Mekong
- Northern Thailand News
Mekong basin developmental projects threaten livelihoods, wildlife
An expert in sustainable growth and fair use of natural resources has warned that lives and livelihoods along the Mekong Basin could be in jeopardy as a result of developmental projects. The 14,000-rai Wiang Nong Lom in northern Thailand, a shared resource and home to a multitude of freshwater species, has long been a haven for local wildlife. Now, however,…
- Thailand News
Thai PM in talks at Mekong-Lancang video conference
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin catapulted Thailand into the heart of Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) during the 4th Leaders’ Meeting on December 25, seizing the virtual stage with an unprecedented proposal for a shared future of peace and prosperity. Government Spokesperson Chai Wacharonke set the tone, declaring the event under the theme, Join Hands on the Building of a Community of Shared…
- Thailand News
Purrr-mission granted: Thailand’s Kaeng Krachan Dam hosts sanctioned fishing season for giant Mekong catfish
A sanctioned fishing season is underway at the Kaeng Krachan Dam in Phetchaburi, Thailand, where the Fisheries Department’s inland fisheries prevention and suppression unit is permitting the capture of up to 60 giant Mekong catfish. The season commenced on November 9 and will run through January 9, providing the total catch does not exceed the 60 fish limit before the…
- Thailand News
Chiang Rai’s new college to tackle Mekong region drug trafficking
The International Narcotics Control College (INCC), a newly founded institution in Chiang Rai, Thailand, is set to provide specialised training for law enforcement agents and associated organisations, with the mission of curbing drug trafficking in the Mekong subregion. Nestled within the compound of the Hall of Opium, Thailand’s opium museum, in Chiang Saen district, the INCC is the first of…
- Northern Thailand News
Tono raises 40 million baht in charity swim across Mekong
How much money would it take for you to swim across the Mekong? For actor-singer superstar Pakin “Tono” Kumwilaisak it was 40 million baht – the amount he raised for a charity swim yesterday. The generous celebrity took to the waters in Nakhon Phanom to swim across the mighty Mekong and land in Laos after a journey of over 1…
- Northern Thailand News
Rock formation in Mekong said to be where Buddha met Naga serpents
Now that the water level in the Mekong has dropped to just one metre deep, a rock formation can now be seen above water, and locals believe the rock has Buddha’s footprints. A Thai legend says Naga serpents invited Buddha to preach in their underwater palaces. The serpents then asked Buddha to leave his footprints at the mouth of the…
- World News
Four people reportedly arrested during Laos’ second-largest illegal drugs bust last week
Four people were arrested during the second-largest seizure of illegal drugs by Laos police in Huay Xai province north of Bokeo last week, with authorities reporting 36 million methamphetamine pills, a total weight of 590 kilograms, were found. The UN Office of Drugs and Crime regional representative, Jeremy Douglas, says… “Those four who were arrested were pretty low-level… there were…
- Northern Thailand News
560 kilograms of cannabis packaged for delivery seized by officers in Northeast
Officers in the Mekong Riverine Unit seized 560 kilograms of dried cannabis and arrested four people in the Isaan province Nakhon Phanom, bordering Laos. Some of the marijuana had been packaged and was ready to be sent out by a delivery service while other 404 kilograms of marijuana was found along the Mekong riverbank. A team from the unit searched…
- Environment News
Mekong unseasonal water levels endanger nesting birds in Thailand
The following story was written by Tyler Roney for Third Pole, a “multilingual platform dedicated to promoting information and discussion about the Himalayan watershed and the rivers that originate there.” Just 50 metres from the Mekong, in the shadow of a discarded plastic cup, a lone chick sits camouflaged on the sand. It is a newly hatched small pratincole in…
- World News
Police arrest 2 Lao men, seize 550 kilograms of methamphetamine at Mekong River bank
In another drug bust by the Mekong River, police seized 550 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine valued at around 275 million baht. Methamphetamine trafficking across the river from Laos to Thailand has spiked since the Myanmar coup. Many militant groups in Myanmar border towns rely on synthetic drug production as a main source of income. With tightened patrol along the Thai-Myanmar…
- World News
Homes and highways in Vietnam are being lost as Mekong delta washes away
The following story was written by Michael Tatarski for China Dialogue, a non-profit focused on environmental challenges related to China. One night two years ago, Lam Thi Le and Nguyen Van Thuong heard loud cracks coming from their neighbours’ riverfront home. The neighbours left, and a day later half of their house collapsed into the broad Tien River as the…
- Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Bangkok air pollution, 28 Covid cases, Lao dam protest | December 14
Bangkok starts the new week with ‘unhealthy’ air quality Waking up in Bangkok today you would have been surprised that the sun had disappeared to be replaced by a grey sky and views across the city limited to less than a kilometre. Across the city the air quality readings for most of the day have been aver the 150 mark…
- Thailand News
Thailand News Today | Deadly floods, Chiang Rai Covid cases, Mekong Forum | December 7
Southern Thailand flood death toll: 24 At least 24 people have now been reported to have died due to flash floods in Southern Thailand following a week of heavy rain. 19 of the victims were in Nakhon Si Thammarat which was hit the hardest. Today, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported 3 more deaths from flooding in the…
- Thailand News
New forum to tackle Mekong challenges
For nearly 20 years, activists have called against the development of hydro-dams and water projects along the Mekong River. But now, the campaign is taking the next step with plans to focus on taking action at the policy level. It took 2 decades, but activists have now launched the “Mekong People’s Forum.” 200 people attended the forum including local villagers, conservationists,…
- Northern Thailand News
480 kilograms of marijuana seized on Laos border
Police have seized 480 kilograms of, what they say is, “high-grade” marijuana in northeastern Thailand in a routine roadside search. The search was conducted near the border in Nakhon Phanom province. Police say the smugglers were looking for alternate routes now that the roads and traditional border crossings from Myanmar and Laos had been closed. 25 year old Likit Boonprasit…
- World News
Half a tonne of high grade compressed marijuana seized in NE Thailand
Thai border police have seized half a tonne of “high grade marijuana” Nakhon Phanom province, north east Thailand, saying a border with Laos and the Mekong River. Border police announced the seizure of 480 kilograms of marijuana during a routine roadside search. Police announced that a car was intercepted on a road near Ban Khok Sawang. The driver, 25 year old…
- Covid-19 News
How has Thailand avoided the worst of Covid-19? – VIDEO
We examine some of the reasons Thailand has been able to avoid the surges and 2nd waves of Covid-19. Whilst many countries are now suffering a 2nd and 3rd wave of the coronavirus, Thailand has locked itself in a bubble of its own making. Almost zero cases and any new cases coming from repatriates. Now the country has to figure…
- Covid-19 News
China re-affirms commitment to cooperate with Thailand over Covid vaccine
China is re-affirming its commitment to cooperate with Thailand over potential Covid-19 vaccines after its Chinese Ambassador to Thailand’s meeting with the Deputy PM Prawit today. Yang Xin furthered the partnership by offering China’s guidance and equipment support to facilitate testing, research and sourcing of an anti-Covid vaccine. Xin, the Chinese Charge d’Affaires, emphasised the importance of a good relationship…
- Northern Thailand News
2 arrested with 409 kilograms of marijuana in Nakhon Phanom
A combined government force arrested 2 men last night on a Mekong riverbank in the Tha Uthen district of the northeastern Nakhon Phanom province, with 409 kilograms of compressed marijuana. An army spokeman said today the action followed the seizure of about 70,000 methamphetamine pills (known as “yaba”) in Tha Uthen district last week. Documents obtained in the earlier operation…
- Northern Thailand News
220 kilograms of marijuana seized, 2 arrested in Nakhon Phanom
Authorities in the upper northeastern Nakhon Panom province arrested 2 men last night on charges of smuggling 220 kilograms of marijuana. They reportedly told police they they did it because they needed money after the Covid-19 outbreak left them unemployed. The arrests came after authorities got a tip that a drug gang planned to smuggle marijuana from Laos into Nakhon…
- Northern Thailand News
2 arrested in Isaan for methamphetamines, assets seized
Police in Isaan’s Nakhon Phanom province say they’ve arrested 2 men with 42,000 methamphetamine pills (“yaba”) and 100 grams of crystal methamphetamine (“ice”) in their possession, and seized their assets. The deputy provincial governor identified the pair as 29 year old Vichai Niwongsa and 45 year old Veerapong Ngaonoi, both from the Tha Uthen district. He says authorities followed the…
- Covid-19 News
Thai immigration crackdown on illegal migrants flowing back into the country
Thailand borders four countries. Most of the borders are just jungle or the mighty Mekong River. In all cases the borders are easily crossed if someone wants to avoid the correct border channels. The country’s porous borders have been an ongoing issue with some 5 million+ illegal immigrants floating around Thailand at any one time. There has been recent attempts…
- World News
Cambodia delays damming the Mekong for 10 years
Cambodia announced yesterday that it will shelve developing new hydroelectric dams on the Mekong River for the next decade. A senior Cambodian official made the announcement as Cambodia reviews its policy to seek solar energy as well as energy from coal and natural gas. The Mekong river sustains some 60 million people and flows through six countries… China, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos,…
- Environment News
Thai government scraps Mekong blasting project
The government has officially abandoned a controversial plan to blast rapids on the Mekong river in Chiang Mai province. The Chinese-led dredging and blasting plan, initiated in 2001, met with fierce opposition from locals and environmental groups, and the Cabinet agreed to scrap it at a weekly meeting on Tuesday. The plan was to enable ships to carry goods from…
- World News
Severe drought predicted for Thailand and neighbouring countries
FILE PHOTO Experts are warning that over the next two to three months, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam can all expect severe drought conditions which will affect agricultural production. Of the four countries, Thailand and Cambodia are expected to suffer the most, according to the report. A statement issued by the Mekong River Commission confirmed that water levels in the…
- World News
Mekong nations face severe water shortages
Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam should expect severe to extreme drought until at least January 2020, threatening agricultural production, experts warn. Their main water source, the Mekong River, is at its lowest level in over half a century. Drought has already caused the Mekong to drop to its lowest level in at least 60 years, with exceptionally low flow in…
- Northern Thailand News
Sand dunes exposed as water in Mekong River falls to critical level
PHOTO: AFP Sand dunes are now being exposed for the first time in a century along many sections of the Mekong River, as water levels fall to a new low milestone of 1.5 metres. Sand dunes can now be seen along many sections, causing problems for fishing vessels and cargo boats trying to travel along the river. The Bangkok Post…
- World News
Dams, politics and greed are killing the mighty Mekong River
Original story by Piyaporn Wongruang – The Nation | PHOTO: Sophie et Fred Dr Chainarong Setthachua, a lecturer and ecology expert at Maha Sarakham University, was at a loss when asked to describe the ongoing Mekong crisis. “The most disastrous situation in history.” Little is being done by governments despite recent stories and stark photos of the dried-bed of a major…
- World News
A year after the Laos dam collapse homeless survivors wait for help
PHOTO: World Rainforest Movement A year ago, a dam at the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy hydroelectric project in southern Laos collapsed under pressure of rising monsoon waters, sending floods downstream and killing over 70 people, though the official toll is lower. 12 months on, thousands are still waiting in temporary camps in the impoverished state. A report by International Rivers…
- World News
Thai PM has “grave concerns”, orders army to be on standby over drought in north
PHOTO: Thai army water trucks are on standby to help northern farmers Acknowledging the severity of the potential crisis looking over northern and north-eastern provinces, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is instructing the armed forces to provide help to areas affected by drought, a situation which may be made worse by the test run of the new Xayaburi dam on the Laos…
- Thailand News
Two drug gangs busted
Two big drug hauls today in different parts of the country. Firstly, police arrested six suspects including the alleged drug-trafficking gang leader Phusinthorn Jomtharak, along with over 68,000 methamphetamine pills in Chaiyaphum province. 24 year old Phusinthorn, a Nong Bua Dang district native, was nabbed yesterday (Tuesday) while visiting a drug inmate friend at Chaiyaphum Prison. Police say that Phusinthorn…
