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Its border with China is one of the most dangerous in the world for trafficking of drugs and humans. In particular, the action has shifted to the Wa state in Myanmar. UN agencies have voiced concern that the casinos will launder drug money. The Chinese are running the show in this enclave, which is far removed from the poor Laos beyond its borders. вЂњIn the SEZ, everything from currency to cuisine is Chinese,' writes Tom Fawthrope in South China Morning Post. There are nightclubs, hotels, and even an international airport planned.

It will also feed the insatiable appetite for gambling in China. As gambling is banned in Thailand, the casinos will attract visitors from the mainland.

Gambling is the new drug in this 3,000-hectare Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ).ДЇunded by ChinaвЂ™s Kings Romans group, this multibillion-dollar project has been carved out of communist Laos. In the distance you can see construction cranes dotting the skyline. However, thereвЂ™s more to come on the Laotian side, where we disembark.ДЄfter a cursory immigration process (no passports required), we walk into a golden domed complex that has shopping (along with a KFC!) and is filled with Chinese tourists. Skimming over the water, we enter Myanmar waters in a few minutes and view a large casino on the shore. You sense murky interests at play here and the need for discretion.ДЄ young lady photographs us as we gingerly step into a small high-powered boat. Other governments, including IndiaвЂ™s, are keeping a watchful eye. The Chinese have recently set up an observation centre just a little downstream from where we were staying. Given that much of the drugs finds its way to the US, the Americans have a large presence in this seemingly tranquil town. ThereвЂ™s a dedicated section that talks about large opium вЂњfactories' in Patna and Ghazipur.Д«eyond the touristy stuff, a lot is obviously happening below the surface in Chiang Saen, one of the oldest enclaves in Thailand. The museum also reminds us that India was the largest producer of legal opium in the 1800s (Patna, Bengal and Malwa served up the top grades).

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There are also helpful demonstrations of how to make opium, and a collection of pipes.

It has a bizarre, dark, long tunnel with anguished human figurines in the walls showcasing the effect of the drug on the human mind. ItвЂ™s quite underwhelming, apart from a large museum dedicated to opium. Elevated by blaring 1970s rock, we reach the Golden Triangle after a stunning drive through a longer, hilly route from Chiang Mai, 300km away.Д¬hiang Saen has converted its infamous tag into a cheesy tourist spectacle, with day trips, boats rides and a variation of a photo booth to mark the Golden Triangle. Our small group is a mixture of old friends and new, marking a midlife moment with a quick weekend road trip. Many of the drug syndicates have switched to lab-produced crystal meth and other synthetic highs. One canвЂ™t say the same about Laos and Myanmar, though.ДЄccording to a recent United Nations report, drug production has surged in the Golden Triangle. However, now it appears to have cleaned up its act (a big sign at the Golden Triangle makes a sharp if grammatically-incorrect point: вЂњDeath sentence is for person smuggles in drugs'). Before the 1980s, Thailand was the big transit hub for heroin.