THAI DRUG WAR INCREASES DEMAND FOR MAGIC

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Thailand's crackdown on drugs, during which
hundreds of suspected dealers have died, has boosted the market for amulets
believed to offer magical protection against bullets and other violence.

Metal or clay talismans, often picturing Buddhist symbols or monks and worn
on a neck chain, are a staple of Thai culture. But amulet sellers say
business has accelerated since Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's
government launched its war on drugs, seeking to stem an epidemic of
methamphetamine trafficking and abuse.

At least 500 drug suspects have died -- apparently killed by competing
dealers or police -- since the crackdown began Feb. 1.

"Amulet collection has become fashionable lately," Lek Pongpanich, a
56-year-old dealer at Bangkok's Ta Prachan market, said Thursday.

Many Thais wear amulets, but they are especially popular with people who
consider themselves at physical risk -- including police officers and
criminals. It is not unusual to see someone wearing a dozen or more at once.

The trade can be incredibly lucrative.

"There's nothing wrong with paying as much as 10 million baht ($232,000)
for an amulet, especially if it's made by a highly revered monk or has a
history of protecting the wearer from bullets or car crashes," said
Supachai Ruangsan-ngarmsiri, a well-known trader at Ta Prachan, one of the
city's oldest amulet markets.

Lek hunched over his wares while explaining their alleged origins and
powers to a group of men. After more than an hour, the men bought several
amulets for tens of thousands of dollars -- in cash.

"It's not often that we have customers like that," Lek said.

Asked how one might spot a criminal shopping for magical protection, one
collector, who identified himself only as Kometh, said, "They don't bargain
and tend to believe everything a seller says."

Serious collectors generally know the price range for each type of amulet
and will bargain, he said.

"But you know what? From my experience, a good talisman will not stay with
a bad guy for long. Something will happen in a way that the owner will lose
it or it just doesn't work on him," Kometh said.

Amulets also have a practical use for criminals beyond protection. When
traded on the underground market, experts say, they can be used to launder
money from illicit activities.