Closing the 8-Year Saga of the Akhra Gold Mine After Kingsgate Withdraws Unconditionally

Kingsgate voluntarily withdrew its arbitration claims, unconditionally ending the dispute with Thailand and closing the 8-year chapter of the Akhra Gold Mine. Aditat Waseenont, Director-General of the Department of Primary Industries and Mines (DPIM), reported to the Cabinet meeting on February 17th about the progress of the dispute between Thailand and Kingsgate Consolidated Limited regarding the Akhra gold mine under the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA), which is considered good news as both parties voluntarily resolved the dispute. In this process, Kingsgate has withdrawn all claims to the arbitration tribunal without any conditions, and the arbitration panel has officially terminated the proceedings. This marks the end of a dispute that has dragged on for over 8 years since the arbitration process began in 2017, with Thailand not having to pay any compensation as per Kingsgate's claims. The report confirms that the dispute has been fully resolved through international legal processes, consistent with the government's approach of addressing issues while prioritizing environmental, health, and public interest concerns. Nattapol Rangsitpol, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and chairman of the dispute resolution working group, stated that the team systematically developed a strategy, working closely with relevant agencies and legal advisors to demonstrate Thailand's strong position.