Transborder News- On April 17, 2025, a coalition of civil society groups from Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, alongside academic experts, sent an open letter to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who also heads the national flood response center , calling for urgent government action to address the pollution crisis in the Kok and Sai Rivers.
The letter highlighted that the Kok and Sai Rivers, flowing from Shan State in Myanmar into a part of Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai, have become heavily turbid and contaminated with heavy metals, raising grave concerns among local communities. The rivers serve as primary water sources for more than 1.2 million people and support thousands of farming households, with water from these rivers used for agriculture and local livelihoods.
The letter further explained that extensive mining activities at the rivers’ origins, clearly visible via Google Earth, have led to widespread environmental degradation. According to Thailand’s Pollution Control Department (2023), there are 14 identified high-risk from mining sites along the Myanmar border, with five located near rivers that flow into Thailand. To date, there has been no systematic effort to address this cross-border pollution. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that exposure to just 0.05 milligrams of cyanide per kilogram of body weight could cause long-term health impacts.
“In September 2024, communities along the Kok and Sai Rivers suffered unprecedented floods and mudslides, leading to widespread devastation, loss of homes, livelihoods, and properties. Yet, comprehensive recovery measures have not been provided,” the letter noted. “With just a month remaining before the rainy season, there is still no clear government plan to prevent future disasters.”
The letter proposed several urgent government actions:
- Establish a cross-border pollution response task force, including government representatives, civil society, and academic experts, to address pollution at the source, along the rivers, and among affected communities, and to set up a water quality monitoring center in Chiang Rai.
- Publicly disclose and rehearse a systematic, inclusive, and effective flood response plan for the Kok and Sai River basins.
- Strengthen cooperation with Myanmar authorities and armed groups controlling mining areas to expand water sampling points along the rivers and trace sources of contamination.
- Create a transparent public communication system to keep local communities informed.
- Expand studies on cross-border environmental impacts, particularly land use practices that destroy ecosystems along the rivers.
- Initiate four-party negotiations among Thailand, Myanmar, ethnic armed groups, and China to collaboratively find responsible solutions.
Dr. Suebsakun Kidnukorn, a lecturer at Mae Fah Luang University, emphasized that the contamination of the Kok and Sai Rivers constitutes a case of transboundary pollution — where toxic sources in Myanmar are causing harm in Thailand. He noted that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra recently stated to the Thai media that dialogue with Myanmar was essential to resolving the issue.
“Today, with the Malaysian Prime Minister set to meet with Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing in Bangkok, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra should seize this opportunity to raise the issue with both leaders, urging them to understand the environmental damage caused by upstream mining in Myanmar,” Dr. Suebsakun said.
He added that Thailand’s leader must practice “environmental diplomacy” and integrate the issue of cross-border pollution into ongoing peace negotiations involving Myanmar’s ethnic armed groups.
Pianporn (Pai) Deetes, Secretary of the Hill Area and Community Development Foundation (HADF) and Regional Campaigns Director of International Rivers, also voiced concern, stating that both the Kok and Sai Rivers are transboundary waterways originating in Myanmar’s Shan State.
“The mining operations at the rivers’ sources are causing widespread suffering for communities and ecosystems downstream in Thailand. The government must urgently work to halt widespread mining and land clearing,” Pianporn said. “Beyond heavy metal contamination, mining worsens flood risks, with mudslides turning natural disasters into terrifying events for downstream residents.”
She added, “Authorities have warned local communities from touching water from the Kok and Sai Rivers. Yet, people still rely on tap water produced from these contaminated sources. Although provincial waterworks claim the tap water meets safety standards, consumers still feel unsafe. Despite official findings of heavy metal contamination and bans on river-related activities, there has been no clear communication about how the root cause will be addressed, let alone how to recover the severel
See original Thai article , https://transbordernews.in.th/home/?p=42194
