Nong Khao Residents Rally Against Chinese Mineral Plant
Thousands of residents in Kanchanaburi's Nong Khao subdistrict petitioned against a Chinese mineral plant planned near a critical irrigation canal, citing contamination risks to water supplies serving hundreds of thousands of people and agr
On July 8, 2025, thousands of residents from Nong Khao subdistrict in Tha Muang district, Kanchanaburi, gathered at Intharanarm temple to sign a petition opposing the mineral processing plant planned for Village 7 of the subdistrict. Former MP Chatraphan Detchkitsoonthorn, leading the opposition, took journalists to inspect the construction site and pointed out its dangerous proximity to an irrigation canal fed by the Mae Kllong Dam—a critical water source for municipal water supplies in Nong Khao and Phanom Thuan districts, as well as for rice farming across tens of thousands of acres that extend into Suphan Buri province.
Residents fear that wastewater leaks from mineral processing could contaminate the irrigation canal and harm hundreds of thousands of people. They also worry about air pollution from dust and the facility's impact on Nong Khao, designated as a cultural and green village known for its natural beauty and artistic heritage. Community leaders expressed skepticism about the factory's wastewater treatment systems, citing the unresolved Klity mining case, which involved a 20-year legal battle but ultimately failed to adequately compensate affected residents or restore damaged natural resources. Residents are calling for the project to be abandoned entirely.
Village headman Thanapol Thieng-trong of Nong Khao noted that while the factory claimed to have conducted a community consultation that concluded on July 3, the announcement came as a surprise to residents in surrounding areas. Construction has already advanced significantly in just days, suggesting preparations were made well before the consultation process began.
