A controversial Thai gold mine is hiring dozens of villagers to ramp up production amid a rising demand for precious metal.

Mining company Akara Resources PCL, which manages the Akara Mine in northern Phichit province, is looking for 102 workers from nearby villages to prepare for the opening of its Factory 1 expansion.

Company human resources manager Wasan Liala said Akara's Factory 2 was reopened last year and currently has 289 employees.

Wasan said: 'This round of recruitment means that in the future, Akara Company will have approximately 400 employees, of whom more than 90 per cent are local residents. This will result in more employment opportunities for the community around the Akara gold mine. The estimated monthly earnings for the company is approximately 15 million baht (422,540 USD).'

Akara Resources will be holding onsite job interviews from February 5 to 8.

The Akara gold mine, also known as the Chatree gold mine, was ordered closed by the Thai government in May 2016 over health and environmental concerns.

In 2015, government workers had claimed that hundreds of villagers living near the mine had elevated levels of arsenic and manganese in their bloodstreams.

Australian company Kingsgate Consolidated which owns the mine had denied the allegations, saying the heavy metals were naturally occuring in the area.

Kingsgate negotiated with the government, which allowed mining operations to resume last March.

Analysts expect a rise in gold prices in 2024 and 2025 amid ongoing global conflicts and economic turmoil in China.