PHUKET: Phuket Tourist Police have warned tourists to beware people offering them marijuana on the beach out of fear they may be robbed of their valuables while under the effects of marijuana.
The warning followed an incident at Freedom Beach on Friday (June 16) involving a male-female couple, both Thai tourists who had travelled from Chiang Mai.
The couple were sitting on the beach when they were approached by two people ‒ one of them was blind, the other was carrying a bag of ice cream.
The two were friendly, and offered the tourists to try marijuana. The tourist couple were taunted that if they hadn’t had marijuana on the beach, they hadn’t “really been” to Freedom Beach yet.
The couple conceded and inhaled marijuana from a bong that the new-found “friends” were carrying with them.
However, the Thai male tourist became overwhelmed by the effects of marijuana. His heart started pounding and he started staggering around.
A person police described as a “good samaritan” saw what was happening and came to help the couple, making sure that their valuables stayed untouched and providing assistance to the man, who was later taken to Patong Hospital.
Tourist Police patrol officers in Patong who later arrived at the beach confirmed that the incident had been reported to Karon Police for further action.
The couple declined to give further information about the incident to reporters yesterday (June 18) as they were about to head back home. All relevant information had been passed on to the Karon Police, the male tourist said.
He said he had inhaled only a little marjuana from the bong provided, adding that he did not want to be teased by his friends for not trying it.
