Thailand's drug crisis now impacts one in five communities nationwide, spurring locals to take urgent direct action rather than waiting for government intervention.
A village in Ayutthaya province’s Tha Rua district is leading these grassroots initiatives.
“We have launched the ‘Second Home’ programme to prevent youngsters from being dragged into the world of narcotics,” said Pimonpan Chaloei-arj, the head of Ban Yang Nom village.
Under the programme, the community closely monitors and supports vulnerable children aged nine to 15 to protect them from drug abuse.
“We try to ensure they are safe and can continue attending school,” Pimonpan said.
This month, the village awarded five academic scholarships and 10 vocational grants to local children with the help of a fund established by the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) as part of an initiative launched by the late HM Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother.
An ONCB survey conducted between October 2025 and March this year revealed that 18,483 of 85,272 communities nationwide (22%) are impacted by drugs. Of them, 2,478 communities reported the presence of both users and traffickers, while 626 reported just traffickers.
The survey also found that those suffering mental health impacts due to drug abuse rose from 16.48% to 17.51% over the same six-month period.
Youth at risk
Statistics show youngsters are most vulnerable to drug abuse between the ages of 13 and 15, while the majority seeking rehabilitation are aged 18 to 24 – a clear sign that many suffer years of addiction before receiving help.
“The parents of these children are also often drug users. If we don’t take pre-emptive action, these children will likely end up in drug rehab programmes later in life,” Pimonpan said.
The youngest drug user identified in her community was just eight years old, having grown up with a father who abused methamphetamine. Local leaders tried to help the boy, now 14, but he moved away and can no longer be reached.
“However, we managed to help his sister, who is now in Mathayom 2 [Grade 8],” Pimonpan said. “She receives financial aid to cover her living costs and school fees.”
Tackling the crisis from a new angle
Ban Yang Nom was once labelled a narcotics red zone due to the severity of its drug problems. Families in neighbouring communities warned their children not to wander into the village or mingle with local youngsters, fearing they would be lured into taking drugs.
However, that perception began to shift after Ban Yang Nom decided to tackle the crisis from a different angle. Rather than focusing solely on helping active users, the community is extending a helping hand to vulnerable youth before they face the temptation of drugs.
Meanwhile, instead of labelling addicts as troublemakers, the village offers them a second chance.
“We make no demands that they quit drugs and go cold turkey. Instead, we embrace them and offer guidance on how to live in harmony with others,” Pimonpan said.
She explained that this compassionate approach had proved successful in helping addicts curb their cravings and regain self-control. Currently, 27 drug users in Ban Yang Nom are voluntarily enrolled in the village’s rehabilitation programmes.
“We are providing close care for them as well as for eight residents who are mentally unstable, to ensure everyone remains safe and maintains a good quality of life,” she said.
Of local vulnerable children, 14 are being closely monitored due to unstable family backgrounds, such as having parents who are separated, in jail or struggling with addiction.
Second chances and youth empowerment
Ban Yang Nom’s efforts to reintegrate drug victims extend to reformed addicts. Rather than being stigmatised and marginalised, they are treated as valued contributors and encouraged to join the community battle against narcotics.
“Their role is to teach vulnerable youth about the dangers of drug abuse and engage them in constructive activities, such as visiting the elderly or doing community service,” the village head said.
Under the community-based scheme, all recovering drug users undergo urine tests every Sunday. They also receive regular health check-ups and are referred to a hospital if any medical concerns arise.
Pimonpan added that youngsters who have demonstrated strong resistance to temptation are trained as peer speakers to help educate their classmates or neighbours about how narcotics ruin lives.
“Becoming speakers gives them more than pocket money, it gives them respect. This keeps them motivated to keep doing good,” she said.
These children are also taught to identify signs of drug taking among their peers and to take immediate steps if they detect a risk.
“Children are closer to their classmates than adults are, so we entrust them with this mission,” Pimonpan said. “For instance, if they notice a friend loitering near the toilets frequently or acting suspiciously, they can alert us right away.”
Kaew, 11, has been part of Ban Yang Nom’s Second Home programme for two years and now serves as one of its young speakers.
“I get other children interested by communicating through drawings, which work better than text. Mind mapping is a really effective trick,” she shared.
The need for community-based care
Watcharapong Chumchuen, manager at the Substance Abuse Academic Foundation, said that strict law enforcement alone cannot solve Thailand’s drug crisis, which is rooted in social issues such as poverty and inequality.
“We need to invest more in prevention and educate society on how to take a united stand against drugs,” he said.
A growing number of communities have launched initiatives to rehabilitate local drug users and protect their youth from addiction. Among them is Kham Moei in Si Sa Ket’s Kantharalak district, where Wattana, a former convicted drug pusher, is now helping fellow ex-convicts and addicts break the vicious cycle of narcotics.
“I have done my best to ensure they do not become repeat offenders,” Wattana said. “This was only possible because my community did not turn its back on me – they gave me a second chance.”
