CityNews – Tipaphon Tadsanasak of the Narcotic Crops Survey and Monitoring Institute reported that following the investigation from August 2012 to July 2013, it was found that there are currently around 1,659.08 rai of illegal opium farms in eight provinces throughout the north of Thailand, 355.35 more rai than last year.
Hmong men weighing their opium crop
In Chiang Mai there is around 1,300.20 rai of opium, mostly in Om Koi District (888.29 rai), Chiang Dao and Mae Taeng Districts, although soldiers have already destroyed 1,295.90 rai.
The destruction of the opium crop has been criticized in the past due to it being a valuable cash crop and a means of support for farmers all over northern Thailand and beyond. Opium is used to produce most of the legal painkillers used in medicine.
“The reason why people still grow opium probably is because there are still many addicts. The price is also attractive at 134,000 – 168,000 baht per ‘joi’ (1.6 kg.) or even more than 200,000 baht outside of season. The farming areas are also far away so it is hard for the government to find them all, and while you have a young generation wanting material goods you will have people making money from opium. Related departments must cooperate and fight this problem right now,” Tipaphon said.
? ? 27.26 ?
? ? ? ? ?.?.?. ? ? ? ? 2 ? ? ? 76 ? (Highland Unit) ? 2527 ? ? 2555/2556 ? 55 – ? 56 ? ? 8 ? ? 1 ? ? 27 ? 50 ? ? 2,573 ? ? 1,659.02 ? ? 2554-2555 ? 1,303.67 ? ? 355.35 ? ? 27.26 ? 80% ? ? ?.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ?.? ? 2555-2556 ? ? 2,006 ? 1,300.20 ? ? 9 ? 20 ? ? ? 348.66 ? 36.64 ? ?.? ? ? 1,560 ? ? 888.29 ? ? ?.? ?.? ? ?.3 ?.33 ? ?.?.? ? 1,295.90 ? ? 100%
“? ? ? ? ? ? 134,000-168,000 ? ? (1 ? ? 1.6 ?) ? ? 200,000 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?” ? ?