Speed

Speed-for-cars business takes a dip in border town

Following crackdowns by Bangkok and, most recently, Rangoon, smuggling of automobiles from Thailand in exchange for drugs has significantly fallen, said several sources from Tachilek, opposite Chiangrai province.

"Most Thai dealers are happy with cash payment," said a source who operates a gas station in Tachilek. "There is understandably less risk there, so the Chinese purchasers are paying more yaba (methamphetamine) to attract the salesmen."

Before the crackdown by Rangoon authorities on middlemen with connections to Aye Zaw Win, ex-dictator Ne Win's son-in-law who had been under confinement since 7 March, they used to pay 35,000-40,000 pills for a "Strada" Mitsubishi, 40,000-45,000 for a "Tiger" Toyota and 100,000-120,000 for a "Prado" Toyota.

More than a hundred vehicles have been seized in Tachilek, most of them from Lao Jiang of Mongyawng, known to be the main distributor for Aye Zaw Win. Since then, the remaining trucks without official licenses have been moving out to Panghsang in the north via the Mekong and Soplwe in the Special Region No. 4 of Lin Mingxian. "The trip cost them about RMB 7,000 per vehicle in unofficial payment to the officials along the way," said a middleman in Tachilek.

The result was a huge surplus of motor vehicles in Panghsang, the Wa capital, opposite Menglien in Yunnan province. "The current joke there is 'you can borrow my car anytime but not my money'," said a source laughing.

The Chinese have also stopped buying cars coming through Burma. "There are still a few buyers along the border, but the fact is that the cars they buy can be driven only in the border areas. Using smuggled vehicles is strictly prohibited deep inside China," said the source.