Thai farmers near Mekong lose land as riverbanks collapse
Thai communities living along the Mekong River have watched their land disappear before their eyes as riverbanks collapse. However, what has caused these riverbank collapses is unclear.
Local residents link the riverbank collapses to the irregular water flows that have been seen since the commercial launch of a huge dam on the Mekong in Laos.
A “DO NOT ENTER” sign has been erected on the bank of the Mekong River in Ban Huai Kho village in Sangkhom district, which is part of Thailand’s northeastern province of Nong Khai.
Behind the sign was a steep cliff, a remnant of the 0.8-hectare fertile land once owned by Sukim Khamkhong and her family. The land was swallowed by the mighty Mekong last August.
Thitipan Pattanamongkol
