“Thai citizens protest plans for Mekong dam amid transboundary concerns” 10 December 2024

Citizens in northern Thailand staged protests along the shore of the Mekong River in Chiang Rai province on Dec. 7 to highlight concerns about the Pak Beng hydroelectric project slated for construction on the mainstream of the pivotal watercourse in Laos.

The project, spanning the river in Oudomxay province, Laos, is located 97 kilometers (60 miles) from the Thailand-Laos border. More than 150 people, including local leaders, farmers, environmental activists and representatives of women’s rights groups, joined the protest.

They called on Thai banks to withdraw their plans to fund the controversial project, citing unclear environmental and social impacts, particularly the cross-border effects on communities and resources in Thailand.

The Pak Beng development, co-owned by China Datang Overseas Investment and Thailand-based Gulf Energy Development, is designed to generate 912 megawatts of power, all of which will be sold to Thailand’s national electricity authority, EGAT...

Experts say the dam could significantly raise water levels in areas upstream in Thailand, increasing the risk of severe flooding. Not only would higher water levels erase valuable agricultural land, they would also wipe out culturally important sites and riverside gardens...

Protesters also highlighted concerns about river fisheries and underscored that if the dam is built, it would almost certainly represent the final nail in the coffin for local populations of iconic freshwater species...

Hannarong Yaowalert, president of the Foundation for Integrated Water Management, said the lack of understanding about the impact of the dam on water levels means future flood events could be dismissed as “natural disasters” rather than the result of dam effects...