Travel Pro Answers #1: Is it dangerous to do drugs in Thailand?
@mrpapuga asks: Is it dangerous to do drugs in Thailand?
The short answer is yes. If you want to be 100% safe then have nothing to do with it. That being said there is a young backpacker crowed that specifically come to Thailand to smoke weed and do mushrooms. I personally don't partake in these activities but I've been around it enough during my dozen or so trips to the country that I can give you some very helpful tips to be safe if you're looking to screw around anyway.
There are three places that I know in the country where you will be hidden by the fact that everyone else around you is smoking weed too combined with very little police presence. Pai in the north, Koh Phagnan an island in the gulf, and Tonsai a small hippie village near Railey beach in Krabi by the Andaman sea. You can basically smoke weed in public in all three locations. Compare that to smoking a joint in front of the king's palace in Bangkok....a little common sense goes a long way.
If you must buy weed outside of these places, make sure it's a known dealer, like a friend has bought from them in the past. Tape it to the inside of your leg and bring it to your apartment/hotel and only enjoy it there. Don't risk carrying it around with you, especially in motor vehicles. There are on occasion random police checks that search people.
If you do get caught with weed, make sure you have the equivalent of 100 USD with you as well, and be happy that the police are corrupt. More likely than not they'll be happy to take the 100 USD bribe and send you on your way. It's way better then being locked up in a Thai jail. You're a guest in their country, you should respect their laws, and that is how they see it too.
The three places listed above get very much a free pass, yet it's no Amsterdam. When Thais mix money with a drug demanding young tourist population, police get paid off or simply turn a blind eye. The three places listed are smaller communities where the Thias all know each other. One cousin is making money selling weed to tourists, the other cousin is in the police force, neither are proud of the situation but business is business and they turn a blind eye.
Now given that same principle. Cousin A sells you a bag of weed, then calls cousin B who is in the police while you're walking away. Cousin B nabs you, takes your weed and demands $100 or else, then gives $50 of it to cousin B and they get the weed back too! So this is a trap many trusting tourist fall prey too as well. This is very common in neighboring Laos too. If they see you smoking or even talking about in public. They may snitch on you, looking for a weeks pay in five minutes.
My best advice if you want to smoke in Thailand is get it from a tried and there for trusted source and keep in on the down low wherever you are in the country. Or go to any of those three places mentioned. These places specialize in selling weed, and even have a reputation to uphold. They often sell joints and have paid off the police or local mafia running the area.
In Koh Phagnan you can go to over a dozen or more "rasta" bars. If they have Jamaican/Bob Marley decorations they sell weed. Go there, buy a joint for a few dollars, you hang out there with your friends, you smoke the joint there under their paid protection, then you leave. Once you start carrying it on you smoking in random places you're chances of getting nabbed just increased significantly.
In these same three locations, magic mushroom shakes are also on the menu. Same principle applies, buy it and drink it at the bar and try not to get in trouble while you're whacked out of your mind. If you're looking for painkillers, valume, zaynex, and even anabolic steroids it all can be bought over the counter without a prescription! Talk about a double standard. Even prostitution is legal here. Welcome to Thailand! So be careful and I'd highly advise to just enjoy the country high on life. It's such a beautiful place, there's no need to mess it up for yourself. Until next time- Dan "World Travel Pro!"
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ha ha.....I'm very Travel Pro! lol
God I miss my travel days - you just brought me back from a cold NY winter night ;-) I clicked on this post for 2 reasons - nostalgia for when I lived in Bangkok, and to see what crazy advice you have for doing drugs in Thailand lol.
No it's never safe - especially with the military gov't is the answer I expected. But I GUESS if like you say, you know the source. (and perhaps things are less strictly enforced outside BKK and major cities?)
For some reason I'm surprised to hear the happy shake and joint places are still going...I'd heard many had been shut down. And wow, I searched hi and low for valium last time I was there (2015) in various BKK pharmacies and think there was only 1 of 20 that still sold it (when I lived there wayyyy back in 2006 - they had just started clamping down).
Not that I'll have a chance to go anytime soon - but is Ochheuteal beach (Cambodia) still the backpacker haven it used to be...almost all hostels there used to have community weed and beyond jars lol.
Following you to live again...vicariously for now! Thanks for brightening a now location monogamous, knocked up, middle aged woman's day :-P
I'm from Albany NY originally. So I know what you mean, those cold dark winter nights. Glad I could give you an escape for a short while. By no means am I saying go ahead and break the law in Thialand, I just know many people are going to, so I was just trying to be helpful to those party goers. I lived in Cambodia for three month's. I know exactly what you are talking about. Thank you so much, for following and support! Have a great day! -Dan
Yes lol. New York State is brutal. You gave good advice, cause people are going to do what they're going to do. I know I did :-P Happy Travels! Happy Holidays!
https://steemit.com/christmas/@cannagirl/sexy-cannagirls-christmas-smokin-up-xmas-trees
There are more funny things to do without drugs..visit, drink something. Ok, it s not that bad to smoke some weed.. :)
Agree, and agree.
Like this post, answering on questions of followers! well done, tell him to come to Amsterdam and he is fine haha
Right! Remember the video I did for you! Totally unprofessional. I think I'm better off sticking to well written articles! With steem up and my blog! I'm suddenly making enough money to come visit you with you with no worries about expense. I'll make it happen! But aren't you leaving soon to travel? Where are you going?
Sound good always welcome in Amsterdam, you can also stay in my apartment, have people over all the time from my traveling days.
At the moment I make my money very easy at my job, so will stay a few more months to get a good plan in place, will have a few weeks of in Febuari, will either visit Angelo or take my father to some NBA games, starting January i will start looking for a job in a different country
Sounds like a good plan buddy! Would be a pleasure staying there with you....if you're still around :)
Smoking and drinking coffee is more fun.
I'll take your word for it!
my words you use as what brother?
Ha ha. It's an English expression, my Indonesian friend. Means, I will assume you are correct about smoking and drinking coffee, as I do not do either :). Have a good day!
thanks brother, may your day happy.
The very best advice I can give after more than 20 years in Thailand is to avoid all kind of illegal drugs, but in the case some people cannot leave without weed they can go to a doctor with a cannabis license and get a THC oil prescription than register to Narcotic Control Board so they can carry and cure themselves safely all around Thailand but even you get a prescription that will save you from being caught with illegal cannabis it is always better to keep a low profile, never forget that you are a guest here.
Exactly! Well said and thanks for adding to the article!
I love this post! Purely because it's the kind of travel information that never gets talked about in guidebooks or regular travel websites, yet everyone knows it's rampant in Thailand. Prohibition does not stop people from doing things, so the best course of action is simply to protect yourself as much as possible while you're doing it!