Between 1998 and 2010, the tiger population in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Burma/Myanmar dropped 70 percent, from 1,200 tigers in 1998 to 350 in 2010.

Source: AFP, “Mekong tiger population at ‘crisis point’: WWF,” Yahoo News, January 26, 2010.

Up to 30,000 dogs are illegally smuggled across borders from Thailand and into Vietnam and Laos to be sold for its meat. The dogs are sold by traffickers for an average of $10 a dog, thus creating an estimated $3.6 Million market.

Source:  Patrick Winn, “The Dog Meat Mafia: Corruption,” GlobalPost, November 27, 2009.

The economic value of drug trafficking in Laos is estimated to be between $350 Million to $700 Million.

The drug trafficking industry in Laos is estimated to be equal to 10 percent of the country’s GDP of $4 Billion.  The US State Department offers other industries to see the size of the trafficking industry.

Drug Trafficking: $525 Million

Mining: $252 Million

Tourism:  $234 Million

Source:  US Department of State, “2009 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report: Country Report Laos,” February 2009.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime released the potential value of opium production for the following countries based on farm-gate prices.

Myanmar:  $123 Million.

Laos:  $11.8 Million.

Thailand: $5.6 Million.

Source: UNODC, “Opium Poppy Cultivation in South East Asia,” December 2008.

Price is in US Dollars and represents the typical price of Marijuana in Asia.

Source:  UNODC, “World Drug Report 2009: Section 3.4 Prices, pages 215 to 234,” June 2009.

Prices are in US Dollars and represent the typical price of Methamphetamines in Asia.

Source: UNODC, “World Drug Report 2009: Section 3.4 Prices, pages 215 to 234,” June 2009.

Prices are in US Dollars and represent the typical price of Heroin in Asia.

Source: UNODC, “World Drug Report 2009: Section 3.4 Prices, pages 215 to 234,” June 2009.

In early 2009, the price for a kilo of opium sold out of the farm in Northern Laos (a portion of the Golden Triangle) was $1,400.

Source:  “Opium in the Gold Traiangle: Golden days,” The Economist, March 21, 2009.