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paulfox1

Breaking News..........

From: China 山东(shan dong) 济宁(ji ning ) @paulfox1 Time : 2016-06-22 22:55:10

Thailand has long been a popular tourist destination due to its scenic landscapes, tranquil beaches and tropical weather, but according to reports, things are about to change.

I can't cite evidence, (yet), but the word-on-the-street is that the Thai government are about to make 2 life-changing new laws that, to many of us, may seem beyond common sensical belief.

1) Methamphetamine is about to be legalised. Apparantly, the Thai gov, (in its infinite wisdom), is fed up with the illegal, non tax-paying drug-trade, that legalising crystal meth is a solution to all its problems. So there you go, smack-heads, fill ya boots!

2) Quitting smoking is not easy. Enter the e-cigarette. This little metal contraption blows out vapour instead of smoke, gives the user their hit of nicotine, and doesn't cause people to complain of passive-smoking. But, in Thailand, there's no tax. Anyone caught using this quit-smoking-aid within Thai borders, can expect a 7-year stretch in the 'big house'!

So let's just have a quick re-cap...............

Smoking crystal meth, getting high-as-a-kite and blowing people's brains out is going to be OK, but smoking a harmless electronic cigarette means 7 years behind bars.....

Well done Thailand. I hope your tourism industry will get to enjoy the obvious benefits !

 

 

 

 

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JohnAbbot
From: China 浙江(zhe jiang) 杭州(hang zhou ) @JohnAbbot Time : 2016-06-24 13:25:38 #1
Sorry Paul, but this just makes no sense. If Thailand is so desperate for tax revenue that they will legalize methamphetamine so they can tax it, then why would they not simply put a tax on e-cigarettes and further increase their tax revenue. But according to this very flawed "street talk" instead of adding to their revenue they will choose to add incredibly to their expenses by jailing people for 7 years for merely attempting to stop smoking.

Maybe the meth will get legalized but I highly doubt it. However, I think the idea of the e-cigarette being cause for prison terms is so far-fetched that it will never come to be. There is not a reason on earth for any government to impose that law.

Just saying...
AchrisT
From: China 辽宁(liao ning) 沈阳(shen yang ) @AchrisT Time : 2016-06-24 16:05:48 #2
Hey Paul I did find this at "https://www.bangkokexpatlife.com/2016/06/thailand-about-to-legalize-crystal-methamphetamine: 06/24/2016"
According to General Paiboon Koomchaya “The world has now surrendered to drugs, and has come to think of how to live with drugs” which is the reason why he considers that taking this drug off the dangerous drug list would be a better solution to deal with the issue of the drug use in Thailand. Koomchaya also mentioned that in case crystal meth becomes legalized its usage will be strictly controlled. The administration would need to create a strategy and framework on its distribution and sale.
I don't believe the outcome is what you would think it is. If you look at Amsterdam and the Coffee Houses, Switzerland and Needle Park. You will see drops in crime and in drug related hospitalizations. Some countries have given into spending billions of dollars fighting drug crimes, using and distribution to spending much less on education and regulating. You have to choose which has a better outcome, and where your tax dollars are spent. Because the governments that have thrown in the towel, price of drugs reduce to very low. The crime of distribution is stays on the books. But the profit is not worth the risk for the illegal seller. I will see if I can find some quotes for you but I did a thesis on it sometime back. I want to say that this information is from the late 80’s early 90’s. It may have changed over the years.
As far as the electronic cigs, can’t find anything on that.
paulfox1
From: China 山东(shan dong) 济宁(ji ning ) @paulfox1 Time : 2016-06-24 17:16:38 #3
@JohnAbbot
Don't shoot the messenger. There's a Thai ex-pats discussion forum you can check out next time you are suffering from insomnia. The methamphetamine is a hot topic there!
JohnAbbot
From: China 浙江(zhe jiang) 杭州(hang zhou ) @JohnAbbot Time : 2016-06-25 02:34:19 #4
@paulfox1

Paul, I wasn't really shooting the messenger. I was shooting the message. My point was that the meth law change is not unbelievable in that, as AchrisT points out, it is highly possible that Thailand is thinking of going the route of the Netherlands and others, and choosing to take the "criminal" out of the drug scene. Perhaps Pattaya is going to be the Asian Amsterdam?

But the e-cigarette claim seems far fetched indeed. I wasn't suggesting you were making it up. I was suggesting that your source of information made no sense. Everything that is made a major crime results in huge costs to a government pertaining to investigation, enforcement, judicial review and punishment. The fact that they are not collecting any tax from the sale of something will cause a government to legislate a tax and start collecting it. It will not prompt them to make it illegal and start eating up the tax dollars they already collect from other sources.

I will say that there is now some initial research that suggests that e-cigarettes may be damaging to one's health, but I doubt that mere possibility has prompted the Thai government to consider making sales of it a severe criminal offence.

Now, if your sources can prove and argue that the decision makers in the Thai government also are the primary owners of the Thai tobacco industry, then I might think you were onto something. (think)
paulfox1
From: China 山东(shan dong) 济宁(ji ning ) @paulfox1 Time : 2016-06-25 07:04:21 #5
E-cigarettes are damaging to health? So what isn't.....?
Alcohol, cigarettes, bacon, white bread......the list goes on................

In fact, I have even heard Chinese women say that sex/masturbation is damaging to health and should be limited to birthdays and other festivals so it's regarded as a 'treat'.

I will agree however, that drug enforcement agencies around the world spend billions of tax-payers dollars controlling substances that perhaps don't need controlling. It's said that nicotine is the number 1 most addictive drug known to man, (but also the fastest for the body to dispose of, which is why people need to light up a cigarette every half hour or so).
However, I do believe that certain drugs should be decriminalised, (btw, as a retired lawyer, can you explain the difference between decriminalisation and legalisation?). 'Softer' drugs such as cannabis etc, apparently cause little harm when compared to drugs such as heroin and crystal meth, (I have never taken any kind of drug other than nicotine, so I have no experience), and in that regard, countries such as the Netherlands have got it right, (IMHO).

But it's interesting to note the changes in the behaviour of society as a whole once laws are changed. For instance, England has strict control on the sale of alcohol between certain hours, whereas in Scotland, alcohol is available 24 hours a day, (same as in China), yet England has a social-drinking-problem, (because people feel the need to binge-drink before the bar closes), yet Scotland does not.
Go to a Thai supermarket between 2pm and 4pm and you cannot buy alcohol, yet bars are open.

Once again, as a retired lawyer I'm sure that you don't need to be told that quite often the law is an ass...............
roughdiamond
From: Australia Victoria Thomastown @roughdiamond Time : 2016-06-25 19:15:29 #6
@ paulfox1
smack is heroin not meth
paulfox1
From: China 山东(shan dong) 济宁(ji ning ) @paulfox1 Time : 2016-06-26 16:42:39 #7
@roughdiamond
That maybe true, but in my mind, any drug-addicted idiot is a smack-head whether they are high on cocaine, meth, lsd or anything else.
roughdiamond
From: Australia Victoria Thomastown @roughdiamond Time : 2016-06-27 15:30:35 #8
@paulfox1
cool, I just thought I would add to your IQ 8-| 8-| "Junkie" and "Stoners" are the all round terms
Anonymous24897
@Anonymous24897 Time : 2016-06-28 18:48:45 #9

@roughdiamond

Do you wear sunglasses to hide bloodshot eyes?

roughdiamond
From: Australia Victoria Thomastown @roughdiamond Time : 2016-06-29 07:17:50 #10
@anonymous24897
Lol. I'm not into hiding anon. Just a pic while i was on the water. I know its not the prettiest pic, but it is the true me.
AchrisT
From: China 辽宁(liao ning) 沈阳(shen yang ) @AchrisT Time : 2016-07-09 20:12:41 #11

@paulfox

Like anything, you out law something or regulate it to high amounts a blackmarket occurs. IMHO I think when there is an item banned, the higher the demand becomes, the more the increase in crime. Increasing the laws create a system that allows the government to militarize the police force to handle the increase crime rates.You look at the arguement being made of armed police officers versus countries where police walk their beat without a gun.  

Regulating through education and information I believe is away more suitable for the society. Lower cost and thereby lowering demand.

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