There were also concerns that the southern insurgency may be linked to the drug problem in the region.

ONCB secretary-general Sirinya Sitdhichai said yesterday the narcotics problem in the far South was worse than in other regions of the country. He said urine tests on the new draftees from the region found traces of drug use in 30 per cent of conscripts, compared to other regions where it was around 10 per cent.

“We found that youths in the South often use amphetamines and kratom leaves. The amphetamine pills usually come from neighbouring countries through the northern border, which are then transported to the South, while most kratom leaves are imported from Malaysia, where kratom is legal,” he said.

Thailand has banned the growing of kratom for more than 70 years.

“What we are even more concerned about is the relationship between the drug problems in the South and the insurgency. We cannot prove a direct connection to these two problems, but we found that the drug dealers usually used the chaotic situation during attacks to transport drugs, and in some cases the drug dealers even sponsored the insurgent activities,” Sirinya said.