At downstream Luang Prabang in Laos, the reefs pose an ever lurking danger under the murky water for river transport. This was followed by a permit granted by the government for a Chinese team to carry out a 50-day survey, supposedly of the reefs, in the Mekong River in Thai territory. Chinese survey boats appear to dock anywhere they want, Mr Thongsuk said, adding some local residents were convinced the survey boats could be secretly mining minerals from the river bed. Pakaimas Vierra, owner of the Mekong Delta Travel Agency which runs Mekong River cruises, said the cargo transport plan has been on China's agenda for a long time. Meanwhile, some National Legislative Assembly (NLA) members were sounding out opinions from various parties about improving navigation along the Mekong River, a source said.

Source: Bangkok Post May 20, 2017 01:22 UTC