China Backs Mekong Pollution Probe After Reports Point Finger at Mining Firms

Rare earth rush in Myanmar blamed for toxic river spillover into Thailand

CHIANG RAI, Thailand — Just days before the water fights were set to erupt across Chiang Rai for Songkran — Thailand’s New Year celebration, held every April and known for its festive street soakings — the city’s residents received a sobering warning: avoid contact with the Kok River, which winds through this northern Thai city of 200,000. The reason? Tests conducted upstream had detected dangerous levels of arsenic and other hazardous substance…

China backs Mekong pollution probe after reports point finger at mining firms

Media reports and activists have said Chinese firms operating in Myanmar are responsible for pollution downriver in Thailand.

China says it requires overseas firms to follow host country laws amid Mekong pollution claims

The Chinese Embassy in Thailand said China consistently requires its overseas enterprises to strictly follow the laws and regulations of host countries, responding to recent media reports alleging Chinese mining operations in Myanmar may have caused heavy metal pollution in tributaries of the Mekong River in northern Thailand.

‘Mekong Tourism Forum 2025’ to spotlight sustainable travel and regional unity in Luang Prabang

Tourism leaders from across the Greater Mekong Subregion will gather in UNESCO-listed Luang Prabang to exchange ideas on sustainable, cross-border tourism development. BANGKOK, Thailand – The Mekong Tourism Forum 2025 is set to take place in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, from June 25 to 27, drawing tourism leaders, professionals, and stakeholders from across the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Organized by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tour…