Thai parliament addresses urgent drug problem alongside economic and education crisis
In the recent parliament session, the country's serious drug problem was prominently discussed, equated with the existing economic and education crisis. It delved deeply into the need for structural reforms and the alarming spread of drugs among students, underscoring the deep interconnectedness of this problem in society.
'The last confession before going to the execution chamber', autobiography of a drug trafficker
How do you become a drug trafficker? What will happen to you if you get the death penalty? And how do you survive the terrible conditions in the prisons? The life story of a man in which good and evil are intertwined, but in the end good triumphs. The floor is up to a Thai drug trafficker.
The Thai media has been full of stories about this minister for a few days. What is going on? Just before the ministers were sworn in last July, there were rumors that army captain Thammarat Prompow had been sentenced to prison in Australia in 1993 for complicity in heroin smuggling. He denied this in a press conference.
A 57-year-old Belgian who sold large amounts of cocaine to tourists in Pattaya has been arrested. The man faces a severe punishment. Even the death penalty is possible, although it is usually commuted to life imprisonment.
Subjective drug policy in Thailand?
It is well known that there is a strict drug policy in Thailand. But is that really so? It is striking that couriers and users are caught. The question then remains who is really behind this trade, who remains unaffected?
Fighting drug trafficking in Thailand insufficient
Thailand must fight the trafficking and transit of illegal drugs in a different way. Arresting criminals alone is not enough, according to experts.
The Thai police can proudly report that suspects have been arrested in fifteen drug cases, but the Ministry of Justice is not satisfied. It usually concerns errand boys, the big bosses remain unaffected. Those big bosses are often high officials, police officers, influential businessmen and even senior military personnel.
A 26-year-old Canadian man suspected of drug trafficking in the US hanged himself in a police cell of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau. He had been arrested in Bangkok on July 5 and was due to be extradited to the US to face trial.
John van den Heuvel calls the Van Laarhoven case 'a crazy farce'
According to the well-known Telegraaf reporter John van den Heuvel, the case of drug trafficker Johan van Laarhoven is taking on crazy forms. In today's column, he says that the Van Laarhoven family is not only good at selling drugs, but also has a sophisticated PR strategy to get the Brabant coffee shop owner released.
In both Bangkok and Chiang Mai, the homes of those suspected of drug trafficking and money laundering have been raided in recent days. A team of XNUMX Amlo agents, soldiers and personnel raided XNUMX locations in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Chiang Mai.
About a year ago, Captain Rangsan Charoenkart, 34, reported to the Chiang Mai Police Department and introduced himself as a Thai Army liaison officer. Nothing unusual, since the military seized power in the May 2014 coup d'état, military personnel have regularly been deployed to assist the police as law enforcement officers.
News from Thailand – Thursday, March 12, 2015
A selection of today's most important Thai news, including:
– Experts: 'Interest rate cut will not solve economic problems'
– Top Public Health official transferred by order of Prayut
– Parents of former princess in jail for lèse-majesté
– Notorious drug criminal 'Benz Thasai' arrested
– Two tourists injured in Pattaya by fleeing driver
Mass arrest drug trafficking in Northern Thailand
The drug trade in the Golden Triangle seems to be booming lately. A police action against these activities resulted in 172 arrests in one day.
News from Thailand – September 17, 2014
Today in News from Thailand:
• Prisoners in Thonburi make artful head masks
• Crocodile breeding is a cover for drug trafficking
• Microphones are removed from Government House
News from Thailand – September 1, 2014
Today in News from Thailand:
• Aircraft Nok Air, hit by birds, makes emergency landing
• Flyers distributed against 'acquittal' Abhisit and Suthep
• 23 drug suspects arrested during 49 raids
News from Thailand – August 16, 2014
Today in News from Thailand:
• Show of force against drug trafficking; harvest is disappointing
• Rice farmers grumble, but newspapers don't write about it
• Police Bangkok will put wheel clamps on Monday
Officers transferred after shooting car with student
The shooting at the car of a student (21), on Saturday at an intersection of Ramkhamhaeng Soi 118, has a tail for three officers from the Bang Chan (Bangkok) bureau. They have been transferred to an administrative position pending an investigation.
News from Thailand – August 3, 2014
Today in News from Thailand:
• Respondents in opinion polls fear repercussions
• Fire in Phuket claims four lives
• Patpong Red Light District extinct after 2 hours
Dutch man arrested for drug trafficking
At the request of the Dutch authorities, a Dutch-Thai couple suspected of drug trafficking was arrested in Pattaya yesterday. Police raided four places in Bang Lamung and Sattahip. Assets worth 100 million have been seized.
News from Thailand – July 15, 2014
Today in News from Thailand:
• 150 drug suspects arrested by 420 soldiers and police
• Confusion about co-payment for patients
• Junta welcomes large-scale beach cleaning at Phuket
News from Thailand – June 7, 2014
Today in News from Thailand:
• Coupleider: Raise three fingers indoors
• The man from 'Catch me if you can' arrested
• Thaksin: Not a good idea, form a government in exile
News from Thailand – September 27, 2013
Today in News from Thailand:
• Drug lord Hunter arrested at US request
• Forest rangers are better armed
• Woman (74) goes behind bars for 3 years