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Food vendors on Kok River losing business due to pollution

10 Sept 06:32 Key points summarised by AI

Food vendors on Chiang Rai's Kok River report significant business losses, with some experiencing a drop from 30,000 baht daily during Songkran to almost no customers.
The decline is directly attributed to severe pollution of the river with arsenic and other heavy metals, confirmed by water sample testing.
The contamination originates from upstream gold mining activities in Myanmar's Shan state, leading officials to advise against using the river water.
Environmental groups are urging the Thai government to engage Myanmar to tighten controls on these mining operations, which also affect the Sai River.

Today 14:58 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's government will launch the "Chainat-Pasak-Gulf" water diversion canal project in fiscal year 2027, a seven-year mega-infrastructure initiative.
This permanent structural solution aims to mitigate recurrent central plains flooding by diverting water from the Chao Phraya River directly into the Gulf of Thailand, significantly reducing flow to major cities like Ayutthaya and Bangkok.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul justifies the long-term investment as a means to reduce future damages and fiscal burdens, contrasting it with the 40-50 billion baht spent annually on short-term flood relief.
Concurrently, the Prime Minister instructed officials to expand drainage capacity into the Tha Chin River and swiftly remove water hyacinths to improve immediate flood management.