ari
shops in Bangkok since 1907 has been reduced from 900 to 700, and it is the intention of the Government to issue a Decree limiting the maximum number of opium shops to that existing on the 16th November 1908. When the new system is in force, it is expected that the number of opium shops in Bangkok will be reduced to 200.
The final step will be, in the mind of His Majesty's Government, the registration of habitual smokers and the prevention of new ones, as well as the establishment of hospitals for curing these habitual smokers. Naturally this step will be taken only when the Royal Government has satisfied itself of the best method of procedure. Much also depends on the information given to the International Commission by representatives of such countries as have a fuller knowledge and wider experience of the subject.
The revenue deprived from opium, compared with the total revenue of the kingdom, is shown in Annexe No. 9. (1902-1908).
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ANNEXE III.
STATEMENT BY THE SIAMESE DELEGATES TO THE INTERNATIONAL OPIUM CONFERENCE AT THE HAGUE,
DECEMBER 1911 to JANUARY 1912.
At the International Opium Commission of Shanghai, in 1909, the Siamese delegates presented a statement on the opium question as it affects Siam, accompanied by annexes containing statistics, certain Siamese laws, Decrees and Regulations, and an extract from a speech of His late Majesty delivered in September 1908.
It appears unnecessary to cover now the same ground. In presenting therefore, for the information of the International Opium Conference, in accord- ance with their Resolution of December 8th, 1911, a report in writing on the present state of the opium traffic in Siam, the delegates for Siam will confine their remarks to the progress made since the date of the Shanghai Commission. They will repeat, however, that Sian has accepted the policy of controlling and ultimately suppressing the vice of opium smoking; but that any action in furtherance of this policy must be gradual, since it ie matter of serious importance to the country they represent. If an attempt were made to put a sudden stop to the sale of opium, the only result would be an increase of smuggling, with an inevitable loss of revenue to the Government, while, in fact, the amount of smoking would hardly be effected.
RAW OPIUM. So far as concerns the international supply of opium,
Siam may be regarded as a non-producing country,
There is a very small production in the northem hills, at an elevation of
over 1000 metres, by distant hill tribes for their own consumption; but cultiva-
tion of this kind is hardly within the scope of this Conference since it cannot bear comparison with the cultivation in British India, China and some other
countries. Such as it is, the Siamese Government is prepared to control it.
PREPARED OPIUM. Raw opium is imported into Siam to be turned
into prepared opium by the Government factory in Bangkok for smoking purposes.
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