KHUN SA aka Zhang Qifu
The Opium Warlord / Shan Freedom Fighter
Chronological history
- Born 17 February 1934 in Loi Maw in the Mong Yai State
- Named Zhang Qifu. Changed his name to Khun Sa.
- He had a Chinese father and a Shan mother
- Originally trained as a soldier in the Kuomintang (KMT) Chinese Nationalist Army, but broke way & formed his own militia
- Khun Sa reigned in the Golden Triangle 1960s and 1970s
- 1963 operated freely at the head of his own militia of 10,000–20,000 men & claimed to be fighting for the independence of the Shan people
- 1964 went to live in Hin Taek for a year
- 1967 lost the famous 1967 Opium War battle for the opium caravan at Ban Khwan in Laos, opposite Chiang Saen.
- 1969 he was arrested & imprisoned in Rangoon.
- 1973 his men abducted two Russian doctors & exchanged them for Khun Sa’s release
- 1974 Khun Sa released from prison in Myanmar
- 1976 settled in Hin Taek
- Khun Sa built schools, a hospital, water & electricity supplies to help the villagers of Hin Taek
- 1978 Khun Sa proposed a deal with the Carter government in the USA: to sell it 500 tons of raw opium over a five-year period for $30 million. The deal was rejected.
- 1980 the Thai prime minister, Prem Tinsulanonda, ordered the air force to bomb his base but failed to remove him.
- 1982 the Thai army, led by Gen. Chavalit Yongchaiyut, launched a large-scale assault with 800 Thai Border Patrol Police. The battle lasted three days & only with air support were Khun Sa’s forces defeated. Killed in the battle were 51 of Khun Sa’s men and 16 Thai soldiers.
- Khun Sa retreated to Myanmar.
- Set up a new camp in Burma; first on Doi Larng near Fang, then at Homong on the Burmese side of the border, north of Mae Hong Son.
- In 1996 he surrendered to authorities in Myanmar and retired to Yangon.
- Hin Taek was renamed Thoed Thai
- Khun Sa died in Rangoon Sunday, 28 October 2007. He is survived by three daughters and five sons.
- There was a Memorial Service for Khun Sa in Thoed Thai on 7th November 2007.
Khun Sa’s old camp has been turned into a museum for tourists to appreciate some of the history of the Golden Triangle.
You can’t claim to have done the Golden Triangle until you’ve been to Thoed Thai & seen Khun Sa’s old camp / headquarters
Take a look at the Khun Sa Camp – Museum Photo Gallery for more images.
Don’t miss it! Thoed Thai is a wonderful diverse cultural experience with many different hill tribe people. The town is remote, but also quite safe, very traditional, and accessible by good asphalt roads.
- To find your way to Thoed Thai the best map to use is the GT Rider Golden Triangle Guide map.
- In Thoed Thai, highly recommend stay at the Rim Taan Guesthouse; one of the true hidden gems in North Thailand.
