Listen to fish vendors in Prachinburi Municipality after the acting governor showed eating fish to build confidence. They said there are no reports of fish deaths or type 105–106 waste management plants in Prachantakham and challenged others to come eat fish from the Prachinburi River.
The flooding in Prachinburi Province has impacted agriculture and livelihoods, raising concerns about aquatic animal safety after numerous cage fish in the river died from unknown causes. Villagers also found some fish with sores and blisters, prompting questions about whether fish from local waters are still safe to eat. To ease worries, the Prachinburi Provincial Agricultural Council held a 'Come Eat Fish' event at Ban Ko Yang, Pho Ngam Subdistrict, Prachantakham District, on 2 Nov 2026. The event aimed to reassure people about consuming local fish, with Deputy Governor Chanathip Khokmanee, acting governor, tasting fish to build public trust, as previously reported.
This morning (3 Nov 2026), reporters visited the market in front of Chakrapong Camp, Prachinburi Municipality, finding two river fish vendors. One sold Nile tilapia, red tilapia, catfish, and eel from Prachinburi Province. Staff prepared fish by scaling them for customers. The vendor said since the mass fish deaths in the Prachinburi River, no customers have bought fish due to fears of residues; only catfish sells.
Riamin, a Burmese employee, said people no longer prefer to eat fish because the water is polluted, a long-standing issue. Customers buy only catfish, believing it is safe. When asked why, buyers said they avoid fish due to pollution and will wait until water quality improves before buying again.
The second shop sold catfish and Nile tilapia sourced from Nakhon Nayok and other provinces but faced the same problem: no customers. People switched to buying fish and sea shrimp instead, making fish selling particularly difficult currently.
Jakrit, the fish shop owner, said the fish death news severely hurt sales because people rarely buy now, especially as fishing is more common and fish are diseased. Regarding the deputy governor eating fish in Prachantakham to build confidence, Jakrit said Prachantakham has no reports of fish deaths or type 105–106 waste plants. He suggested that to be effective, officials should eat fish in Prachinburi city where fish deaths have been reported.