Thailand: Public, private sectors unite against coal-fired power plant

Thailand: Public, private sectors unite against coal-fired power plant

Representatives from 11 private and government sector organizations met in
Krabi yesterday to reiterate their stance against the construction of a
coal-fired power plant, which they say will adversely impact the quality of
life for locals and cause billions of baht in tourism losses.

Officials from the Krabi Chamber of Commerce, Krabi Tourism Council of
Thailand (TCT), and Krabi Tourism Association were among those present at
the meeting.

"This is totally against the government's own initiative of 'Krabi Go
Clean'. Since the coal plant project was first tabled by the Electricity
Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), opinion has been divided about it.
However, most of the private sector organizations in Krabi are against it.
We don't mind a power plant, just not a coal plant that will ruin the
environment and drive away tourists," said Amarit Siripornjuthakun, head of
the Krabi TCT.

The location of the plant is reportedly part of the wetlands protected under
the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty for the conservation and
sustainable utilization of wetlands, and was marked out as a protected zone
in 2001, The Nation reports.

"If the coal plant becomes a reality, it will affect tourism for sure.
Tourists came to Krabi to breathe fresh air and see unspoiled natural beauty
- not to breathe in black smoke and ruin their health. EGAT said they will
help those who live within a five-kilometer radius, but what about the rest
of us?" Mr Amarit said.

Plengyos Sakonkittiwat, head of the Krabi Chamber of Commerce, said that
Krabi locals earn more than 80 billion baht from tourism, and about 40
billion baht from agriculture every year.

"Both our main revenue-earning professions will be badly impacted and
billions of baht will be lost. We are collecting signatures to submit a
petition to the government to halt this project and build something else
that does not affect the environment," said Mr Plengyos.

The plant has drawn much resistance from locals and environmental activists
over the years.

In March 2014, Greenpeace members staged a dramatic protest by hanging from
the cliffs of Railay Bay in Krabi.

Others, including the Koh Lanta Tourism Association, local residents and
even fishermen, have joined in the fight by showing up in the hundreds at
public hearings, with some even protesting that the meetings were 'set-ups'
and that locals were not being heard.

Despite attempts from EGAT to push the project forward, Prime Minister Gen
Prayuth Chan-o-cha ordered the hotly-debated project to be put on hold until
a joint committee could ensure that all steps of the pre-construction
process had been legally carried out.

In March of this year, the project's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
report was rejected amid pressure from the 'Protect Krabi Network'.

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Link to Original Article:
http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Public-private-sectors-unite-agains
t-coalfired-power/66031?desktopversion#ad-image-0

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com