Anutin to raise Kok River pollution in talks with Myanmar president
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says Thailand will seek concrete co-operation from Myanmar on Kok River contamination, cross-border haze, narcotics and environmental security during President Min Aung Hlaing’s August visit.
Thailand will put transboundary environmental and security concerns at the centre of talks with Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing during his official visit in August, with Bangkok seeking practical co-operation on pollution in the Kok River, seasonal haze, narcotics production and border management.
Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Wednesday that Thailand would raise the Kok River contamination issue directly and press Myanmar to accelerate efforts to address the problem.
Min Aung Hlaing is scheduled to visit Thailand on August 6-7, according to the latest announcement by Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow. Earlier reports based on Anutin’s initial remarks had cited August 3-4.
Kok River pollution to top bilateral agenda
Speaking at Nong Nooch Tropical Garden in Pattaya, Chonburi, following an official visit to China, Anutin said environmental protection had become an important part of Thailand’s regional diplomatic agenda.
Discussions during his China visit had covered the green economy, clean energy, environmentally responsible production and measures to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, he said.
The government was also closely monitoring contamination in the Kok River in Chiang Rai, which flows into northern Thailand from Myanmar.
Concerns have focused on mining activities upstream in Myanmar. Previous testing cited by Reuters detected arsenic and heavy rare-earth elements in the river, prompting Thai authorities to monitor health effects and seek alternative water supplies for affected communities.
Anutin said Thailand intended to seek Myanmar’s full co-operation in identifying practical measures to reduce the contamination and prevent further damage to communities and natural resources downstream.
Haze and narcotics also on agenda
The two governments are also expected to discuss transboundary haze caused by agricultural burning, which regularly affects air quality across mainland Southeast Asia.
Thailand will seek stronger co-operation in preventing and reducing open burning, particularly in border areas where smoke can travel across national boundaries.
Measures against narcotics production will form another part of the talks, with Bangkok seeking action against drug-manufacturing operations and trafficking networks affecting Thailand’s border provinces.
Environmental protection and security co-operation along the shared border will also be discussed. Anutin said the government had prepared the relevant information and proposed measures ahead of the meeting.
Bangkok seeks outcomes beyond ceremony
Anutin said Myanmar’s foreign minister had already met him to receive an advance briefing on Thailand’s concerns before Min Aung Hlaing’s arrival.
The preliminary contact was intended to ensure that both sides were prepared to discuss the issues in detail during the official visit.
The prime minister stressed that the meeting would not be limited to diplomatic ceremony, but would focus on measures producing tangible benefits for both countries.
The agenda reflects Thailand’s effort to use bilateral diplomacy to address problems that cannot be resolved by either country acting alone, particularly pollution, haze, organised crime and environmental risks crossing the border.
Min Aung Hlaing became Myanmar’s president in April after an election held under military rule. He had governed the country through its military-led administration since the February 2021 coup.
