When Billy Idol was shot with a tranquilizer dart by Thai Army soldiers.....

[daydreamer]

It seems that Thailand brings out repressed urges to be wild in many visitors to the Kingdom.

[unicorn]

One would have thought that a knock on the door by armed policemen would do the trick. I've never heard of "tranquilizer darts" on humans, so I asked the question to Google's AI:

AI Mode

what is used in tranquilizer darts for humans

 

 

Tranquilizer darts are 

not used for humans in law enforcement or civilian contexts due to extreme medical risks. While fictional media depicts instant unconsciousness, real-world chemical immobilization is dangerous and slow. 

However, specific substances have been used in medical research or hypothesized for chemical restraint: 

• Carfentanil: An ultrapotent synthetic opioid (approximately 100 times stronger than fentanyl) that has been used in human medical imaging as a radiotracer at extremely low doses (less than 7 μg). It is also famously linked to the 2002 Moscow theater hostage crisis, where a carfentanil-based gas was used, resulting in over 120 deaths due to respiratory failure.
• Diazepam (Valium) and Midazolam (Versed): These benzodiazepines are occasionally mentioned in theoretical or historical discussions regarding human sedation.
• Ketamine: Often used in veterinary medicine for sedation, it has been explored in emergency medical settings for "chemical restraint" of agitated patients (typically via manual injection, not darts).
• Curare: Historically, indigenous groups in South America used curare, a plant-derived alkaloid (active ingredient: d-tubocurarine), on darts for hunting. It works by causing muscle paralysis rather than sedation, leading to death by asphyxiation if the respiratory muscles are affected. 

Also, while he may have been injected with a sedative to subdue him, he probably wasn't shot with a "tranquilizer dart":

 Did the Thai military use tranquilizer darts on Billy Idol?

AI Overview

No, the Thai military did not use tranquilizer darts on Billy Idol. While the rock star has had a rebellious career, there is no credible evidence or documented record of such an incident occurring. The widely reported, severe incident in his life was a 1990 motorcycle accident in Hollywood that nearly cost him a leg

. 

Key Details Regarding the Myth:

• Source of Rumor: The story is likely an urban legend or exaggerated rumor.
• Actual Events: Billy Idol is known for his 1990 motorcycle accident in which he ran a stop sign, resulting in a serious leg injury that required a steel rod.
• Lack of Evidence: Official biographies and news archives from his tours in Asia do not contain reports of him being subdued by the military with tranquilizers. 

https://www.loudersound.com/features/we-went-there-to-have-a-whale-of-a-time-a-sex-holiday-really-but-it-got-out-of-hand-billy-idol-on-the-thailand-vacation-that-ended-with-a-visit-from-the-army

"...According to legend, the army were forced to shoot Idol with a tranquilliser dart, although a more believable version of the story has him being injected with a sedative by a nurse. Either way, Idol almost certainly got off lightly, with Thai authorities able to enforce long prison sentences in the country's notorious prison system for those caught in possession of narcotics...."

[PeterRS]

The magazine Classic Rock has Billy Idol's own version of the story. It is a fuller version of the link provied by @unicorn

"We went there to have a whale of a time – a sex holiday, really. But it got out of hand": Billy Idol on the Thailand vacation that ended with a visit from the army

By 1989, Billy Idol was out-of-control. 1983's Rebel Yell had turned the former Generation X man into a star, and 1986's Whiplash Smile, while being greeted less warmly by the critics, was still a commercial success. 

His personal life however, was in turmoil. Perri Lister, the mother of his son, had flown back to England the previous year after catching the singer cheating, and while the two tried to patch things up, Idol was caught in a cycle of indiscretion and depression, his bad behaviour matched only by the despair he felt about his inability to maintain the relationship.  

He also fell victim to the rock'n'roll lifestyle, and all that entails. He desperately needed a break, one that would sever the supply lines. And a friend, Harry Johnson, had the answer: a trip to Thailand.   

"We went there to have a whale of a time – a sex holiday, really," Idol told Classic Rock. "But it got out of hand. Bad things started to happen."

It had started perfectly innocently.  "We were just going to drink and not take any drugs," Idol remembered. "After about a week, drinking all the time was getting really heavy so we asked this cab driver if he could get us some blow. He went off and came back with this thin vial. It was six or seven inches long. We looked at each other, like, 'What do you think this is?' Because cocaine doesn’t usually come in a long thing like that. My friend put his finger in it and had a taste [mimes gingerly dabbing a sample on to his tongue]. It wasn’t blow."

You can probably guess what happened next. It was heroin. And it was some of the strongest heroin around. The only trouble was that we’d got a lot of Valiums and heavy tranquillisers. I don’t do well on tranquillisers at all. It just made me change personalities completely. I would become violent and start smashing things; I’d been lifting weights so I was massively powerful. I think we went through a few hotels like that before the Thai army escorted me out of the country on a gurney [laughs]."

According to legend, the army were forced to shoot Idol with a tranquilliser dart, although a more believable version of the story has him being injected with a sedative by a nurse. Either way, Idol almost certainly got off lightly.

 https://www.loudersound.com/features/we-went-there-to-have-a-whale-of-a-time-a-sex-holiday-really-but-it-got-out-of-hand-billy-idol-on-the-thailand-vacation-that-ended-with-a-visit-from-the-army

He got off lightly? He should have been jailed for years! But then tourism was just really taking off in Thailand at that time and I am sure neither the hotel nor the Tourism Authority wanted that sort of additional publicity. Yet the punk Idol is still alive and still singing!