0:00:02 > 0:00:03Necesito cobertura, primer puente.
0:00:03 > 0:00:04'All over the world,
0:00:04 > 0:00:08'hundreds of thousands of people are fighting a hidden war...'
0:00:08 > 0:00:09Por donde estan?
0:00:09 > 0:00:11So what's happening up there? What's going on?
0:00:11 > 0:00:14'..the outcome of which affects us all.
0:00:15 > 0:00:16'It's the war against drugs.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23'In this series, I'll travel to the front line
0:00:23 > 0:00:25'of this conflict.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29'I've travelled to Peru, a country that's now replaced Colombia
0:00:29 > 0:00:32'as the world's number-one coca producer.'
0:00:32 > 0:00:35So this is it, one step closer to being the cocaine we know at home.
0:00:36 > 0:00:37Oh, my gosh!
0:00:39 > 0:00:43'But tonight, I'm in Thailand, investigating a drug called yaba.'
0:00:43 > 0:00:44This is a home-made bong.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46This is what a lot of kids in Thailand are using
0:00:46 > 0:00:47to smoke the yaba.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51'A menacing mix of methamphetamine and caffeine.'
0:00:51 > 0:00:53- This is the yaba?- Yes.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57So you've seized 120,000 yaba tablets today?
0:00:57 > 0:00:59'It's creating a new epidemic.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01'It's gripping a country
0:01:01 > 0:01:03'and is ravaging a generation.'
0:01:03 > 0:01:09There's now 12-year-olds clucking and addicted to yaba in Thailand.
0:01:09 > 0:01:14'I join the police in their desperate fight against this drug.'
0:01:14 > 0:01:15The police officer's just said,
0:01:15 > 0:01:18"Jump in the car, we're going to go to arrest somebody,"
0:01:18 > 0:01:20and then, I heard somebody say, "He's crazy, he's got a gun."
0:01:20 > 0:01:25'I investigate the truth behind Thailand's drug craze.'
0:01:25 > 0:01:27I run the risk of never being allowed
0:01:27 > 0:01:29to film in Thailand ever, ever, ever again,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32because I'm outside this prison telling you this now.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Thailand is one of the most popular holiday destinations
0:01:41 > 0:01:42for young Brits.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45A million of us travel here every year.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48We know it for its temples,
0:01:48 > 0:01:50sandy beaches...
0:01:51 > 0:01:53..and full-moon parties.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57But now, there's a new and disturbing phenomenon
0:01:57 > 0:01:59sweeping across the country.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Causing crime and violence is a drug called yaba,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08which, in Thai, means "crazy medicine".
0:02:11 > 0:02:12'I've got hold of this news footage
0:02:12 > 0:02:16'showing a yaba addict threatening to harm his own child.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26'And another yaba addict attacking police with a meat cleaver.'
0:02:26 > 0:02:29And he's just acting completely insane,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32like he's violent, he looks crazed.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35So the idea that it has this kind of effect
0:02:35 > 0:02:38on a lot of people in Thailand is...
0:02:39 > 0:02:40..is quite something.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43'I'm on my way to Thailand
0:02:43 > 0:02:46'to find the story behind this shocking footage.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53'My investigation begins
0:02:53 > 0:02:56'where most tourists coming to Thailand start their holiday.'
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Here I am in Bangkok,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03one of the most exciting places in the whole world.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06I don't know anyone who's done a stint in South East Asia
0:03:06 > 0:03:07and hasn't stopped off in Thailand
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and done at least a couple of nights in Bangkok.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20'On this street,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22'some of the local ticket touts can also get you yaba.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25'It can be bought for as little as £1.50,
0:03:25 > 0:03:29'which is vastly cheaper than other drugs like cocaine or ecstasy.'
0:03:31 > 0:03:34This drug seems to have taken Thailand by storm.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37So the idea that you can walk 30 seconds, a minute down the road
0:03:37 > 0:03:39and collect yaba isn't a massive shock.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Scary, but it isn't a surprise.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49In less than five years,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53yaba has completely overtaken all other drug use in Thailand.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57I want to see where this drug is coming from
0:03:57 > 0:04:01and what the police are doing to fight this surge of yaba.
0:04:01 > 0:04:02Sawat dii kha!
0:04:02 > 0:04:04In here? Thank you.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09'So I travel 600 miles to the Thai-Burmese border.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14'The newest frontier on Thailand's war on drugs.'
0:04:17 > 0:04:20And the front line is the Golden Triangle.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24The Golden Triangle is a popular tourist resort
0:04:24 > 0:04:26where two rivers join and three countries meet.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29So you've got Laos, Burma and here, Thailand.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33Now, the Thai police know that there are hundreds of yaba labs
0:04:33 > 0:04:34across the Burmese border.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38The yaba is being produced by ethnic militias and rebel armies,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41which makes it very, very difficult to stop the flow,
0:04:41 > 0:04:43the amount of yaba coming into Thailand.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45The traffickers are often heavily armed
0:04:45 > 0:04:49and they'll come in on foot or sometimes they'll use this river.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54The yaba is smuggled in vessels posing as fishing boats,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58merchant ships and even ferries carrying tourists.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01In many of the neighbouring towns
0:05:01 > 0:05:05scattered along Thailand's thousand-mile border with Burma,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08you can be sure that yaba is changing hands.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Right now, I'm en route to the border town of Chiang Mai.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16This place is notorious for trading yaba.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19The border patrol police actually have one of their largest bases here
0:05:19 > 0:05:23and the police have a whole museum that's completely dedicated to drugs.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26So they've invited me over, I'm hoping to have a nose around
0:05:26 > 0:05:29and try to understand and learn even more about yaba.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- Hello! Sawat dii kha. How are you? - Merin.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- Merin? I'm Stacey. Lovely to meet you.- Yes, OK.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Lieutenant Colonel Merin is a narcotics expert
0:05:49 > 0:05:51and introduces me to the crazy drug.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55- And this is yaba?- Yes.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58So this is real yaba?
0:06:01 > 0:06:03'Yaba is a mixture of methamphetamine,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06'also known as crystal meth or ice, and caffeine.'
0:06:06 > 0:06:08HE SPEAKS THAI
0:06:12 > 0:06:14'Meth gives an instant euphoric rush of adrenaline,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16'and the caffeine prolongs it -
0:06:16 > 0:06:19'heavy users can stay awake for days.'
0:06:20 > 0:06:22- Can you talk me through this? - Yes, certainly.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24What exactly does this do?
0:06:30 > 0:06:33How many yaba pills do you think are being produced in Burma?
0:06:41 > 0:06:43300 million?
0:06:43 > 0:06:45That's astonishing.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47That's a lot of yaba.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Once smugglers get the yaba across the border,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55their next challenge is heading south by road.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59I've joined the police at one of their numerous checkpoints,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02strategically positioned on all major roads
0:07:02 > 0:07:05coming down from the northern provinces.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07I've asked if I can just follow them
0:07:07 > 0:07:10when they search some of the larger vehicles.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12There's a bus over there that they want to have a nose at,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14and they've said, "Yes,"
0:07:14 > 0:07:16but I'm not allowed to go in unless I've got this vest on,
0:07:16 > 0:07:21just because the yaba smugglers can be quite dangerous.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24'Today, the police have received a tip-off
0:07:24 > 0:07:26'about a huge amount of yaba being smuggled.'
0:07:28 > 0:07:30They're searching the people, they're searching their bags,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32they're searching their luggage,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35everything that they own is being really vigorously looked through.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37To me, it seems quite intrusive,
0:07:37 > 0:07:39but the police obviously think it's necessary.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50The police believe that many traffickers also take yaba,
0:07:50 > 0:07:54so anyone they think looks suspicious has their urine tested.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59The police officers have felt it's necessary
0:07:59 > 0:08:02to pull two men out of the bus,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06bring them here and ask them to give them a urine sample.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10'The police are now testing people's urine for yaba all over Thailand
0:08:10 > 0:08:14'and the young men comply without any objections.'
0:08:14 > 0:08:15- It's negative.- Yeah.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18So this man was completely innocent, he's been pulled off the bus,
0:08:18 > 0:08:22forced to give a urine sample and now he's free to go?
0:08:24 > 0:08:25'Both guys tested negative.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28'The bus search also proves fruitless.'
0:08:31 > 0:08:34It's all suddenly got very panicked very quickly.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38- I don't know what's going on. The guy in charge... - Get in the back. Get in the back!
0:08:41 > 0:08:44I'm not really sure what's going on right now.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46The guy in charge just jumped into this van.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48He told me to jump into this van.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57Thank you.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13So I think the reason we've rushed up here
0:09:13 > 0:09:15is because one of the police, or a few of the police guys,
0:09:15 > 0:09:19saw this car panic when they saw the checkpoint, so they stopped short.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22They didn't want to come through the checkpoint,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24that's obviously sent alarm bells ringing.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30'The lieutenant in charge tells me
0:09:30 > 0:09:32'when traffickers stop short of a checkpoint,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34'they're known to throw out the yaba.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38'With no proof of possession, the police can't make an arrest.'
0:09:39 > 0:09:42If you were going to describe a stereotypical trafficker,
0:09:42 > 0:09:44you probably wouldn't describe these girls.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46You know, this girl's really young.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48There's a lady with her pet dog here.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51There's an older lady in the back. They've all got ID.
0:09:51 > 0:09:52They've all showed their ID.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54'In response to the increased police checkpoints,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58'smugglers are recruiting unlikely-looking traffickers
0:09:58 > 0:09:59'such as women and children.'
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Everyone is a suspect.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04You have to try and stop everyone
0:10:04 > 0:10:09because anyone that comes past may possibly be trying to smuggle yaba?
0:10:17 > 0:10:21That's interesting - locals and tourists are smuggling yaba?
0:10:22 > 0:10:24'After a thorough search,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27'the police are confident that this vehicle is not carrying yaba.'
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Why did they say they stopped so suddenly
0:10:29 > 0:10:31if they didn't have any yaba?
0:10:43 > 0:10:45'Despite finding nothing so far,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48'I'm told the police make regular seizures of yaba,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50'so I'm determined to keep looking.'
0:10:53 > 0:10:56We've just been given a call
0:10:56 > 0:11:03that they've found a massive amount of yaba at another checkpoint.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06So we need to try and get there as fast as we can,
0:11:06 > 0:11:11cos I'm desperate to see this, this...big delivery.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21We're here. This is the checkpoint.
0:11:21 > 0:11:22Here's the police to my right.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28There's a big bag on the table. I wonder whether that's the yaba.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30It all looks very busy and very happening.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Sawat dii kha. This way?
0:11:39 > 0:11:41'It seems like my luck may have changed
0:11:41 > 0:11:45'with this haul of yaba a smuggler was trying to send by post.'
0:11:48 > 0:11:49This is an astonishing amount.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53Who was the smuggler? How was he carrying it? How did you find this?
0:12:04 > 0:12:07And you have only been able to catch one? You've only managed
0:12:07 > 0:12:09to get one smuggler and put him in prison?
0:12:09 > 0:12:10And how much yaba is here?
0:12:15 > 0:12:18So you've seized 120,000 yaba tablets today?
0:12:20 > 0:12:24And I wonder if you could tell me how much all of this yaba is worth?
0:12:34 > 0:12:38So 24 million baht, this yaba is worth,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42and in English sterling, that's about half a million pounds.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45That's so much, this is a really, really big find.
0:12:45 > 0:12:46You've got to be happy.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51'The police point out the newest trends in the yaba they're seizing.'
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Smells like sweets. Vanilla?
0:12:54 > 0:12:56- Vanilla.- Chocolate.- Vanilla.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Yeah. Why, why does it smell like that?
0:13:10 > 0:13:12So it's used for marketing purposes,
0:13:12 > 0:13:14to sell it to teenagers?
0:13:14 > 0:13:19'The candy-scented pills have opened up a whole new market -
0:13:19 > 0:13:20'Thailand's youth.'
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Do you have any idea where this yaba was meant to go?
0:13:26 > 0:13:29So on its way to a tourist destination?
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Yes.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33So do you think this yaba could end up in tourists' hands,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35British hands?
0:13:45 > 0:13:50'Last year, the Thai police seized over 84 million yaba pills,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52'almost double the previous year,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55'but they estimate that's only 10%
0:13:55 > 0:13:57'of the yaba being trafficked into Thailand.'
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Yesterday, they found 20,000, today, 120,000,
0:14:02 > 0:14:04six days ago, 40,000.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07So that just gives you an idea of the sheer amount of yaba
0:14:07 > 0:14:10that's floating around here, it's literally everywhere.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14The arrested smuggler is currently in custody
0:14:14 > 0:14:17at the local police station.
0:14:17 > 0:14:18I wanted to interview him,
0:14:18 > 0:14:22but because of the ongoing investigation, I'm not allowed.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26So, as it stands now, the alleged smuggler is behind bars,
0:14:26 > 0:14:27he's under full investigation.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30The police were saying he's due in court tomorrow.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33They also said that because of the size of the seizure,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35you know, half a million pounds' sterling worth of yaba,
0:14:35 > 0:14:40it's not unrealistic to think that he could face life imprisonment or execution.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43They also said that this might be the tip of the iceberg,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45so there might be bigger players involved, more yaba involved
0:14:45 > 0:14:48and a lot more money involved.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01'It's an all-too-familiar story in this part of Thailand.
0:15:01 > 0:15:07'It's estimated that over 90% of the communities in this area and neighbouring provinces
0:15:07 > 0:15:10'are involved in the use or sale of yaba.'
0:15:18 > 0:15:22I mean, these surroundings are just utterly, utterly beautiful,
0:15:22 > 0:15:23you couldn't make it up.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Elephants roaming free.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29All over this side, to my left,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31there's kids splashing about in the water,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33there's livestock roaming about everywhere.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36It's the most peaceful place, probably, I've ever been,
0:15:36 > 0:15:42but this very same area is actually notorious for trafficking yaba.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44So it's a crazy thought, no?
0:15:44 > 0:15:48To see, visually, it's the most stunning place,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52but actually, there's a darker undertone here and it's growing.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58'I'm travelling to a village 30 kilometres from the border.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02'The area is one of the main routes into Thailand from Burma.'
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Remote and isolated villages like this one
0:16:04 > 0:16:07are the perfect breeding ground for drug traffickers.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09You know, if you've got little or no education,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12there's no opportunities, it is easy for me to understand
0:16:12 > 0:16:16how some villagers may see smuggling yaba as their only option.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21To tackle the problem, there's a new venture
0:16:21 > 0:16:26between the Ministry of Education and the Narcotics Control Board.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Police officers are now being trained
0:16:28 > 0:16:32to teach drug awareness in schools to children as young as five.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35How are you? I'm Stacey. Nice to meet you.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36This is the school? I can come?
0:16:36 > 0:16:38Thank you.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42'Back home, kids this age are taught not to talk to strangers.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47'But here, at this primary school,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50'the children are taught to say no to yaba.'
0:16:53 > 0:16:54- Yaba.- English?
0:16:54 > 0:16:56- Yaba.- Yaba?- Yeah.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58Yaba.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07'These five-year-old kids are told what yaba looks like
0:17:07 > 0:17:10'and what will happen to them if they take it.'
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Come and show me what yaba does.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18- STACEY GASPS - Oh!
0:17:18 > 0:17:20I think it's nice the way the school
0:17:20 > 0:17:23are just incredibly open and really candid about yaba.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Tiny little diddy kids, drawing pictures of the yaba pill
0:17:26 > 0:17:29and pretending to eat a bit and they start punching themselves
0:17:29 > 0:17:32and flinging themselves around the classroom.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34So it's obvious that they know,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36they're very aware of the effects that yaba can have.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39You know, they're all laughing and they find it funny,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42but, essentially, the important message is there.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44I know it's very difficult to imagine now,
0:17:44 > 0:17:47cos they're all diddy little tiny things, running round eating ice cream,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50but essentially, these kids could grow up to smuggle yaba,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52to take yaba, to become addicts, to traffic it,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55and, you know, the reality is that means they could be shot at,
0:17:55 > 0:17:59they could face life in prison, they could be executed.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01You know, Thailand still executes drug dealers.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06It's a serious, real problem that needs tackling.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11Some officials estimate that nearly half of Thailand's youth have tried yaba.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Even more worryingly,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18the new generation of drug users is becoming increasingly violent.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23'It's late evening and I'm back out on patrol with the police.'
0:18:23 > 0:18:25It's all been a bit of a mad scramble, to be honest,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27I don't know enough about what's actually going on.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29The police officers just said,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31"Jump in the car, we're going to go to arrest somebody,"
0:18:31 > 0:18:34and then, I heard someone say, "He's crazy, he's got a gun."
0:18:46 > 0:18:49'We approach what looks like a quiet residential backstreet.'
0:18:49 > 0:18:52I can come? I come?
0:18:52 > 0:18:54I stay?
0:18:54 > 0:18:55'I'm forced to stay back
0:18:55 > 0:18:59'as I watch a team of heavily-armed officers investigate the situation.'
0:18:59 > 0:19:02They've told me categorically to stay in the car,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04there's no way on Earth I'm allowed out.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08He's just flipped his...big gun up.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15'Once it's safe, I join the officers at the scene
0:19:15 > 0:19:17'as the 21-year-old gunman is apprehended.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25'He appears harmless,
0:19:25 > 0:19:30'but only minutes before, he was pointing a gun at his family.'
0:19:32 > 0:19:35What's happened? What's happened?
0:19:39 > 0:19:43'The officers begin to search the house for evidence of drugs.'
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Hello?
0:19:47 > 0:19:50So he's smashed the place up.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53'There is no yaba, but plenty of drug paraphernalia.'
0:19:53 > 0:19:56This is what he will have used to smoke the yaba.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58It's a home-made bong,
0:19:58 > 0:19:59this is a home-made bong.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02They're taking this to the station now for evidence.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04This is what a lot of kids in Thailand are using,
0:20:04 > 0:20:06just cheap, home-made bongs.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09'Before he's taken into custody, I want to speak to him.'
0:20:11 > 0:20:12Have you been smoking yaba?
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Hello. This is his mum.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25So, Mum, what happened?
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Why did you call the police?
0:20:48 > 0:20:51And when you called the police, you mentioned that he had a gun.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Is this the first time that you've
0:21:04 > 0:21:06seen him pull out a gun and act this crazy?
0:21:09 > 0:21:12The young man will have his urine tested back at the station.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14if any trace of yaba is found,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18he will be sent to compulsory rehab or prison.
0:21:19 > 0:21:20'I think the scariest thing for me
0:21:20 > 0:21:23'is, you know, Mum was saying ordinarily he's a really good lad.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25'Just before I arrived,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27'he was tearing chunks out of the house walls,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30'he literally pulled a firearm and put it towards his grandad's head.'
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Imagine how pushed you'd have to be to pick up the phone
0:21:36 > 0:21:38to your own boy and go,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41"You're going to have to come and get him, he's completely nuts."
0:21:45 > 0:21:47'My time up north has come to an end
0:21:47 > 0:21:49'and I'm now heading back to Bangkok.'
0:21:55 > 0:21:58I want to find out why yaba is so addictive
0:21:58 > 0:22:01and turns seemingly calm people violent.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06'In my hotel room I do some research.'
0:22:07 > 0:22:10It's highly addictive and stimulates the central nervous system.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14The brain elevates your need for the drug to the same level
0:22:14 > 0:22:17as anything else you have to do to carry on living, like breathing.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22So, imagine, you've only taken it a couple of times but then you start thinking,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24"Got to get yaba, got to get yaba."
0:22:24 > 0:22:26That's all you can think.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28If you're using yaba for a long time,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32it can lead to psychotic states, making users potentially violent.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34This bit is the most shocking part.
0:22:34 > 0:22:40It says here, even after as little as two or three uses,
0:22:40 > 0:22:45it affects the way your brain works.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Which is a really scary thought, no?
0:22:51 > 0:22:53It's a big risk, isn't it, to take
0:22:53 > 0:22:56because you want to try a new party drug.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06The Thai Ministry of Health have reported a dramatic rise
0:23:06 > 0:23:10in the number of 15 to 19-year-olds seeking help for yaba dependency.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16With so many young people using this highly addictive
0:23:16 > 0:23:20and dangerous drug, I want to know what is being done to help them.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Ah, it's locked?
0:23:26 > 0:23:28- Spot-on. Thank you. I can come in? - Yes.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Thank you.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32'Even though most of the patients in this hospital
0:23:32 > 0:23:35'came here voluntarily, it is a secure unit
0:23:35 > 0:23:37'and once in, they can't get out.'
0:23:37 > 0:23:38Thank you.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44Oh, wow.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48'Once I get to the ward and see the state of some of the young men,
0:23:48 > 0:23:49'I realise why.'
0:23:51 > 0:23:54So, am I allowed to come in, is that possible?
0:23:54 > 0:23:57'I meet Dr Narong, who works closely with patients
0:23:57 > 0:24:01'who have the most acute yaba addictions.'
0:24:01 > 0:24:04So, doctor, I wonder if you could explain to me
0:24:04 > 0:24:07the kind of people that are on this particular ward?
0:24:19 > 0:24:21The doctor explains that long-term use of yaba
0:24:21 > 0:24:25changes the structure of the brain and can lead to psychosis.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29As well as recurring hallucinations and delusions,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31symptoms can include severe paranoia,
0:24:31 > 0:24:33violent and disturbed thoughts,
0:24:33 > 0:24:37extreme confusion and even schizophrenia.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Am I right in thinking that everybody on this ward
0:24:43 > 0:24:44was heavily addicted to yaba,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47so they're now obviously acting very different to
0:24:47 > 0:24:51"normal" people who don't take yaba?
0:24:51 > 0:24:52Yes, yes, yes.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54And you can see that very clearly.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59Everyone here, to put it bluntly, looks almost like zombies.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00Yes, yes.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04'I'm keen to know how long the psychosis is likely to last.'
0:25:19 > 0:25:22So if you come to somewhere like this, you can get better.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26But sometimes the damage is already done and you'll have
0:25:26 > 0:25:30psychotic problems for the rest of your life because you took yaba.
0:25:30 > 0:25:31Yes, yes, yes.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37'According to a United Nations report,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41'half of all heavy yaba users will end up with yaba-induced psychosis
0:25:41 > 0:25:44'with a high risk of violent behaviour.'
0:25:45 > 0:25:48So there's a couple of lads over here that look OK,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51they look like they understand what's going on.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55This chap in the corner looks really quite disturbed.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57He's talking to the wall.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15And what's the most severe case you've had to deal with?
0:26:27 > 0:26:29I'm so sorry to interrupt you
0:26:29 > 0:26:33but just behind us now, what's this, is this typical? He's writing...
0:26:39 > 0:26:41He doesn't know what he's doing?
0:26:41 > 0:26:44'The problem with psychotic patients is that they
0:26:44 > 0:26:45'believe their behaviour is normal.'
0:26:47 > 0:26:50So, doctor, please may you tell me the age ranges in this unit?
0:26:57 > 0:27:00- Eight?- Eight of age. So sorry.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03That's phenomenal. What does that do to an eight-year-old brain?
0:27:08 > 0:27:10'Taking yaba at such a young age
0:27:10 > 0:27:13'may prevent the brain from ever developing beyond childhood.'
0:27:13 > 0:27:16And do you have any worries for the future?
0:27:37 > 0:27:40I feel like I could be sat in a mental health institution
0:27:40 > 0:27:43but I'm not, I'm sat in a detox hospital and the sole reason
0:27:43 > 0:27:48these boys are on this ward is because they're addicted to yaba.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53British people that are coming here know very, very little about yaba,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57so they're coming here and they're probably likening it to an E
0:27:57 > 0:28:01and potentially putting themselves at risk.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Serious risk.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05'It seems to me that yaba
0:28:05 > 0:28:08'is robbing Thailand of a future generation.'
0:28:22 > 0:28:24Thank you.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Now, whether you agree with drugs or not,
0:28:32 > 0:28:39no-one, in my opinion, deserves to be living in this kind of existence.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44They're here because they tried yaba, they got addicted,
0:28:44 > 0:28:48and you just pray that they come out the other end.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51That lad could be like that for ever.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02In detox, most of the young men were in their teens and 20s.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06The doctor told me children as young as eight are becoming addicted.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12I'm meeting a young boy who first took yaba when he was 12 years old.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Your body's become used to having yaba in its system
0:29:34 > 0:29:38since you were 12, so you've been taking yaba nonstop for five years?
0:29:41 > 0:29:44'He tells me that to support his expensive habit,
0:29:44 > 0:29:48'he had no choice but to start delivering drugs.'
0:29:57 > 0:29:59Was dealing alone enough?
0:29:59 > 0:30:03Did you ever, honestly, have to do anything else to try and get money?
0:30:11 > 0:30:13'No matter how much I tried,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16'the young boy wouldn't make any eye contact.'
0:30:16 > 0:30:19Listen, thanks ever so much for talking to me.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21I really appreciate your time and your honesty.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25Thank you. It was a real pleasure to meet you. Kob khun ka.
0:30:25 > 0:30:26Kob khun ka.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Lovely to meet you, yeah?
0:30:29 > 0:30:30Take care.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33'I can't help but think that
0:30:33 > 0:30:36'yaba has seriously damaged this young boy.'
0:30:39 > 0:30:41He's 17 and you just think,
0:30:41 > 0:30:48"You should be cocky and gobby and lairy and you're like a shadow
0:30:48 > 0:30:50"of so many other 17-year-olds I know
0:30:50 > 0:30:53"because you've been taking yaba for five years."
0:30:53 > 0:30:5712! Imagine taking something that strong at 12
0:30:57 > 0:30:59to the extent of ten or 20 tablets a day.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01That is such a huge amount.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04I can't comprehend such a small body
0:31:04 > 0:31:08being able to physically cope with that amount of yaba.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12This is heartbreaking.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15The idea that someone's sat in these yaba labs thinking,
0:31:15 > 0:31:18"You know what we need to do? We need to churn out as much
0:31:18 > 0:31:20"yaba as we possibly can but also, we need to make sure
0:31:20 > 0:31:23"that it's really attractive to kids.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26"We need to market it to children specifically
0:31:26 > 0:31:29"by making the yaba vanilla or chocolate."
0:31:29 > 0:31:32It's just so wrong on so many levels
0:31:32 > 0:31:34and this is what they have done.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40You know, there's now 12-year-olds clucking
0:31:40 > 0:31:41and addicted to yaba in Thailand
0:31:41 > 0:31:46because the pills are so readily available and they want to try.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49You know, as if kids don't want to try drugs enough,
0:31:49 > 0:31:51they've made it even more appealing to them.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56'Although the vanilla in yaba is attractive,
0:31:56 > 0:31:58'it isn't one of the addictive ingredients.'
0:31:58 > 0:32:01I want to find out more
0:32:01 > 0:32:04about what else is going into these new strains of yaba.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10The doctor at the detox hospital mentioned that
0:32:10 > 0:32:12some of the yaba is now showing traces of having
0:32:12 > 0:32:15things like opium and sedatives added to it.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17So I'm at the narcotics lab right now
0:32:17 > 0:32:19and I'm going to try and find out all I can
0:32:19 > 0:32:21about what's exactly in these yaba pills.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30- Hello, I'm Stacey. - Hello, yes, I'm Sabka.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32Lovely to meet you.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34'Colonel Sabka is a chemist and the officer in charge.'
0:32:50 > 0:32:54To get an arrest, the lab does a straightforward solution test
0:32:54 > 0:32:57to prove yaba contains methamphetamine.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00But they don't look for any of the new additives
0:33:00 > 0:33:03I've heard are now going into these pills, like opium.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09So you guys don't analyse the other ingredients.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Does anyone else in Bangkok or Thailand?
0:33:11 > 0:33:15Because, do they not need to see if there's any side effects
0:33:15 > 0:33:17or dangers from these things,
0:33:17 > 0:33:20not just the methamphetamine and the caffeine mixed together?
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Kob khun ka. Thank you.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31'After speaking to the police officer, I can't see how
0:33:31 > 0:33:36'they can combat drug use without knowing exactly what the drug is.'
0:33:36 > 0:33:38There's no in-depth analysis,
0:33:38 > 0:33:42they're not on top of the new trends that seem to be developing
0:33:42 > 0:33:44and I just think that's a bit of a concern because
0:33:44 > 0:33:48if you're not massively sure about what it is you're dealing with,
0:33:48 > 0:33:51how can you fix a problem that seems to be so huge?
0:33:59 > 0:34:03In a bid to crack down on the growing yaba problem,
0:34:03 > 0:34:07the Narcotics Suppression Bureau has set up a special task force.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12The unit specifically targets Thailand's new "it" crowd
0:34:12 > 0:34:15by planning surprise raids on popular clubs and bars.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19I want to know how effective these raids are
0:34:19 > 0:34:23and tonight, I'm joining them on duty.
0:34:23 > 0:34:24It's five to one in the morning,
0:34:24 > 0:34:27I've just got a phone call from the police saying that they plan
0:34:27 > 0:34:29to raid four or five clubs tonight
0:34:29 > 0:34:32and did I want to come along and see them test for yaba?
0:34:32 > 0:34:37So I jumped out of bed, hopped into the car and I'm en route now.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41I've been told the police raid a club, lock all the doors
0:34:41 > 0:34:44and force everyone inside to give a urine sample.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48Anyone with traces of yaba is immediately arrested.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58But tonight, we don't arrive at a club or shut anything down.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05If the police raid is meant to be a surprise,
0:35:05 > 0:35:07I'm not sure the two local news crews
0:35:07 > 0:35:09that have also been invited are helping.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16I was of the understanding that the police came into a club
0:35:16 > 0:35:18and shut the club down so that
0:35:18 > 0:35:21if anyone in there was taking yaba, they couldn't escape.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24They tested everyone, you know, made everyone give urine samples.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27That's how they explained it to me.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29But actually, it's an open-air drinking area,
0:35:29 > 0:35:31loads of police have just come marching in,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34a couple of cameras have followed them.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37If I was on yaba, I'd have chipped a long time ago.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44'I want to speak to one of the senior officers in charge
0:35:44 > 0:35:45'about their tactics.'
0:35:47 > 0:35:50And, do you think given the space
0:35:50 > 0:35:54that some people who possibly could have been on yaba
0:35:54 > 0:35:57may have ran away the second they saw all the police come in?
0:36:11 > 0:36:15Do you think the patrol that you and your men are doing is effective?
0:36:32 > 0:36:37'From what the police officer said, it seems tonight's raid isn't
0:36:37 > 0:36:40'just about finding people using or selling yaba, it's also
0:36:40 > 0:36:44'about being seen to be protecting Thailand's tourist hot spots.'
0:36:48 > 0:36:53'After a slow start, the police finally begin urine testing.'
0:36:54 > 0:36:56So they've pulled over seven lads behind me now.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00They'll make them give a urine sample and test for all drugs.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03I mean, obviously the most common drug here is yaba,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06so it'll be interesting to see if any of these
0:37:06 > 0:37:08have taken it tonight.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11'Although it appears these guys have been picked at random,
0:37:11 > 0:37:13'if any of them test positive for yaba,
0:37:13 > 0:37:15'they could face up to 45 days behind bars.'
0:37:15 > 0:37:18I mean, I'm totally not an expert and I completely accept that,
0:37:18 > 0:37:21but they seem to have pulled over loads of lads that seem
0:37:21 > 0:37:24completely coherent and then there's other guys floating around
0:37:24 > 0:37:27that seem a bit spaced out, or like they're on drugs -
0:37:27 > 0:37:29like this chap to my left -
0:37:29 > 0:37:32and they don't seem to be testing him, so I don't...
0:37:35 > 0:37:38You are drunk or you're on drugs?
0:37:39 > 0:37:41Cocktails?
0:37:41 > 0:37:42- Yes.- Yaba? Yaba?
0:37:42 > 0:37:44No yaba?
0:37:52 > 0:37:55- This guy, positive or negative? Negative?- Negative.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59Negative? OK.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Are you negative?
0:38:01 > 0:38:02Negative, negative.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08- Goodbye.- Bye. Nice to meet you.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10- Good luck.- Thank you.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16See, he seems really switched on and totally with us.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21'Tonight, all the drug tests turn out to be negative.'
0:38:23 > 0:38:28I've personally seen them test seven people.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30All the tests have come back negative.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32I'm not sure whether they're taking a break
0:38:32 > 0:38:34or that's them done for the night.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41In just over an hour, the extensive police presence has managed
0:38:41 > 0:38:44to clear the area - everyone's gone home
0:38:44 > 0:38:46and all the bars are forced to close for the night.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50And despite the fact there's not even a whiff of yaba,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53the police raid is over.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56The behaviour that the police are displaying tonight
0:38:56 > 0:38:58isn't unique to Thailand, you know.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00This kind of carry-on happens all over the world.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03But what is unique to Thailand is this yaba epidemic
0:39:03 > 0:39:07that needs to be taken seriously and it needs to be sorted.
0:39:07 > 0:39:12And my personal opinion is that this...strategy...
0:39:14 > 0:39:16..is so ineffective.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Not only is the use and sale of yaba a huge problem in Thailand,
0:39:24 > 0:39:28yaba-related violence, theft, sexual assault,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31including gang rape, is also on the increase.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36Offenders end up in prison or rehab.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42In just over a year, the number of people being sent to rehab
0:39:42 > 0:39:44has more than trebled...
0:39:44 > 0:39:48from under 200,000 to over half a million.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52To help with the crisis,
0:39:52 > 0:39:54the Government have called in the Armed Forces
0:39:54 > 0:39:58to run military-style boot camps to try and rehabilitate offenders.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03Today I'm going to spend some time at a compulsory rehab centre.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06This unit in particular looks after young boys
0:40:06 > 0:40:08of the age of between 12 and 18 years old,
0:40:08 > 0:40:11all been arrested in connection with yaba
0:40:11 > 0:40:13and it's run by the Royal Thai Air Force.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16'I'm introduced to the current batch of inmates
0:40:16 > 0:40:18'by Wing Commander Setyut.'
0:40:28 > 0:40:30Sawatdee kaa.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32ALL: Sawatdee khrab.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37'It's unlike any other young offenders institution
0:40:37 > 0:40:39'I've ever seen back home,
0:40:39 > 0:40:43'with nearly 40 boys all sat in silence, meditating.'
0:40:43 > 0:40:46The boys, once they're here, they're taught to meditate,
0:40:46 > 0:40:50so, you know... really have a look at themselves
0:40:50 > 0:40:52and contemplate what it is they've done
0:40:52 > 0:40:54and how they've found themselves here,
0:40:54 > 0:40:59so there seems to be a real sense of...stillness.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01I don't know if calmness is necessarily the right word,
0:41:01 > 0:41:04but they seem very...thoughtful
0:41:04 > 0:41:06and it's quite quiet.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11The boys, it's very strange, cos they all look quite young to me
0:41:11 > 0:41:14and they look like butter wouldn't melt.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Now you've got to bear in mind they were all arrested
0:41:16 > 0:41:19and found themselves in a... bad, bad situation
0:41:19 > 0:41:22and are now in rehab trying to change it.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25- So now it's time for lunch?- Yes.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40THEY SPEAK THAI IN UNISON
0:41:47 > 0:41:49Basically, the teacher's telling the boys, you know,
0:41:49 > 0:41:51you've got to remember to stay good men.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54In order to be accepted by society you've got to behave a certain way,
0:41:54 > 0:41:58you've got to respect every single meal that you have
0:41:58 > 0:42:00and with that, you've got to eat everything off your plate.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14The boys are under lock and key for almost 22 hours a day.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18They're allowed out for two and a half hours
0:42:18 > 0:42:21but have to take part in compulsory exercise.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30They spend four months here
0:42:30 > 0:42:34and are not allowed to see their families unless they behave.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39I meet the youngest boy currently in rehab.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41James is 14 years old
0:42:41 > 0:42:45and, prior to being arrested, was thriving from a life of crime.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51I want to know how he ended up here.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02Who did you get the yaba from?
0:43:14 > 0:43:17'James was recruited as a drug courier,
0:43:17 > 0:43:19'making up to ten drops a week.'
0:43:22 > 0:43:25'He was earning three times as much as the average Thai worker.'
0:43:27 > 0:43:30And how much yaba? Lots of yaba or just a few pills?
0:43:38 > 0:43:40But show me how big the package was.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43This big? This big? This big?
0:43:43 > 0:43:45I suspect that's a lot of yaba.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47You can imagine how many little pills
0:43:47 > 0:43:49would have been in that big pack.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51And where were Mum and Dad?
0:44:07 > 0:44:09And what do you reckon you'd be doing now, James,
0:44:09 > 0:44:11if you weren't sat in rehab?
0:44:34 > 0:44:36You're not going to use drugs any more?
0:44:36 > 0:44:38You've come to this realisation at such a young age.
0:44:38 > 0:44:44You're only 14. You've done so much and learnt loads, no?
0:44:46 > 0:44:49Kob khun ka. Thank you so much. Thank you, James.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51See you soon, yeah?
0:44:52 > 0:44:53Bye.
0:44:55 > 0:45:00Course I'd be made up if he got out and he was able to turn a new leaf.
0:45:00 > 0:45:05No-one would be happier than me. But I've just...
0:45:08 > 0:45:10..heard how readily available yaba is.
0:45:10 > 0:45:14I mean, it's literally everywhere, I'm not exaggerating when I say...
0:45:16 > 0:45:17..you can get it anywhere you go.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22So I just worry I guess that...
0:45:26 > 0:45:29..at 14...
0:45:29 > 0:45:33you're not going to be able to stay as strong-willed as he believes...
0:45:34 > 0:45:37..he will now... But I would love to eat me words.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39I'd love, I'd love, love, love, love, love
0:45:39 > 0:45:42to come to Thailand next year and hear that he's still not touched it.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50The young boys are monitored for a year after leaving rehab.
0:45:50 > 0:45:54According to the centre's statistics, up to 40% will reoffend
0:45:54 > 0:45:57and return to using and selling yaba.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10'I want to know how big a threat yaba is to British tourists.
0:46:13 > 0:46:14'I tracked down a bartender
0:46:14 > 0:46:18'who also deals yaba in a popular tourist area.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21'We arranged to meet in one of Bangkok's side alleys
0:46:21 > 0:46:23'where tuk-tuk drivers stop for their lunch.'
0:46:25 > 0:46:27I'm always pushing my luck. This is the thing.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31I'm going to end up banged up in one of these countries,
0:46:31 > 0:46:33one of these times.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36But I'm not buying the yaba, am I? I'm just asking about it.
0:46:36 > 0:46:40I'm not going to...purchase the gear, just talk the gear.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44Where is he?
0:46:44 > 0:46:48I spend my life waiting for... numerous men all around the world.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51Always waiting. Wait, wait, wait.
0:46:53 > 0:46:58'When the dealer turns up, he agrees to speak to me anonymously.'
0:46:58 > 0:47:00I'm Stacey, nice to meet you.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03Thanks ever so much for agreeing to have a chat with me.
0:47:03 > 0:47:04I really appreciate it.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07Tell me first of all who you sell the yaba to.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12So you sell to foreigners, to tourists, right?
0:47:12 > 0:47:15And are they British tourists?
0:47:16 > 0:47:22Give me a classic example of a normal transaction
0:47:22 > 0:47:24between you and a British tourist.
0:47:43 > 0:47:44Describe to me a typical customer.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53'He tells me that he earns just over £10 a night
0:47:53 > 0:47:59'working behind the bar but can make over £150 a night selling yaba.'
0:48:00 > 0:48:04And lots of people I spoke to who've taken yaba talk of feeling
0:48:04 > 0:48:07really angry and really violent.
0:48:07 > 0:48:11Do you warn the tourists that this yaba might make you feel like that?
0:48:11 > 0:48:14Or do you just sell, no questions and no conversation?
0:48:20 > 0:48:23Do you just see the tourists as money-making machines for you?
0:48:30 > 0:48:32Thank you very much for your time.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36- I appreciate you coming to speak to me. Kob khun ka.- Kob khun ka.
0:48:39 > 0:48:41So it's out there, it's quite open.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44It's not down some dark alley, and all cloak and dagger business.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47It's sort of just done across the bar, in a busy bar.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51I'm certain that down Khaosan Road, British tourists will be taking yaba tonight.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53It happens all the time, it's growing.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57The Brits are getting more and more in the loop about it the more they come here.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00And it's just a scary thought, isn't it?
0:49:01 > 0:49:04'With more and more tourists taking yaba out here,
0:49:04 > 0:49:07'it's no surprise to me when I hear there are now
0:49:07 > 0:49:09'British dealers operating in Thailand,
0:49:09 > 0:49:11'selling the drug to fellow Brits.'
0:49:15 > 0:49:18Some of them have been caught and banged up
0:49:18 > 0:49:20in the notorious Bang Kwang Central Prison,
0:49:20 > 0:49:24also known as the Bangkok Hilton.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27I've arranged to speak to some of the prisoners today.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30I'm hoping the Brits on the inside will be able to tell me
0:49:30 > 0:49:34how far yaba has penetrated the British tourist market.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40But when I get there, I run into problems.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46Despite telling them I have written permission,
0:49:46 > 0:49:50the Thai authorities won't let me speak to the British prisoners.
0:49:50 > 0:49:51Have not...er...photo.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53- Yeah.- You understand?
0:49:53 > 0:49:55I understand.
0:49:55 > 0:49:56We're not allowed to film here.
0:49:56 > 0:50:00They're completely adamant that I'm not getting in. It's just a point-blank "no" now.
0:50:00 > 0:50:04I wanted to speak to the British people and try and understand
0:50:04 > 0:50:06why they were dealing yaba and how they got caught.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09None of that's materialised. I've been fobbed off massively.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11I've been told loads of reasons why I can't come in,
0:50:11 > 0:50:14despite having confirmation here on this bit of paper.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16It's just completely ridiculous.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18You know, I've even been told,
0:50:18 > 0:50:20I've been warned by more than one person,
0:50:20 > 0:50:23that I run the risk of never being allowed to film in Thailand
0:50:23 > 0:50:27ever again because I'm stood outside here telling you this despite...
0:50:27 > 0:50:30And it's all true. It's mad.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47'It's my last day in Thailand and I receive some good news.'
0:50:49 > 0:50:51I've just been told that there's a possibility
0:50:51 > 0:50:53I might be able to get into the prison this morning.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56But, hear this, I'm meant to fly to the UK today.
0:50:56 > 0:50:58So I've thrown everything in a suitcase, jumped in the car.
0:50:58 > 0:51:01I've been told I've got to take all my jewellery off or else
0:51:01 > 0:51:04they won't let me in, so I don't want to give them any excuses.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06It's all coming off.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08And everything crossed...
0:51:08 > 0:51:10I might get into that prison today.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12Have to wait and see, eh?
0:51:19 > 0:51:23But the address I'm sent to is nowhere near Bang Kwang Prison.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29'I've been brought here to a remand prison.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32'My understanding of remand prison is that you've been arrested but not yet sentenced.
0:51:32 > 0:51:36'That's what it's like at home. I know plenty who've been in remand, it's not regular prison.'
0:51:36 > 0:51:39I've just asked if I'm going to speak to somebody
0:51:39 > 0:51:42who's been sentenced and they said, "Yeah, there's a British guy
0:51:42 > 0:51:44"who's absolutely been sentenced for dealing yaba."
0:51:46 > 0:51:47So I'm just going to wait and see.
0:51:56 > 0:52:00So the guy is going to come here and I can talk to him through this?
0:52:00 > 0:52:01< Yes.
0:52:12 > 0:52:14- OK, this person.- Hello.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17Hello, sir. Can I ask, are you British?
0:52:17 > 0:52:20- Pardon? - Is he from Britain or Thailand?
0:52:20 > 0:52:21Thailand.
0:52:21 > 0:52:25Is there anyone... No, no. Excuse me.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27Excuse me. No, that's fine.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30We can calm down. No-one needs... I understand.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33If you would prefer to not show your face, that's no problem,
0:52:33 > 0:52:36- but, equally, we can't have people pushing the camera.- Yeah.
0:52:36 > 0:52:40I was of the understanding that I would be able to speak to
0:52:40 > 0:52:43a British person. Are there any British people...
0:52:43 > 0:52:46- There is no British. - Thank you. That's very kind.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49- That's all I needed to hear. Thank you for all your help.- It's OK.
0:52:49 > 0:52:50Thank you, sir. That's fine.
0:52:50 > 0:52:55'Yet again, I'm not allowed to speak to the Brits who could tell me
0:52:55 > 0:52:57'about yaba and tourists.'
0:53:01 > 0:53:04Outside, the guard wants to give me some helpful advice.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14- I completely agree.- OK.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16And, you know, the plan was to go to that prison that you've just
0:53:16 > 0:53:18mentioned, but, for some reason,
0:53:18 > 0:53:21- they won't let me in, even though they said that I could.- I see.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23- You're right.- Sorry about that.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25No, it's not your fault. No hard feelings. Nice to meet you.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28- Nice to meet you.- Take care, yeah?
0:53:28 > 0:53:31I'm not suggesting for one second that Thailand is the only country
0:53:31 > 0:53:33in the entire world with a drug problem.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36We've got problems at home in England, all over the world.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39The war on drugs is never-ending.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42But what is unique to Thailand is yaba,
0:53:42 > 0:53:44and that's what I came here to have a nose at
0:53:44 > 0:53:46and try and understand and learn more about,
0:53:46 > 0:53:51and they're just so afraid of showing the truth about yaba
0:53:51 > 0:53:56in case it affects their tourism or it portrays Thailand in a bad light.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00I do get that, I do get that, but you can't not tell things
0:54:00 > 0:54:04because...they're bad.
0:54:12 > 0:54:17'As I leave a country in the grips of war against this devastating drug
0:54:17 > 0:54:21'called yaba, I can't help but feel the effects of Thailand's
0:54:21 > 0:54:26'crazy drug epidemic is worse than I thought and far from over.'