Korat, The Prime Minister gave an urgent policy for integrating drug problem resolution, saying that in the 10 months he has been in office, drug seizures have increased fourfold but not all of them. He promoted Tha Wang Pha and Thawat Buri as a model white province, expanding to other areas, assigning the governor to be the CEO to solve the problem in a tangible way within 90 days. He asked the public to be the eyes and ears, report information to officials, and bring drug users to receive treatment and vocational training to return to society. The students thanked the Prime Minister and are ready to act for the good of the country.
After the 4/2024 Mobile Cabinet Meeting, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin continued his mission to Nakhon Ratchasima Province. At 12.35 p.m., the Prime Minister gave an urgent policy on integrating solutions to drug problems at Terminal 21 Korat Shopping Mall, Tambon Nai Mueang, Amphoe Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. The policy was attended by Deputy Prime M
inister and Minister of Commerce, Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Prasert Chantarawongthong, Minister of Digital Economy and Society, Pol. Col. Thawee Sodsong, Minister of Justice, Ms. Jiraporn Sindhuphrai, Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, Chakraphong Sangmanee, Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, heads of government agencies, and new students from the regular program at Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University.
The Prime Minister stated his policy that his arrival today is an important matter, a national agenda, which is the issue of drugs, which many of you may already know. There may be relatives, acquaintances or people involved who have problems with drugs, which must be traced back to when he entered politics, campaigning and meeting people in almost every province. Apart from the cost of living, the biggest problem is the drug problem, especially methamphetamine, which is imported from neighboring countries. The price of methamphetamine is getting cheaper
every day. Even though the government has taken action on drug dealers, seizing 4 times more methamphetamine in the past, drug use continues. The price of methamphetamine has not increased at all. The fact that the price is stable means that there is a lot of supply. Therefore, this matter is considered another important matter.
‘Our arrival today is an orientation to begin a new period in your life. From graduating from high school to a prestigious institution, it is a source of pride for our parents and siblings that we are here, to start another 4 years of life, to have a stable career, to bring income to the family, to bring pride to relatives. The only thing that will make hopes not come true is drugs,’ the Prime Minister said.
Mr. Settha also said that in the 10 months since taking office, we have given this issue great importance, but we must admit that no matter how much we do, we will never be able to catch more people. Now we are seriously looking into this. In the past week, we have been continuo
usly visiting the areas in both the North and the Northeast, especially in the Northeast where it is very easy to get into, so we must integrate many sectors. It cannot be denied that drugs are the cause of many losses. The biggest loss is the loss of opportunities in many aspects, whether it is a job, imprisonment, or even worse, loss of life. In the past, the drug problem has affected society in terms of both life and property in many areas throughout the country. Therefore, we ask that agencies involved in drug suppression help each other to the fullest extent to completely eradicate drugs. We ask that all relevant sectors use the drug problem elimination projects in Wang Pha District, Nan Province, and Tha Wachi District, Roi Et Province as models for solving the problem. Both projects will be a collaboration of all agencies, whether they are police officers, military, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Education, the Mi
nistry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, and many other agencies that are working together to completely eliminate drugs from the areas under our responsibility from today onwards.
Mr. Settha said that all agencies must work together to solve the problem through the urgent 90-day integrated drug problem solving policy as follows: 1. Let the governors of all provinces be the CEOs in driving the drug problem resolution together with the provincial police commanders, provincial public health doctors, and provincial administrative organization presidents, so that all sectors in the area drive the work of preventing, suppressing, and solving the drug problem together. 2. Cut the cycle of major drug trafficking, conduct drug suppression operations in the area, accelerate the process, conduct X-rays in every area by mobilizing forces to test urine of risk groups aged 16 and over in every village, and separate drug users for treatment. The Royal Thai Police, the Ministry of Justice, through the
Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), and the Ministry of Defense, should expand the results of arresting sellers to prosecute them decisively, which is considered cutting off the supply chain from the system, including increasing the efficiency of drug case support standards, taking serious and decisive action against government officials involved in drugs, and giving importance to handling complaints from the public urgently.
Mr. Settha said that he asked for cooperation between the Royal Thai Police, the ONCB, and the Ministry of Defense to reduce the severity of the drug problem and reduce the suffering of the people from the problem of people with mental illness from drugs by setting it as an urgent priority for every province and for the officers of the Royal Thai Police, the Ministry of Interior to jointly search for people with mental illness from drugs and for the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Justice to bring them in for treatment and have a system to monitor, care, and help af
ter they have been treated and returned to the community. Every province must bring drug addicts into the treatment system from the screening process, treatment, and referral according to the process to ensure that social rehabilitation helps individuals, careers, and education. Local administrative organizations must participate in supporting operations to improve the quality of life of drug addicts, including the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Public Health, and the Ministry of Interior, which must come in to take care of these people so that they can go through treatment and return to society and have jobs so that they do not return to the drug cycle again. Control risk factors from social regulations in entertainment venues, service venues, entertainment-like establishments, and areas around educational institutions to strictly enforce the law to prevent them from being a force in spreading drugs, create standards in the community and social standards to be a force to resist drugs widely, both in the
role of prevention, monitoring, following up on care and assistance, which is through treatment and maintaining security in villages and communities. Take care of each other and understand the negative effects of government drugs.
Mr. Settha said that solving the drug problem requires all sectors: provinces, police, military, ONCB and other agencies must receive support from the people to rise up and fight against the drug problem, work together to be the eyes and ears, help each other keep an eye out, report clues, be vigilant and prevent children from getting involved with drugs. He asked all citizens who know any clues about drugs to inform the police or government officials in the district, the governor to help track them down, provide treatment or suppress them until they are all gone. Finally, he would like to encourage officials from all sectors who have helped solve the drug problem, especially the 25 urgent provinces, and he hopes that we will see the drug problem and reduce the severity according t
o the set goals, making the people feel safe from the drug problem, which is the highest intention of the government and all Thai people.
While the student representatives thanked the Prime Minister for honoring them by giving policies on integrating the urgent drug problem to the students of Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, drinking alcohol, smoking, or using drugs are serious dangers that are close to students. The students of Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University will implement the Prime Minister’s policies for the good of themselves, their families, and the country. The Prime Minister then walked to greet the students and took a group photo.
Source: Thai News Agency
