Vlogger documents open cocaine offers on Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Road

On August 18, travel vlogger GlobetrotterJulez posted a video documenting men openly offering cocaine on Bangkok's Sukhumvit Road while he was walking with his 9-year-old son. The vlogger had become concerned after being offered "Coke" on Sukhumvit the previous day while carrying his 4-year-old daughter, who thought the man meant Coca-Cola.

During the 30 to 40 minute walk, several men approached or tried to initiate conversations with him, with at least 10 interactions recorded in the footage. Despite the child's presence, the vlogger was approached by men offering cocaine, which did not deter them. While no drugs were shown changing hands, the repeated encounters raised questions about the trade on Sukhumvit Road.

Thailand is identified as a transit hub for regional cocaine trafficking, with domestic use remaining low but rising among affluent locals and foreign nationals. The Global Organised Crime Index describes cocaine as mainly smuggled into Thailand from Africa and South America, with profits flowing to local and foreign criminal networks.

The trade is characterised by "sporadic" enforcement and corrupt facilitation, despite strict penalties for cocaine trafficking in Thailand. The vlogger emphasized that his video was not directed at any race or individual but at the changing nature of Bangkok streets and the issue of cocaine trading.