“Natthaphong” Urges Government to Resolve Transboundary and Prachinburi Toxic Contamination Issues, Revealing “Arsenic and Lead” Levels Soar Beyond Safety Standards in Kok River and Off-Season Rice, Raising Concerns Over Consumer Contamination

Today (26 October 2026) at 9:30 AM at Parliament, Mr. Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, list MP and leader of the People's Party, in his capacity as leader of the opposition, announced the results of the 17th Shadow Cabinet meeting regarding the environmental impact of toxic contamination in rivers. He stated that the People's Party has consistently monitored and raised demands on this issue, but considers the government to have intentionally neglected it, as the recent floods led to the spread of toxic substances from factories. He added that toxic waste has not been released only during this period, but Prachinburi province has faced a chronic problem for a long time, causing widespread impacts similar to the contamination in border rivers.

Mr. Natthaphong disclosed the latest data showing that while toxic substances flowing along mining routes from neighboring countries last year exceeded safety standards by only 1.5 to 2 times, the latest test results from irrigation water sources directly drawing from the Sai and Kok rivers revealed arsenic levels exceeding safety standards by up to 28 times and lead levels exceeding standards by 5 times. Furthermore, arsenic exceeding standard criteria was found in 11 out of 20 agricultural plots tested. Meanwhile, testing on rice and rice husks grown during the off-season crop (March–May) revealed lead contamination in rice grains, which adversely affects children's brain development. These agricultural products have already been distributed to the market, making it impossible to know where the rice was sold or who has been affected, which ultimately poses a health risk to all Thai citizens. This is a concern that has long been submitted to the government, but ultimately continues to directly impact the public.

Regarding the lead-contaminated rice grown in May whose test results were released only recently, this delay stemmed from the government failing to allocate sufficient budget, leaving relevant agencies without dedicated testing funds and forcing them to divert money from other projects, resulting in delayed analysis.

The demands put forward to the government are divided into two parts: overall management and micro-level detailed management. For overall management, he urged the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to demonstrate courage by raising this issue with representatives from China during an upcoming visit in order to jointly establish management measures and resolve the problem of toxic substances in border rivers. This is because current impacts extend beyond border rivers in the North and West, as mining operations have expanded significantly into Laos, threatening to spread toxic substances into the Mekong River and cause broader damage to agricultural lands in the Northeast.

Additionally, he called for using the mechanism of the National Environment Board, chaired by the Prime Minister, who previously assigned Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri to chair meetings instead. However, during the three meetings held over the past year, issues concerning toxic waste in Prachinburi or toxic substances in border rivers were never brought up for discussion. Furthermore, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has not actively intervened, prompting questions over whether Minister Suchart Chomklin has failed to give importance to the issue or has never attended the board meetings. At the same time, he urged the Ministry of Public Health to urgently step in to facilitate health support, as blood tests among 549 residents in Chiang Rai revealed 31 individuals with arsenic levels exceeding safe thresholds.

For micro-level management, while awaiting government action, Mr. Natthaphong advised citizens to reduce their own risks by checking the origin of the rice they purchase; if suspected to originate from contaminated areas, consumers should alternate buying from other sources. In addition, when cooking rice at home, using a larger volume of water and draining it off once cooked can help lower residual toxic levels in the rice. Concurrently, he called for short-term measures requiring the government to allocate emergency funds to inspect agricultural plots individually in high-risk areas, using risk map data jointly compiled by the Land Development Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, the Sub-Committee on Transboundary Water Pollution, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanapol Penrat.

In closing, Mr. Natthaphong emphasized that the agricultural sector is not the root cause of the problem, but rather the first victim. Besides farmers in contaminated areas suffering direct impacts, the issue indirectly affects other farmers as consumers lose confidence in purchasing agricultural produce over contamination fears. Therefore, he urged the government to act promptly on all recommendations proposed.

Photo : Weeraphat Ratsameerueangrong