Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone
Golden Triangle | |
|---|---|
| Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone | |
| Lao transcription(s) | |
| • Lao | ເຂດເສດຖະກິດພິເສດສາມຫຼ່ຽມຄຳ |
| Chinese transcription(s) | |
| • Simplified Chinese | 金三角经济特区 |
The skyline of Golden Triangle
Night view of Golden Triangle Kapok Star Hotel/China Town Phoukewlom Mountains Golf And Resort | |
| Coordinates: 20°20′24″N 100°6′18″E / 20.34000°N 100.10500°E | |
| Country | Laos |
| Prefecture | Bokeo province |
| Created | 2007 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Special Economic Zone under Lao Government and Hong Kong-registered company Kings Romans Group |
| Time zone | UTC+7 |
The Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (Lao: ເຂດເສດຖະກິດພິເສດສາມຫຼ່ຽມຄຳ, Chinese: 金三角经济特区; pinyin: Jīnsānjiǎo Jīngjìtèqū, abbreviated GTSEZ) is located along the Mekong River in the Ton Pheung District of Bokeo Province in Laos. The zone has an area of about 3,000 hectares and was created in 2007 by the Lao government together with the Chinese-owned Hong Kong-registered company Kings Romans Group with the hope of generating economic development.
At the centre of the zone is Kings Romans casino which attracts mostly Chinese visitors, and several hotels. It is part of a wider trend of casinos emerging in the Mekong region following the displacement of money laundering from Macao in 2014.
Since its commencement, it has gained a reputation of being a Chinese city rife with illegal activities such as drug, human and animal trafficking although Kings Romans' owner has denied the allegations while Lao authorities have also carried out some enforcement action following the reports. In January 2018, the United States Treasury Department sanctioned Kings Romans, its owner, Zhao Wei, and the "Zhao Wei Transnational Crime Organization," alleging the casino was used to launder money and traffic drugs, among other serious crimes. Despite this, consignments of drugs and precursors still transit near the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone.