Thailand's gateway for North Korean defectors

The sleepy Thai town on the North Korean underground railway

Of all the people who have passed by Tu Sanaroon’s riverfront guesthouse lately, it was the man who knocked on her door in the middle of the night, carrying his elderly mother on his back, who she remembers most.

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Energy and the Mekong River: a future flashpoint in Southeast Asia?

"We have no other choice but hydropower.

Observers predict the debate over how to tap the power of the Mekong River will become a contentious regional issue for the countries through which the waterway flows. My recent radio feature looks at the conflicting aims between energy needs and environmental concerns along the Mekong.

This story first aired on PRI's The World.

Mekong nations split on hydropower dam

Mekong countries can't agree on a hydropower plan. But will that stop Laos from building?Countries around the lower Mekong have failed to reach a consensus on a controversial proposal that could see Laos build the first hydropower dam on this part of the vital river.

Instead, representatives from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam agreed to consult with their respective governments on how to proceed.

However, the final decision still rests with Laos, meaning the South-east Asian country’s divisive proposal to dam a stretch of the Mekong in northern Laos could well push forward regardless of opposition from its neighbours or environmentalists.

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