Thailand: Gov't convened emergency meeting in light of public fear over arsenic and heavy metal contamination in river caused by gold mining in Myanmar
"Trouble beneath the calm surface: Kok River in the North brings arsenic threat to locals from gold mines across the border" Bangkok Post, 6 May 2025
In Huai Chomphu, farmers noticed their crops wilting despite daily watering. By early 2025, laboratory tests confirmed their worst fears: the river was contaminated with high levels of arsenic.
Director-general of the Department of Health [...] confirmed the presence of both arsenic and lead in the river and warned that heavy metals pose serious health risks to the local population.
[...] environmental groups and academic researchers point to 23 suspected gold mining sites operating without rigorous environmental impact assessments (EIAs).
The ripple effects of the contamination stretch far beyond health. At the Karen Ruammit Elephant Camp, tourism [...] is badly affected.
The growing fear and frustration led to a public outcry on April 30, when residents from 13 affected communities in Chiang Rai submitted a petition to the Chiang Rai governor.
They demanded immediate testing of surface and groundwater, sediment, and farmland; transparent and timely reporting of the results; and urgent identification and resolution of contamination sources.
They also urged access to medical screenings and community participation in crisis response planning.
Faced with mounting public pressure and scientific evidence of widespread contamination, the government convened a high-level emergency meeting on April 30.