Local and provincial health authorities confirmed that local water and even the villagers’ blood had excessive levels of poisons used in extracting gold. Shortly after Tungkum began mining, villagers complained about health problems.

Tungkum is mining gold in Loei, and extracting gold requires extensive use of toxic chemicals. Loei villagers need urgent help from being further poisoned by cyanide, mercury, and manganese, allegedly from mining giant Tungkum, a subsidiary of Tongkah Harbour Pcl (“Mining giant fails to cow angry villagers”, BP, March 14).