Senior Lao military officers visit Doi Tung project in northern Thailand

CHIANG RAI, Dec 23 (TNA) - High-ranking Lao military officers have visited Doi Tung Development Project in Thailand’s northernmost province of Chiang Rai, initiated by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej with an aim to implement the ideas of the late Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra ( Princess Mother) to develop the mountainous area and improved the standard of living of hilltribes living in the region. The Lao military officers’ visit to the project in Mae Fah Luang district was aimed at adopting the late Princess Mother’s development project of which hilltribe people used to grow poppy earlier and now turn to growing strawberry and vegetables which have greatly changed their livelihoods in a bid to solve poverty and drug problems in landlocked Laos. Laos is designated as one of the poorest countries in the world by the United Nations. Led by Brigadier- General Buaxiang Champaphan, deputy chief of staff, the senior Lao military officers also attended a briefing on Doi Tung Development Project before viewing beautiful flowers grown within the late Princess Mother garden. The senior Lao military officers reportedly admired the hard work and devotion given by the late Princess Mother to the poor, uneducated hilltribes in her past effort in assisting them and turned the once poppy field into a fertile land and eventually helped them in earning extra money from growing cash crops while they were also able to stay away from illicit drug. (TNA)