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Phuket Tourist Lights Up a Joint in Bangla and Patong Police Pounce
By Sert Tongdee and Chutima Sidasathian Tuesday, November 22, 2011
PHUKET: An Israeli tourist who lit a marijuana joint and strolled Phuket's famous Soi Bangla walking street while smoking it last night was quickly arrested.
Bystanders noticed the aroma in that part of Patong was different to the usual mix of adrenalin and trash, and called police.
Shabib Mazzawi, who turns 24 on December 1, told officers that he enjoyed smoking marijuana and that he had been sold the 1.5 grams for 1000 baht by a Thai man.
Arrested about 11pm and held overnight at Kathu Police Station in Patong, Mr Mazzawi is likely to face Phuket Provincial Court in Phuket City today.
He is the latest expat visitor to fail to understand the cultural differences between liberal societies abroad and Thailand, where there is a no tolerance policy to all illegal drugs, soft or hard.
At least three other expats - a Belgian, a Frenchman and a Russian - have been arrested in the past week for possession of small amounts of dope.
On Sunday night, four Thais were arrested in a workers' camp in southern Patong for possession of 11.06 grams of marijuana as well as 21 leaves of a local plant considered to be a marijuana substitute.
Phuket police believe Phuket and Patong especially are becoming attractive to Thailand's illegal marijuana growers because marijuana is more frequently enjoyed by Westerners.
At the least, tourists caught with marijuana face a fine and expulsion. Phuket Provincial Prison is packed with almost double the number of inmates it was built to hold. Eighty percent of prisoners are inside for drugs.
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Comments
Comments have been disabled for this article.
1. Firstly, to the perpertrator, walking down Bangla ? Really ? Dude ....
2. And to the writers, adrenalin ? More like desperation.
3. Smoking 'Gancha' is not part of Thai culture ? That'll be why I've never heard of a 'Thai stick'. That'll be why there's no slang names for it in Thai, varying with province and even tambon. That'll be why my 70 year old landlord doesn't smoke it ! That'll be why "On Sunday night four Thais were arrested ...." (or were the construction workers planning to sell it to their Western friends ?). Come on, smoking weed is about as foreign to Thailand as cheese is to France.
4. Expulsion ? Not necessarily - but then there is a certain amount of inconsistency goes around - and he was walking down Bangla !
5. Gotta love his reasoning: enjoyment !
6. Is Phuket prison full of Westerners caught smoking weed ? No. So what's the connection there then ?
7. No tolerance ? I've met some policemen with extremely high tolerances.
Posted by
Not this time
on
November 22, 2011 13:22
Shouldn't that be "testosterone and trash"? The adrenaline only kicks in during the actual act of coitus. One year in a Thai prison should be the minimum punishment for these drug offenders.
Posted by
Andy
on
November 22, 2011 17:03
Poor lad, he probably thought with all the illegal prostitution, copyright infringement, flouting of hours alcohol can be served, fireworks, insane driving and all the other flagrant examples of disregard of the law for convenience and profit - that he should be able to light up a joint. Score one for the alcoholic inducing industry.
Posted by
Media Watcher
on
November 22, 2011 17:09
Wow, I realise there's a "zero" tolerance policy, but the looks on the faces of the cops is priceless. You would think they caught the late Pablo Escobar, not some not some dopey kid.
And really? Walking down Bangla Rd. smoking a joint; really?
Posted by
Steve L.
on
November 22, 2011 20:48
Beat someone unconscious and nobody sees anything. Smash up a car and threaten murder and no one does anything. If you know who did it request that they "drop" by the station for a chat and release them. But, walk down the street smoking a joint, not harming anyone ... that's gonna get action.
Hard to comprehend.
Posted by
Martin
on
November 22, 2011 21:35
Another visitor who left his brains at the airport..c'mon, where in the world would you walk down a main road smoking a joint and not expect to be busted?
Posted by
davidj949
on
November 22, 2011 21:50
Arrested for smoking a joint..WOW, big news, the cops must be very proud, of themselves, catching this international criminal...here's me thinking there were a lot worse things happening in Patong....glad to know the town has been cleaned up so quickly.
Posted by
Laurie Howells
on
November 23, 2011 09:04
Media Watcher...u are so right!!! Someone enters a pastry shop and starts eating a cake walking around in the shop...what is the big deal????? :))0
Posted by
Olivia
on
November 23, 2011 12:06
@ davidj949 "where in the world would you walk down a main road smoking a joint and not expect to be busted?"
Uhm, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal...
Posted by
Mik D
on
November 23, 2011 18:01
Just wondering if there is a follow up to this..what was his outcome..other than stupidity
Posted by
Uwe
on
November 25, 2011 04:12
@Mik D...OK i should have said""legally!!"" It is still illegal, but is tolerated in these cities..right?
If you walked around toking on a joint in front of a cop, he could and probably would arrest you....
Posted by
davidj949
on
November 25, 2011 09:40
Born in Nazareth... Is this the second coming? Is Jesus tell us all it's OK to smoke weed?
Posted by
The Very Reverend Richard P. Cockshaft
on
November 27, 2011 03:27
He should file a police report for getting ripped off if he paid 1000 baht for that.
Sort of like the prostitutes file complaints if their customers don't pay them...
Posted by
Vfaye
on
December 3, 2011 13:07
Has there been any outcome to this yet in regards to a court date and sentence...curious...
Posted by
uwe
on
December 5, 2011 03:24
Editor Comment:
We don't have the resources to follow through on the outcome of each case, uwe, although we'd like to.
@ uwe. Send the ED 20 Baht like I did to give him money to do follow ups with their stories. Ed do you need more money? If yes, fine those who's posts you have to delete?
Posted by
Graham
on
December 5, 2011 09:11
sorry...thought it would be as easy as a phone call to police/courts or contacts you may have...that's what makes a reporter a reporter :)
Posted by
uwe
on
December 6, 2011 06:37
Editor Comment:
Well you were wrong, uwe. We'd be happy to for you to provide the funds so we can post a reporter at the court.
Patong is full of people asking if u want weed or coke. But I think it's not worth the trouble. 99 percent of thai people are soo lovely. I'm only going home tomorrow and Patong was the worst for drugs. But u can say no. Is it worth all the risk!!!
Posted by
pg
on
March 19, 2016 03:40
Thanks for the advice pg. I'll be there in a few weeks and remember to bring some glyphosate and Pepsi.
Posted by
Mower
on
March 20, 2016 06:14
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1. Firstly, to the perpertrator, walking down Bangla ? Really ? Dude ....
2. And to the writers, adrenalin ? More like desperation.
3. Smoking 'Gancha' is not part of Thai culture ? That'll be why I've never heard of a 'Thai stick'. That'll be why there's no slang names for it in Thai, varying with province and even tambon. That'll be why my 70 year old landlord doesn't smoke it ! That'll be why "On Sunday night four Thais were arrested ...." (or were the construction workers planning to sell it to their Western friends ?). Come on, smoking weed is about as foreign to Thailand as cheese is to France.
4. Expulsion ? Not necessarily - but then there is a certain amount of inconsistency goes around - and he was walking down Bangla !
5. Gotta love his reasoning: enjoyment !
6. Is Phuket prison full of Westerners caught smoking weed ? No. So what's the connection there then ?
7. No tolerance ? I've met some policemen with extremely high tolerances.
Posted by Not this time on November 22, 2011 13:22