CHIANG RAI – Residents and business owners in the Tham Phachom and Sailomjoy communities of Mae Sai have put up signs opposing a flood barrier project led by the Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning.
People say they’re unhappy with the proposed design of the project, which is valued at more than 3 billion baht. The plan being discussed includes a two-layer flood wall.
Residents fear this would leave more than 840 homes and parts of the local business area trapped between the two walls, effectively turning the space into a floodway rather than an area protected like the inner zone.
A community representative from Mae Sai Village 1, Wiang Phang Kham subdistrict, told Transboundary News the plan pushes risk onto people living along the riverbank. There’s also concern that if a major flood happens again, like in 2024, these areas could become a basin where water collects and drains out slowly.
They added that the biggest issue right now is the lack of clarity from the state on fair compensation or support for anyone affected if the town plan is changed and their area is legally designated as a water-retention zone. Residents want stronger flood defences and faster dredging of the Sai River.
Increasing Drainage Capacity
Sittisak Injaikham, the senior district officer of Mae Sai, said officials have visited the area to listen and explain the process. He stressed that the two-layer wall proposal is still at the information-gathering stage. A first workshop has already taken place as part of a master plan study to improve the Sai River and increase drainage capacity in Chiang Rai.
The study was presented late last year by Water Development Consultants Group Co., Ltd, the consultancy hired by the department to survey and draft designs. He said this is not a final decision, and the design can still be adjusted based on local feedback.
He also spoke about an urgent plan aimed at reducing flood worries in 2026. Mae Sai district has submitted a proposal to the province and the Chiang Rai Public Works and Town and Country Planning Office to request central funding. The plan has received approval in principle for 36 million baht, and officials are now preparing the documents needed to draw down the budget.
The work would focus on strengthening the existing temporary and semi-permanent flood barriers, sealing leak points that previously caused damage, and removing buildings or structures that block the flow of water at narrow choke points. A total of 14 buildings are listed for removal as part of these short-term measures.
Higher Floodwall in Mae Sai
The senior district officer added that Thai officials have been in ongoing talks with Myanmar, and both sides agreed to coordinate and meet weekly. He said Myanmar has already started dredging and building flood walls in its area.
As for public concerns about soil being dumped into the river, he said authorities have been told it is only a technical step to allow heavy machinery to enter and work. The soil is expected to be removed after the project, so the river can flow freely, similar to the Thai side.
Bundit Phanplakorn, chair of the Wiang Phang Kham Municipal Council, said he understands why residents want a higher flood wall.
However, he said the planned wall height of six metres follows limits linked to cross-border relations, to avoid pushing water levels high enough to cause severe impacts on the Myanmar side. This restriction means the wall cannot simply be raised above the real flood level recorded in 2024.
He also said the municipality is moving ahead with immediate local work. A grant of 250,000 baht from the Community Organisations Development Institute (CODI) is being used to remove sand and sediment from Lam Mueang Daeng, a key drainage route in the Sailomjoy area.
The work uses a small excavator in tight spaces and around government sites where large machines from the Chiang Rai Provincial Administrative Organisation cannot operate.
While these steps may ease short-term pressure, many Mae Sai residents say their biggest concern remains the long-term 3 billion baht project. They want clear answers on what will happen to the 840 households likely to be placed in a floodway zone, especially while there is still no firm, practical guarantee of compensation or support.
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