A drone view shows the Kok River, which flows through Tha Ton village in northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai province after entering Thailand from Myanmar and has become the main water source across Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai province, amid increased rare earth and gold mining at the river’s source in Myanmar, where unregulated operations may release toxic chemicals, according to the Stimson Center report, November 5, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa