Thailand's Water Resource Department has postponed a critical public hearing on a controversial flood-prevention scheme in Yala Province, backing down in the face of mounting pressure from local communities, religious leaders, and environmental advocates who say the project would destroy an internationally protected wetland and displace thousands of farmers and fishermen.
Why This Matters:
• Ramsar wetland at risk: The Phru Lan Kwai swamp, an internationally recognized site vital for farming and fishing, sits at the center of the dispute.
• 15,000 rai planned: The scheme would convert this land in Raman district (Yala) and Thung Yang Daeng district (Pattani) into a floodwater retention basin.
• Public hearing cancelled: The Wednesday session in Muang district was called off following organized resistance, including a statement signed by 150 residents, academics, and activists on Monday.
• Decades of flooding: Yala city has suffered severe inundation for years, but critics argue shifting the burden to rural communities is not the solution.
Opposition Unites Rural Communities
The coalition against the retention project spans religious leaders, the Pattani River Network, human rights defenders, and civic groups. On Monday, these stakeholders jointly issued a statement acknowledging the urgency of flood prevention but insisting that protecting Yala city must not come at the expense of rural livelihoods. Religious leaders organized a symbolic ceremony earlier in the week to convey residents' rejection of the plan, framing the issue not just as environmental but as a matter of community survival.
Sohabudin Laoyapa, coordinator of the Pattani River Network, has been vocal in articulating local demands. His organization, along with protesters like Waedaoh Jete, argues that the project rests on an outdated 1967 development plan and that the Pattani River is unsuitable for large-scale dam and retention infrastructure. Jete and others contend that the environmental impact assessment was deeply flawed, lacking genuine stakeholder participation and ignoring the ecological complexity of the Sai Buri River basin.
What This Means for Residents
For the farmers, fishermen, and herders in Raman and Thung Yang Daeng, the stakes are existential. The land earmarked for water retention is not empty space—it is arable ground used for rice farming, freshwater fishing, and cattle herding. Residents have stated bluntly that if the retention basin is built, their arable land disappears, leaving no clear path forward for families who have farmed and fished the Phru Lan Kwai swamp for generations.
The Ramsar designation is significant. Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance, recognized for their ecological value and the human communities they support. Destroying or fundamentally altering such a site to solve an urban flooding problem raises questions about equitable resource management and whether rural populations are being asked to shoulder disproportionate costs.
The opposition's concern extends beyond this single project. A related initiative, the Krong Pinang water gate, has also drawn criticism for its potential to devastate the Pattani River ecosystem. Local communities worry that piecemeal infrastructure projects, rather than holistic water management, will fragment the river system and undermine the ecological processes that sustain their way of life.
The Flood Problem Is Real
Yala city's flooding history is long and destructive. The municipality sits between the Sai Buri and Pattani rivers, a geography that makes it vulnerable to overflow during heavy rains. Over the past two decades, the city has faced repeated inundation—most recently in late 2024, when over 43,000 households across the province were affected in what residents called the worst flooding in 30 years. By December 2024, Yala had endured severe flooding for two consecutive years, overwhelming local authorities and displacing over 20,000 households.
Flash floods in November 2024 hit particularly hard, with waters rising faster and higher than in previous years, forcing over 100 households to evacuate in Hat Yai district's Ban Phru Moo 8 village. Mueang district faced its worst flooding in about two decades in 2025, with officials warning of potential mudslides and further flash floods.
Pongsak Yingchoncharoen, the mayor of Yala city, has advocated for revisiting long-standing dam proposals—some dating back 50 years—including the Krong Pinang and Kuemeng dams. He argues that without large-scale infrastructure, the city will remain vulnerable and unattractive to investors, undermining Yala's economic revitalization. The Kuemeng Dam, for instance, is expected to mitigate flooding not only in Raman district but also in several districts of neighboring Narathiwat province.
Alternative Approaches Gain Traction
Rather than concrete barriers and retention basins, environmental advocates are pushing for what they call Green River principles—a philosophy that prioritizes river ecology and equitable water use. Their proposed alternatives include:
• Halting the water gate project and revisiting the strategic planning framework.
• Working with natural flood cycles rather than attempting to override them with infrastructure.
• Restoring wetlands to enhance natural water absorption and flow regulation.
• Improving urban drainage systems in Yala city to reduce vulnerability without displacing rural communities.
These approaches, proponents argue, address the root causes of urban flooding—poor drainage, inadequate green space, and development in flood-prone areas—without sacrificing the Phru Lan Kwai swamp or the livelihoods it supports. Successful flood management in cities like Hat Yai has relied on a mix of infrastructure upgrades and natural water management, offering a potential model for Yala.
The Path Forward
The postponement of the public hearing is not a cancellation, and the Thailand Water Resource Department has not announced a formal review of the project. However, the organized resistance signals that any attempt to move forward without addressing community concerns will face significant political and social obstacles. The coalition of 150 signatories—spanning villagers, academics, and civic networks—represents a broad base of opposition that cannot be easily dismissed.
For policymakers, the challenge is balancing the urgent need to protect Yala city from recurring floods with the equally urgent need to preserve the livelihoods and ecosystems of surrounding rural areas. The debate over the Phru Lan Kwai scheme is, at its core, a question of who pays the price for flood prevention and whether Thailand's water management strategy can evolve beyond top-down infrastructure projects toward more inclusive, ecologically informed solutions.
As the rainy season progresses, the pressure on both the government and local communities will intensify. Whether the Water Resource Department opts for a revised plan, a broader consultation process, or a return to the original proposal remains uncertain. What is clear is that the residents of Raman and Thung Yang Daeng are not willing to see their land converted into a floodwater dump without a fight—and they have the organizational capacity and public support to make that fight visible.
