getting bust, hospitals and general rantings
Psytaco: I'm amazed that you dont live here - most of what you said is so spot on
Re
getting caught with anything - the word ATM (ay tee em) is understood by everybody. Pray that you don't get the 1 non-bribable cop in the entire district - although his boss will probably be - it will get more expensive up the line.
If you do land up in the police station with the big boss, don't talk bribes, don't yell, don't freak out, don't demand that your rights be served, stay polite and humble and shut up. Don't sign a thing. This isn't America, this isn't Europe. If you have a thai friend, phone them. If you have a non-thai friend, phone them. Get a Thai lawyer - do not get a neat, tidy and nice European lawyer. They won't know the ins and outs and shortcuts. Get a neat, tidy and nice Thai lawyer. And again, stay calm, polite and shut up.
Yelling about your rights will get you big minus points, politeness and quietness will get you good brownie points.
As per Psytaco and myself previously, my advice is, if you're a total tourist, with no friends or connections here, DON'T do drugs.
I would adjust Psytaco's comment on one point: if you're thai, the most tolerated drug is ganja. If you're a foreigner, your use of any drug is a possible income source to someone.
But I agree, for foreigners in southern thailand, the most tolerated seems to be mushroom omelettes, shakes etc. Here again be careful, but of the dosage. It seems to vary radically and I've had some friends totally freaking out on heavy heavy trips. Dont chomp that whole omelette in one go - get a takeaway.
Hospitals - I don't know anyone who has been admitted to hospital due to overdose/freaking out etc so cannot comment personally. But again, this isn't Europe or America. I don't suggest saying: "i took xxx". Rather, "i think somebody may have put xx into my drink" etc. This is assuming you still have the brainpower to reason all this out. But hopefully you will all be careful enough not to have to go to hospital. On a positive note, i've been to several government hospitals in Bangkok, and they're good - may not be beautifully decorated, may not have muzak, you may wait in the queue for ages, but the doctors ARE good, and they are WAAAAAY cheaper than the private hospitals.
If you feeling crappy/depressed/suicidal, I recommend Siriraj Hospital. English speaking psychiatrists and psychologists. (And you can get Prozac without prescription in lots of chemists around backpacker areas)
And to follow up on Psytaco's last paragraph, if you're a guy, I wouldn't leave my glass on the bar if you're chatting to a sexy female, and you shouldn't let a sexy female pour you a drink if you're back at your apartment/hotel, regardless of whether sexy female was originally born female or not - but that would make up a whole other thread %) I've been offered rohypnol at several pharmacies when i asked for valium - no valium, but you can have some roofies, weird.
If you're female, you're usually a whole lot safer here
Tangents: (nothing to do with pharmacies or drugs)
Basically, I think thailand is a country where you get back what you put in. If you are friendly and polite and calm and interested, that's what you get back. If you are loud and aggressive, you'll either get loud and aggressive back, or, more likely, a blank out. And you'll be lucky, the behaviour/attitude and remarks of many tourists in Thailand would earn them a good beating in many other countries. I CANNOT believe how rude some touristy types are, did their parents teach them no manners?
The whole "land of smiles" advertising campaign (which i think is over now, thank god), and tourists' expectations that the country live up to this campaign, totally freaks me out. Why should the people here have to smile at you? If you smile first, I guarantee 99.9% of the time, you'll get a smile back. If you don't smile, why the hell should those of us who live here have to smile at you, just cos you're a foreign tourist?
And lastly, to an admin - could we change the thread title to "Thailand pharmacies and other drug info" or something like that? As we've wandered way off the original topic but I think the info is stuff people should read...