THAILAND COULD BE 'CLEAN IN 6 TO 7 YEARS'

Chiang Mai _ The director of the Northern Narcotics Control Centre is
confident Thailand will be free of illegal drugs in six or seven years.

Thailand will also support drug suppression in neighbouring countries
through intelligence sharing and technical assistance.

Pitthaya Jinawat told a workshop he was certain Thailand would be free
of illegal drugs by 2010 or 2011, well before 2015, the year set by
the United Nations for Asian nations to become drug free.

Thailand will also provide training, intelligence and equipment to its
neighbours in Southeast Asia, especially Laos and Vietnam, for use in
fighting drugs.

Thailand has a much better reputation in the eyes of the global
community and will play a bigger role in tackling drug problems since
it was recently removed from the United States' list of drug-producing
and transit countries, he said, crediting the government's anti-drug
campaigns.

Mr Pitthaya said drug crops such as opium decreased last year,
covering less than 1,000 rai of land, down from about 8,000 rai the
three previous years.

The workshop also focused on the progress of a joint Thai-Burmese
project to provide development assistance to border villages and
combat the drug trade.

Third Army deputy commander Maj-Gen Prawit Klinthong, director of the
project, said it began in January with the aim to develop 20 villages
along the border of Tak, Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. The
project was progressing well, he said, though Burmese authorities were
still surveying villages to target under the project.