BANGKOK — The Thai province of Suphan Buri plans a mass ritual next week to curse drug traffickers, a government spokesman said today.
Nuttavood Prasertsuvarn, a member of parliament from the western province, said Suphan Buri Gov. Wipat Kongmalai would lead an expected 20,000 people to curse makers and traffickers of narcotics.
The ritual, to be held at a statue of a Thai king who killed his Myanmar counterpart in an elephant battle in 1592, would feature a gun salute designed to symbolize hurting traffickers.
Fighting drugs, especially methamphethamines, has been one of the top priorities of the government since it came to power at the start of the year.
Thai authorities estimate the number of stimulant tablets coming into the country will reach 800 million this year, up from 500 million in 2000. To make the curse effective nationwide, Nuttavood said, he will try to get the ritual broadcast by state-owned Channel 11.