Thailand's Drug Craze Stacey Dooley Investigates


Thailand's Drug Craze

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Necesito cobertura, primer puente.

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'All over the world,

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'hundreds of thousands of people are fighting a hidden war...'

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Por donde estan?

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So what's happening up there? What's going on?

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'..the outcome of which affects us all.

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'It's the war against drugs.

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'In this series, I'll travel to the front line

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'of this conflict.

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'I've travelled to Peru, a country that's now replaced Colombia

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'as the world's number-one coca producer.'

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So this is it, one step closer to being the cocaine we know at home.

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Oh, my gosh!

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'But tonight, I'm in Thailand, investigating a drug called yaba.'

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This is a home-made bong.

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This is what a lot of kids in Thailand are using

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to smoke the yaba.

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'A menacing mix of methamphetamine and caffeine.'

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-This is the yaba?

-Yes.

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So you've seized 120,000 yaba tablets today?

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'It's creating a new epidemic.

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'It's gripping a country

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'and is ravaging a generation.'

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There's now 12-year-olds clucking and addicted to yaba in Thailand.

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'I join the police in their desperate fight against this drug.'

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The police officer's just said,

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"Jump in the car, we're going to go to arrest somebody,"

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and then, I heard somebody say, "He's crazy, he's got a gun."

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'I investigate the truth behind Thailand's drug craze.'

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I run the risk of never being allowed

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to film in Thailand ever, ever, ever again,

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because I'm outside this prison telling you this now.

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Thailand is one of the most popular holiday destinations

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for young Brits.

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A million of us travel here every year.

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We know it for its temples,

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sandy beaches...

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..and full-moon parties.

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But now, there's a new and disturbing phenomenon

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sweeping across the country.

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Causing crime and violence is a drug called yaba,

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which, in Thai, means "crazy medicine".

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'I've got hold of this news footage

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'showing a yaba addict threatening to harm his own child.

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'And another yaba addict attacking police with a meat cleaver.'

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And he's just acting completely insane,

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like he's violent, he looks crazed.

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So the idea that it has this kind of effect

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on a lot of people in Thailand is...

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..is quite something.

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'I'm on my way to Thailand

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'to find the story behind this shocking footage.

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'My investigation begins

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'where most tourists coming to Thailand start their holiday.'

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Here I am in Bangkok,

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one of the most exciting places in the whole world.

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I don't know anyone who's done a stint in South East Asia

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and hasn't stopped off in Thailand

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and done at least a couple of nights in Bangkok.

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'On this street,

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'some of the local ticket touts can also get you yaba.

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'It can be bought for as little as £1.50,

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'which is vastly cheaper than other drugs like cocaine or ecstasy.'

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This drug seems to have taken Thailand by storm.

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So the idea that you can walk 30 seconds, a minute down the road

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and collect yaba isn't a massive shock.

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Scary, but it isn't a surprise.

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In less than five years,

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yaba has completely overtaken all other drug use in Thailand.

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I want to see where this drug is coming from

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and what the police are doing to fight this surge of yaba.

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Sawat dii kha!

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In here? Thank you.

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'So I travel 600 miles to the Thai-Burmese border.

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'The newest frontier on Thailand's war on drugs.'

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And the front line is the Golden Triangle.

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The Golden Triangle is a popular tourist resort

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where two rivers join and three countries meet.

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So you've got Laos, Burma and here, Thailand.

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Now, the Thai police know that there are hundreds of yaba labs

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across the Burmese border.

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The yaba is being produced by ethnic militias and rebel armies,

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which makes it very, very difficult to stop the flow,

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the amount of yaba coming into Thailand.

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The traffickers are often heavily armed

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and they'll come in on foot or sometimes they'll use this river.

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The yaba is smuggled in vessels posing as fishing boats,

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merchant ships and even ferries carrying tourists.

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In many of the neighbouring towns

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scattered along Thailand's thousand-mile border with Burma,

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you can be sure that yaba is changing hands.

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Right now, I'm en route to the border town of Chiang Mai.

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This place is notorious for trading yaba.

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The border patrol police actually have one of their largest bases here

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and the police have a whole museum that's completely dedicated to drugs.

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So they've invited me over, I'm hoping to have a nose around

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and try to understand and learn even more about yaba.

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-Hello! Sawat dii kha. How are you?

-Merin.

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-Merin? I'm Stacey. Lovely to meet you.

-Yes, OK.

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Lieutenant Colonel Merin is a narcotics expert

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and introduces me to the crazy drug.

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-And this is yaba?

-Yes.

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So this is real yaba?

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'Yaba is a mixture of methamphetamine,

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'also known as crystal meth or ice, and caffeine.'

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HE SPEAKS THAI

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'Meth gives an instant euphoric rush of adrenaline,

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'and the caffeine prolongs it -

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'heavy users can stay awake for days.'

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-Can you talk me through this?

-Yes, certainly.

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What exactly does this do?

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How many yaba pills do you think are being produced in Burma?

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300 million?

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That's astonishing.

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That's a lot of yaba.

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Once smugglers get the yaba across the border,

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their next challenge is heading south by road.

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I've joined the police at one of their numerous checkpoints,

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strategically positioned on all major roads

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coming down from the northern provinces.

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I've asked if I can just follow them

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when they search some of the larger vehicles.

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There's a bus over there that they want to have a nose at,

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and they've said, "Yes,"

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but I'm not allowed to go in unless I've got this vest on,

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just because the yaba smugglers can be quite dangerous.

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'Today, the police have received a tip-off

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'about a huge amount of yaba being smuggled.'

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They're searching the people, they're searching their bags,

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they're searching their luggage,

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everything that they own is being really vigorously looked through.

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To me, it seems quite intrusive,

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but the police obviously think it's necessary.

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The police believe that many traffickers also take yaba,

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so anyone they think looks suspicious has their urine tested.

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The police officers have felt it's necessary

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to pull two men out of the bus,

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bring them here and ask them to give them a urine sample.

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'The police are now testing people's urine for yaba all over Thailand

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'and the young men comply without any objections.'

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-It's negative.

-Yeah.

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So this man was completely innocent, he's been pulled off the bus,

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forced to give a urine sample and now he's free to go?

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'Both guys tested negative.

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'The bus search also proves fruitless.'

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It's all suddenly got very panicked very quickly.

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-I don't know what's going on. The guy in charge...

-Get in the back. Get in the back!

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I'm not really sure what's going on right now.

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The guy in charge just jumped into this van.

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He told me to jump into this van.

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Thank you.

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So I think the reason we've rushed up here

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is because one of the police, or a few of the police guys,

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saw this car panic when they saw the checkpoint, so they stopped short.

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They didn't want to come through the checkpoint,

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that's obviously sent alarm bells ringing.

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'The lieutenant in charge tells me

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'when traffickers stop short of a checkpoint,

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'they're known to throw out the yaba.

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'With no proof of possession, the police can't make an arrest.'

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If you were going to describe a stereotypical trafficker,

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you probably wouldn't describe these girls.

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You know, this girl's really young.

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There's a lady with her pet dog here.

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There's an older lady in the back. They've all got ID.

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They've all showed their ID.

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'In response to the increased police checkpoints,

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'smugglers are recruiting unlikely-looking traffickers

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'such as women and children.'

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Everyone is a suspect.

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You have to try and stop everyone

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because anyone that comes past may possibly be trying to smuggle yaba?

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That's interesting - locals and tourists are smuggling yaba?

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'After a thorough search,

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'the police are confident that this vehicle is not carrying yaba.'

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Why did they say they stopped so suddenly

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if they didn't have any yaba?

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'Despite finding nothing so far,

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'I'm told the police make regular seizures of yaba,

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'so I'm determined to keep looking.'

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We've just been given a call

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that they've found a massive amount of yaba at another checkpoint.

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So we need to try and get there as fast as we can,

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cos I'm desperate to see this, this...big delivery.

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We're here. This is the checkpoint.

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Here's the police to my right.

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There's a big bag on the table. I wonder whether that's the yaba.

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It all looks very busy and very happening.

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Sawat dii kha. This way?

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'It seems like my luck may have changed

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'with this haul of yaba a smuggler was trying to send by post.'

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This is an astonishing amount.

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Who was the smuggler? How was he carrying it? How did you find this?

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And you have only been able to catch one? You've only managed

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to get one smuggler and put him in prison?

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And how much yaba is here?

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So you've seized 120,000 yaba tablets today?

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And I wonder if you could tell me how much all of this yaba is worth?

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So 24 million baht, this yaba is worth,

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and in English sterling, that's about half a million pounds.

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That's so much, this is a really, really big find.

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You've got to be happy.

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'The police point out the newest trends in the yaba they're seizing.'

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Smells like sweets. Vanilla?

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-Vanilla.

-Chocolate.

-Vanilla.

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Yeah. Why, why does it smell like that?

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So it's used for marketing purposes,

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to sell it to teenagers?

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'The candy-scented pills have opened up a whole new market -

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'Thailand's youth.'

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Do you have any idea where this yaba was meant to go?

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So on its way to a tourist destination?

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Yes.

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So do you think this yaba could end up in tourists' hands,

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British hands?

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'Last year, the Thai police seized over 84 million yaba pills,

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'almost double the previous year,

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'but they estimate that's only 10%

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'of the yaba being trafficked into Thailand.'

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Yesterday, they found 20,000, today, 120,000,

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six days ago, 40,000.

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So that just gives you an idea of the sheer amount of yaba

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that's floating around here, it's literally everywhere.

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The arrested smuggler is currently in custody

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at the local police station.

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I wanted to interview him,

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but because of the ongoing investigation, I'm not allowed.

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So, as it stands now, the alleged smuggler is behind bars,

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he's under full investigation.

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The police were saying he's due in court tomorrow.

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They also said that because of the size of the seizure,

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you know, half a million pounds' sterling worth of yaba,

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it's not unrealistic to think that he could face life imprisonment or execution.

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They also said that this might be the tip of the iceberg,

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so there might be bigger players involved, more yaba involved

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and a lot more money involved.

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'It's an all-too-familiar story in this part of Thailand.

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'It's estimated that over 90% of the communities in this area and neighbouring provinces

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'are involved in the use or sale of yaba.'

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I mean, these surroundings are just utterly, utterly beautiful,

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you couldn't make it up.

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Elephants roaming free.

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All over this side, to my left,

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there's kids splashing about in the water,

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there's livestock roaming about everywhere.

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It's the most peaceful place, probably, I've ever been,

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but this very same area is actually notorious for trafficking yaba.

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So it's a crazy thought, no?

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To see, visually, it's the most stunning place,

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but actually, there's a darker undertone here and it's growing.

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'I'm travelling to a village 30 kilometres from the border.

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'The area is one of the main routes into Thailand from Burma.'

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Remote and isolated villages like this one

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are the perfect breeding ground for drug traffickers.

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You know, if you've got little or no education,

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there's no opportunities, it is easy for me to understand

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how some villagers may see smuggling yaba as their only option.

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To tackle the problem, there's a new venture

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between the Ministry of Education and the Narcotics Control Board.

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Police officers are now being trained

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to teach drug awareness in schools to children as young as five.

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How are you? I'm Stacey. Nice to meet you.

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This is the school? I can come?

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Thank you.

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'Back home, kids this age are taught not to talk to strangers.

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'But here, at this primary school,

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'the children are taught to say no to yaba.'

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-Yaba.

-English?

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-Yaba.

-Yaba?

-Yeah.

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Yaba.

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'These five-year-old kids are told what yaba looks like

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'and what will happen to them if they take it.'

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Come and show me what yaba does.

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-STACEY GASPS

-Oh!

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I think it's nice the way the school

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are just incredibly open and really candid about yaba.

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Tiny little diddy kids, drawing pictures of the yaba pill

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and pretending to eat a bit and they start punching themselves

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and flinging themselves around the classroom.

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So it's obvious that they know,

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they're very aware of the effects that yaba can have.

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You know, they're all laughing and they find it funny,

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but, essentially, the important message is there.

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I know it's very difficult to imagine now,

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cos they're all diddy little tiny things, running round eating ice cream,

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but essentially, these kids could grow up to smuggle yaba,

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to take yaba, to become addicts, to traffic it,

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and, you know, the reality is that means they could be shot at,

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they could face life in prison, they could be executed.

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You know, Thailand still executes drug dealers.

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It's a serious, real problem that needs tackling.

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Some officials estimate that nearly half of Thailand's youth have tried yaba.

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Even more worryingly,

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the new generation of drug users is becoming increasingly violent.

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'It's late evening and I'm back out on patrol with the police.'

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It's all been a bit of a mad scramble, to be honest,

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I don't know enough about what's actually going on.

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The police officers just said,

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"Jump in the car, we're going to go to arrest somebody,"

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and then, I heard someone say, "He's crazy, he's got a gun."

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'We approach what looks like a quiet residential backstreet.'

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I can come? I come?

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I stay?

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'I'm forced to stay back

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'as I watch a team of heavily-armed officers investigate the situation.'

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They've told me categorically to stay in the car,

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there's no way on Earth I'm allowed out.

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He's just flipped his...big gun up.

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'Once it's safe, I join the officers at the scene

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'as the 21-year-old gunman is apprehended.

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'He appears harmless,

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'but only minutes before, he was pointing a gun at his family.'

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What's happened? What's happened?

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'The officers begin to search the house for evidence of drugs.'

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Hello?

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So he's smashed the place up.

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'There is no yaba, but plenty of drug paraphernalia.'

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This is what he will have used to smoke the yaba.

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It's a home-made bong,

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this is a home-made bong.

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They're taking this to the station now for evidence.

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This is what a lot of kids in Thailand are using,

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just cheap, home-made bongs.

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'Before he's taken into custody, I want to speak to him.'

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Have you been smoking yaba?

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Hello. This is his mum.

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So, Mum, what happened?

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Why did you call the police?

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And when you called the police, you mentioned that he had a gun.

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Is this the first time that you've

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seen him pull out a gun and act this crazy?

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The young man will have his urine tested back at the station.

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if any trace of yaba is found,

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he will be sent to compulsory rehab or prison.

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'I think the scariest thing for me

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'is, you know, Mum was saying ordinarily he's a really good lad.

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'Just before I arrived,

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'he was tearing chunks out of the house walls,

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'he literally pulled a firearm and put it towards his grandad's head.'

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Imagine how pushed you'd have to be to pick up the phone

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to your own boy and go,

0:21:360:21:38

"You're going to have to come and get him, he's completely nuts."

0:21:380:21:41

'My time up north has come to an end

0:21:450:21:47

'and I'm now heading back to Bangkok.'

0:21:470:21:49

I want to find out why yaba is so addictive

0:21:550:21:58

and turns seemingly calm people violent.

0:21:580:22:01

'In my hotel room I do some research.'

0:22:030:22:06

It's highly addictive and stimulates the central nervous system.

0:22:070:22:10

The brain elevates your need for the drug to the same level

0:22:100:22:14

as anything else you have to do to carry on living, like breathing.

0:22:140:22:17

So, imagine, you've only taken it a couple of times but then you start thinking,

0:22:190:22:22

"Got to get yaba, got to get yaba."

0:22:220:22:24

That's all you can think.

0:22:240:22:26

If you're using yaba for a long time,

0:22:260:22:28

it can lead to psychotic states, making users potentially violent.

0:22:280:22:32

This bit is the most shocking part.

0:22:320:22:34

It says here, even after as little as two or three uses,

0:22:340:22:40

it affects the way your brain works.

0:22:400:22:45

Which is a really scary thought, no?

0:22:470:22:50

It's a big risk, isn't it, to take

0:22:510:22:53

because you want to try a new party drug.

0:22:530:22:56

The Thai Ministry of Health have reported a dramatic rise

0:23:020:23:06

in the number of 15 to 19-year-olds seeking help for yaba dependency.

0:23:060:23:10

With so many young people using this highly addictive

0:23:120:23:16

and dangerous drug, I want to know what is being done to help them.

0:23:160:23:20

Ah, it's locked?

0:23:210:23:23

-Spot-on. Thank you. I can come in?

-Yes.

0:23:260:23:28

Thank you.

0:23:280:23:30

'Even though most of the patients in this hospital

0:23:300:23:32

'came here voluntarily, it is a secure unit

0:23:320:23:35

'and once in, they can't get out.'

0:23:350:23:37

Thank you.

0:23:370:23:38

Oh, wow.

0:23:430:23:44

'Once I get to the ward and see the state of some of the young men,

0:23:440:23:48

'I realise why.'

0:23:480:23:49

So, am I allowed to come in, is that possible?

0:23:510:23:54

'I meet Dr Narong, who works closely with patients

0:23:540:23:57

'who have the most acute yaba addictions.'

0:23:570:24:01

So, doctor, I wonder if you could explain to me

0:24:010:24:04

the kind of people that are on this particular ward?

0:24:040:24:07

The doctor explains that long-term use of yaba

0:24:190:24:21

changes the structure of the brain and can lead to psychosis.

0:24:210:24:25

As well as recurring hallucinations and delusions,

0:24:250:24:29

symptoms can include severe paranoia,

0:24:290:24:31

violent and disturbed thoughts,

0:24:310:24:33

extreme confusion and even schizophrenia.

0:24:330:24:37

Am I right in thinking that everybody on this ward

0:24:400:24:43

was heavily addicted to yaba,

0:24:430:24:44

so they're now obviously acting very different to

0:24:440:24:47

"normal" people who don't take yaba?

0:24:470:24:51

Yes, yes, yes.

0:24:510:24:52

And you can see that very clearly.

0:24:520:24:54

Everyone here, to put it bluntly, looks almost like zombies.

0:24:540:24:59

Yes, yes.

0:24:590:25:00

'I'm keen to know how long the psychosis is likely to last.'

0:25:000:25:04

So if you come to somewhere like this, you can get better.

0:25:190:25:22

But sometimes the damage is already done and you'll have

0:25:220:25:26

psychotic problems for the rest of your life because you took yaba.

0:25:260:25:30

Yes, yes, yes.

0:25:300:25:31

'According to a United Nations report,

0:25:340:25:37

'half of all heavy yaba users will end up with yaba-induced psychosis

0:25:370:25:41

'with a high risk of violent behaviour.'

0:25:410:25:44

So there's a couple of lads over here that look OK,

0:25:450:25:48

they look like they understand what's going on.

0:25:480:25:51

This chap in the corner looks really quite disturbed.

0:25:510:25:55

He's talking to the wall.

0:25:550:25:57

And what's the most severe case you've had to deal with?

0:26:120:26:15

I'm so sorry to interrupt you

0:26:270:26:29

but just behind us now, what's this, is this typical? He's writing...

0:26:290:26:33

He doesn't know what he's doing?

0:26:390:26:41

'The problem with psychotic patients is that they

0:26:410:26:44

'believe their behaviour is normal.'

0:26:440:26:45

So, doctor, please may you tell me the age ranges in this unit?

0:26:470:26:50

-Eight?

-Eight of age. So sorry.

0:26:570:27:00

That's phenomenal. What does that do to an eight-year-old brain?

0:27:000:27:03

'Taking yaba at such a young age

0:27:080:27:10

'may prevent the brain from ever developing beyond childhood.'

0:27:100:27:13

And do you have any worries for the future?

0:27:130:27:16

I feel like I could be sat in a mental health institution

0:27:370:27:40

but I'm not, I'm sat in a detox hospital and the sole reason

0:27:400:27:43

these boys are on this ward is because they're addicted to yaba.

0:27:430:27:48

British people that are coming here know very, very little about yaba,

0:27:500:27:53

so they're coming here and they're probably likening it to an E

0:27:530:27:57

and potentially putting themselves at risk.

0:27:570:28:01

Serious risk.

0:28:010:28:03

'It seems to me that yaba

0:28:030:28:05

'is robbing Thailand of a future generation.'

0:28:050:28:08

Thank you.

0:28:220:28:24

Now, whether you agree with drugs or not,

0:28:290:28:32

no-one, in my opinion, deserves to be living in this kind of existence.

0:28:320:28:39

They're here because they tried yaba, they got addicted,

0:28:410:28:44

and you just pray that they come out the other end.

0:28:440:28:48

That lad could be like that for ever.

0:28:490:28:51

In detox, most of the young men were in their teens and 20s.

0:28:580:29:02

The doctor told me children as young as eight are becoming addicted.

0:29:020:29:06

I'm meeting a young boy who first took yaba when he was 12 years old.

0:29:080:29:12

Your body's become used to having yaba in its system

0:29:300:29:34

since you were 12, so you've been taking yaba nonstop for five years?

0:29:340:29:38

'He tells me that to support his expensive habit,

0:29:410:29:44

'he had no choice but to start delivering drugs.'

0:29:440:29:48

Was dealing alone enough?

0:29:570:29:59

Did you ever, honestly, have to do anything else to try and get money?

0:29:590:30:03

'No matter how much I tried,

0:30:110:30:13

'the young boy wouldn't make any eye contact.'

0:30:130:30:16

Listen, thanks ever so much for talking to me.

0:30:160:30:19

I really appreciate your time and your honesty.

0:30:190:30:21

Thank you. It was a real pleasure to meet you. Kob khun ka.

0:30:210:30:25

Kob khun ka.

0:30:250:30:26

Lovely to meet you, yeah?

0:30:260:30:29

Take care.

0:30:290:30:30

'I can't help but think that

0:30:310:30:33

'yaba has seriously damaged this young boy.'

0:30:330:30:36

He's 17 and you just think,

0:30:390:30:41

"You should be cocky and gobby and lairy and you're like a shadow

0:30:410:30:48

"of so many other 17-year-olds I know

0:30:480:30:50

"because you've been taking yaba for five years."

0:30:500:30:53

12! Imagine taking something that strong at 12

0:30:530:30:57

to the extent of ten or 20 tablets a day.

0:30:570:30:59

That is such a huge amount.

0:30:590:31:01

I can't comprehend such a small body

0:31:010:31:04

being able to physically cope with that amount of yaba.

0:31:040:31:08

This is heartbreaking.

0:31:100:31:12

The idea that someone's sat in these yaba labs thinking,

0:31:120:31:15

"You know what we need to do? We need to churn out as much

0:31:150:31:18

"yaba as we possibly can but also, we need to make sure

0:31:180:31:20

"that it's really attractive to kids.

0:31:200:31:23

"We need to market it to children specifically

0:31:230:31:26

"by making the yaba vanilla or chocolate."

0:31:260:31:29

It's just so wrong on so many levels

0:31:290:31:32

and this is what they have done.

0:31:320:31:34

You know, there's now 12-year-olds clucking

0:31:360:31:40

and addicted to yaba in Thailand

0:31:400:31:41

because the pills are so readily available and they want to try.

0:31:410:31:46

You know, as if kids don't want to try drugs enough,

0:31:460:31:49

they've made it even more appealing to them.

0:31:490:31:51

'Although the vanilla in yaba is attractive,

0:31:530:31:56

'it isn't one of the addictive ingredients.'

0:31:560:31:58

I want to find out more

0:31:580:32:01

about what else is going into these new strains of yaba.

0:32:010:32:04

The doctor at the detox hospital mentioned that

0:32:070:32:10

some of the yaba is now showing traces of having

0:32:100:32:12

things like opium and sedatives added to it.

0:32:120:32:15

So I'm at the narcotics lab right now

0:32:150:32:17

and I'm going to try and find out all I can

0:32:170:32:19

about what's exactly in these yaba pills.

0:32:190:32:21

-Hello, I'm Stacey.

-Hello, yes, I'm Sabka.

0:32:270:32:30

Lovely to meet you.

0:32:300:32:32

'Colonel Sabka is a chemist and the officer in charge.'

0:32:320:32:34

To get an arrest, the lab does a straightforward solution test

0:32:500:32:54

to prove yaba contains methamphetamine.

0:32:540:32:57

But they don't look for any of the new additives

0:32:570:33:00

I've heard are now going into these pills, like opium.

0:33:000:33:03

So you guys don't analyse the other ingredients.

0:33:050:33:09

Does anyone else in Bangkok or Thailand?

0:33:090:33:11

Because, do they not need to see if there's any side effects

0:33:110:33:15

or dangers from these things,

0:33:150:33:17

not just the methamphetamine and the caffeine mixed together?

0:33:170:33:20

Kob khun ka. Thank you.

0:33:260:33:28

'After speaking to the police officer, I can't see how

0:33:280:33:31

'they can combat drug use without knowing exactly what the drug is.'

0:33:310:33:36

There's no in-depth analysis,

0:33:360:33:38

they're not on top of the new trends that seem to be developing

0:33:380:33:42

and I just think that's a bit of a concern because

0:33:420:33:44

if you're not massively sure about what it is you're dealing with,

0:33:440:33:48

how can you fix a problem that seems to be so huge?

0:33:480:33:51

In a bid to crack down on the growing yaba problem,

0:33:590:34:03

the Narcotics Suppression Bureau has set up a special task force.

0:34:030:34:07

The unit specifically targets Thailand's new "it" crowd

0:34:090:34:12

by planning surprise raids on popular clubs and bars.

0:34:120:34:15

I want to know how effective these raids are

0:34:170:34:19

and tonight, I'm joining them on duty.

0:34:190:34:23

It's five to one in the morning,

0:34:230:34:24

I've just got a phone call from the police saying that they plan

0:34:240:34:27

to raid four or five clubs tonight

0:34:270:34:29

and did I want to come along and see them test for yaba?

0:34:290:34:32

So I jumped out of bed, hopped into the car and I'm en route now.

0:34:320:34:37

I've been told the police raid a club, lock all the doors

0:34:380:34:41

and force everyone inside to give a urine sample.

0:34:410:34:44

Anyone with traces of yaba is immediately arrested.

0:34:440:34:48

But tonight, we don't arrive at a club or shut anything down.

0:34:540:34:58

If the police raid is meant to be a surprise,

0:35:020:35:05

I'm not sure the two local news crews

0:35:050:35:07

that have also been invited are helping.

0:35:070:35:09

I was of the understanding that the police came into a club

0:35:120:35:16

and shut the club down so that

0:35:160:35:18

if anyone in there was taking yaba, they couldn't escape.

0:35:180:35:21

They tested everyone, you know, made everyone give urine samples.

0:35:210:35:24

That's how they explained it to me.

0:35:240:35:27

But actually, it's an open-air drinking area,

0:35:270:35:29

loads of police have just come marching in,

0:35:290:35:31

a couple of cameras have followed them.

0:35:310:35:34

If I was on yaba, I'd have chipped a long time ago.

0:35:340:35:37

'I want to speak to one of the senior officers in charge

0:35:410:35:44

'about their tactics.'

0:35:440:35:45

And, do you think given the space

0:35:470:35:50

that some people who possibly could have been on yaba

0:35:500:35:54

may have ran away the second they saw all the police come in?

0:35:540:35:57

Do you think the patrol that you and your men are doing is effective?

0:36:110:36:15

'From what the police officer said, it seems tonight's raid isn't

0:36:320:36:37

'just about finding people using or selling yaba, it's also

0:36:370:36:40

'about being seen to be protecting Thailand's tourist hot spots.'

0:36:400:36:44

'After a slow start, the police finally begin urine testing.'

0:36:480:36:53

So they've pulled over seven lads behind me now.

0:36:540:36:56

They'll make them give a urine sample and test for all drugs.

0:36:560:37:00

I mean, obviously the most common drug here is yaba,

0:37:000:37:03

so it'll be interesting to see if any of these

0:37:030:37:06

have taken it tonight.

0:37:060:37:08

'Although it appears these guys have been picked at random,

0:37:080:37:11

'if any of them test positive for yaba,

0:37:110:37:13

'they could face up to 45 days behind bars.'

0:37:130:37:15

I mean, I'm totally not an expert and I completely accept that,

0:37:150:37:18

but they seem to have pulled over loads of lads that seem

0:37:180:37:21

completely coherent and then there's other guys floating around

0:37:210:37:24

that seem a bit spaced out, or like they're on drugs -

0:37:240:37:27

like this chap to my left -

0:37:270:37:29

and they don't seem to be testing him, so I don't...

0:37:290:37:32

You are drunk or you're on drugs?

0:37:350:37:38

Cocktails?

0:37:390:37:41

-Yes.

-Yaba? Yaba?

0:37:410:37:42

No yaba?

0:37:420:37:44

-This guy, positive or negative? Negative?

-Negative.

0:37:520:37:55

Negative? OK.

0:37:560:37:59

Are you negative?

0:37:590:38:01

Negative, negative.

0:38:010:38:02

-Goodbye.

-Bye. Nice to meet you.

0:38:060:38:08

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

0:38:080:38:10

See, he seems really switched on and totally with us.

0:38:120:38:16

'Tonight, all the drug tests turn out to be negative.'

0:38:170:38:21

I've personally seen them test seven people.

0:38:230:38:28

All the tests have come back negative.

0:38:280:38:30

I'm not sure whether they're taking a break

0:38:300:38:32

or that's them done for the night.

0:38:320:38:34

In just over an hour, the extensive police presence has managed

0:38:370:38:41

to clear the area - everyone's gone home

0:38:410:38:44

and all the bars are forced to close for the night.

0:38:440:38:46

And despite the fact there's not even a whiff of yaba,

0:38:470:38:50

the police raid is over.

0:38:500:38:53

The behaviour that the police are displaying tonight

0:38:540:38:56

isn't unique to Thailand, you know.

0:38:560:38:58

This kind of carry-on happens all over the world.

0:38:580:39:00

But what is unique to Thailand is this yaba epidemic

0:39:000:39:03

that needs to be taken seriously and it needs to be sorted.

0:39:030:39:07

And my personal opinion is that this...strategy...

0:39:070:39:12

..is so ineffective.

0:39:140:39:16

Not only is the use and sale of yaba a huge problem in Thailand,

0:39:200:39:24

yaba-related violence, theft, sexual assault,

0:39:240:39:28

including gang rape, is also on the increase.

0:39:280:39:31

Offenders end up in prison or rehab.

0:39:330:39:36

In just over a year, the number of people being sent to rehab

0:39:380:39:42

has more than trebled...

0:39:420:39:44

from under 200,000 to over half a million.

0:39:440:39:48

To help with the crisis,

0:39:500:39:52

the Government have called in the Armed Forces

0:39:520:39:54

to run military-style boot camps to try and rehabilitate offenders.

0:39:540:39:58

Today I'm going to spend some time at a compulsory rehab centre.

0:40:000:40:03

This unit in particular looks after young boys

0:40:030:40:06

of the age of between 12 and 18 years old,

0:40:060:40:08

all been arrested in connection with yaba

0:40:080:40:11

and it's run by the Royal Thai Air Force.

0:40:110:40:13

'I'm introduced to the current batch of inmates

0:40:130:40:16

'by Wing Commander Setyut.'

0:40:160:40:18

Sawatdee kaa.

0:40:280:40:30

ALL: Sawatdee khrab.

0:40:300:40:32

'It's unlike any other young offenders institution

0:40:340:40:37

'I've ever seen back home,

0:40:370:40:39

'with nearly 40 boys all sat in silence, meditating.'

0:40:390:40:43

The boys, once they're here, they're taught to meditate,

0:40:430:40:46

so, you know... really have a look at themselves

0:40:460:40:50

and contemplate what it is they've done

0:40:500:40:52

and how they've found themselves here,

0:40:520:40:54

so there seems to be a real sense of...stillness.

0:40:540:40:59

I don't know if calmness is necessarily the right word,

0:40:590:41:01

but they seem very...thoughtful

0:41:010:41:04

and it's quite quiet.

0:41:040:41:06

The boys, it's very strange, cos they all look quite young to me

0:41:080:41:11

and they look like butter wouldn't melt.

0:41:110:41:14

Now you've got to bear in mind they were all arrested

0:41:140:41:16

and found themselves in a... bad, bad situation

0:41:160:41:19

and are now in rehab trying to change it.

0:41:190:41:22

-So now it's time for lunch?

-Yes.

0:41:220:41:25

THEY SPEAK THAI IN UNISON

0:41:380:41:40

Basically, the teacher's telling the boys, you know,

0:41:470:41:49

you've got to remember to stay good men.

0:41:490:41:51

In order to be accepted by society you've got to behave a certain way,

0:41:510:41:54

you've got to respect every single meal that you have

0:41:540:41:58

and with that, you've got to eat everything off your plate.

0:41:580:42:00

The boys are under lock and key for almost 22 hours a day.

0:42:100:42:14

They're allowed out for two and a half hours

0:42:160:42:18

but have to take part in compulsory exercise.

0:42:180:42:21

They spend four months here

0:42:280:42:30

and are not allowed to see their families unless they behave.

0:42:300:42:34

I meet the youngest boy currently in rehab.

0:42:360:42:39

James is 14 years old

0:42:390:42:41

and, prior to being arrested, was thriving from a life of crime.

0:42:410:42:45

I want to know how he ended up here.

0:42:490:42:51

Who did you get the yaba from?

0:43:000:43:02

'James was recruited as a drug courier,

0:43:140:43:17

'making up to ten drops a week.'

0:43:170:43:19

'He was earning three times as much as the average Thai worker.'

0:43:220:43:25

And how much yaba? Lots of yaba or just a few pills?

0:43:270:43:30

But show me how big the package was.

0:43:380:43:40

This big? This big? This big?

0:43:400:43:43

I suspect that's a lot of yaba.

0:43:430:43:45

You can imagine how many little pills

0:43:450:43:47

would have been in that big pack.

0:43:470:43:49

And where were Mum and Dad?

0:43:490:43:51

And what do you reckon you'd be doing now, James,

0:44:070:44:09

if you weren't sat in rehab?

0:44:090:44:11

You're not going to use drugs any more?

0:44:340:44:36

You've come to this realisation at such a young age.

0:44:360:44:38

You're only 14. You've done so much and learnt loads, no?

0:44:380:44:44

Kob khun ka. Thank you so much. Thank you, James.

0:44:460:44:49

See you soon, yeah?

0:44:490:44:51

Bye.

0:44:520:44:53

Course I'd be made up if he got out and he was able to turn a new leaf.

0:44:550:45:00

No-one would be happier than me. But I've just...

0:45:000:45:05

..heard how readily available yaba is.

0:45:080:45:10

I mean, it's literally everywhere, I'm not exaggerating when I say...

0:45:100:45:14

..you can get it anywhere you go.

0:45:160:45:17

So I just worry I guess that...

0:45:200:45:22

..at 14...

0:45:260:45:29

you're not going to be able to stay as strong-willed as he believes...

0:45:290:45:33

..he will now... But I would love to eat me words.

0:45:340:45:37

I'd love, I'd love, love, love, love, love

0:45:370:45:39

to come to Thailand next year and hear that he's still not touched it.

0:45:390:45:42

The young boys are monitored for a year after leaving rehab.

0:45:470:45:50

According to the centre's statistics, up to 40% will reoffend

0:45:500:45:54

and return to using and selling yaba.

0:45:540:45:57

'I want to know how big a threat yaba is to British tourists.

0:46:060:46:10

'I tracked down a bartender

0:46:130:46:14

'who also deals yaba in a popular tourist area.

0:46:140:46:18

'We arranged to meet in one of Bangkok's side alleys

0:46:180:46:21

'where tuk-tuk drivers stop for their lunch.'

0:46:210:46:23

I'm always pushing my luck. This is the thing.

0:46:250:46:27

I'm going to end up banged up in one of these countries,

0:46:270:46:31

one of these times.

0:46:310:46:33

But I'm not buying the yaba, am I? I'm just asking about it.

0:46:330:46:36

I'm not going to...purchase the gear, just talk the gear.

0:46:360:46:40

Where is he?

0:46:420:46:44

I spend my life waiting for... numerous men all around the world.

0:46:440:46:48

Always waiting. Wait, wait, wait.

0:46:480:46:51

'When the dealer turns up, he agrees to speak to me anonymously.'

0:46:530:46:58

I'm Stacey, nice to meet you.

0:46:580:47:00

Thanks ever so much for agreeing to have a chat with me.

0:47:000:47:03

I really appreciate it.

0:47:030:47:04

Tell me first of all who you sell the yaba to.

0:47:040:47:07

So you sell to foreigners, to tourists, right?

0:47:100:47:12

And are they British tourists?

0:47:120:47:15

Give me a classic example of a normal transaction

0:47:160:47:22

between you and a British tourist.

0:47:220:47:24

Describe to me a typical customer.

0:47:430:47:44

'He tells me that he earns just over £10 a night

0:47:500:47:53

'working behind the bar but can make over £150 a night selling yaba.'

0:47:530:47:59

And lots of people I spoke to who've taken yaba talk of feeling

0:48:000:48:04

really angry and really violent.

0:48:040:48:07

Do you warn the tourists that this yaba might make you feel like that?

0:48:070:48:11

Or do you just sell, no questions and no conversation?

0:48:110:48:14

Do you just see the tourists as money-making machines for you?

0:48:200:48:23

Thank you very much for your time.

0:48:300:48:32

-I appreciate you coming to speak to me. Kob khun ka.

-Kob khun ka.

0:48:320:48:36

So it's out there, it's quite open.

0:48:390:48:41

It's not down some dark alley, and all cloak and dagger business.

0:48:410:48:44

It's sort of just done across the bar, in a busy bar.

0:48:440:48:47

I'm certain that down Khaosan Road, British tourists will be taking yaba tonight.

0:48:470:48:51

It happens all the time, it's growing.

0:48:510:48:53

The Brits are getting more and more in the loop about it the more they come here.

0:48:530:48:57

And it's just a scary thought, isn't it?

0:48:580:49:00

'With more and more tourists taking yaba out here,

0:49:010:49:04

'it's no surprise to me when I hear there are now

0:49:040:49:07

'British dealers operating in Thailand,

0:49:070:49:09

'selling the drug to fellow Brits.'

0:49:090:49:11

Some of them have been caught and banged up

0:49:150:49:18

in the notorious Bang Kwang Central Prison,

0:49:180:49:20

also known as the Bangkok Hilton.

0:49:200:49:24

I've arranged to speak to some of the prisoners today.

0:49:240:49:27

I'm hoping the Brits on the inside will be able to tell me

0:49:270:49:30

how far yaba has penetrated the British tourist market.

0:49:300:49:34

But when I get there, I run into problems.

0:49:360:49:40

Despite telling them I have written permission,

0:49:430:49:46

the Thai authorities won't let me speak to the British prisoners.

0:49:460:49:50

Have not...er...photo.

0:49:500:49:51

-Yeah.

-You understand?

0:49:510:49:53

I understand.

0:49:530:49:55

We're not allowed to film here.

0:49:550:49:56

They're completely adamant that I'm not getting in. It's just a point-blank "no" now.

0:49:560:50:00

I wanted to speak to the British people and try and understand

0:50:000:50:04

why they were dealing yaba and how they got caught.

0:50:040:50:06

None of that's materialised. I've been fobbed off massively.

0:50:060:50:09

I've been told loads of reasons why I can't come in,

0:50:090:50:11

despite having confirmation here on this bit of paper.

0:50:110:50:14

It's just completely ridiculous.

0:50:140:50:16

You know, I've even been told,

0:50:160:50:18

I've been warned by more than one person,

0:50:180:50:20

that I run the risk of never being allowed to film in Thailand

0:50:200:50:23

ever again because I'm stood outside here telling you this despite...

0:50:230:50:27

And it's all true. It's mad.

0:50:270:50:30

'It's my last day in Thailand and I receive some good news.'

0:50:440:50:47

I've just been told that there's a possibility

0:50:490:50:51

I might be able to get into the prison this morning.

0:50:510:50:53

But, hear this, I'm meant to fly to the UK today.

0:50:530:50:56

So I've thrown everything in a suitcase, jumped in the car.

0:50:560:50:58

I've been told I've got to take all my jewellery off or else

0:50:580:51:01

they won't let me in, so I don't want to give them any excuses.

0:51:010:51:04

It's all coming off.

0:51:040:51:06

And everything crossed...

0:51:060:51:08

I might get into that prison today.

0:51:080:51:10

Have to wait and see, eh?

0:51:100:51:12

But the address I'm sent to is nowhere near Bang Kwang Prison.

0:51:190:51:23

'I've been brought here to a remand prison.

0:51:270:51:29

'My understanding of remand prison is that you've been arrested but not yet sentenced.

0:51:290:51:32

'That's what it's like at home. I know plenty who've been in remand, it's not regular prison.'

0:51:320:51:36

I've just asked if I'm going to speak to somebody

0:51:360:51:39

who's been sentenced and they said, "Yeah, there's a British guy

0:51:390:51:42

"who's absolutely been sentenced for dealing yaba."

0:51:420:51:44

So I'm just going to wait and see.

0:51:460:51:47

So the guy is going to come here and I can talk to him through this?

0:51:560:52:00

< Yes.

0:52:000:52:01

-OK, this person.

-Hello.

0:52:120:52:14

Hello, sir. Can I ask, are you British?

0:52:140:52:17

-Pardon?

-Is he from Britain or Thailand?

0:52:170:52:20

Thailand.

0:52:200:52:21

Is there anyone... No, no. Excuse me.

0:52:210:52:25

Excuse me. No, that's fine.

0:52:250:52:27

We can calm down. No-one needs... I understand.

0:52:270:52:30

If you would prefer to not show your face, that's no problem,

0:52:300:52:33

-but, equally, we can't have people pushing the camera.

-Yeah.

0:52:330:52:36

I was of the understanding that I would be able to speak to

0:52:360:52:40

a British person. Are there any British people...

0:52:400:52:43

-There is no British.

-Thank you. That's very kind.

0:52:430:52:46

-That's all I needed to hear. Thank you for all your help.

-It's OK.

0:52:460:52:49

Thank you, sir. That's fine.

0:52:490:52:50

'Yet again, I'm not allowed to speak to the Brits who could tell me

0:52:500:52:55

'about yaba and tourists.'

0:52:550:52:57

Outside, the guard wants to give me some helpful advice.

0:53:010:53:04

-I completely agree.

-OK.

0:53:120:53:14

And, you know, the plan was to go to that prison that you've just

0:53:140:53:16

mentioned, but, for some reason,

0:53:160:53:18

-they won't let me in, even though they said that I could.

-I see.

0:53:180:53:21

-You're right.

-Sorry about that.

0:53:210:53:23

No, it's not your fault. No hard feelings. Nice to meet you.

0:53:230:53:25

-Nice to meet you.

-Take care, yeah?

0:53:250:53:28

I'm not suggesting for one second that Thailand is the only country

0:53:280:53:31

in the entire world with a drug problem.

0:53:310:53:33

We've got problems at home in England, all over the world.

0:53:330:53:36

The war on drugs is never-ending.

0:53:360:53:39

But what is unique to Thailand is yaba,

0:53:390:53:42

and that's what I came here to have a nose at

0:53:420:53:44

and try and understand and learn more about,

0:53:440:53:46

and they're just so afraid of showing the truth about yaba

0:53:460:53:51

in case it affects their tourism or it portrays Thailand in a bad light.

0:53:510:53:56

I do get that, I do get that, but you can't not tell things

0:53:560:54:00

because...they're bad.

0:54:000:54:04

'As I leave a country in the grips of war against this devastating drug

0:54:120:54:17

'called yaba, I can't help but feel the effects of Thailand's

0:54:170:54:21

'crazy drug epidemic is worse than I thought and far from over.'

0:54:210:54:26

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