Drugs in Thailand: Too Much, Too Little, or Not Enough? (2.8)

Sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. Two of those are legal in Bangkok.
Sort of. Legal drugs have a dark side, like people dying from
overuse. But illegal drugs -- some pretty serious ones -- might
soon be legal in Thailand. What's the deal with all this back and
forth?

(Direct download .mp3)


(Direct download .mp3) Here's the reality of living in
Thailand: Whenever we -- Westerners or Thais  -- get sick,
our first stop is the hospital or the pharmacy. Chances are,
either the doctor or the pharmacist will have a remedy in pill
form ready for you. And quite often, they're unnecessary. Got a
cough? Take these antibiotics. Can't sleep? Try this anti-anxiety
medication. They're cheap, so why not? Because they
are literally killing us, that's why.
But on the flip side, it's great for asthmatics to pick up
a rescue inhaler without a prescription. Just don't expect to
pick up any Sudafed. Or as they call it in Thailand: the
precursor to methamphetamines. Speaking of that…
Thailand has a rich history of illicit drugs. But just
because there's a strain of marijuana named for the country, the
authorities aren't too keen on smokers of the herb. And this is
Thailand, probably not the place you want to cool it in a cell
for a while contemplating your poor choices in life.
Yet there are discussions at the highest level of
government to consider decriminalizing marijuana. And, as strange
and unfathomable as it sounds, meth (yaba, as it's locally known)
might also enjoy recreational status in the future. Go
figure. We're keeping the Love, Loathe, or
Leave segment rolling, this time with a discussion about
climate change inside the skytrain, and the bane of all who walk
on the sidewalk, being brick-flicked. If you're a fellow
Bangkokian, you likely have intimate experience with these two
items. Drop us a line and tell us what you think. Or if you've an
opinion on the issues of drugs -- legal or other -- tell us about
it in the comments below, or tweet to us
at @bkkgreg or
@evoterra. See you next week on
The Bangkok Podcast!