Communities along the Kok River say that their livelihood are being affected by water contamination. At Ban Khwae Wua Dam, a community in Chiang Rai’s Mae Yao Subdistrict, community members are not sure when the water became contaminated. It has been noted, however, that there was an abnormal amount of mud during the flood and that the Pollution Control Department took samples to check for contamination.

Monks marching during the Peace Walk

Village Head Somphong Phanasangawong said that the community was damaged by a major flood in 2024 and that children in the village have been hospitalized after coming into contact with the mud and floodwater. 

A woman in the community said chemicals were found in her body during a checkup, and that she has been unhappy since the flood. Not only is she worried about another flood, but her house has also been invaded by bugs and frogs. Community members suffer from mental health issues; she said that one person lost the house he built with money he earned working overseas and committed suicide.

Wirot Phanasangawong, another community member, said he used to fish in the river, but as the water become contaminated, he could no longer do so. His skin would itch when he touched the water, and he said that he now has to check with vegetable sellers where their gardens are and where they get the water from.

Another community member said that vendors in the riverside markets between Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai’s Mae Ai district can no longer fish in or plant crops along the river. Meanwhile, the fish they caught are not selling, when in the past fish vendors use to run out within three hours.

‘Peace walk’ demands action

To raise awareness about water contamination in six rivers and demand action from the Thai government, monks, community members, and civil society workers participated in a six-day ‘peace walk’ along the Kok River. The march started in Chiang Mai’s Mae Ai district on 31 May and ended at the Chiang Rai Provincial Hall on 5 June, which was World Environment Day.

Phra Maha Nikhom Mahaphinikkhamano, Assistant Abbot of Wat Tha Ton in Mae Ai, said that the most important result of the walk is that people pay attention to river contamination, as the public remain largely unaware of it.

The situation is worsening, said Phra Maha Nikhom. He is concerned that, without action, contamination in the Kok, Sai, Ruak, and Mekong rivers will have a long-term impact on the population. 

“A large number of people acknowledge that there is a problem, but they still need more information about the cause, the effect, approaches to a solution, and who should be held responsible. Many communities feel that this problem is too big for them to handle themselves, so the peace walk is a chance to raise awareness, understanding and hope among people.”

Phra Maha Nikhom said that the main demand is for regulation of mining upstream and for activities to be suspended until appropriate measures can be implemented. He noted that there are still no concrete measures after two years, and that the contamination affects the tourism industry and the local economy as well as people’s quality of life.

He also said that the affected communities need to be compensated, noting that people no longer trust the Kok River as a water source. Meanwhile, government response has been slow. He also noted that communities in Myanmar have also been affected but cannot openly express opinions or protest due to the situation in their country, so people in Thailand have more opportunity to push for change. 

Lack of testing centre, centralized government add to problem

Academics, local NGOs, and civil society members have said that  the implementation of solutions has been slow because it was unclear which agency is responsible, while local governments cannot do much due to limited budgets and authority. 

Dr. Suebsakun Kidnukorn of the School of Social Innovation at Mae Fah Luang University said he would like the government to set up a heavy metal contamination testing centre in Chiang Rai at the Mae Fah Luang University and the Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna. This is so that testing can be done quickly, as he said samples now have to be tested in Bangkok and this takes up to a month. 

Olan Panyatrakul, Deputy Mayor of Mae Yao Subdistrict Municipality, said that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is the main agency overseeing Mae Yao’s forests. Meanwhile, only 10% of the local government’s budget has been allocated to infrastructure development.

Sirirat Santhi, Mae Yao Subdistrict Municipal Clerk, sees the contamination in the Kok River as a security threat. Local governments along the river should be collaborating on a proposal to be submitted to the Ministry of Interior’s Department of Local Administration.

Saengrawee Suveerakarn, Vice President of the Romphothi Foundation, said that community members in Tha Ton subdistrict met Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suchart Chomklin last year. They called for an end to mining and for their water sources to be made safe. 10 months later, their demands have still not been met. Saengrawee said that people in Tha Ton have been buying water at 15 times the price paid by people in the city. The Romphothi Foundation proposes that a pollution map of the subdistrict be made with a new water storage area. Saengrawee said that about a quarter of the subdistrict is flooded, but no produce grown in Tha Ton can be sold elsewhere, so she is proposing that a pollution map be made to identify the area of damage and so that it would be easier to issue compensation.

On 5 June, representatives of the People's Network for the Protection of the Kok, Sai, Ruak, and Mekong Rivers took part in a meeting with Pol Maj Gen Nantachat Supamongkol, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment. Senator Maneerat Khemawong, People’s Party MP for Chiang Mai Phattarapong Leelaphat, and Chiang Rai Governor Chucheep Pongchai were also in attendance.

During the meeting, a group of people held up a banner saying “What the fuck is the government doing?” Chucheep asked them to take the banner down, saying that they should respect the meeting room because the city hall is letting them use the meeting room free of charge. Discussions continued after environmental activist Niwat Roykaew, Chair of the Rak Chiang Khong group, asked that the banner be taken down.

Pol Maj Gen Nantachat said at the end of the meeting that he was attending the meeting on behalf of Suchart, who was unavailable. He insisted that the Minister is taking the river contamination issue seriously, although some things might be delayed. He also proposed that a joint committee be set up to find solutions with civil society representatives as committee members. However, the meeting concluded that a national committee is needed with the authority to make orders and work with other ministries. Civil society members also said that they would like the Prime Minister to visit the area to hear directly from the communities about the issues. They also submitted a petition to the Prime Minister calling for transnational river contamination to be treated as part of the national agenda.