"Thai court dismisses Mekong River activists’ case against Xayaburi Dam in Laos", 17 August 2022

Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court ruled in favor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand’s controversial power purchase deal from a Lao dam on the Mekong River, ending a 10-year legal effort by river activists to halt the power deal over environmental and social concerns.

The court in Bangkok dismissed an appeal in a lawsuit launched in 2012 by the Thai Mekong People’s Network from Eight Provinces requesting the scrapping the agreement signed by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to buy electricity from the Xayaburi Dam, Laos’ first Mekong River dam.

The members of the network argued that EGAT’s power purchase agreement (PPA) is causing significant damage to the livelihoods and environment of millions of Mekong River Basin residents. The case, which was dismissed by a lower court, argued that Thai agencies involved in the approval process had failed to follow proper procedures, including consultations with people affected by the dam.

The Thai Supreme Administrative Court rejected the concerns [...].

“The signing of the power purchase agreement with the Xayaburi Dam had no clear and direct impact on the environment and people,” the court said.

“In addition, the defendants had followed and conducted the proper procedures, the Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement (PNPCA),” it said.

“Therefore, the court sees that the defendants have done their jobs and proved that they were not negligent.”

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