Govt warns over Lao dam plan

The government threatened on Tuesday not to buy electricity from Sanakham dam in Laos after it learned the project might affect the Mekong River.

“The country’s territory is our paramount concern,” Somkiat Prajamwong, secretary-general to the Office of National Water Resources, said on Tuesday after a seminar on the Mekong River in Bangkok.

“We won’t agree to the project unless we have clear evidence that the border is not affected.”

Mr Somkiat said the cabinet agreed on Monday that Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon would officially express the government’s stance against the project at a virtual ministerial meeting tomorrow.

APINYA WIPATAYOTIN