CHIANG RAI – A lively debate for Chiang Rai MP candidates put major local problems front and center: toxic contamination in rivers, PM2.5 haze, drug trafficking, cross-border crime, and vote buying. Candidates from several parties presented their plans, and political figure Pannika “Chor” Wanich appeared to raise concerns about rare earth supply chains and the scale of alleged vote buying.
On Jan 20, at the Chiang Rai Contemporary Art Museum in Chiang Rai province, Chiang Rai Watch teamed up with the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre (Public Organization), the Faculty of Political Science at Chiang Rai Rajabhat University, the School of Law and the School of Social Innovation at Mae Fah Luang University, plus the museum, to host a public forum for MP candidates.
Organizers invited 55 candidates across parties. The event focused on solutions for river pollution and toxic runoff, PM2.5 air pollution, drugs, transnational crime, vote buying, support for Chiang Rai as an arts city, and problems tied to legal status and personhood.
Candidates from 10 political parties joined the forum, including the Pheu Thai Party, the People’s Party, the Bhumjaithai Party, the Democrat Party, the New Opportunity Party, the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party, the Thai Progress Party, the Phalawan Party, and the Thai People Party. Several well-known local figures attended, along with residents and students who asked questions throughout the session.
What Chiang Rai MP Candidates Proposed
PM2.5 and mining links
Chaiyon Srisa-mut (Chiang Rai Constituency 6, Pheu Thai Party) said the PM2.5 problem looks a lot like mining disputes; people in Thailand bear the impacts while benefits go elsewhere. He tied river pollution and substandard mining to corruption in Myanmar and said Thailand must also talk with China, which buys the minerals.
Chitawan Chino-nuwat (Chiang Rai Constituency 1, People’s Party) said toxic contamination in rivers needs a multi-country approach involving Thailand, Myanmar, and China. He called for stronger checks on whether mines are treating wastewater properly, plus clearer traceability for mineral sources. He added that authorities should know which rare earths come from and where they end up.
Chulalak Khan-su-tham (Chiang Rai Constituency 6, People’s Party) said cross-border haze should be raised in ASEAN talks, with shared enforcement. She also said it’s disappointing that a Clean Air Act draft has not taken effect.
“Chor” calls for rare earth checks, criticizes vote buying
Pannika Wanich, known as “Chor,” a spokesperson for the Progressive Movement, said environmental problems connect directly to democracy and should be treated as seriously as border issues. She argued that foreign policy is often used as a tool in these cases and pushed for end-to-end checks on rare earth supply chains.
She said Thailand ranks 5th in the world for rare earth exports, adding that Thailand often imports minerals for processing. Because of that, she said, there should be scrutiny of whether imported ore is “clean” or tied to pollution upstream.
On vote buying, she said data cited by a public and private sector group suggests payments in Bangkok can reach 7,500 baht per person, while some areas see 2,000 to 3,000 baht. She claimed that buying votes in a single constituency could cost more than 60 million baht.
She argued that when politicians spend that much to win, it points to a goal of recovering money through corruption instead of serving the public.
ASEAN talks, asset checks, and agriculture rules
Sommart Visutthiwong, a Democrat Party executive, said river contamination is coming from neighboring countries, so solutions must target the source through ASEAN agreements. He also mentioned irrigation management to reassure Chiang Rai residents.
On drugs and scam operations, he said they are connected and pushed for laws that require proof of asset origins, along with removing personnel who block enforcement. For haze, he suggested refusing to buy agricultural products tied to burning and smoke.
Thanaiyarat Srichot (Chiang Rai Constituency 1, Thai People’s Party) proposed using technology to create mineral ID cards for traceability. He also suggested building water retention dams and using lime to help dilute contamination, plus dredging canals and tributaries, and clearly separating raw water sources.
On drugs and scam networks, he said he would push prevention to keep younger people out of those circles. For “gray Chinese capital,” he proposed using AI to track money flows and reduce nominee-based business structures. For PM2.5, he suggested turning weeds and crop residue into compost or energy instead of burning.
Ekkapop Pheanphiset (party-list candidate, Bhumjaithai Party) said PM2.5 solutions should aim big, including opening unused land for investment in solar power and other clean energy. He also backed more precise farming instead of planting and burning, saying burning doesn’t raise farm income.
Somnuek Jaijak (Chiang Rai Constituency 1, Ruam Thai Sang Chat Party) said haze should be addressed with nature-based approaches, including promoting coffee planting across 180,000 rai. He said larger shade trees over coffee plants could help reduce smoke and raise incomes, which could also ease drug problems.
Thanet Tiptho (Chiang Rai Constituency 1, New Opportunity Party) said if elected, he would shift raw water sourcing from the Lao River instead of the Kok River to avoid toxic contamination. On “dark capital,” he called for tougher penalties and higher rewards for tips leading to arrests. He also said Chiang Rai often has few hotspots locally, with many fires happening across the border.
Mr. Pantawat Phuphaphanthakarn, Chiang Rai MP candidate, District 5, Phalawan Party, said that Chiang Rai was originally a safe city. But now there is pollution. Therefore, he would like to see the government work proactively. It is not that the minister finished the meeting and then left. Therefore, in the future, the political sector must intervene and have a meeting with the government of Myanmar and China, etc.
