00:03Jawa Jobo lies on the ground as a religious leader conducts a cleansing ceremony.
00:0870 years old, he is back on opium,
00:10driven to an escape from the intensely hard work on his coffee farm
00:14and from his marriage problems.
00:16He finds religion helps as he fights addiction.
00:19But there are many more need of help in this part of northern Thailand's hill country,
00:22right on the Myanmar border.
00:28This part of Asia, the so-called Golden Triangle,
00:31has a long history of opium production.
00:34For indigenous people here, it was a lifeline in a place where soil is poor
00:38and government control weak.
00:40But it's not just opium anymore.
00:42Hard drugs in general have exploded through the region,
00:45especially since neighboring Myanmar fell into civil war in 2021.
00:49The military and armed groups around the country stand accused of profiting from drugs,
00:53using them as a source of funding.
00:55And there's plenty of organized crime in the region, too.
01:02Methamphetamine is among the best sellers smuggled over the border into Thailand,
01:05where it takes a heavy toll.
01:07Researchers have found drug use tripled in Thailand's north over five years.
01:11Among the hardest hit are indigenous groups like the Lahu,
01:15around 300,000 people on both sides of this stretch of border.
01:20Some people face factors such as poverty,
01:23and secondly, the problem of limited access to agricultural land,
01:27because some have nothing to eat if they don't take on jobs transporting drugs.
01:33Many on the Thai side of the border don't speak the Thai language,
01:37further limiting their opportunities.
01:39Drugs are a fast and easy source of income,
01:42whether producing opium or working as a smuggler.
01:44But with supply comes addiction in the communities the drugs pass through.
01:53Thailand is trying to stop the flow.
01:56Captain Ketsopan Nupsiri is on the hunt for smugglers.
01:59He leads an army patrol through the misty border forest.
02:03Encounters, including clashes, are common.
02:06His unit battled traffickers four times in November alone.
02:09He sees more challenges ahead.
02:16The trend of drug trafficking into the country is likely to increase
02:19due to faster production methods using chemicals,
02:22whereas in the past, opium plants were used.
02:26But the battle against the tide of drugs in this part of Thailand
02:29isn't just about law enforcement.
02:31It's about helping the region's young people discover futures
02:34they may never have thought possible.
02:36NGOs like With Loving Hearts offer emotional support and Thai language lessons,
02:41and the results can be life-changing.
02:45Nineteen-year-old Sithikorn Palor dropped out of school
02:47and worked as a meth courier, just like the stepfather who raised him.
02:51But With Loving Hearts got to him in time.
02:54One of the co-founder's husbands was an especially big influence.
03:00He supported me a lot.
03:02I listened to what he said.
03:04At first, I'm usually someone who doesn't listen to anyone.
03:06But after Maitri spoke to me, I listened and stopped what I was doing.
03:11He's doing farm work for now and dreams of opening up a car repair shop.
03:15His modified motorcycle, built from spare parts, shows the promise he already has.
03:20People like him may only be a small part of a big picture.
03:24Along with those who help deliver drugs are a ballooning number of drug users.
03:29Nearly 300,000 people in Thailand's northernmost provinces
03:32used hard drugs at least once in 2024,
03:35according to research published by Chiang Mai University.
03:38But there are people here who are not about to see their hometowns overrun
03:41and who aren't willing to give up on people quite so easily.
03:45Yisun Pan, John Van Trieste, and Eric Gao for Taiwan Plus.
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