Thailand: Tests show arsenic in river water; contamination allegedly linked to Chinese-owned gold mine in Myanmar
"From smog to arsenic: Outcry grows over cross-border pollution in Thailand" Thai PBS, 19 Apr 2025
Recent tests showing arsenic contamination in the Kok and Sai rivers, which flow from Myanmar, have left communities fearing for their lives.
(...) arsenic levels in Kok River samples taken at three locations in Chiang Mai’s Mae Ai district last month far exceeded the safe limit.
The source of the poisonous heavy metals is believed to be Chinese-owned gold mines upstream in Myanmar.
Academics and civil sector representatives in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces accuse the government of failing to systematically address cross-border pollution from Myanmar’s many open-pit mines.
The petition called on the premier to urgently tackle contamination of the two rivers, the source of tap water for 1.2 million people in Thailand and livelihoods for thousands of families.