Civil Society Submits Letter Opposing Phu Ngoy Dam Construction Across Mekong River, Fears Flooding in Ubon Ratchathani
Civil society groups in Ubon Ratchathani formally opposed the Phu Ngoy Dam project in Laos, citing concerns that the hydroelectric facility would reverse water flow and cause flooding in Thailand during monsoon season.
On May 12, 2025, civil society representatives in Ubon Ratchathani held a public forum at Ubon Ratchathani University to question the progress of the Phu Ngoy Dam construction on the Mekong River in Laos. The group expressed concerns that water held back by the dam would reverse flow downstream and cause flooding in Ubon Ratchathani during the flood season, prompting them to formally submit a letter of opposition to provincial authorities.
Chomla Techaseyan, Deputy Secretary-General of the NWRO, explained that the Phu Ngoy hydroelectric dam is a Laotian project seeking to enter consultations under the four-nation Mekong River cooperation framework. Under the agreement, any country developing a Mekong River project must submit impact assessments for member consideration. He stated the project has not yet entered the multi-country review process and remains in the preliminary data submission stage.
Sudsai Srangsoek, a leading civil society activist from the Ubon Flood Watch Network, raised concerns about significant discrepancies in impact assessments. While the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) suggests water levels would rise four meters, the NWRO claims only a four-centimeter increase. She argued that the dam would block fish migration and prevent water from the Mun River from flowing into the Mekong, causing recurring floods. The EIA report also warns of impacts on Khong Kaen Lake fish stocks and potential contamination from sediment and toxins flowing from northern Thailand.
The Phu Ngoy Dam is a run-of-river hydroelectric project on the Mekong River in Laos with a full storage level of 98 meters above mean sea level, creating a water retention area stretching approximately 80 kilometers from kilometer 851 to 931 of the Mekong River. The EIA clearly states that dam operations would cause flooding along the Mekong, tributary streams, and sections of the Mun River in Thailand near Kaeng Tana, constituting a significant transboundary impact.
