US OFFICIAL DECLARES WAR ON DRUGS A SUCCESS

A senior US drug official yesterday hailed Thailand's war against drugs as
a success.

William J. Snipes, the regional director of the US Drug Enforcement
Administration, said the war on drugs has been effective.

``Whether that's a lasting effect, we'll have to wait and see. Temporarily,
we look at it as successful,'' he said.

Thailand had the will to eradicate drugs, but as evidenced in the United
States it was a problem that might never disappear altogether.

He was speaking at the Bang Pa-In industrial estate where seized drugs
worth about 2.9 billion baht were incinerated, including 19 million
methamphetamine pills, marijuana, heroin, ketamine liquid and ecstasy pills.

The government began a violent crackdown on drugs in February and plans to
announce the country drug free ahead of the King's birthday on Dec 5.