77kaoded Thai caption: Kids doing marijuana down at the beach
They are pictures no one wants to see - especially proponents of Thailand's still relatively new free marijuana laws who want no bad press leading to a step back to re-criminalization.
And there could be fears that people who are still "anti-weed" will seize on such alarming pictures and say "we told you so", notes ASEAN NOW.
Recreational use of the drug has been widespread for ever and a day, not just since June 9th when the drug was taken off the Class 5 narcotics list. But even now there are laws in place to stop anyone under 20 buying what the Thais call ganja.
Picture: 77kaoded
77kaoded said that 2/3 kids apparently smoking a bong at a Pattaya beach location were featured on a local social media page.
Comment was understandably widespread causing reporters to go and find the poster.
Picture: 77kaoded
Krittiwat Matrong, 35, said he was in Pattaya for last week's fireworks' festival and was preparing a boat trip.
He saw two kids at Saphan Pla with a bamboo bong.
He thought they were just messing about but then realised they were actually smoking.
Picture: 77kaoded
He went up and told them to stop and discovered they were just 9 and 10 years old.
He asked if their parents knew what they were doing. They said they didn't have parents.
Then one said he wasn't scared - his dad was in the military.
Krittiwat turned to an older child with them saying why didn't you stop them - he said nothing.
Krittiwat called on the authorities to look into the matter that he considered damaging not just for the children and youth but for the Thai tourism industry as a whole.
At the least he considered it inappropriate.
Other media picked up on the story.
Naew Na said the pictures were shocking.
Thai Rath, the biggest media in Thailand, said it was in full view of tourists, damaging to tourism and something needed to be done.
-- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-12-02
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