Thai citizens protest plans for Mekong dam amid transboundary concerns

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. Citizens stage a protest along the shores of the Mekong River in Thailand’s Chiang Rai province. Image courtesy of Rak Chiang Khong Conservation Group. 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. Citizens have voiced their unease about the project for nearly a decade, issuing open letters urging the Thai government not to purchase power from the dam should it go ahead. Yet a power purchase agreement was finalized in 2023, and the developer is seeking loans, with financial closure expected by the end of 2024. Niwat Roykaew, an activist from the Rak Chiang Khong Conservation Group, said halting the financial phase to delay construction is vital to allow the necessary studies to be…This article was originally published on Mongabay