2 January 2026, Transborder News reporters visited communities along the Mekong River on Thai-Lao border in several northeastern provinces following the release of water quality test results that raised alarm among riverside residents.
Earlier, the Office of Environmental and Pollution Control Region 9 (Udon Thani), Department of Pollution Control, reported that water samples collected from the Mekong in August 2025 showed arsenic levels exceeding Thailand’s standard limit of 0.01 milligrammes per litre at multiple locations.
The findings included 0.016 mg/L at Don Mak Kathan, Nong Chan village in Tha Kho subdistrict, Muang district of Nakhon Phanom; 0.019 mg/L behind Photharam temple in Tha Khrai village, Muang district of Bueng Kan; 0.017 mg/L in Hat Kham subdistrict, Muang district of Nong Khai; and 0.013 mg/L at Kaeng Khut Khu in Chiang Khan district of Loei.
The results triggered widespread concern among communities living along the Mekong, who depend on the river for daily life. Residents face growing uncertainty over potential toxic contamination in a river that has long sustained them, even though the Pollution Control Department has since stated that recent tests show water quality now within standard limits.
Despite these assurances, heavy metals are still being detected at worrying levels. For riverside communities, the Mekong is far more than a natural waterway. It underpins a way of life passed down through generations — from household water use and small-scale fisheries to riverbank farming and local economic activities. As contamination fears grow, villagers say many questions remain unanswered by relevant state agencies.
Watcharapong, a fisherman from Don Bok village in Rattanawapi district of Nong Khai, said he has relied on the Mekong since childhood. He said he had never previously been informed that the river could be at risk of toxic contamination linked to illegal mining in Myanmar, which has reportedly polluted the Kok and Sai rivers — tributaries flowing into the Mekong.
“If one day there is an order banning the use of Mekong water or stopping fishing altogether, it would seriously affect my life,” Watcharapong said. “Part of my income and my family’s food comes directly from fishing in this river.”
Nearby, Peerapat Phonchaiya, a riverside farmer in Tha Muang village, Rattanawapi district, said he became worried after learning of arsenic levels exceeding standards upstream, fearing the problem could soon spread to his area.
“I use Mekong water for both rice farming and growing vegetables. This river is the heart of my family’s way of life,” he said. “If the situation worsens to the point that water use is banned, agriculture — my only source of income — may have to stop.”
Pik Prasopchai, who grows household vegetables along the Mekong in Phan Lam village, Wisit subdistrict, Muang district of Bueng Kan, said reports of toxic discharges from mining operations in neighbouring countries flowing into the Kok River, a Mekong tributary, have created deep mistrust over water safety.
Although officials have said the Mekong’s strong flow helps dilute pollutants, her fears intensified after confirmation that arsenic above standard levels was found in Bueng Kan, close to her community.
“At that time, I didn’t even dare to step into the water,” she said. While authorities later confirmed the area was safe enough to resume normal activities, she said lingering anxiety remains.
Sathit, a fisherman and assistant village headman in Phan Lam village, said the entire community depends on the Mekong, from household use to primary livelihoods. Any future suspension of river use, he warned, would devastate local life and the village economy.
“Here, vegetable farming along the river is a main occupation, supplying markets from winter through summer when water levels recede,” he said. “With just three plots, a farmer can earn over 100,000 baht per season. During the rainy season, when riverside farming isn’t possible, people turn to fishing instead.”
Sathit added that fishing livelihoods are already under strain, as multiple dams along the Mekong have altered the river’s ecosystem, making fish far harder to find than in the past.
For many Mekong communities, the contamination scare has underscored long-standing vulnerabilities — and deepened calls for clearer answers, stronger monitoring, and genuine cross-border action to protect the river that sustains millions.
This is a translatio of original Thai article https://transbordernews.in.th/home/?p=44798
