Supported by Environmental Law Clinic, Chiang Mai University
Kaeng Sai Mun village, located in Chiang Mai Province, was once a thriving riverside community. For generations, the Kok River was the heart and soul of this community. They depended on the river for water, food, economic subsistence, and ritual ceremonies.
But today, that lifeline has turned against them. The river that once sustained them has become contaminated, negatively affecting the health, livelihoods, and well-being of the community.
With a soft yet steady voice, Mae Porn, a mother of three who lives in Kaeng Sai Mun, looks out toward the river and its gentle current, flowing past her home.
“Children used to play in the water right there,” she said, pointing toward the quiet riverbank. “Now no one dares to go down anymore. We’re afraid of contamination… Some children still sneak in, but their eyes turn red right after.”
There are around 200 households in Kaeng Sai Mun village. The village is part of a larger area where 12 different Indigenous communities, including Karen (Pga K’nyaw) and Shan (Tai Yai), reside. Their culture and faith revolve around the Kok River – these communities hold important ceremonies in which the river plays a central role. These ceremonies include the Loy Uppakut ritual and the annual worship of the phi bua (water spirits).
Fear Flows Downstream
The Kok River has been contaminated through rare earth mining activities in the area. Toxic runoff from factories and the use of pesticides also contribute to the problem, with recent tests showing levels of lead and arsenic that far exceed safety standards.
Ever since those living close to the river found out about the contamination, fear and anxiety spread through the village.
“When the rain comes, we’re scared. When the river floods, we’re scared. We worry that one day we’ll no longer have this river,” Porn explains.
Many villagers now suffer from persistent skin rashes on areas exposed to water from the river, lasting months at a time. Porn scrolls through her phone and shows photos of these rashes and how they have impacted her and her family.
Photos by Thanakrit Tongfa (Mick) | Mekong Campaign Coordinator EarthRights International
In Porn’s community, water from the Kok River is not only for bathing and drinking – it is also a lifeline for survival. During the dry season, villagers would install water pumps to draw water from the river into storage tanks to irrigate their crops and to use in their homes. Now, villagers continue to depend on this water but are terrified about the consequences that consuming toxic chemicals will have on their health.
The river, once the heart of survival, has become a source of invisible danger. The uncertainty of the future looms large: How will villagers subsist next year?
The Collapse of a Local Economy
Porn’s family income used to come mainly from operating a floating restaurant (raft eatery) on the Kok River. This was both a popular tourist attraction and the main source of income for the community.
The raft business used to cover her family’s expenses, as well as the university and school tuition fees for her children. But after news of the contamination of the river spread, customers stopped coming. Without the business, everything has fallen apart for Porn and her family.
“It’s not just the raft owners,” she says, voice trembling. “The food vendors, fish and shrimp sellers, snack stands, vegetable and meat suppliers, beer sellers, pushcarts, everyone’s lost their income. Even the fishermen have nothing left.”
The closure of her restaurant also affected the young people whom she employed. Many teenagers who used to earn extra income as servers during school breaks are now jobless.
She clenches her fists.
“It affects everyone, children, mothers, and adults. No raft means no customers, no workers, no life. Everything just stops.”
A Vanishing Ecosystem and Biodiversity Lost
Porn speaks with sorrow about the biodiversity that has slowly disappeared from the Kok River.
“We used to have so many kinds of fish: snakehead, catfish, carp, tinfoil barb, yellow barb. Streams were full of life. Now we don’t dare eat them.”
The river also nourished riverside farms that grew crops such as cabbage, white radish, eggplant, and shallots. However, after news of contamination spread, crop buyers stopped purchasing vegetables grown in the area, prices dropped, and many farmers were unable to make ends meet. Within a single year, the community suffered losses with no compensation or response from the Thai authorities.
“Costs go up, prices go down, and people lose heart,” Porn said. “This isn’t just about the economy, it’s about people’s lives.”
Even community traditions and culture are under threat. The Songkran water festivals along the Kok River have been cancelled. Worries about sand contamination have raised questions about the age-old custom of bringing sand to temples. Ceremonies like Loy Uppakut (the floating monk ritual) and local football matches by the riverbank have also come to a halt.
Neglected by the Government
Earlier this year, the government of Thailand proposed the construction of sediment-trapping weirs as a response to the contamination crisis along the river. When asked about the proposed solution, Porn shakes her head firmly.
“They say it will stop contamination, but it’s like keeping the disease in our backyard. Water still flows downstream. How can a weir stop that?”
Her voice grows resolute.
“If the government really wants to help, they must deal with the source and shut down the mine.”
Community Life, the River, and a Fading Hope
Today, the Kok River continues flowing. However, the water that flows through the riverbeds is poisoned. This is a story of the fragile balance between development and the lives of the communities that are forced to bear the costs.
Porn’s struggle is that of her entire community, and of everyone who depends on the resources of rivers that have been contaminated by extractivist activities and development projects.
The story of Kaeng Sai Mun also highlights the delicate connections between the environment, communities, livelihoods, health, and culture across Thailand.
A Call to Action and Hope for a Better Future
Despite the challenges that villagers face due to the contamination of the Kok River, their hope remains:
“We hope that one day, the river that once gave our life will once again run clear.”
Villagers refuse to be silent in the face of environmental destruction. They are raising their voices and demanding action. They are asking the Thai government to tackle the root causes of the contamination, to halt the proposed weir project, to fully disclose the extent of contamination, and to provide compensation to those who have lost their livelihoods as a result of the pollution.
If timely action is taken through participatory and community-led restoration initiatives, the Kok River may once again flow clean, nourishing life and ensuring sustainability for future generations.
But if the state continues to silence the voices of the communities that have lost everything, an entire ecosystem will be wiped out. An ecosystem that, if lost, will have a knock-on effect for many beyond the villages of the Kok River.
