360:. The report examined village culture, ecology, biodiversity, agriculture, and food and water management. The impact of the closing and opening of the sluice gates was also examined. It was concluded that the dam reduced fish populations, but more importantly, flooded natural salt pits and spread them into rice and vegetable fields, destroying trees and crops. The government has not made a commitment to keep the Rasi Salai Dam decommissioned, but as of 2008 the gates have not yet been closed.
279:
335:
In 1957, the villagers entered the employ of the logging companies, causing internal and external conflict as well as increased reliance on unsustainable practices. Finally, in 1991 the villagers formed a conservation group, the Forest Lover Group, which the
Chaobaan researchers agreed cut down on conflict. The mood of the villages has returned to one of mutual assistance and traditional customs.
198:. The Ubon Ratchathani University study also recommended keeping the sluice gates open for at least five years. However, the Thai government rejected all of the studies for unclear reasons and instead conducted a three-day opinion poll of a random sample of Thais, after which it decided that the gates would stay closed for eight out of twelve months of the year. In 2007, Prime Minister
92:(roughly US$ 280,000), and the government contractors, alleged to be the same group that recommended damming another river, received 94 million baht (roughly US$ 2,700,000), raising suspicions. Villagers thought that outside academics would not be able to make an objective or accurate study of the river because they were unfamiliar with local
303:, which determined that the blasting of rapids had made the river water unsuitable for drinking and bathing, washed away many local riverside gardens, and decimated the populations of local plants and fish. In response to the 2004 studies, the Thai government suspended blasting on one of the rapids, the Khon Pi Luang.
405:
Living River Siam has compiled the research and oral accounts of Thai villagers into many publications, which they make available on their website. Its published books document local knowledge about fish, the results of village research, a how-to manual for Thai Baan research, and citizens' guides to
185:
The villages documented changes in their towns as a result of the opening of the sluice gates. Fishermen who had been forced to leave for the city returned to their homes, the increase in fish caused a boom in the rural economy, in fishing and tourism. Villagers were able to hold religious ceremonies
181:
The use of small and large fish in the local economy was analyzed. Researchers found that while the less common large fish are sold for profit, the diet of Pak Mun villagers consisted mostly of small fish which can be caught in both the wet and dry seasons. Small fish are eaten, sold, and traded with
124:
research documented the spawning grounds, migration patterns, habitats, and preferred baits of 137 species of fish. Originally, there were 265 species in the river; 220 of these disappeared when the river was dammed, and only 92 reappeared when the sluice gates were opened, meaning that the diversity
347:
was completed in 1994, around the same time as the Pak Mun Dam, and received similar local complaints. The dam's central reservoir was occupied for two years by villagers, until a July 2000 decision opened the sluice gates. From 2003 to 2004, Living River Siam coordinated Thai Baan research in three
334:
The report divided Sa-iap history into four periods. Before 1937, the village was self-sustaining and used both farming and gathering for the overwhelming majority of its needs. In 1937, the Thai government allowed private companies to log the forest, destroying part of the villages' infrastructure.
116:
by allowing villagers to investigate and document, in their own language and on their own terms, every aspect of their life on the river. The only function of the overseeing organization is to compile the villagers' data and publish it for others to read. Living River Siam refers to this in
English
368:
In 2005, and again in 2008, the Mekong River flooded its banks, damaging hundreds of rural villages. Living River Siam joined with other NGOs to form the Thai People's
Network for Mekong, which pointed to dams in China as the primary cause of the flooding. An intergovernmental working group called
129:
and Mun rivers, meaning the dam endangered the Mekong's ecosystem as well. Thai villagers took photos of all the fish and counted the number of fish caught before and after the opening of the gates. Over 200 villagers volunteered for the study, and divided themselves up into groups to survey the
46:
study period in 2001, when it developed a method for instructing villagers on how to document the effects of the dammed river on their lives. When the Thai government proposed other dam sites, Living River Siam took its research methods to the villages surrounding those sites as well. Today, the
225:
of Thai Baan research and coordinated their own study in Sri
Songkham district in 2004, concluding that it was more useful than top-down styles of village research. The study overseen by the MWBP was cited in an academic journal and submitted to an international conference. Living River Siam's
383:
294:
which wreck boats, and the unusual monsoon season which reverses the course of some of its branches. In 2004, the Thai government made an agreement with China to open the river to commercial navigation by destroying rapids, which Thai Baan research had identified as important fish
233:
In 2002 the Thai government's department of irrigation met the demands of Living River Siam and the
Assembly of the Poor with a promise to halt all future dam projects, which was accepted with cautious optimism. To circumvent the issue of domestic damming, in 2007 the
373:
opposed these claims, saying China's dams had little to do with the flood, although they also pressed China for data on the floodwaters. The back-and-forth was covered heavily in Thai press, which gave ample space to the statements of the People's
Network.
402:. They also assisted a United Nations-funded NGO, the Mekong Wetlands Biodiversity Programme (MWBP), with running Thai Baan research in 2004. Living River Siam, along with the MWBP, organizes cross-basin coordination between Thai Baan research groups.
42:(NGO) which analyzes the impact of Thailand's various dam projects and coordinates the research of indigenous peoples to give Thai villagers the power to document the influence of local rivers and dams. Founded in 1999, it gained prominence during the
83:
gates of the Pak Mun Dam for four months to allow studies to be conducted on its social impact; this was later extended to 13 months. Coinciding with this agreement, the government announced that official studies would be conducted by
327:), based on their own experiences and history. It was called Chaobaan research, but the methodology was equivalent to the Thai Baan research. The report examined the ecosystem of the residents of Sa-iap, the vegetables and
632:
Assembly of the Poor and
Southeast Asia Rivers Network. "The Return of Fish, River Ecology and Local Livelihoods of the Mun River: A Thai Baan (Villagers') Research" Chiang Mai, Thailand: Southeast Asia Rivers Network,
63:
Day of Action, by a group of NGO workers and Thai academics. Its first action, on March 23, was to support an occupation of the Pak Mun Dam site by 5,000 villagers. The Pak Mun Dam, funded partially by the
72:'s 99-day, 20,000-person protest in Bangkok in 1997. The dam generates 0.5 percent of Thailand's electric capacity; 40 percent of Thailand's total electric capacity goes unused on an everyday basis.
398:
organizations in Thai Baan research, beginning with the
Vietnam Rivers Network and expanding to a Chinese group in 2007. In 2008 they worked with the Burma Rivers Network to conduct research on the
1087:
1082:
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defending Thai rivers and communities. They also have produced posters of fish species and dams, pamphlets on fishing gear, and short documentaries about the river.
570:
Pianporn Deetes. "Dam
Decommissioning and Restoration of the River Ecosystem and Local Livelihoods: A Case Study of Pak Mun Dam Mekong River Basin, Thailand".
235:
68:, was built in 1994 and slowly became the focus of national controversy. It received widespread complaints from Thai villagers and was the focus of the
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grounds. On the
Chinese side, dams were constructed. Living River Siam gathered additional Thai Baan surveys from 146 villagers in the
843:
88:
and a private team contracted by the National Economic and Social Development Board. The university received a budget of 10 million
688:
Kohei Kamata et al. "Management of Wetland Ecosystems and Water Resources in the Lower Songkram River Basin, Northeast-Thailand ".
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along its border with Thailand. Living River Siam opposed this plan, citing the threat of environmental destruction in Burma's
967:
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772:
210:
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85:
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Since 2004, Living River Siam has employed its research methods in other threatened locations across rural Thailand.
125:
of the Mun ecosystem had already been severely reduced by the dam. There were 104 species that migrated between the
112:(งานวิจัยไทบ้าน), or "research by Thai villagers". This research is meant to circumvent the traditional approach to
202:
decided to close the gates permanently, citing an alleged secret agreement between thousands of villagers and the
218:
195:
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The results of the Thai Baan research were supported by several academics, including Niti Pawakapan of
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United Nations Environment Programme: Addressing Existing Dams, Nairobi, Kenya, June 14–15, 2004.
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they subsisted on, medicinal herbs they used, local fauna, wood resources, and their culture.
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The Assembly of the Poor in Thailand, From Local Struggles to National Protest Movement
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Local Wisdom for River Basin Management: Thai Baan Research in the Songkhram River
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The response from non-governmental organizations has been more favorable. The
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to counter government-sponsored research that encourages dam construction.
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B200m to change opponents' minds: Soldiers 'surveying' villagers' opinions
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97:
278:
291:
131:
126:
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897:
Mekong flood, MRC’s roles, dams in China, and a failed alarm system
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Pianporn Deetes. "The invisible costs of the Salween dam project".
381:
328:
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remained free of dams until 1993 because of its complex system of
277:
239:
773:"MEKONG: China parley reveals gulf between leaders and activists"
605:"ENVIRONMENT-THAILAND: Villagers' knowledge challenges academics"
717:"THAILAND: Activists skeptical of gov't pledge on mega-projects"
89:
315:, Living River Siam released a report on the people of Sa-iap,
1056:
311:
In 2006, in response to renewed plans for dam construction in
882:
Apinya Wipatayotin. "Caution urged on water project plans".
545:"THAILAND: Villagers Want Their Rivers - and Lives – Back"
394:
Beginning in 2006, Living River Siam began training other
646:" ("Wijai Thai Baan"). Weekly Matichon. August 9, 2002.
59:
Living River Siam was launched on March 14, 1999, the
677:
Thai Baan Research in the Lower Songkhram River Basin
940:
Molle, François; Foran, Tira; Käkönen, Mira (2009).
856:"Executive Summary of Rasi Salai Thai Baan Research"
238:(EGAT) announced plans to build a series of dams on
690:Saitama University Engineering Department Bulletin
586:"Villagers hail return of fish as gates re-opened"
213:(MWBP), an international alliance managed by the
705:". Mekong Wetlands Biodiversity Programme, 2004.
679:." Mekong Wetlands Biodiversity Programme, 2004.
1088:Environmental organizations established in 1999
226:spokesperson Pianporn Deetes was invited to a
1083:Environmental organizations based in Thailand
8:
642:Niti Pawakapan (Chulalongkorn University). "
236:Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
75:On June 16, 2001, the Thai government under
946:. Earthscan Publications Ltd. p. 295.
489:
487:
943:Contested Waterscapes in the Mekong Region
603:Macan-Markar, Marwaan (October 18, 2002).
917:MEKONG FLOODS: China asked for river info
657:Old war, new battle for Pak Mun villagers
108:In response, Living River Siam developed
1021:. Mekong Wetlands Biodiversity Programme
810:
808:
671:
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624:
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560:
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519:. Chiang Mai, Thailand: Silkworm Books.
378:Seminars, coordination, and publications
715:Chan, Stanislaus Jude (June 20, 2002).
543:Gill, Teena Amrit (December 18, 2003).
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190:Government reaction and other responses
538:
536:
495:"The sweet serpent of South-East Asia"
473:
462:
211:Mekong Wetlands Biodiversity Programme
47:organization works with other NGOs in
584:Vasana Chinvarakorn (June 17, 2001).
574:Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations, 2004.
510:
508:
7:
501:. December 30, 2003. pp. 28–30.
228:United Nations Environment Programme
215:United Nations Development Programme
204:Internal Security Operations Command
142:, small waterfalls, drinking wells,
1043:. Living River Siam. July 14, 2009.
970:. Living River Siam. Archived from
895:Thai People's Network for Mekong. "
816:Thai Baan Research in Keang Sue Ten
751:Sanitsuda Ekachai (June 27, 2005).
451:. International Rivers. April 1999
388:Thai Baan Research at Chiang Khong
282:An example of the Mekong's rapids.
16:Thai non-governmental organization
14:
836:Protesters moving out of dam site
1016:"World Wetlands Day Report 2006"
1093:1999 establishments in Thailand
799:". Bangkok Post. May 11, 2004.
221:, has published a study on the
186:in important riverside spaces.
781:. July 5, 2005. Archived from
741:(Thailand). February 28, 2007.
32:South East Asia Rivers Network
1:
515:Missingham, Bruce D. (2003).
423:"Living River Siam: About Us"
40:non-governmental organization
825:". Retrieved July 14, 2009.
182:the hill peoples for rice.
86:Ubon Ratchathani University
1109:
842:(Thailand). July 9, 2000.
663:(Thailand). July 16, 2007.
1062:From Dammed To Liberation
994:"The Salween River Basin"
753:"Doing it for themselves"
117:as "Thai Baan research".
27:
655:Subhatra Bhumiprabhas. "
445:"River Revival Bulletin"
219:World Conservation Union
196:Chulalongkorn University
371:Mekong River Commission
174:underwater rapids, and
28:โครงการแม่น้ำเพื่อชีวิต
472:Cite journal requires
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915:Apinya Wipatayotin. "
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325:Mae Yom National Park
301:Chiang Khong District
281:
274:Chiang Khong District
260:Mae Hong Son Province
114:anthropological study
968:"Thai Baan Research"
795:Kultida Samabudhi. "
785:on October 26, 2012.
727:on October 26, 2012.
615:on October 26, 2012.
230:conference on dams.
110:Ngan Wijai Thai Baan
70:Assembly of the Poor
61:International Rivers
55:Pak Mun Dam protests
996:. Living River Siam
778:Inter Press Service
721:Inter Press Service
609:Inter Press Service
549:Inter Press Service
425:. Living River Siam
266:Additional research
79:agreed to open the
922:2009-01-05 at the
906:". 16 August 2008.
902:2009-01-06 at the
863:Living Rivers Siam
821:2011-07-27 at the
692:40 (2007). pp.1-5.
392:
354:Amphoe Rattanaburi
284:
258:states as well as
130:sub-ecosystems of
104:Thai Baan research
77:Thaksin Shinawatra
1057:Living River Siam
953:978-1-84407-707-6
930:, 20 August 2008.
884:The Bangkok Post.
701:Richard Friend. "
526:978-974-9575-28-4
350:Amphoe Rasi Salai
200:Surayud Chulanont
178:fishing grounds.
20:Living River Siam
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928:Bangkok Post
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38:) is a Thai
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19:
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644:วิจัยไทบ้าน
348:districts:
317:Amphoe Song
223:methodology
44:Pak Mun Dam
30:; formerly
1077:Categories
840:The Nation
739:The Nation
661:The Nation
410:References
396:grassroots
170:shallows,
66:World Bank
323:(part of
146:islands,
122:Mun River
978:July 17,
920:Archived
900:Archived
868:29 April
819:Archived
297:spawning
164:lhum hin
136:channels
98:habitats
1025:17 July
1000:17 July
844:WebCite
801:WebCite
455:17 July
429:17 July
252:Karenni
162:holes,
158:pools,
154:pools,
150:pools,
148:bok hin
950:
523:
356:, and
292:rapids
254:, and
140:eddies
132:rapids
127:Mekong
81:sluice
36:SEARIN
1019:(PDF)
859:(PDF)
633:2004.
329:fungi
256:Karen
240:Burma
176:luang
34:, or
1027:2009
1002:2009
980:2009
948:ISBN
870:2018
521:ISBN
478:help
457:2009
431:2009
369:the
343:The
286:The
248:Shan
217:and
156:wang
152:khum
120:The
96:and
90:baht
24:Thai
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168:kon
160:huu
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