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Part 5. Thailand

Contents

Abbreviations

ONCB             Office of the Narcotics Control Board
NCSMI            Narcotic Crops Survey and Monitoring Institute
BPP              Border Patrol Police

Acknowledgements

The following persons contributed to this report:

UNODC does not provide support for opium poppy monitoring activities in Thailand. The findings of this report are entirely those of the institutions acknowledged above.

Preface

Opium poppy cultivation remains a serious problem in Thailand although the opium poppy cultivation is only found in the mountainous area of eleven provinces of the north and one province in the northeast. The main opium poppy cultivation areas are located in Chiang Mai, Tak and Chiang Rai provinces.

In 2005-2006, the opium poppy cultivation situation has been under control, even though the result of the survey pointed out that the opium poppy cultivation area increased to 157.44 hectares (+32% compared to last year). The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), which has conducted annual opium poppy cultivation surveys since 1979, continues to monitor the opium poppy cultivation situation with the objective to confirm these results and the accuracy of the survey, which will be used for an effective opium poppy eradication campaign in accordance with the overall opium poppy cultivation control strategy.

The ONCB would like to express its appreciation to the Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) of the US Embassy in Bangkok, the Government of France, the Royal Thai Army Region 3, the Border Patrol Police Region 3, the Royal Thai Police Aviation Division, the Provincial/District Operation Centres for Combating Drugs, the Thailand International Development Cooperation (TICA) and also the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (public organisation) for their cooperation and assistance in the endeavour. I hope this report will serve as a useful tool in broadening the understanding on the seriousness of problems caused by illicit opium poppy cultivation.

Police Lieutenant General Krisna Polananta Secretary-General Narcotics Control Board Thailand

Fact Sheet - Thailand Opium Survey 2006

1 Introduction

When in 1967 a United Nations team conducted the first opium survey in Thailand that included field checks, it estimated the total production in the country at 145 tons. Although this may have been too high because it relied on spot checks and estimates, concerned Thai leaders then began to consider drug control a priority.

In 1969, Thai efforts were pioneered by King Bhumibol Adulyadej who introduced a crop replacement project after the establishment of his new Phuping Palace in Chiang Mai adjacent to a opium poppy-growing village on the mountain Doi Pui. He promoted a long-term and cooperative approach to opium control that encouraged finding income generation alternatives rather than law enforcement.

When the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control was established in 1971, it initiated a supply reduction project in northern Thailand that adopted a crop replacement approach. In this and several subsequent projects for the next decade, this approach was adapted to the northern Thai highlands and the ethnic minorities growing opium poppy there. The projects devised agricultural techniques that could be introduced to find alternatives to opium production and eventually reduced opium poppy cultivation.

The Thai government consolidated drug control agencies in the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) that was established in 1976. In 1978, and with help over the years from the United Nations and the United States of America, it began conducting surveys of opium cultivation. The increasingly sophisticated tools that ONCB used were challenged by ingenious farmers. Using techniques that were sometimes adopted from development projects, such as intercropping opium poppy with other crops to conceal the poppy, growing during the off-season, and irrigation, ONCB faced increasing difficulties in finding the fields.

By 1984, Thai and United Nations officials had become convinced that sufficient alternatives to opium cultivation existed in villages where projects had started over a decade earlier. Also, although Thai government agencies were not yet eradicating opium poppy fields, various indirect methods to convince growers to reduce production were making an impact.

When opium poppy eradication began in 1985, ONCB estimated that production in the country had declined to 33 tons. After the Border Patrol Police and other enforcement agencies destroyed opium poppy fields in villages close to Chiang Mai, production fell by approximately 50% to about 17 tons in 1986. This resulted in Thailand becoming a net importer of opium, a situation that has continued until the present.

Since then, opium poppy cultivation declined significantly despite the best efforts of growers. In some places, such as in Tak Province on the Myanmar border, farmers triple crop opium poppy to evade law enforcement officials. According to ONCB estimates, from a cultivated area of about 1,100 hectares in 2000-2001, this fell to about 120 hectares in 2004-2005, following eradication efforts. ONCB estimated that the production following eradication was less than 140 kilograms.

Map 15: Opium poppy cultivation in Thailand, 2004 - 2006

[twice the size]

2 Findings

The opium surveys in Thailand are implemented by the Narcotic Crops Survey and Monitoring Institute (NCSMI) of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB). This report present their findings.

2.1 Opium poppy cultivation

To estimate the area under opium poppy cultivation in Thailand, the ONCB conducts annual surveys combining the interpretation of satellite imagery with a helicopter survey. The aerial survey is supported by helicopter units from the Royal Thai Police Aviation Division and the Royal Thai Army. The 2006 aerial survey covered all 76 potential highland target areas. GPS, satellite image maps, digital cameras and video cameras are important tools and equipment in the operation. All data were analysed in a geographic information system.

In 2006, the opium survey estimated that 157 hectares of opium was still cultivated in North of Thailand, compared to 119 ha in 2005. Opium poppy cultivation was found in 10 northern provinces. Opium poppy cultivation has been decreasing since 1984 when there was an estimated 8,777 ha cultivated in Northern Thailand.

Figure 37: Opium poppy cultivation in Thailand (hectares), 1985 - 2006

[twice the size]

Opium poppy and cabbage on a hillside, Chiang Mai province [twice the size]

2.2 Opium poppy eradication

Opium poppy eradication is part of the narcotic crops control measures of the Royal Thai Government. The areas of responsibility are shared by various Royal Thai government entities as follow:

Figure 38: Eradication by government entities (hectares), 2006

[twice the size]

Eradication increased by 40 % in 2006 compared to 2005 and net cultivation after eradication decrease by 52% to only 4 hectares. Since 2002, more than 90% of the opium poppy crop surveyed was reported to be eradicated and 97% were eradicated in 2006.

Opium poppy eradication [twice the size]

Figure 39: Opium poppy eradication in Thailand (hectares), 1985 - 2006

[twice the size]

2.3 Opium yield and potential production

The national opium yield was estimated at 15.65 kg/ha, based on capsule measurement in the field. Good rainfall, use of irrigation and fertilizer contribute to obtain the best opium yield in the region. Multiple cropping of opium poppy is practiced in Thailand and has increased from three crops a year in 1995 to six crops a year in 2006. Multiple cropping is often practiced by farmers to avoid eradication. Based on the extent of opium poppy cultivation surveyed before eradication and the average opium yield, an estimate of 2.4 metric tons of opium could potentially be produced in 2006.

Irrigated opium poppy field, northern Thailand [twice the size]

Figure 40: Changes in the opium poppy crop calendar in Thailand, 1992 - 2006

[twice the size]

Map 16: Potential opium production by province in Thailand (kg), 2004 - 2006

[twice the size]

2.4 Opium farm-gate and retail prices

Average opium farm-gate prices in Thailand are the highest in the Golden Triangle region. At US$1050 per kilogramme, the price is relatively stable. This is due to the fact that in Thailand the price of opium is controlled by middleman and "drug financiers", who sponsor the cultivation, rather than by the effects of market supply and demand. This explains why opium prices remained at the same level since 2003 in spite of a high demand for opium. Opium poppy farmers rely relatively little on opium income for their livelihood as they seldom get the full amount in cash from middle man or drug financiers who provide them with other incentive such as rice, clothes, and fertilizer.Opium can fetch up to US$2,100 per kg in retail and is mainly purchased by local addicts.

2.5 Opiates abuse

Opium consumption is closely linked to opium production, which is very limited in North Thailand. Opiates addiction is more a urban problem than a rural problem in Northern Thailand. In 2003, 600 opiate and 1400 heroin abusers were reported. The data provided on registered number of opium addicts should be interpreted with caution as there might be reluctance of addict to register into national programmes. There is no indication of changes in those figures in 2006.

Four stages of opium poppy on a single field [twice the size]

Map 17: Opium prices in Thailand (US$), 2006

[twice the size]

3 Methodology

The 2006 opium cultivation survey took place from August 2005 until April 2006. A total of 76 potential opium growing areas were targeted using both ground and aerial survey techniques.

Ground survey Only high density areas were surveyed through this method due to the difficult terrain. Ground survey team also collected information on cultivation technique, price and yield through interviews with farmers and other key informants. After reaching an opium poppy field, the survey team collected information on location comparing GPS data with topographic maps. The information was later transferred to the survey database system for verification by aerial survey.

Aerial survey

Helicopter survey [twice the size]

The aerial survey was supported by helicopter units from Royal Thai police Aviation Division and the Royal Thai Army with a total of 126 hours in 63 flights The aerial survey covered all 76 potential highland target areas with an emphasis on areas with high density opium poppy cultivation. For each aerial survey flight, satellite imagery (both SPOT and Landsat images) were compared with still and video photo images taken from the helicopter. Upon return to the ONCB computer centre in Chiang Mai, the image processing system processed the data which was used to plot the locations and size of the opium poppy fields. Calculations were then loaded into a geographic information system. All data were analysed in the geographic information system.

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