That's Nice to Print"
NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand — An escalating environmental crisis is choking the waterways of Thailand’s lower northeastern region, with a newly released surface water quality report revealing a total ecological collapse of the lower Lam Takhong River.
The fourth-quarter data for fiscal year 2026, encompassing the Nakhon Chai Burin provincial cluster and overseen by Montri Kiatphaophan, director of Regional Environment Office 11, presents a stark statistical reality. While 34.88 percent of the region’s water sources are classified as good and 30.23 percent as fair, a mere 6.98 percent—isolated to the upper Lam Takhong—achieves an excellent rating.
The most alarming findings center on the lower Lam Takhong, where all three monitoring stations report a 100 percent degradation rate. Officials have effectively declared this section of the river "dead," suffocated by spiking levels of ammonia and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) driven by rampant and illegal wastewater dumping. The Mun River, a critical regional artery, is similarly beleaguered, suffering from extreme pollution in the Phimai, Chok Chai, and Tha Tum districts. In stark contrast, the Chi River in Chaiyaphum province emerged as a singular bright spot, maintaining 100 percent passing marks for water clarity and quality.
In response to the catastrophic findings, Regional Environment Office 11 has issued an urgent policy directive to local administrative bodies. The agency is pressing municipalities—including Sikhio, Khok Kruat, Joho, and Satuek—to implement uncompromising legal measures against negligent riverside establishments. Beyond demanding immediate punitive actions to serve as a deterrent, the proposed long-term strategy requires the construction of centralized wastewater treatment facilities and the strict enforcement of a "polluter pays" policy, a critical final effort to resuscitate the region's primary waterways before the damage becomes irreversible.