Drugs & Death As is the same with many countries, drugs are illegal. But there's still plenty of them around if you know where to get them. Many farangs come here for drugs but it is not good for them and the people around them. The death penalty is still applicable here in Thailand for the possession and trafficking of drugs.

Drugs	Legal Consequences	Brain Damage Consequences
Brain Damage !!	Getting Drugged	A Couple of Notable Experiences

Chiangmai has close proximity to the golden triangle where drugs abound.  Historically, it was the opium trade, but nowadays, drugs come in many forms.  If you meet the right people, you can learn how to make ecstasy the drug, learn how to grow marijuana, ask for the recipe for home made lsd and pick a few weeds and mushrooms of a different kind.  But be warned, there are consequences and some of them are grim.

Drugs
Opium, heroin, amphetamines, hallucinogens and marijuana are widely used in Thailand , but it is illegal to buy, sell or possess these drugs in any quantity.  (The possession of opium for consumption, but not sale, among hill tribes is legal.)  A lesser-known narcotic, krathawm (a leaf of the Mitragyna speciosa tree), is used by workers and students as a stimulant.  Krathawm leaves sell for around 200B for 100 or 5B to 15B each; the leaf is illegal and said to be addictive.

Crude amphetamine tablets called yaa baa (crazy medicine) are imported in large quantities from Wa-controlled areas of northeastern Myanmar and sold inexpensively in Northern Thailand.  The quality is low and dosages erratic. This is another illegal drug to be extremely careful of.  In Chiang Mai we've heard of cases of yaa baa being sold to tourists as the rave drug Ecstasy (MMDA).

Although in certain areas of the country drugs seem to be used with some impunity, enforcement is arbitrary the only way not to risk getting caught is to avoid the drug scene entirely.  Every year perhaps dozens of visiting foreigners are arrested in Thailand for drug use or trafficking and end up doing time in Thai prisons.  A smaller, but significant, number die of heroin overdoses. Guest­ houses where foreigners hang out are targets of infrequent drug enforcement sweeps.

The legal penalties for drug offences are stiff: If you're caught using marijuana, mushrooms or LSD, you face a fine of 10,000B plus one year in prison; for heroin or amphetamines, the penalty for use can be anywhere from six months' to 10 years' imprisonment, plus a fine of 5,000B to 10,000B.  The going rate for bribing one's way out of a small pot bust is 50,000B.

Drug smuggling defined as attempting to cross a border with drugs in your possession carries considerably higher penalties, including execution.  Recent arrest records show that citizens of Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia and the UK top the list of those arrested in Thailand for drug trafficking, followed by Australians, Germans, Americans and Italians.

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Legal Consequences
Of course, doing drugs in Thailand is illegal.  What you may not know is that the drug laws here are very strict and with harsh penalties.  A foreigner in possession of a small amount of marijuana might be lucky to be let off with a fine, but any other drugs will probably put you into jail with a fine.  Trafficking in drugs can land you in jail for the rest of your life.

Be careful of your possessions, especially when traveling. Do not carry any item for anyone, e.g., as a favor, because they could have drugs hidden inside, and they could be using you as an unwitting drugs trafficker taking all the risk.  If someone wants to send something to another country, then they should use a courier service such as DHL (international) or EMS (domestic).  Lock your luggage when not in use.  Do not leave strangers with your luggage. Be careful who you travel with.

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Brain Damage Consequences
I have known young Thai people from high class families in Bangkapi who take drugs. I have never taken drugs, one reason being the simple danger of brain damage.  However, I have been offered drugs.  This web article relates to you my experiences concerning those who take drugs and those who offer drugs, as well as my education on the issue.

People, listen: drugs like amphetamines ("yaa baa") and ecstasy ("yaa E") cause brain damage. What do you believe scientific evidence or wishful thinking? The end of this article discusses scientific proof.

The #1 problem facing communities in free countries is drug use among young people.

The main users of drugs (per capita) come in two categories: the highest and the lowest economic classes.  Drug use is lowest in the middle class, according to my experiences.

In Thailand, it has become a national security issue, due to Burma being a major international supply center, which has resulted in large supplies of drugs at low prices in Thailand.  This has resulted in damage to the brains of our next generation, as well as enrichment of mafia people who rise in political power, as well as foreign mafia moving in to "colonize" Thailand in effect.  These kinds of people are ruthless and evil.

Possibly, there may be corruption within some Thai governmental circles due to the great amounts of money for trafficking this drug.  Certainly, we know there are small-scale dealers in Bangkapi who support their lifestyle selling drugs, and who care about nothing besides themselves.  There may be little we can do nationally, but we can do something about ourselves and our community.  We are very fortunate that our local police sometimes choose to put up roadblock checkpoints late at night.

However, the most effective prevention is by parents and friends.  We can't do much about "supply" of drugs, but we can do something about "demand".

"Prevention" starts with education about the effects of drugs permanent brain damage. However, we must also deal with the psychological reasons young people take drugs, because emotion often overrides logic.

One reason is peer pressure. Young people often don't say "no" to their friends.  Why?

It's important to give children a fair amount of self-determination and independence, and to not apply too much pressure, so that they don't seek an "escape".  Also, parents must make time for their children.

One reason children take amphetamines during exam time is to score better on the exams.  This is largely to please the parents, who want to be proud of their children's "superiority" and class.  Let me tell you something: There's more to life and happiness than impressing other people.  What kind of people do you want to impress? Why? This is an analysis of "values".

Of course, the students take the drugs secretly.

Another reason children take drugs is in response to stress or bad times.  It's an escape. This is a major reason adults take ecstasy, too.

Pressure by parents to score high on competitive exams, and to pursue fields of studies according to the parents' interests, are often what fuel drug use. Children are well behaved at home, but secretly go wild in private.  Trying to control them more causes the behavior to worsen.

There are some broader issues here.  As an American, I see these things from an outsider's perspective.

There are many young Thais pursuing a university degree in a field chosen by their parents, not according to their own natural interests and talents. Likewise, there are people in the workforce who don't enjoy their field of work.  They are unhappy, but they conform.  Sometimes, they resort to mood-elevating drugs to deal with their unhappiness. This usually starts when they see friends who have become happy temporarily by drugs. So they, too, find happiness in drugs. Temporarily.

The two most common drugs are amphetamines ("ya ba") and ecstasy ("ya E"). They aren't the only two drugs taken, but they are the two most common.  Some of the other drugs, manufactured in hidden facilities with poor quality control and careless agents, have terribly poisonous chemicals in them and are similar but far worse than pure amphetamines or ecstasy.  Concentrations of all chemicals can vary greatly from pill to pill, from underdose to overdose.


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Brain Damage !!
You Understand ?!?
The government and newspapers have given excellent coverage to the negative effects of amphetamines ("ya ba"), so I will assume you are convinced that amphetamines cause brain damage.

You may be surprised to find how many young Thais believe that ecstasy ("ya E") is harmless, and who believe their drug-pushing and drug-taking friends' "wishful thinking" beliefs that it's not harmful.  The scientific facts are clear, and I document the effects of ecstasy later in this article.

First, I'd like to point out that people who have brain damage usually don't think they have brain damage.  Likewise, crazy people usually don't think they are crazy.  (In fact, they often think everyone else is crazy.)  It is important to understand this. Friends will say "I've taken ecstasy many times, but I'm OK".  Well, studies show this is not true.  Most drug takers perform worse at tasks over time.  Those who perform the same are usually trying and working harder than before.  If they continue taking drugs, their life always goes on the skids.

I will try to explain in general terms how ecstasy works without getting too technical.  Then I will give links to some technical articles and scientific results.

The word "ecstasy" means, according to the American Heritage Dictionary:

A main chemical in the brain, called "serotonin", plays a role in both happiness and forming memory.  It exists around the border between brain cells, and plays a role in linking brain cells.

Ecstasy works by acting upon the machinery of the brain in a way that results in excessive amounts of serotonin being released into the brain, thereby causing artificial happiness and stimulation of the senses.  Users excessively love the lights of discotheques, for example.

Unfortunately, this process causes damage to the machinery of the brain.  Permanent damage.

After the ecstasy wears off, the person is a little bit less happy and memories don't form quite as easily.  Just a little bit.  The reduced happiness results in a stronger desire for ecstasy.  The more times a user takes ecstasy, the more brain damage occurs, and the more they will desire it again after its effects wear off.

As quoted from a leading medical research institution, Johns Hopkins Institute, in Baltimore:

A group of ecstasy users and non-users "were injected with a radioactive tracer that binds to molecules of the nerve transporter serotonin, carrier of messages to different parts of the brain.

"Scans showed that former users, even those who had not used the drug for several years, had a significantly lower level of serotonin than did non-users.  The more Ecstasy a person had taken during his life, the less serotonin in the brain.

"The researchers, from Johns Hopkins Institutions, Baltimore, found that users all showed damage to the nerve endings in the area of the brain responsible for thought, memory and emotion.

"It is because of the way that Ecstasy affects this part of the brain that it is so popular. Users say it increases emotional intensity and the ability to communicate.

George Ricuarte, leader of the research team, said: ... "Potential consequences of brain damage induced by the drug are not clear, but may include depression, anxiety, memory disturbance and other neuropsychiatric disorders."

The permanent brain damaging effects in monkeys has been known back to 1995 by dissection of the monkeys' brains 12 to 18 months after they took the ecstasy. The brain cells of monkeys were damaged.  In some areas of the brain, the damaged cells recovered, but in other areas of the brain, the damaged cells did not recover at all, and in other sections the damaged cells recovered abnormally.

In humans, we can determine the effects by testing performance, e.g., memory.  In studies in which large groups of users and non-users of similar intelligence and background were given tests, ecstasy users have significantly impaired visual and verbal memory compared to those who never took the drug. Memory is something that can be measured.  Other effects have also been noted but cannot be measured by numbers, e.g., depression, anxiety, and other mood elements.

The shortterm effects of ecstasy has been well known, as the performance problems are worst in the weeks after taking the drug.  What we are finding out now is that the brain recovers some, but does not fully recover, and the longterm effects years later are still significant. At present, we know of the effects only a few years after taking the drug.

It's also notable that the people with brain damage usually don't think they have brain damage.  However, comparing their results on standardized tests to those who never used the drug, the proof is clear in the data and objective scientific analysis.

The lesson here is this: Don't believe people who say ecstasy is harmless.  What do they base their belief on? Their wishful thinking. What's right wishful thinking or scientific analysis?


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Getting Drugged
Worth mentioning in this section is getting drugged by a sex worker. This happens often.  They slip something into your drink or food and you pass out.  Then they rob you thoroughly.

This can happen in your hotel room, your home or even in a bar or restaurant.

This is a health risk.  The biggest health risk is death. Sometimes they put in more drug than is necessary, sometimes MUCH more, for one reason or another just to make sure you're very much asleep and won't interfere in their robbing activity, or to speed up the effects, or so that a small bite will get enough of the drug but maybe you eat or drink too much. In any case, a large dose can mean that you stop breathing or your heart stops ... and you die.

In lesser cases, foreigners have been known to wake up DAYS later.  With the worst headache of their life, sometimes very dehydrated.  And, of course, with no money, no credit cards, and often no identification.  Hopefully, they have enough change to take a bus to their embassy or somewhere to beg, maybe some water and food somewhere.

The preventative measures are common sense.


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A Couple of Notable Experiences:
A number of farangs have reported that they've been drugged at bars and discotheques by having something dropped into their drink while they were on the dance floor or in the toilet. If you go to the toilet, bring your beer with you! The motive here is questionable, but it has happened to quite a number of people. Rare, but does happen.

A variation on this is that you get drugged and then someone who says they are your friend pays your bill and "helps their too drunk friend" out of the establishment, where they are robbed.  Some people have been robbed at a bar.  Some people have died in bars.  This happens to a small fraction of farangs who live in Thailand for a long time, but it does happen.

Taxi drivers have also been known to do the same thing.  They give you a sweet or popcorn or something.  Don't accept food from taxi drivers.  Women have gotten raped and men robbed.

(According to one source, many years ago an entire tour bus on a long distance trip was robbed when the driver and ticket taker conspired and served drinks late at night.  This is an exceptionally rare kind of event, but this is what I heard from a longtime expat here.)
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