Kok River (photo: Panumet Tanraksa)Thailand has sought Japan’s support in collecting water samples from Shan State in Myanmar to identify a source of toxic runoff that is threatening the health of people on both sides of the border. He said Japan is keen to take part in Thailand’s initiative to tackle water pollution and has also engaged in similar projects in Myanmar. “Japan will help us conduct a heavy metal test on water and sediment samples. Two main sources of arsenic in the Kok River could stem from either agriculture or rare-earth mining, he said. On Tuesday, the department conducted a laboratory test on water samples collected from the Kok River.

Source: Bangkok Post February 26, 2026 10:57 UTC