Lord of the Golden Triangle -Reviews
“Andrew Drummond reported on the same region for an excellent Everyman documentary in 1988 and his new film – made for Granada by the newly formed newspaper subsidiary the Observer Film Company – shares the same ingredients of journalistic derring-do (‘by mule through the minefields of no-man’s land’, political analysis and cultural detail.” – Bill Pennifer, The Listener
“They could have learned much from the reporter of yet another examination of the Asian connection, Andrew Drummond. In ITV’s ‘Lord of the Golden Triangle an unadulterated documentary for once uncut with fiction and ultimately the good stuff, Drummond and his producer Kimi Zabhiyan scooped the vilest man in the world.”
Alan Coren, in the Mail on Sunday after criticising another documentary on tourist killer Charles Sobraj.
“The Observer’s TV arm gets offshoot gets off to a strong start with this ‘behind the enemy lines’ slice of reportage. Drummond peels back the political intrigue of Khun Sa’s freedm fighting talk…… As good an introduction to the global drugs trade as you could wish for.” - John Mount, City Limits.
“Khun Sa is a charming and ruthless villain, and as Andrew Drummond reports in his excellent documentary ‘Lord of the Golden Triangle’ Khun Sa’s activities cannot be divorced from Burma’s political situation,” - Peter Waymark, The Times
Drummond’s investigation drove harder at the Thai authorities who accept huge sums of money from the American Drug Enforcement Agency while tacitly allowing Khun Sa ready access to the country’s facilities, and at the DEA themselves, who refused to answer his questions. ‘As guests we prefer not to embarrass out hosts’. - Kevin Jackson, The Independent
“In Andrew Drummond’s documentary ‘Lord of the Golden Triangle’ we were shown a real life sample of this breed of drug tycoons. During one of the interviews Drummond’s crew secured with Khun Sa (seemingly at great risk – foreign journalists caught trespassing in the Golden Triangle are not usually patted on the back and given cups of tea-) he declared ‘I am a politician’. He certainly is and skilled in the arts of hypocrisy, evasiveness and self interest.” - Anne Billson, The Times
Reporter Andrew Drummond and a film crew risked their lives to show the extent of Khun Sa’s operation, his cruelty and charisma, and his astonishing ability to come and go as he pleases, despite being Thailand’s most wanted man.” - Rowena Mafam, Lancashire Evening Telegraph