The Golden Triangle region, a large area covering Southern Myanmar, Laos, and Northern Thailand, is notorious for the production and trafficking of opium and other illicit drugs. Millions of people visit the area on the banks of the Mekong River where these 3 countries meet and, in earlier times, would have seen little more than a sign with the name "Golden Triangle" and rows of shops. In 1988, Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother visited the area and wished to initiate a program to educate people on the background of opium in the Golden Triangle and elsewhere in the world. While the Doi Tung Development Project has helped solve the problem of the supply of drugs, the Princess Mother recognized that the fight against drugs also needs to address the demand for drugs. The Hall of Opium was created to help reduce the demand for drugs through education.