At the end of 2012, when backpacking through SEA I skipped the Islands and headed north. I ended up in Pai, a few hours north of Chiang Mai. I spent New Years there and celebrated 2013 coming in with a great group of travelers I met up there. I couldn't imagine a full moon party being more fun than that week I spent in Pai. That was probably the best week out of my entire 3.5 month trip.

I guess change ruins things for a lot of people, which is quite understandable. In 15 years people will be on Khmer4... errr. CEO.com talking about how Phnom Penh just ain't what is was back in 2014... you know, the good ol days.

I am sure in the 1980s there were people talking about how Thailand or whatever just wan't the same as it was back in 72'

Khao San Road SHUDDER.
The island used to be quiet local stuff, then the full moon, they now have a volunteer squad numbering in the dozens that walks the beach looking for death waiting to happen. Passed out ppl, etc.
There is a good size warehouse filled with dozens of beautifully decorated long boxes. Refridgerated coffins for the bodies they will invariably find on the beach in the morning. One can see how a junta would want to put a stop to things like this.
The "treks". I listened as backpacker kiddies told of going on these...walking for a few hours at most then coming to a Disneyesque quaint native village for the nights stop. Almost immediately guys came out of the bushes offerning hash and opium. They laughed talking about the big chunks of hash they had to throw away before boarding the train back to Bkk, worried they'd get popped. Of course to Mom and Dad they told of the lovely cultural experience they had.
This too would be something a junta should want to end. Oddly their devil Thaksin had guys out in the night rounding up and disappearing thousands of suspected drug dealers.
Ridding Thailand of party til you puke (on some locals frontage) idiots would be a GOOD THING methinks. As a kid, we always had the good sense to do that at or near home
And NEVER just for the sake of getting deadly fucked UP. This seems to be very popular with the Iphone gen.