Details
Mining activities in neighbouring countries may affect water quality and ecosystems across national borders, raising concerns about arsenic and heavy metal contamination in river basins or waterways connected to Thailand.
These impacts can threaten public health, natural resources, livelihoods and the daily lives of local communities, while creating legal and administrative challenges because the sources of pollution may lie outside Thailand’s jurisdiction. A systematic review of Thailand’s legal framework and institutional mechanisms is therefore needed to identify gaps and strengthen the country’s capacity to prevent, monitor and respond to transboundary environmental impacts.
On 19 October 2026, Bangkok Tribune with the Community Resource Centre Foundation (CRC), together with a research team from the School of Law, Mae Fah Luang University, led by Lecturer Arisra Lekkham, and with support from Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Thailand Office, will organise an academic expert consultation under the research project “Thailand’s Legal and Institutional Framework for Managing Transboundary Water Impacts from Overseas Mining.”
The meeting aims to review the study’s preliminary findings, examine relevant Thai laws and government agencies’ responsibilities, and identify legal and institutional gaps in managing transboundary water impacts. Insights from the consultation will inform revisions to the research findings, Thailand Legal Mapping and Institutional Mapping, and the project’s legal and policy proposals.
Agenda
09.00 – 09.30 Registration
09.30 – 09.45 Opening remarks and overview of the agenda
- Opening remarks by Dr. Angelika Klein, Country Representative, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Thailand Office
- Overview of the agenda by the Community Resource Centre Foundation team
09.45 – 10.45 Presentation of the research results, analytical framework and preliminary findings
- By Lecturer Arisra Lekkham, School of Law, Mae Fah Luang University
