CHIANG MAI — 6 July 2026, tensions erupt in Chiang Mai after two protesters were injured after a clash with police outside the Chinese Consulate General in Chiang Mai during a demonstration over alleged toxic contamination linked to mining operations affecting Thailand.
About 50 members of the People’s Network to Protect the Kok, Sai, Ruak, and Mekong Rivers gathered outside the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China to submit a petition calling for action over chemical contamination in natural waterways.
The group alleges the pollution originates from upstream mining operations in Myanmar involving Chinese investors.
During the gathering outside the consulate, a scuffle broke out between demonstrators and police assigned to secure the area, leaving two protesters injured. However, the situation did not escalate, and no further violence was reported.
Because the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Chiang Mai was closed, representatives of the protesters submitted their petition to officials from the Chiang Mai provincial administration and a representative of the Chinese consulate.
After submitting the petition, demonstrators observed a moment of silence as a symbolic gesture to honour those affected by the alleged contamination and the violence that had occurred before dispersing peacefully.
Meanwhile, the network reaffirmed its demands, calling on the Chinese government and relevant authorities to investigate and address toxic contamination affecting the Kok, Sai, Ruak and Mekong rivers, saying the pollution has harmed the environment and the livelihoods of communities in northern Thailand.
