In the 1960s, Thailand was the biggest opium producing country in the world. This article presents Thailand's evolving strategy in solving the problem of illicit poppy cultivation through poverty alleviation and long-term national development. It argues that the root causes of drug crop cultivation and proliferation are poverty, insecurity, and the lack of livelihood opportunities for marginalized communities. Thus, the problem is more a 'development problem' rather than a 'drug problem,' requiring the addressing of multi-dimensional human development facets in response to the geo-socioeconomic conditions of the area. The "Thai approach" is focused on improving the overall well-being of communities, before rule of law can be strengthened, and is very importantly part of long-term broader national development plans. A brief close-up is provided of an example of Thailand's long-term development project, the Doi Tung Development Project, to explain more concretely how Thailand's approach to solve drug crop production translated into practice. Some of these lessons learned from Thailand can and have been shared with the international community in shaping attitudes and policies to drugs and development that are more people-centered, balanced, and sustainable.

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International drug control remains a polarised and complex sphere of policy debate. Until relatively recently the predominant global response was one of repression and strict prohibition. Within this paradigm, small scale producers have been caught up in a war, with harsh choices between subsistence and heavy criminalisation by the state. This paper examines the complex issue of transition from illicit to licit in areas dominated by illicit drug economies. It begins by examining the international paradigm for drug control and how this is evolving to take greater account of sustainable development. In doing so, it looks to the 'New Drugs and Development School' as a paradigm for understanding these changes. It continues on to highlight the role of concepts such as economic thrivability and the utilisation of a nudge strategy to explain the needs of communities seeking to move beyond illicit crop cultivation. It concludes with an in-depth look at the development interventions in Northern Thailand, which succeeded in transitioning communities to sustainable licit livelihoods, and thereby seeks to draw some lessons from these.

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