Activists claim that one such perso

Activists claim that one such person is the mayor of Tha Rae, Saithong Lalun, who lives in a newly built mansion with colonnaded balconies and is said to profit directly from the industry. While he declined to be interviewed, citing past media interviews as causing the "suffering" of his constituents, a disgruntled politician who works closely with him will speak on condition of anonymity. "Of course the mayor knows the trade is going on: he's involved in it," he says. "The police and governor of Sakon Nakhon also have the capacity to end the trade, but they haven't.