The Mekong Eye

With public opposition to major infrastructure projects a growing concern, and willing partners in neighboring countries eager to pick up the slack, Thailand’s industrialists are fanning out in all directions. Energy projects dominate the mix, including coal, gas and hydropower. As a result, it’s the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand driving much of the activity. Thailand’s dominant petroleum interest, PTT, too is quite active, pushing one of the world’s largest-ever petrochemical refineries, among other large-scale projects. And one of the country’s leading construction companies, Italian-Thai Development has secured state and Japanese backing to develop a massive industrial estate on a scale never before conceived in the region. 

Combined, these projects represent upwards of $100 billion in investment, and bring with them potentially far-reaching impacts to the local environment and surrounding communities. While talk of social and environmental safeguards surround most of these projects, the proponents’ interest to comprehensively deliver them has yet to be demonstrated. In this Mekong Eye series, we take a look at 10 projects to keep an Eye On. 

1. Dawei Special Economic Zone, Myanmar
2. Inn Din Coal Power Plant, Myanmar
3. Myeik Coal Power Plant, Myanmar
4. Thanlyn Combined-Cycle Gas Power Plant, Myanmar
5. Hat Gyi Dam, Myanmar
6. Mong Ton Dam, Myanmar
7. Nam Ngiep 1, Laos
8. Hongsa Coal Power Plant, Laos
9. Xayaburi Dam, Laos
10. Victory Refinery Project, Vietnam

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