From 27 July to 4 August 2026, six members of the STORIES project — Prof. Dr. Liang Emlyn Yang, Dr. Ylenia Casali, Ms. Siying Chen, Ms. Pia Echtler, Mr. Thanh Phuoc Ho, and Mr. Hao Su — conducted fieldwork across two Thai regions: Ubon Ratchathani province along the Mekong River in northeastern Thailand, and Samut Sakhon province located in the coastal area south of Bangkok. The fieldwork was in collaboration with researchers of the Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute (CUSRI) in Bangkok, led by Prof. Unruan Leknoi. By combining household surveys, interviews with community representatives and government officials, and field observations, the research team explored how communities experience and respond to different environmental risks, ranging from river flooding and changing river ecosystems to coastal erosion and mangrove degradation.Overall, this work experience was immersive to learn from Thai communities what their problems and adaptive measures are in the face of flooding, erosion, and related ecosystem changes. Working in a different cultural and environmental context also provided a priceless life experience. Indeed, direct contact with local communities and places bridged the gap between theory and empirical reality, while also providing an opportunity to reflect on our personal perspectives while exchanging with others.

Training for the Survey Team

Before starting the household survey, STORIES members conducted a training session with the CUSRI interview team. The questionnaire was reviewed together to ensure a shared understanding of its structure and research objectives. The session also provided an opportunity to discuss how questions could be communicated clearly in the local context and how interviews could be conducted consistently across different communities. Through active discussion between researchers and local interviewers, practical experiences and local perspectives were incorporated into the survey process. This exchange helped establish a common approach for the subsequent household interviews and strengthened collaboration between the two research teams.


Fieldwork in Ubon Ratchathani

In Ubon Ratchathani province, the team visited communities along the Mekong and Mun rivers, including Khong Chiam, where the two rivers meet. Interviews with community representatives highlighted the long history of living with seasonal flooding. Residents recalled severe historical flood events during which water reached the upper levels of riverside houses. Flooding can isolate communities for extended periods and, in severely affected locations, requires households to evacuate. At the same time, riverbank erosion represents another major concern for residents whose homes and livelihoods are closely connected to the river. The field visit also demonstrated the close relationship between flood risk, fisheries, livelihoods, and river infrastructure. Fishing remains an important livelihood in communities along the Mekong, while local residents have observed substantial changes in fish populations and river ecosystems. During discussions around the Pak Mun Dam, which was constructed primarily for electricity generation, residents described differences between upstream and downstream fisheries and raised concerns about the ecological consequences of dams for fish migration and local livelihoods. The team also visited communities with more diversified livelihoods, including agriculture and small-scale food production. These observations illustrated how livelihood diversity and local knowledge can shape different capacities to live with recurring floods and environmental change



Fieldwork in Samut Sakhon

The second part of the fieldwork focused on Samut Sakhon province, where coastal communities face severe challenges from coastal erosion, tidal flooding, mangrove degradation, and changing coastal livelihoods. The STORIES team exchanged with officials and researchers from the Marine and Coastal Resources Research and Development Center, The Upper Gulf of Thailand, gaining an overview of ongoing coastal-management strategies and the environmental changes observed along the Upper Gulf of Thailand. Field visits covered traditional sea-salt production areas, mangrove restoration sites, and bamboo-fence projects used for coastal protection. Salt production remains closely linked to seasonal environmental conditions. During the rainy season, some residents shift from salt production to fishing and collecting aquatic resources in and around the mangrove ecosystem. One of the main highlights was the visit to community-based mangrove restoration areas. Local residents began restoring mangroves in response to severe coastal erosion around two decades ago. Bamboo fences were introduced to reduce wave energy and facilitate sediment accumulation, creating more suitable conditions for mangrove establishment. At several locations, the remaining bamboo structures have gradually become integrated with accumulated sediment and the developing mangrove ecosystem. The field observations showed that mangrove restoration can generate benefits extending beyond coastal protection. Restored mangrove areas provide habitats for fish and other species, support local fisheries, and have created opportunities for ecotourism, restaurants, and cafés. Local community participation has played an important role in maintaining these restoration efforts and protecting coastal land for future generations, showing how local communities have a major impact on the success of sustainable pathways. Indeed, discussions with officials and communities demonstrated that the effectiveness of these measures depends strongly on a combination of local environmental conditions, community participation, governance, and long-term maintenance. Bamboo fences and mangrove restoration therefore provide an important example of how Nature-Based Solutions interact with local livelihoods and social conditions in practice.


Fieldwork Synthesis

Across the two study areas, the fieldwork revealed different ways in which communities live with environmental change. In Ubon Ratchathani province, recurring river floods, erosion, fisheries, and dam infrastructure shape everyday adaptation along the Mekong. In Samut Sakhon province, coastal erosion and sea-related livelihoods have encouraged communities and government agencies to experiment with combinations of mangrove restoration, bamboo structures, and other coastal-protection measures. The collaboration with CUSRI, local communities, and government agencies also created an important basis for further research on how communities understand environmental change and develop adaptation strategies in different social and ecological contexts in Thailand.