Sop Moei District


Sop Moei District is the southernmost district of Mae Hong Son Province, northern Thailand.

History

Tambons Sop Moei, Mae Khatuan, and Kong Koi were separated from Mae Sariang District to create Sop Moei minor district on 1 April 1984. It was upgraded to a full district on 3 November 1993.

Geography

Neighboring districts are : Tha Song Yang of Tak Province, Kayin State of Myanmar, Mae Sariang of Mae Hong Son Province, Hot and Omkoi of Chiang Mai Province.
The important rivers of the district are the Salween, Moei, Ngao and Yuam Rivers.
Mae Ngao National Park is in the district.

Environment

The Thai government, to solve persistent water shortages in the central region, have proposed a 70.7 billion baht plan to divert some 1.8 billion m3 of water annually from the Yuam River to the perennially-underfilled Bhumibol Dam. The Sop Moei District would be one of the districts most impacted. As part of the plan, the Royal Irrigation Department, would build 69 metre high dam with a storage capacity of 68.7 million m3 constructed on 2,075 rai of forest land, together with a pumping station on a separate 55 rai plot and a 61.5 kilometre-long tunnel passing through 14 villages. The inhabitants of the area—primarily Karen tribes people—largely oppose the project. In December 2019, the RID submitted a second environmental impact assessment to the Office of the Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning. ONEP rejected the EIA for the second time due to concerns about forest destruction, tunnel rock waste, and compensation issues.

Administration

The district is divided into six sub-districts, which are further subdivided into 58 villages. There are no municipal areas. There are six tambon administrative organizations.

Gallery