I was just wondering if anyone out there knows exactly what the drug "yabba" is. Late one night I met a young girl who was extremely thin and had several nervous ticks. The Thai person I was chatting with told me me that she was addicted to "yabba" and tried to explainwhat it was, but it was difficult for him to do in English and I didn't get the gist. Now I am bit curious. Is it a big thing in Thailand.
1
futureexpat
Yaba (drug)
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Yaba (ÂÒºéÒ; also Ya Ba or Ya Baa; "crazy medicine" in Thai) are tablets containing a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine. Quality varies according to source, most are manufactured for oral administration or 'chasing' on foil, there is a brand preferred for injecting from Laos. This illegal drug is especially popular in Thailand, where it is imported from neighboring Myanmar, as well as Laos and Cambodia. In recent years it has also been used by immigrant populations in the United States, and occasionally as a club drug replacing ecstasy.
Yaba tablets were outlawed by the Thai government in 1970; at the time they were sold at gas stations and used by Thai truckers to keep awake. After many horrific long distance bus accidents, and deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's campaign from 2003 onwards to eliminate drug trafficking, use of the drug for bus drivers is not as widespread as it was. Retail prices have risen from 100 - 150bt($3-4) to 250-450bt as a result of the crackdown, though it remains a popular party drug.
2
emperor_tud
<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Retail prices have risen from 100 - 150bt($3-4) to 250-450bt as a result of the crackdown, though it remains a popular party drug.<hr></blockquote>
Aye right. Yaabaa pills were only 10/20 Baht each before the crackdown and the price only increased very slightly, maybe to 40/50 Baht per pill in some communities, but only for a short while after the former PM condoned the extra-judicial killing of people in the name of the 'war on drugs'.
3
genghis15
In the Philippines they have shabu, which I think is much the same thing. My impression was that it is usually smoked.
4
mibro
Crazy drug, or speed. Favorite of too many taxi drivers.
Derrived from cold medicines, Sudephed, in it's original formulation, which is still available over the counter in Thailand.
Can induce tachycardia.
5
aaronzig
Yeah, made from psuedoephidrine or ephidrine, it's pretty horrible stuff apparently. Worse than Ice (and ice is bad enough) because it's not as clean, because it's made on the cheap. I met some Thai people who were into it when I was in Bangkok, and according to them, the name "Yabba" is a reference to death in S.E Asia. How true this is, Im not sure, but by the state of them (thin, pale etc) it sounded about right.
6
losing_touch
Ahhh - it is just speed. Only costs $1 in Laos. It can be pretty bad for those with addictive personalities.
7
dbrother
if its smokable then it is ICE, ie 'crystal methamphetamine' not just! normal powder methamphetamine, very very very bad stuff and makes people capable of doing bad things when they havent slept for a couple of days and they're coming down cos the dopamines have run out in their brain and their soul has gone for a walk
ie. Bad Things... The bloke in west australia who killed his brother cos he was sick of him coughing all the time (coming down at the time)
and the two 16 year old girls who decided to kill a 3rd girl more or less for something to do in Collie (also WA) last year after spending the previous night on ICE
Kinda scary what would be the headset of some strungout amphetamine addicted thai girl who just been pounded merclessly all night by some western tourist now sleeping beside her with a wallet full of cash ready to take if only he wouldn't wake up
8
dbrother
P.S as addictive as Crack Cocaine, which is more addictive than nicotine and way more addictive than heroin, the reason being that it floods the brain with dopamine which is what basically keeps one happy most of the time, once used over a period of time the brain decides it doesn't need to produce its own dopamine any more seeing as though the ice/yaba/speed is doing the job instead, therefore leading to the inability of an habitual user to be happy/motivated unless actually taking the stuff.... it also has a number of negative side effects....
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