The Golden Triangle of Northern Thailand is infamous for its history of being a major production centre of opium. The tribal communities of the region stretching from Burma through Thailand to Laos cultivate opium as a source of income. Today they have been encouraged to farm other agricultural produce. The opium income also funded the Shan Seperatist Rebels against the Myanmar Military Junta.
We managed to visit one of the two opium museums found in the district. The first section presented a description of the differrent tribal communities of the region - some of the villages of which pakdokter had earlier visited on the second day in Chiang Rai.
Another section exhibited drawings and pictures of the opium farms followed by tools to smoke the opium and instruments to weigh the 'precious' commodities.
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