Thesis (M.A.)--Chulalongkorn University, 2009

Drug trafficking in the Golden Triangle region of Burma, Laos, and Thailand is an evolving threat. The trends have continued to change in the Golden Triangle and the threat continues to grow. The threat from the Golden Triangle threatens the stability of Burma, Laos, Thailand, and the United States. The United States has been involved in the region for quite some time. Ironically, the involvement of United States in the region escalated the drug problem and brought the drug problem to the United States. The drug problem in Southeast Asia was minimal before the beginning of the Cold War. After the end of World War II, the United States increased support for different groups that were fighting against the spread of Communism in Southeast Asia; these various groups used opium to finance their insurgencies. Opium became a source of income used to buy food, weapons, and equipment. Eventually, the insurgent groups transitioned from fighting communism and focused of drug trafficking. With the increase of United State troops in Vietnam and Thailand, a new market for heroin was opened up. The GI heroin boom, led to the creation of the Golden Triangle. After United States troops went back to the United States, the heroin problem followed and became a major threat to the United States. The United States then became involved in Southeast Asia in a different role. The post Vietnam War role of United States government was to fight the new War on Drugs. As opium and heroin were gradually reduced in Burma, Laos, and Thailand, a new threat evolved in the mid 1990’s. The new threat was Amphetamine Type Stimulants (ATS). ATS proved to be a much larger problem in the region and more of a problem than opium or heroin ever were. ATS continues to be the major threat in the Golden Triangle region and the United States.