PRACHIN BURI — 17 August 2026, Residents and environmental rights advocates rallied outside the Prachin Buri Provincial Government Complex on Monday to oppose plans to bring the province into the Eastern Economic Corridor, saying they would remain at the site until Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul formally signed an order halting the move.
Sumet Rianphongnam and Sunthorn Khomkhai, environmental human rights defenders from the Prachin Strong Network, joined local residents at the government complex in Mai Khet subdistrict, Mueang Prachin Buri district.
Protesters displayed banners calling on authorities to reconsider development plans they fear could affect local communities, livelihoods, natural resources and the environment.
The group said the gathering was peaceful and called for genuine public consultation before any projects with potentially significant local impacts were allowed to proceed.
Authorities were deployed around the government complex to maintain order and facilitate traffic. No major disruption was reported.
Protesters also called on the Prachin Buri governor to sign a letter opposing the province’s inclusion in the EEC.
One demonstrator wore a mask apparently intended to resemble the provincial governor, with the word “China” written across his stomach and fake 1,000-baht banknotes hung around his neck.
He scattered the imitation banknotes on the ground in what organisers described as a symbolic protest against concerns over Chinese-funded factories and the handling of industrial development by local authorities.
Chalermchai Klahan read out a statement saying the Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee had agreed in principle on 20 May to include Prachin Buri in the EEC.
The network said residents had repeatedly submitted objections and supporting information but believed their concerns had not received meaningful consideration.
The protesters said they were also following up on talks with the government on 30 June, when Deputy Prime Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, acting as a government representative, pledged to raise their demands with Anutin, who chairs the EEC Policy Committee.
More than 45 days had passed without a clear response or visible progress, the group said.
The network said it had submitted the names of 11,207 supporters to the government and listed six main reasons for opposing Prachin Buri’s inclusion in the EEC:
- Agriculture, tourism and natural resources: The province has strengths in organic agriculture, wellness tourism, upstream forests and natural attractions, including areas bordering Khao Yai and Thap Lan national parks.
- Existing industrial impacts: The group said Prachin Buri has already faced problems involving waste-processing plants, smelters and industrial facilities since regulatory changes introduced after 2016. It claimed the province had increasingly become a receiving area for industrial waste linked to the eastern industrial region.
- Insufficient study: The network argued that the feasibility study was completed within only a few months despite the scale of the policy and its potential impact on the entire province.
- Concerns over the EEC law: Protesters said the framework prioritises economic growth and investor interests over environmental protection, community rights and local ways of life.
- Land pressure: The network warned that expansion of the EEC could accelerate land purchases and changes in land use, potentially threatening farmland and traditional livelihoods.
- Water and forest impacts: The group said increased industrial water demand could lead to additional dam construction in forest areas within the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai World Heritage Site, threatening upstream forests, biodiversity and conservation values.
The group called on the government and the EEC Policy Committee to reverse the 20 May decision and formally halt the process of adding Prachin Buri to the EEC.
It also demanded that authorities release the information and studies used in the decision-making process, allow meaningful local participation and address existing problems involving pollution, industrial waste, illegal businesses, weak law enforcement and compensation for affected communities before allowing further industrial expansion.
At about 11:00, Prachin Buri Deputy Governor Chanathip Khokmanee and Prachin Buri MP Amnat Wilawan met the demonstrators and said the government had received their concerns and that the project had already been halted.
The explanation did not satisfy protesters, who said they wanted to speak directly with the provincial governor and demanded a signed document from Anutin formally suspending and cancelling Prachin Buri’s inclusion in the EEC.
Amnat said he would raise the demand for a signed cancellation with the prime minister.
The protesters said they would remain overnight at the government complex until they received the document. They asked provincial officials to provide access to toilets and shelter inside the complex if it rained.