A Buddhist river pilgrimage will take place along the Kok River from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai to coincide with Visakha Bucha Day and World Environment Day, amid growing concern over toxic contamination linked to upstream mining activities in Myanmar.
Phra Ajarn Mahanikom Mahaphinikhamano, assistant abbot of Wat Tha Ton in Mae Ai district, announced that the “Dhamma Yatra for the River” will run from May 31 to June 5. Monks, novices and members of the public will travel on foot from Tha Ton bridge in Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai. He explained that the five-day journey is intended to promote awareness of river conservation and encourage public responsibility toward natural ecosystems. Participants are expected to walk approximately 6–8 kilometres daily before concluding the pilgrimage at a riverside public space in Chiang Rai.
The Kok River begins in Myanmar’s Shan State and flows into northern Thailand before joining the Mekong River at Chiang Saen. Communities living along the river have increasingly voiced alarm over water quality since 2024, particularly in relation to mining operations upstream involving gold and rare earth extraction.
According to Thailand’s Pollution Control Department, arsenic contamination in the Kok River and nearby waterways has repeatedly exceeded safe environmental standards for more than a year. Sediment testing in sections of the Mekong near the Golden Triangle has reportedly found arsenic concentrations far above levels considered safe for aquatic ecosystems.
Prof. Surichai Wun’Gaeo, chair of Ecological Alert and Recovery Thailand (EARTH) and Rivers and Rights, warned that the unfolding situation bears similarities to Japan’s Minamata disaster, the notorious mercury poisoning crisis that emerged in the mid-20th century.
Reflecting on his time studying in Japan during the late 1960s, he recalled how communities initially struggled to understand the strange illnesses affecting both animals and people. Eventually, researchers connected the outbreak to industrial wastewater contaminating seafood consumed by residents around Minamata Bay.
He described the tragedy as a defining lesson in environmental negligence, scientific accountability and the hidden human cost of rapid economic development. Many victims suffered irreversible neurological damage, while some children were born with severe congenital disorders after exposure in the womb.
Prof. Surichai argued that northern Thailand now faces a similarly dangerous pattern, where environmental risks remain underestimated despite mounting evidence of contamination. He noted that rivers such as the Kok, Sai, Ruak and Mekong are vital to local communities, especially in Chiang Rai, where many people rely on them for water and livelihoods.
He criticised the Thai government for responding too slowly and failing to treat the issue as a national priority. In his view, authorities have focused more on managing public perception than confronting the root causes of the contamination.
He also expressed concern about the rapid expansion of rare earth mining operations in conflict-affected regions of Myanmar, where environmental oversight is weak or absent. These projects, he said, often rely on hazardous chemical processes that can cause long-term ecological damage.
While global demand for rare earth minerals continues to grow, Prof. Surichai warned that environmental protections have not kept pace with industrial expansion. He argued that governments frequently prioritise economic interests even when the long-term health impacts remain uncertain.
The upcoming pilgrimage, organisers say, is intended not only as a spiritual journey but also as a public call for stronger action to safeguard northern Thailand’s rivers before contamination causes irreversible harm.
Article adapted from https://transbordernews.in.th/home/?p=46111
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Watch a video about the crisis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY3Yhh7sNtI
