many of the drug cartel and police related deaths.

Corrupt officials were removed and human trafficking stopped during the cleanup.. The Thaksin initiated war on corruption was a civil government initiated operation undertaken by the military and the police working together.

So your saying the Thaksin initiated and led mass murder campaign disguised as a anti drug campaign was a stunning success and a credit to this madman?

All it achieved was the deaths of 2500 or more people, most not involved in the drug trade and increasing the price of drugs...

"The exact numbers of dead have sometimes been debated, with international organizations, like Amnesty International, estimating as high as 2800, while the Royal Thai Police only admit 72 killings. Subsequent governments actually talked up the numbers of dead and promised future death tolls of 3000-4000."

"Thaksin began a new round in his campaign against drugs in February and ordered police “to produce results at any cost.” The goal was to “eradicate all drugs in Thailand.” This three-month campaign resulted in 2,275 deaths."

"According to the Narcotics Control Board, the policy was effective in reducing drug consumption, especially in schools, by increasing the market price......The war on drugs was widely criticized by the international community. Thaksin requested that the UN Commission on Human Rights send a special envoy to evaluate the situation, but said in an interview, "The United Nations is not my father. I am not worried about any UN visit to Thailand on this issue."

"I still consider the human rights abuses carried out during the War on Drugs to be the worst committed during the tenure of an elected government since Thailand liberalised in the 1980s"

Only a very sick individual would consider this one of the most important and effective anti corruption actions taken in Thailand

I don't think he was arguing there was any credit to Thaksin for this deplorable exercise.He was simply pointing out the drugs war had very strong backing from the military and the police, and for that matter most Thais of all backgrounds including many at the highest level.It is futile to pretend this was not the case, and it reflects the appalling damage and pain that the drugs trade causes.

The trouble is that these factors tend to be ignored by Thaksin haters who only have one objective in mind, namely to attribute all Thailand's ills to one man.

The response to my points is usually to suggest that the immorality of the drugs war is the issue, not whether it was popular or not.I entirely agree.It was a grave stain on the record of those who participated in or connived at it.The fact however that Thaksin has never been charged has a significance which only the most unsophisticated could fail to understand.

But the reality is that many of those who pontificate endlessly about Thaksin and the drugs war are not the slightest bit interested in morality or human rights.It is just part of general hysteria about Thaksin.

What the??? You dont think he was arguing there was any credit to Thaksin for this deplorable exercise.!!!! The man stated, "Drug War. Probably one of the most important and effective anti corruption actions taken in Thailand." I concede that it had the support of some very senior Thais, but so did the coup and the present military government and that doesn't make it moral. Drugs didn't kill these 2800 people, Thaksin's policy did. This plus many other crimes against humanity, many corrupt scams that raped the Thai treasury are ample reasons to dislike Thaksin.

​The fact he hasn't been charged as yet is just an indication of how immoral Thai politics can be and the constant attempts by TVF members to justify , dismiss or honour Thaksin for his action is a reflection of their lack of humanity

Your response albeit unwittingly simply confirms my points.The support for the drugs war was pretty much universal.Your preoccupation Is entirely with Thaksin and you have no interest in the scourge of drugs on Thai society.The drugs war was ill conceived and chaotically implemented - on that we can agree.But the fact Thaksin was never charged (when the old order was desperate to pin a weighty crime on him) needs a more sophisticated explanation than the one you supply.

Incidentally it is an absurd falsehood to suggest most of the victims of the drugs war had nothing to do with trafficking.

[mike324]

Do people honestly expect Thailand to change overnight? At least more laws are enforced and more cases are brought against corrupt politicians / civil servants... if you don't feel the change, perhaps you are living in the sticks to see the change?

What cases have been brought? All that we have seen is the ongoing vendetta against Yingluck. Can you name one politician from Phuket who is currently on trial for corruption? Who has been charged? Finding corrupt officials on Phuket is like finding a cheap hooker on Bangla. They are everywhere.

The only thing that has changed is that the cost of bribes have increased. You are delusional if you think there has been a change. How do you explain the fact that despite all the public announcements, not one person has been charged with land encroachment theft in Surat Thani or Phuket. NOT ONE!!! And that is the region where some of the worst and most obvious cases occurred. Do you get it? NOT ONE charge of corruption has been brought for the most visible cases. I am fed up with people like you so desperate to back a military that you invent "facts" to support your position. There is a local Phuket blog currently being harassed by the Thai navy. It has illustrated the corruption on a weekly basis. The Marine 5 Police chief and the military appointed governor continue to protect the taxi cartel and the jet ski thugs. Look at who the kingpins are. Look at the billions of baht of tax revenue diverted away from the people over the past decade and tell me again that this military regime has corruption on the run.

Oh yes the military did such a good job on corruption On Phuket that now 50% of the beach is RESERVED for the jet skis and para sail businesses. How many illegal taxis have been taken off the road? NOT ONE. How many drivers have been charged with failure to respect the fare rules? NOT ONE. How difficult would it be to enforce the most basic, the most simple of rules? Why is the bars are still open long past the closing hours?

Hello? Are you clueless or a liar or blind? The corruption is worse than ever. The only difference is that it is more hidden than before.

You don't like the PTP or Yingluck. Fine. I get it. However, don't come on here and try and pass off that corruption is being addresses when it is worse than before for the simple reason that there is no one speaking out. In case you forgot, the Democrats held the PTP to the fire on many isuses including the rice pledging and the Democrats were the ones that basically killed the rice program. There's now a new multi billion baht palm oil subsidy, but the public will never know the details because there is no democratically elected government, which includes an opposition, to review that subsidy. The military is on a buying spree and its big ticket item will be submarines. Without democracy there is no one to question the expenditures.

That's the integrity your military rule has brought. Good job.

For the country to move forward, they need to take two step backs before they can progress again. I don't support the military's agenda on how to run the country. There are at least more law enforcement at the lowest level, traffic, corruption, civil servants and politicians watching their backs, less likely to reach into the cookie jar and accept bribes with fears of repercussion.

Bribes increasing shows that people are more afraid of being caught, and that wheels of progression is turning. For people who can't afford it, good, as they are obviously breaking the law for the need to have to pay a heavy bribe to run their business.

I won't even argue with you about politics and political parties, they are all the same, whenever they are in power they line the military and police with their own. Everyone is on a busying spree when they are in power. The problem you point out has been there for decades, its not like its amplified when the General is running the country.

I can argue back what have the PTP accomplished? they were in office for the better part of the decade, any DEMs sentenced for their corrupted schemes too? corruption is getting worse and worse. Who else can we blame when we see no progress? Are we suppose to blame the army for not enforcing the laws and putting the country in debt? As other nations progress, Thailand seems to slide backwards. Small steps in law enforcements from the lowest level will reflect and slowly pass on to the top. It will take decades but small changes in law enforcement are being felt and its a positive thing.

Like I said in the previous post, do you honestly think we can start with changes from the very top and move down? What do you propose? As a business owner, I have felt that the General has made a small difference in regards to law enforcement at the lowest level that will make the society better. If you don't feel that way, then you are entitled to your opinion and continue your rant on the army and how good one party may be giving people better lives ...

[Thai at Heart]

Survive graft crackdown? They aren't paying taxes? Them and every family owned small shop business in the country.

Are you a tax inspector, how do you know who is paying tax and who isn't? Are you aware that, as in most countries, there are certain levels of income here that attract no tax?

Ah yes, that would be the family I know in bangkok with 2000 rooms in bangkok rented in bangkok who proudly tell me they tell the taxman is given 50k per year and told to shove it. The farang friend of mine with the only tax paying business inna whole town up country.

The tax take as a percentage in Thailand is incredibly low. Friends of mine scrabbling around on the internet paying to get invoices around tax paying time.

The article states the black economy is 40%. How many of these businesses should be vat registered. Ever try to get a tax invoice from a local restaurant?

Good luck

[waza]

Just out of curiosity: what did Thaksin do about it?

Drug War. Probably one of the most important and effective anti corruption actions taken in Thailand. At the time several provinces and large parts of the border region had all but been taken over by the drug cartel(s), The cartel's influence reached into the police, the judiciary, political leaders, and the military. The influx of cheap drugs was ripping the social fabric of Thailand apart and every month,thousands were becoming addicted. This cleanup has been much discussed in TVF and Thaksin blamed for many of the drug cartel and police related deaths.

Corrupt officials were removed and human trafficking stopped during the cleanup.. The Thaksin initiated war on corruption was a civil government initiated operation undertaken by the military and the police working together.

So your saying the Thaksin initiated and led mass murder campaign disguised as a anti drug campaign was a stunning success and a credit to this madman?

All it achieved was the deaths of 2500 or more people, most not involved in the drug trade and increasing the price of drugs...

"The exact numbers of dead have sometimes been debated, with international organizations, like Amnesty International, estimating as high as 2800, while the Royal Thai Police only admit 72 killings. Subsequent governments actually talked up the numbers of dead and promised future death tolls of 3000-4000."

"Thaksin began a new round in his campaign against drugs in February and ordered police “to produce results at any cost.” The goal was to “eradicate all drugs in Thailand.” This three-month campaign resulted in 2,275 deaths."

"According to the Narcotics Control Board, the policy was effective in reducing drug consumption, especially in schools, by increasing the market price......The war on drugs was widely criticized by the international community. Thaksin requested that the UN Commission on Human Rights send a special envoy to evaluate the situation, but said in an interview, "The United Nations is not my father. I am not worried about any UN visit to Thailand on this issue."

"I still consider the human rights abuses carried out during the War on Drugs to be the worst committed during the tenure of an elected government since Thailand liberalised in the 1980s"

Only a very sick individual would consider this one of the most important and effective anti corruption actions taken in Thailand

I don't think he was arguing there was any credit to Thaksin for this deplorable exercise.He was simply pointing out the drugs war had very strong backing from the military and the police, and for that matter most Thais of all backgrounds including many at the highest level.It is futile to pretend this was not the case, and it reflects the appalling damage and pain that the drugs trade causes.

The trouble is that these factors tend to be ignored by Thaksin haters who only have one objective in mind, namely to attribute all Thailand's ills to one man.

The response to my points is usually to suggest that the immorality of the drugs war is the issue, not whether it was popular or not.I entirely agree.It was a grave stain on the record of those who participated in or connived at it.The fact however that Thaksin has never been charged has a significance which only the most unsophisticated could fail to understand.

But the reality is that many of those who pontificate endlessly about Thaksin and the drugs war are not the slightest bit interested in morality or human rights.It is just part of general hysteria about Thaksin.

What the??? You dont think he was arguing there was any credit to Thaksin for this deplorable exercise.!!!! The man stated, "Drug War. Probably one of the most important and effective anti corruption actions taken in Thailand." I concede that it had the support of some very senior Thais, but so did the coup and the present military government and that doesn't make it moral. Drugs didn't kill these 2800 people, Thaksin's policy did. This plus many other crimes against humanity, many corrupt scams that raped the Thai treasury are ample reasons to dislike Thaksin.

​The fact he hasn't been charged as yet is just an indication of how immoral Thai politics can be and the constant attempts by TVF members to justify , dismiss or honour Thaksin for his action is a reflection of their lack of humanity

Your response albeit unwittingly simply confirms my points.The support for the drugs war was pretty much universal.Your preoccupation Is entirely with Thaksin and you have no interest in the scourge of drugs on Thai society.The drugs war was ill conceived and chaotically implemented - on that we can agree.But the fact Thaksin was never charged (when the old order was desperate to pin a weighty crime on him) needs a more sophisticated explanation than the one you supply.

Incidentally it is an absurd falsehood to suggest most of the victims of the drugs war had nothing to do with trafficking.

Universal!!!! Maybe for the people from Uranus, but I cant remember the Martians supporting it, the UN, and its members certainly didn't and somehow I don't think the 2800 victims agreed as well. Thaksin certainly did and I guess that's universal enough for you.

[dageurreotype]

He should have been charged with crimes against humanity. Legalization and harm minimisation programs is the only way to curb the drug problem, not government sanctioned murder. Prohibition of alcohol in the USA in the 1920's and 30's was a resounding failure, crime and coruption became rampant and more people died from alcohol, just like with the war on drugs. When will people wake up!!

This page 2 re drug legalisation http://alcoholism.about.com/od/pot/a/bldea050426_3.htm

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/myths/myths4.htm cites experience of countries worldwide and the results of legalising drugs.

Coincidentally, today's BP has an article re the current proposal to legislate casinos here, citing experiences of countries who have legislated and their deleterious affects on society and comparing it with Holland's failed drugs legislation, to wit, it merely encourages those who already do to do more of it and attracts newcomers, not to mention the increase in drug/gambling cartels and money laundering.

I'm not 'moralising', however this has been my personal experience of giving people enough rope to hang themselves. They invariably do. Especially here.

You are moralising (comment on issues of right and wrong, typically with an unfounded air of superiority.

"the self-righteous moralizing of his aunt was ringing in his ears")

You are also not looking at this problem with an open mind, (choosing 2 links that must have been hard to find) with many more links disagreeing with your views.

The Netherlands for a start and even Portugal have not LEGALISED drugs but have decriminalised them. Your assumptions that they are failed is in contrary to the truth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_the_Netherlands

(Summary)

The drug policy of the Netherlands officially has four major objectives:

1. To prevent recreational drug use and to treat and rehabilitate recreational drug users.
2. To reduce harm to users.
3. To diminish public nuisance by drug users (the disturbance of public order and safety in the neighborhood).
4. To combat the production and trafficking of recreational drugs.^[1]

While the legalization of cannabis remains controversial, the introduction of heroin-assisted treatment in 1998 has been lauded for considerably improving the health and social situation of opiate-dependent patients in the Netherlands.^[10]

Together with an approach that focusses on easily accessible health care, harm reduction and prevention, this causes the medical condition of the Dutch addicts to be less severe than that of many other countries.^[31]

^{https://news.vice.com/article/only-in-the-netherlands-do-addicts-complain-about-free-government-heroin}

All That's Left Is the Addiction Itself

The program can be hailed as a great success. Crime has plunged in neighborhoods where heroin use was endemic. Users have less trouble with the law, and their lives have stabilized and improved. They get a roof over their head, they receive welfare, and according to De Ridder, 80 percent of them have some sort of job.

The only problem they still have, of course, is their addiction.

Lahey said without the program, the “whole city would be full of junkies.”

“Now addicts can live more peacefully and start thinking about other things than just getting high. What remains after everything else has been taken care of, is their addiction,” he said. “If you get the dope for free, your only problem is that you’re addicted to the dope. It seems like a paradox, but it's true. All that's left when everything else is taken care of is the question: do I really want to keep on using this?”

http://www.amsterdam.info/drugs/

The Dutch see the use of drugs as a health matter, similar to the use of tobacco and alcohol, and in fact not very distant from problems of obesity, alcoholism and tobacco smoking. They also point to the fact that prohibition of alcohol in the US in the years 1919-1933 brought more negative effects of increased criminality, than the positive social changes and had to be withdrawn.

Portugal

http://mic.com/articles/110344/14-years-after-portugal-decriminalized-all-drugs-here-s-what-s-happening

In 2001, the Portuguese government did something that the United States would find entirely alien. After many years of waging a fierce war on drugs, it decided to flip its strategy entirely: It decriminalized them all.

If someone is found in the possession of less than a 10-day supply of anything from marijuana to heroin, he or she is sent to a three-person Commission for the Dissuasion of Drug Addiction, typically made up of a lawyer, a doctor and a social worker. The commission recommends treatment or a minor fine; otherwise, the person is sent off without any penalty. A vast majority of the time, there is no penalty.

Fourteen years after decriminalization, Portugal has not been run into the ground by a nation of drug addicts. In fact, by many measures, it's doing far better than it was before.

http://www.popsci.com/science-decriminalize-legalize-drugs-marijuana-weed

What happens if you decriminalize everything?

At the far end of natural experiments, Portugal has, for the last 12 years, decriminalized possession of not only marijuana, but every recreational drug. As a result, the country has drawn a spotlight of attention and research.

Interestingly, researchers and politicians both for and against general drug decriminalization have used Portugal as an example. The disagreements arise in part because different people looked at different numbers, such as lifetime drug use, which went up, or problematic drug use, which went down. Alex Stevens, a criminal justice researcher at the University of Kent in the U.K. who has studied Portugal extensively and supports the country's policy, thinks that the most important numbers show improvement. Lifetime drug use could include many people who tried a drug, but didn't develop a harmful habit, he says.

In-depth reporting by the Boston Globe and at the New Yorker agreed with this sentiment, concluding that--after drug reform--Portugal's drug use situation mostly got better. Confounding more clarity, however, was a comprehensive program for treating addicts that started at the same time, so it's difficult to isolate the effects of decriminalization versus treatment.

I could go on and on without looking too far. I have seen the drug problem getting much worse in Australia since I was young, and around the world, with more and more dangerous drugs being made. Do a few searches, you will not find many sites and studies that say it was a failure. You can always find something negative if you do a lot of looking, but any scientific studies do not agree with your moralising.

Also if it was to be done properly, all drugs should be decriminalised and then legalised, Drugs should be a health issue, not a legal problem.

I do not want your children or my child to use drugs, but with the current laws, that is a lot more likely. People need to be responsible for their own actions.

I do not condone drug use, and in a more human society, the current insanity would not be allowed to continue. In the future, people will look back at the war on drugs as draconian and a huge failure, resulting in the opposite effect of what it's aim is supposed to be.

It is best not to use any drugs, including tobacco and alcohol. But this is the real world I am living in, not like yours.

While I am writing this there is a program on Australia Plus about how overused and abuse of prescription drugs is the biggest drug problem.

What do you want? More of the same failed war on Drugs, murder, corruption, deaths or a change that reduces harm for the users and society. I know what I want.

Do calm down old chap, and try using a different set of search words regards drugs and their respective countries' legalising thereof.

'Moralising'? Pfft. I couldn't give a flying rat's what people choose to kill themselves with, the less of them the better.

I'm speaking from personal experience, you? Now, where did you put that spliff?

Edited July 4, 2015 by dageurreotype

[lamyai3]

Bangkok has surely become a regional hub for dildos. On any given night (bar Monday) between Asoke and Nana you'll find between 30 and 40 separate shops plying their trade.

Most of these are concentrated not far from subway... which incidentally has a special on the "footlong" right now....

Edited July 4, 2015 by lamyai3

[Somtamnication]

I have seen hunger in many 3rd. world countries. Thailand is one of a very few where that is not a problem. You close these "shops" and you will see hunger.