Legal Issues in Thailand

[Kale1]

Hey everyone. So, I plan on traveling to Pattaya in about 3 months. I saved up some money and did a ton of research, and obviously plan on going there for the ladies and getting one or two each day that I'm down there. I'm a 24 year old American guy, and have been worried about legal issues in Thailand after watching a documentary called Big Trouble in Thailand or something like that. Thai jail looks like it would suck. Really suck. Since prostitution is technically illegal in Thailand, is there any chance I could end up in Thai jail or anything, or would I be fine as long as I'm not an asshole?

[Rock]

Hey everyone. So, I plan on traveling to Pattaya in about 3 months. I saved up some money and did a ton of research, and obviously plan on going there for the ladies and getting one or two each day that I'm down there. I'm a 24 year old American guy, and have been worried about legal issues in Thailand after watching a documentary called Big Trouble in Thailand or something like that. Thai jail looks like it would suck. Really suck. Since p4p is technically illegal in Thailand, is there any chance I could end up in Thai jail or anything, or would I be fine as long as I'm not an asshole?

Relax my friend. Around 5 mn foreign tourists visit Pattaya every year and a significant percentage of them r there for the same reason as u. Don't worry about prostitution being technically illegal. Instead, focus on what the Thais and system there allow vs. what's not tolerated and u should be totally fine and happy. Here's what I believe u should NOT do if u wanna avoid trouble:

- Drugs of any kind including weed. Avoid anyone on beach road or anywhere else who tries to sell to u but don't be rude or say anything bad to them. Oftentimes, drugs offenders get harsher treatment then violent criminals including murderers.

- Underage girls. Stick with 18 and over.

- Jet skis (should be very apparent from video you watched).

- Getting physical or having verbal confrontations with Thai guys or foreigners. Just be mild mannered and walk away from hot heads or trouble when it brews. Pattaya attracts a lot of dodgy characters from Thailand and from all over the world.

- Not paying bills in bars or other establishments.

- Groups of ladyboys late at night in dark areas along the beach.

- Complaining about Thailand, Thais, or making anyone here lose face.

- Talking about the royal family, its members, or the institution in general.

- Acting excessively macho or rowdy in a way which might disturb others.

- Anyone who approaches you and wants to sell you something or take you somewhere, etc.

- Interacting with police.

- Disclosing too much info. to foreigners you meet on your personal and financial situation, esspecially if u r in a situation which might cause others to be jealous.

- Overpaying girls or acting like a 2 week millionaire when out with Pattaya expats. Some of them really get pissed off at such behavior.

The expats I've known of who live for extended periods in Pattaya without trouble have pretty much done the above, kept a low profile, and been very cautious about opening up to others until they know them real well and for a long time.

Perhaps our new on-the-ground Thai expert (anamericaninbangkok) might have something to add on this or clarify. The above might seem like overkill and I'm sure many have broken some of the above rules without any problems. But better safe than sorry. Error on side of caution.

[Maverick]

Hey everyone. So, I plan on traveling to Pattaya in about 3 months. I saved up some money and did a ton of research, and obviously plan on going there for the ladies and getting one or two each day that I'm down there. I'm a 24 year old American guy, and have been worried about legal issues in Thailand after watching a documentary called Big Trouble in Thailand or something like that. Thai jail looks like it would suck. Really suck. Since p4p is technically illegal in Thailand, is there any chance I could end up in Thai jail or anything, or would I be fine as long as I'm not an asshole?

I spent a little over a month in Thailand when I was 24.

I suggest checking out the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan if you're just going to Thailand to party. They actually have a place up there called "Magic Mushroom Mountain" where you can legally buy hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Other than that, I agree with the above poster: don't do any drugs.

I also had multiple lady friends out there. You won't get arrested for that. In fact, the ladies are really cool. For me, many of them would charge for an hour, then spend the rest of the day with me for free and sleep over for free as well. If you make it out to Bangkok, check out Nana and Soi Cowboy.

[anamericaninbangkok]

Kale 1 - One other thing...don't go with women sitting around on Beach Road. Women freelancing there tend to be the bottom of the barrel. This may be less discernible late at night after a few drinks. These are the women you hear about who will put drugs on their tits, ask you to suck them, and then the next thing you know you're out cold and she's long gone with your cash.

Don't mess with anyone and they won't mess with you.

Keep a low profile - don't go flashing large amounts of cash around acting like a bigshot.

Also - if you have any doubts as to the sexuality of someone, pass. She is probably a he. It's easy to be fooled in the beginning and you might find your chick has a dick.

Despite what you may have been told Maverick, mushrooms are definitely not legal in Thailand.

The Narcotics Act defines the term 'narcotics' as being 'any form of chemicals or substances which, upon being consumed whether by taking orally, inhaling, smoking, injecting or by whatever means, causes physiological or mental effect in a significant manner such as need of continual increase of dosage, having withdrawal symptoms when deprived of the narcotics, strong physical and mental need of dosage and health in general being deteriorated…' Substances defined as narcotics are classified into 5 categories (the act also uses the term 'Category' rather than 'Schedule' as used in the Psychotropic Substances Act). Commonly known substances falling within the ambit of the Narcotics Act include the following:

Category 1 – Heroin;Amphetamine; Methamphetamine; MDMA (Ecstasy); LSD
Category 2 – Cocaine;Codeine; Methadone; Morphine
Category 5 – Cannabis;psychoactive mushrooms; Kratom Plant

[Maverick]

Kale 1 - One other thing...don't go with women sitting around on Beach Road. Women freelancing there tend to be the bottom of the barrel. This may be less discernible late at night after a few drinks. These are the women you hear about who will put drugs on their tits, ask you to suck them, and then the next thing you know you're out cold and she's long gone with your cash.

Don't mess with anyone and they won't mess with you.

Keep a low profile - don't go flashing large amounts of cash around acting like a bigshot.

Also - if you have any doubts as to the sexuality of someone, pass. She is probably a he. It's easy to be fooled in the beginning and you might find your chick has a dick.

Despite what you may have been told Maverick, mushrooms are definitely not legal in Thailand.

The Narcotics Act defines the term 'narcotics' as being 'any form of chemicals or substances which, upon being consumed whether by taking orally, inhaling, smoking, injecting or by whatever means, causes physiological or mental effect in a significant manner such as need of continual increase of dosage, having withdrawal symptoms when deprived of the narcotics, strong physical and mental need of dosage and health in general being deteriorated…' Substances defined as narcotics are classified into 5 categories (the act also uses the term 'Category' rather than 'Schedule' as used in the Psychotropic Substances Act). Commonly known substances falling within the ambit of the Narcotics Act include the following:

Category 1 – Heroin;Amphetamine; Methamphetamine; MDMA (Ecstasy); LSD
Category 2 – Cocaine;Codeine; Methadone; Morphine
Category 5 – Cannabis;psychoactive mushrooms; Kratom Plant

Hmmm....I don't know. Have you ever been to a Full Moon Party? They actually have a hut that exclusively sells mushrooms. They basically mash it up and serve it as a drink.

I've never heard of anyone getting arrested for that. There were rumors that the owners pay off the cops to prevent trouble.

[anamericaninbangkok]

Kale 1 - One other thing...don't go with women sitting around on Beach Road. Women freelancing there tend to be the bottom of the barrel. This may be less discernible late at night after a few drinks. These are the women you hear about who will put drugs on their tits, ask you to suck them, and then the next thing you know you're out cold and she's long gone with your cash.

Don't mess with anyone and they won't mess with you.

Keep a low profile - don't go flashing large amounts of cash around acting like a bigshot.

Also - if you have any doubts as to the sexuality of someone, pass. She is probably a he. It's easy to be fooled in the beginning and you might find your chick has a dick.

Despite what you may have been told Maverick, mushrooms are definitely not legal in Thailand.

The Narcotics Act defines the term 'narcotics' as being 'any form of chemicals or substances which, upon being consumed whether by taking orally, inhaling, smoking, injecting or by whatever means, causes physiological or mental effect in a significant manner such as need of continual increase of dosage, having withdrawal symptoms when deprived of the narcotics, strong physical and mental need of dosage and health in general being deteriorated…' Substances defined as narcotics are classified into 5 categories (the act also uses the term 'Category' rather than 'Schedule' as used in the Psychotropic Substances Act). Commonly known substances falling within the ambit of the Narcotics Act include the following:

Category 1 – Heroin;Amphetamine; Methamphetamine; MDMA (Ecstasy); LSD
Category 2 – Cocaine;Codeine; Methadone; Morphine
Category 5 – Cannabis;psychoactive mushrooms; Kratom Plant

Hmmm....I don't know. Have you ever been to a Full Moon Party? They actually have a hut that exclusively sells mushrooms. They basically mash it up and serve it as a drink.

I've never heard of anyone getting arrested for that. There were rumors that the owners pay off the cops to prevent trouble.

Yes Maverick, I've been to more than one Full Moon Party, the most recent time was 2 1/2 years ago.

Believe me (or don't), the sale and use of mushrooms is illegal as is stated in the above passage relating to Thai law. If you want to take a chance on the rumors you've heard, by all means do so. Many people seem to think Thailand and more specifically the Full Moon Party is a drug users paradise. It's not and if by chance you are busted, you are good and truly screwed. If you stay out of jail with a bribe, you're lucky. Obviously many people end up thrown in the can. If the police feel like it, they can very easily hit bust you, then hit you up for a $5K-$10K bribe.

I do seem to remember several videos on YouTube (as well as from what I've seen and heard in the south) where foreigners were arrested for pot or mushrooms or ecstasy.

There is a rule people should remember while here in Thailand...do not ever put yourself in a position where the Thai police can throw you in jail if they want to or if you do something minor. For example, if you're driving around on a motorcycle without a helmet high on mushrooms. The driving without a helmet is no big deal but once the cop sees you high on mushrooms, it's just another reason to throw you in jail and extract as much money as possible. Add in you probably won't have your passport on you and there's another possible reason to get you to pay. For all the foreigners who go to the Full Moon Party, most can get trashed and never have a problem. But if you think no one is ever arrested for drinking mushroom shakes or being under the influence, you're kidding yourself.

Oh, and I've been to both men and women's prisons here in Bangkok as a journalist (Bangkok Hilton) - you do not want to end up there. Horrible places with a shiny coating on the outside. I've been thrown in jail here twice as well...both times I was let out after I paid. The first time I paid a bribe (100K baht). The second time I had bashed some drunken Danish guy who kept getting in my face at Thermae and I posted 30K bail. A year later the charges were dropped.

[Rock]

Kale 1 - One other thing...don't go with women sitting around on Beach Road. Women freelancing there tend to be the bottom of the barrel. This may be less discernible late at night after a few drinks. These are the women you hear about who will put drugs on their tits, ask you to suck them, and then the next thing you know you're out cold and she's long gone with your cash.

Don't mess with anyone and they won't mess with you.

Keep a low profile - don't go flashing large amounts of cash around acting like a bigshot.

Also - if you have any doubts as to the sexuality of someone, pass. She is probably a he. It's easy to be fooled in the beginning and you might find your chick has a dick.

Despite what you may have been told Maverick, mushrooms are definitely not legal in Thailand.

The Narcotics Act defines the term 'narcotics' as being 'any form of chemicals or substances which, upon being consumed whether by taking orally, inhaling, smoking, injecting or by whatever means, causes physiological or mental effect in a significant manner such as need of continual increase of dosage, having withdrawal symptoms when deprived of the narcotics, strong physical and mental need of dosage and health in general being deteriorated…' Substances defined as narcotics are classified into 5 categories (the act also uses the term 'Category' rather than 'Schedule' as used in the Psychotropic Substances Act). Commonly known substances falling within the ambit of the Narcotics Act include the following:

Category 1 – Heroin;Amphetamine; Methamphetamine; MDMA (Ecstasy); LSD
Category 2 – Cocaine;Codeine; Methadone; Morphine
Category 5 – Cannabis;psychoactive mushrooms; Kratom Plant

Hmmm....I don't know. Have you ever been to a Full Moon Party? They actually have a hut that exclusively sells mushrooms. They basically mash it up and serve it as a drink.

I've never heard of anyone getting arrested for that. There were rumors that the owners pay off the cops to prevent trouble.

Yes Maverick, I've been to more than one Full Moon Party, the most recent time was 2 1/2 years ago.

Believe me (or don't), the sale and use of mushrooms is illegal as is stated in the above passage relating to Thai law. If you want to take a chance on the rumors you've heard, by all means do so. Many people seem to think Thailand and more specifically the Full Moon Party is a drug users paradise. It's not and if by chance you are busted, you are good and truly screwed. If you stay out of jail with a bribe, you're lucky. Obviously many people end up thrown in the can. If the police feel like it, they can very easily hit bust you, then hit you up for a $5K-$10K bribe.

I do seem to remember several videos on YouTube (as well as from what I've seen and heard in the south) where foreigners were arrested for pot or mushrooms or ecstasy.

There is a rule people should remember while here in Thailand...do not ever put yourself in a position where the Thai police can throw you in jail if they want to or if you do something minor. For example, if you're driving around on a motorcycle without a helmet high on mushrooms. The driving without a helmet is no big deal but once the cop sees you high on mushrooms, it's just another reason to throw you in jail and extract as much money as possible. Add in you probably won't have your passport on you and there's another possible reason to get you to pay. For all the foreigners who go to the Full Moon Party, most can get trashed and never have a problem. But if you think no one is ever arrested for drinking mushroom shakes or being under the influence, you're kidding yourself.

Oh, and I've been to both men and women's prisons here in Bangkok as a journalist (Bangkok Hilton) - you do not want to end up there. Horrible places with a shiny coating on the outside. I've been thrown in jail here twice as well...both times I was let out after I paid. The first time I paid a bribe (100K baht). The second time I had bashed some drunken Danish guy who kept getting in my face at Thermae and I posted 30K bail. A year later the charges were dropped.

Vids that the OP referred to actually had a segment about a young couple (British I think) who got set-up at a full moon party. Some Thai guy handed girl some kind of drug to try out and within a few seconds, cop comes over, arrests her, and she ends up in jail. Boyfriend had to call home and figure out a way to get all the money required (I forgot how much) to get girl out of jail before charges were formally pressed.

Full moon parties are full of wasted tourists and there is no shortage of others who come in specifically to prey on their vulnerable state by stealing from them or setting them up.