Piloki is a remote village in western Kanchanaburi province, near the Thai/Myanmar border. Its residents are mainly Karen, an ethnic minority in Thailand and Myanmar. The Karen people have long been persecuted by the Burmese military dictatorship and many have been driven from their homes to seek refuge in Thailand. Though they have lived and worked in Thailand for many years they are not recognized as full Thai citizens and face major challenges in acquiring adequate health care, education and employment opportunities.
Compounding these problems in Piloki, was the loss of their farming land due to the construction of the Vajilarongkorn Dam in Thongphapum (literally means “Gold-Hill-Land”) District in 1991. Politically powerless and economically marginalized, Piloki residents had no choice but to move. The Thai government assisted in moving the residents to higher ground on the shores of the newly formed lake. However, there isn’t much scope for agriculture here since a large part of the area is a forest reserve, limiting the available land for farming and livestock. Trees for building houses are also unavailable as logging is banned throughout Thailand. Part of the government’s compensation package for Piloki included solar panels to generate power for lighting and phones. However it is clear that what Piloki lost can never be fully regained and like many other villages flooded by the dam, they are still suffering the consequences of its construction over fifteen years later.
