From a socio-economic development point of view, the goal to have hilltribes unilaterally reduce and abandon opium cultivation and consumption was proven to be a failure because the hilltribes were accustomed to being pardoned by state officers. Furthermore, opium was referred to as a necessary drug for common every day use, a last refuge of their ancestors and an item of cultural importance. With the national army enforcing the eradication of opium cultivation and a rigorous suppression of the narcotics trade and trafficking, the number of opium addicts among hilltribe peoples decreased from 12% to 3% during the last decade. With low supply, consumption was low. With no supply, there was no consumption. From the study results, the author recommends rigorous and continuous opium suppression as well as the promotion of the cultivation of temperate and semi-temperate vegetables and fruits. The practice could create a bond between state officers and the hilltribes to cooperate in production techniques and marketing. From the personal experience of the author, it was found that working closely together enabled the hilltribes to understand and accept Thai culture better. Officers, in turn, had better guidelines to convince the hilltribes to participate responsibly in development.