Community Demands Halt to 700 Billion Baht Water Diversion Project
A coalition of northern Thai communities is calling on the government to cancel a 700-billion-baht water diversion project for Bhumibol Dam, citing inadequate public consultation and flawed environmental assessments across Mae Hong Son, Tak
On September 25, the Yom, Ing, and Sai River Basin Network submitted a letter to the Prime Minister, Agriculture Minister, Natural Resources and Environment Minister, National Water Resources Office secretary-general, and senior irrigation and forestry officials requesting a halt to the water diversion project for Bhumibol Dam, valued at 700 billion baht. They argue that public consultation and environmental data used to justify the project are inadequate and flawed.
The Royal Irrigation Department's Large-Scale Irrigation Office No. 1 has applied for permission to operate in protected forests—Amkhoey, Mae Chaem, and Mae Tuen forests—to construct infrastructure across Mae Hong Son, Tak, and Chiang Mai provinces. Yupa Jorpaeng from Nakhon Ratchasima district in Chiang Mai stated that the irrigation department has notified multiple subdistrict administrative organizations in affected areas, creating concern because comprehensive public hearings have not yet occurred. Many communities directly impacted by the project have not received complete information about the dam, construction zones, spoil disposal sites, or environmental and health consequences.
Yupa emphasized that a letter of notification does not constitute community consent or local government approval and cannot substitute for proper public consultation. She noted that some subdistrict councils have not endorsed the project, while others have explicitly opposed it. Additionally, basin management committees covering both affected river systems have voted against the project—a significant fact the irrigation department and agriculture ministry must respect, as these committees are legally mandated mechanisms reflecting local data, water user concerns, and ecosystem impacts.
Singkhao Ruenhom, a Mae Ngao resident, raised concerns that the irrigation department claims there are no negative project impacts despite the massive scope: 71 billion baht investment involving a dam, pumping stations, over 60 kilometers of underground tunnels, power lines, access roads, and extensive spoil areas affecting forests and more than 50 villages across three provinces. Such a large-scale project inevitably carries risks and impacts requiring careful study, making claims of no negative effects inconsistent with reality and potentially providing incomplete information to local authorities and permit-issuing agencies.
