Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Thai National Mekong Committee, Somsak Thepsutin, assured on Monday that the water quality along the Thailand-Laos border on the Mekong River remains safe, following an incident last Wednesday in Laos involving a sulphuric acid leak into a tributary. Authorities are vigilant until Friday.
Mr. Somsak instructed the Office of the National Water Resources to monitor potential contamination, expressing concerns over its impact on residents of both countries. Collaboration with the Mekong River Commission Secretariat and the Lao government is underway.
The incident occurred in Laos’s Luang Prabang, approximately 340 kilometers from Loei province in Thailand. Monitoring predicts the substance’s arrival in Loei within three days.
Water quality measurements by the Office of the National Water Resources and the Pollution Control Department indicate a safe pH level of 8. Monitoring stations in Loei will remain active until Friday, with warnings extended to nearby provinces.
Governor Chaiphot Charoonphong of Loei reaffirmed continuous public updates. Despite the incident, activities like swimming and fishing in the Mekong during the Songkran festival are unaffected.
The acid leak stemmed from a lorry accident last Wednesday, spilling over 30 tonnes of sulphuric acid into the Nam Khan River, a tributary of the Mekong.
