Mekong River
- Thailand News
Acidic anxiety: Lorry leak near Mekong raises contamination fears
A lorry incident in Laos, which resulted in a sulphuric acid leak into a tributary of the Mekong River, has sparked concerns about potential water contamination along the Thailand-Laos border. However, the water quality in this stretch of the river was deemed safe yesterday, April 8, with continuous monitoring set to persist until the end of the week. Somsak Thepsutin,…
- Thailand News
Thai government alert over Mekong River sulphuric acid spill from Laos
Thailand’s government is on high alert following a sulphuric acid spill in the Mekong River on the Lao border. The contamination, which took place in Laos’s Luang Prabang town, occurred when a lorry carrying over 30 tonnes of the acid toppled over, causing the hazardous substance to leak into the Nam Khan River, which flows into the Mekong. Residents in…
- Thailand News
Deputy foreign minister backs Mekong region trade
To revitalise cross-border commerce, the Thailand deputy foreign minister made a pivotal visit to Chiang Saen Port on Monday, accentuating its pivotal role in the lower Mekong region. With cross-border trade in Chiang Rai soaring to an estimated 100 billion baht last year, according to the Foreign Ministry, the port’s strategic location where the Kok and Mekong Rivers converge offers…
- Thailand News
Mekong River’s diverse fish populations face extinction threat
The Mekong River, a lifeline stretching almost 5,000 kilometres from the Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea, is under grave threat. A recent report reveals that unsustainable development is severely endangering the river’s health and diverse fish populations. Consequently, one-fifth of the fish species in this Southeast Asian lifeline are on the brink of extinction. The Mekong River plays…
- Thailand News
10 year old boy drowns in Mekong River whirlpool
A tragic incident on the banks of the Mekong River claimed the life of a 10 year old boy whose body was discovered last Saturday, February 17, after being drawn into a whirlpool three days prior. Veerawat’s grandfather managed to rescue the boy’s sister but could not reach Veerawat in time. The local authorities in Ubon Ratchathani’s Khemarat district have…
- Guides
Rivers of life: Exploring the cultural significance
Thailand’s rivers are more than just bodies of water; they’re the lifeblood of the nation. For centuries, these waterways have shaped Thai culture, influencing daily life, traditions, and even the country’s cuisine. Imagine a place where rivers are at the heart of every celebration, where communities gather by the water for the most significant events of the year. How water…
- Thailand News
Local fishermen hooked over Vietnam warplane wreckage found in Mekong
Thai and Lao men discovered the wreckage of a Vietnam warplane while fishing in the Mekong River within the Isaan province of Nong Khai. In light of safety concerns, locals have been banned from accessing the site, given the potential presence of explosives within the wreckage. A 40 year old Thai man, Chonnathep Suriwong, shared his account of finding the…
- Thailand News
Thai naturalist embarks on a 1,000km trip to save Mekong River
The Mekong River, a lifeline for millions, is currently in a state of distress. Naturalist Paramin Wannakornbancha, known as Bass, embarked on a 1,000-kilometre journey on foot to raise awareness about the river’s plight. His journey, which started yesterday, January 15, has been warmly welcomed by local fishermen who are heartened by the younger generation’s concern for the river. In…
- Thailand Weather Updates
ONWR notifies Mekong neighbours of potential flash flooding
As Thailand braces for severe weather and potential flash floods, the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) has issued an urgent communication to the Mekong River Commission Secretariat (MRCS) and neighbouring nations in the Lower Mekong River Basin, including China. The ONWR urges careful management of water level discharges in the region to prevent damaging floods. Yesterday, Surasri Kidtimonton, the…
- Thailand News
Villages and academic collaboration gathers crucial data on Mekong River dam projects’ impact
In a collective stance against two prospective dam projects along the Mekong River, villagers from five communities, researchers, as well as a Thai university, have teamed up. The collaboration aims to gather comprehensive data regarding their local economy, natural resources, and potential downstream impacts. The participation from within the communities stretches to Ubon Ratchathani province, located in northeast Thailand. The…
- Crime News
4 suspects arrested for smuggling 7 million meth pills near Mekong River
Officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) arrested two Thai men and two Thai women near the Mekong River in the Isaan province of Nakhon Panom after the gang smuggled seven million meth pills into Thailand and prepared to deliver them into a third country. The NSB released the details of the drug bust on Tuesday, May 16 during a…
- Northern Thailand News
YouTuber finds human skull on banks of Mekong River in Thailand
A YouTuber found a human skull while filming content on the banks of the Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom province in northeast Thailand yesterday. At 6pm, Chanathip Chapuban – aka Mukdahan Moss – was riding a motorbike and filming content for his YouTube channel when he noticed something by the water on Sai Thong Kot Boon Beach (Si Khotrabun Golden…
- World News
School ferry sinks on Cambodian Mekong, 14 children dead
An overloaded ferry capsized on the Mekong River in Cambodia, killing at least 14 children. The incident took place southeast of the capital city of Phnom Penh on a ferry that was transporting children home from school. The victims were between the ages of 11 and 14 years old. The wide and long Mekong snakes through Cambodia – as well…
- World News
Woman’s body in suitcase identified as Lao millionaire
UPDATE The dead woman’s body in a suitcase, which was found in the Mekong River in the Isaan province of Nakhon Phanom last week, has been identified as a Laos business owner and millionaire. Her five year old daughter and husband are also missing. Thai police tried to identify the woman from her designer clothing while her body was sent…
- Northern Thailand News
Woman’s body in luggage found floating in Mekong River
Royal Thai Marine Corps police yesterday found a suitcase stuffed with the body of a dead woman floating in the Mekong River in the Isaan province of Nakhon Phanom. Officers from Nakhon Phanom Provincial Marine Police Station fished the luggage out of the Mekong about 20 metres away from the station’s dock. Officers from That Phanom Police Station, That Phanom Crown…
- Thailand News
Two oarsmen drown in race practise on the Mekong River
Two oarsmen tragically drowned on Friday while practising for the Thailand-Laos-Vietnam Long Boat Race last weekend. Their bodies were found yesterday washed ashore on a Mekong River bank in the Isaan province of Bueng Kan. More than ten boat racers were practising on the Mekong River on Friday morning in preparation for the race from Friday, September 9 to Sunday,…
- World News
Cambodian fishermen release a monster stingray back into the Mekong River
HOW big was the stingray?! An enormous freshwater stingray was rescued and released in a Cambodian section of the Mekong River on May 5 after being ensnared earlier by local fishermen. The monster fish was 4 metres long and weighed around 180 kilograms. Brown on the top and a shade of white on the bottom, the fish usually along the…
- 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
Second Thai-Laos friendship bridge will house both railway and motorway- Transport Minister
Thailand is planning to build a bridge to Laos across the Mekong River for both railway and motorway. Last month, the Thai cabinet approved the project to build a second Thailand-Laos friendship bridge, connecting Nong Khai in northeast Thailand and the Laos capital Vientiane, as part of the third phase of the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project. The construction is estimated…
- Northern Thailand News
19 year old arrested for allegedly smuggling 2 million methamphetamine pills
A 19 year old was arrested for alleged smuggling of more than 2 million methamphetamine pills to northeast Thailand’s Nong Khai province from the Mekong River on Saturday night. The suspect is identified as Phayu Phikhawong and was recruited for 300,000 baht to deliver 2,164,000 methamphetamine pills, known as “ya ba” meaning “crazy drug,” from Phon Phisai district in Nong…
- Northern Thailand News
Methamphetamine, cannabis seized near Mekong River
Narcotics rangers seized smuggling convey of 104,000 methamphetamine tablets and 50 kilograms of what the Bangkok Post says was “premium-grade” dried cannabis (street name “brick weed”) from Laos across the Mekong River into Thailand’s Ban Phaeng area in Nakhon Phanom last Saturday night. The Ranger Company 2108 patrolling squads were on duty when the drugs were seized on Highway 212…
- Crime News
500 kilograms of marijuana discovered on Mekong riverbank in Nakhon Phanom
500 kilograms of dried and compressed marijuana were found along the Mekong River in the Isaan province Nakhon Phanom. A drug suppression team from the Mekong Riverine Unit seized 10 sacks containing 1-kilogram packages of compressed marijuana. Altogether, there were 500 slabs weighing a total of 500 kilograms, according to commander of the unit, Jaraskiat Chaiyaphan. Police believe the slabs of…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Policeman confessions, UK puts Thailand on red list | August 27
Thitisan Utthanaphon, aka… Joe Ferrari, the policeman who allegedly tortured and killed a drug suspect in Nakhon Sawan, surrendered late yesterday afternoon in Chon Buri late. Bad news for British sandboxers on Phuket, or elsewhere in Thailand, as well as anyone else planning to travel from Thailand to the UK. Packages containing around 1.2 million methamphetamine pills were found floating…
- Northern Thailand News
Father and daughter drown in Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom, police suspect murder-suicide
A father and his 7 year old daughter jumped into the Mekong River and drowned yesterday afternoon. The incident happened in the northeastern Thai province of Nakhon Phanom. The working theory is that it was a murder-suicide, says Thai media. Jamras Srihata, from the Muang Police, says the incident happened around 6:30 pm yesterday in front of the governor’s riverside…
- Crime News
350kg of compressed marijuana seized off Mekong River
Navy officers in the Laos-bordering province of Nakhon Phanom seized a compressed marijuana shipment of about 350 kilogrammes as it was being offloaded from the Mekong River. 2 men were arrested while 3 more fled and have not been apprehended yet in the bust that took place late Friday night. The northern province, separated from Laos by the Mekong River,…
- 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
Drug trafficking in Thailand spikes following Myanmar coup, volunteers keep close eye on border
Thailand has faced a spike in methamphetamine trafficking across the Mekong River following the military coup in neighbouring Myanmar. Local volunteers along the river are now helping out to identify potential drug smugglers disguised as fishermen. The volunteers tip off police when they see suspicious activity since they can’t make arrests and confronting a drug trafficker could be dangerous. One…
- 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…
- Crime News
Another drug bust near the Mekong River, 500 kilograms of cannabis seized
In another drug bust in Northeastern province Nakhon Phanom, police arrested a man and seized 500 kilograms of compressed cannabis. Just yesterday, border patrol police in the province seized 920 kilograms of compressed cannabis from a boat on the Mekong River. In both cases, police suspect the cannabis came from Laos, just across the river. Police say they searched a…
