Hilltribe man arrested for allegedly having meth, opium

By The Sunday Nation

 

File photo

 

Troops and police raided the house of a hilltribe man in Chiang Mai’s Mae Chaem district yesterday morning and found 3,940 methamphetamine pills and 1.7 kilograms of raw opium.

The authorities arrested the house owner, Laoyi Saengsornthaweesak, 75, for allegedly having drugs in his possession with intent to sell. Authorities also found a homemade pistol and some ammunition at the house. The old man said he bought the drug from hilltribe people in another village in Chiang Mai’s Galyani Vadhana district for reselling. The drug was shipped to his house every 10 days, he said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30323641

 

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-08-13

For alledgedly having meth??? Did he have or did he not have? can´t be that hard to figure!

I've seen the opium poppies openly grown in the fields when I was there in 2013. Dont know which district it was but around where the royal palace is.

1 hour ago, barmatt said:

I've seen the opium poppies openly grown in the fields when I was there in 2013. Dont know which district it was but around where the royal palace is.

 

Odd, I haven't seen any poppies within sight of a paved road, less near a royal palace, in about 20 years or more.

20 years or more ago you would see heaps , but would have to hike a fair while to get to them. Some were planted amongst corn (harder to spot from the air )

So what actually happens to these people?

I never hear about the outcomes

They used to grow some poppies on Doi Pui, above Doi Suthep. There was also an Opium Museum where they told you how bad it was and then invited you to smoke some. 

Less than 20 years ago the tour operators in Chiang Mai were offering Trekking tours with over-nights in hill tribe villages. One of the activities listed was smoking opium with the village headman.  They don't list that any longer, but I wonder if it's still on offer?

On 8/13/2017 at 0:32 PM, Johpa said:

 

Odd, I haven't seen any poppies within sight of a paved road, less near a royal palace, in about 20 years or more.

It was on a day trip out of Chang Mai. We were taken to a hills village after a visit to the palace. The village itself was a tourist trap but we were allowed to wander through the fields thats where I noticed the poopies planted among the other vegetation.

1 hour ago, barmatt said:

It was on a day trip out of Chang Mai. We were taken to a hills village after a visit to the palace. The village itself was a tourist trap but we were allowed to wander through the fields thats where I noticed the poopies planted among the other vegetation.

Thats Doi Pui Hmong village garden, they have been ordered to stop growing them by the military goverment, the poppies were there just for tourists photos