CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION
ANUCHA CHAROENPO
PATTAYA : Thai and Lao officials have agreed to step up border patrols and increase law enforcement to crack down on drug traffickers, who are now using new routes into Thailand from Burma and Laos. The agreement signed by Justice Minister Sompong Amornwiwat and Lao Minister to the President's Office Soubanh Srithirath was reached at the end of a four-day meeting on cross-border drug cooperation and control in Pattaya on Thursday.
The two countries agreed to jointly set up nine border liaison offices to detect and prevent the transportation of drugs from the Golden Triangle which borders Thailand, Laos and Burma. The area has been notorious for its opium poppy plantations.
Chartchai Suthiklom, an adviser to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, said drug officials were worried about cross-border trafficking, especially along the Mekong river.
Mr Chartchai said officials had also exchanged information on drug targets and fugitives and agreed to increase law enforcement and carry out joint investigations so more suspects still at large could be brought to justice.
He declined to go into detail about the number of drug suspects wanted by the two countries.
Mr Chartchai admitted the drug situation, especially methamphetamine trafficking from production bases in ''a neighbouring country'' into Thailand, was worsening.
''Increased drug cooperation between the two countries is needed because no single country can solve its drug problem in isolation,'' he said.
The government had given about one million baht in funds to Laos' Champassak Drug Rehabilitation Centre. The government also agreed to help provide drug rehabilitation training for more Lao officials
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