Beyond its position in the Golden Triangle, Ton Pheung has emerged as a regional center for the sex trafficking of minors and the trade in exotic animals, including tigers, moon bears, pangolins and elephants. Also, exotic animal parts are used as ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine, served in restaurants, or sold as souvenirs in the form of rhino horns and ivory trinkets. A 2015 report published by the British NGO Environmental Investigation Agency described the zone as a veritable "open-air market" of endangered species.

<https://www.worldcrunch.com/world-affairs/at-thailand-laos-border-a-shadow-economy-thrives