China denies role in Thailand floods, cites normal dam operations

Photo: Chiang Rai

China has denied reports in Thailand suggesting that its major dams and reservoirs on the Mekong river may be contributing to the ongoing flooding in the northern and north-eastern regions of the country.

A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok said on its Facebook page that China is closely monitoring the recent floods affecting many areas of Thailand.

After consulting with relevant departments in China, they confirm that the dams and reservoirs in China have been maintaining normal flow recently, and those on the Lancang River have been holding water.

“From August 18 to 25, the average daily outflow from the Jinghong Hydropower Station was decreased by 60%, compared to the same period last August, and no flood discharge has occurred,” the statement claimed.

The statement was issued yesterday, one day after former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra visited a flooded area of Chiang Rai province in the north.

Thaksin told locals that “The flooding in Chiang Rai may be caused by an unusually high volume of water from upstream in the Mekong River. We may need to discuss this with other countries, particularly China, which is also experiencing flooding.”

Photo: Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra visits Chiang Rai on August 27.

He also said that he had been informed that the Thai Foreign Ministry is also addressing the issue with China.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) has sent an emergency notice to the Mekong River Commission (MRC), a regional intergovernmental agency, urging “tributary dam operators to collaborate in slowing water discharges from dams.”

In his letter to the MRC Secretariat, ONWR Secretary General Surasri Kidtimonton did not specify the tributary dam operators, but it is understood that one of them is China.

Dams in China have frequently been accused of causing unseasonal flooding and droughts along the river’s lower reaches.

The spokesperson added that the six countries in the Lancang River Basin form a community, connected by mountains and rivers and that “China fully respects and accommodates the interests and concerns of other basin countries.”

China is willing to increase information sharing and cooperation on water resources, improve comprehensive management in the basin, and jointly address challenges, such as climate change and floods, according to the spokesperson.