Thai
murder reveals dark side of paradise - The
Observer, January 15, 2006
...'Koh Samui and Phangan have changed over the past five years,
and crime is a growing problem,' says Joe Bindloss, author of Lonely
Planet's guide to Thailand's islands and beaches. 'Drugs have always
been there, but with more tourists has come an increase in demand.
Over the past few years cheap, dangerous drugs have come in from
China and foreigners have had mental health problems after taking
dodgy batches.'
Last June, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan were listed by Justice Minister
Suwat Liptapanlop as two of three districts in the southern province
of Surat Thani facing a rapid spread of drugs. He said the return
of tourists following the 2004 tsunami had attracted drug dealers
and intensified the islands' problems.
While the government made Koh Samui the focus of an initiative to
tackle drug use in tourist spots in June, it has been notoriously
bad at dealing with the issue. 'Basically the police operated a
shoot to kill policy,' says Bindloss. Around 2,000 people, mainly
gangsters and dealers, were killed by police, drug prices shot up
and many addicts were driven to crime to pay for their fixes...
 |
|
2Bangkok: Recommended by roughguides.com
New book from 2Bangkok.com's editor:Last Century
The Tales of an Adventurer in the Asian Tiger Era
Hardback | Kindle
Like 2Bangkok on Facebook
2Bangkok on Twitter
Download a free chapter from The Thai Book, A Field Guide to Thai Political Motivations: "Big Men Always Go Too Far" (pdf)