Govt vows more oversight of gold mine

The Department of Primary Industries and Mines (DPIM) has issued a clarification about the resumed mining operations of Akara Resources Plc, in response to a call by local villagers for a probe into alleged irregularities in the reopening plan for Thailand’s largest gold mine.

The department said it had conducted five surveys among residents which showed most in favour of mining being resumed.

Moreover, the renewal of the four leases only allows the firm to resume in the same areas it had previously occupied, according to the department.

The Chatree gold mine, which sits on the borders of three provinces — Phichit, Phitsanulok and Phetchabun — was ordered closed in 2017 by an executive decree of the since-dissolved National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) due to pollution and environmental damage.

Under the terms of the reopening, the firm is required to…