|
Ban remains on 65 of 76 Thai industrial projects
Bangkok (AP) - A Thai court on Wednesday kept a
ban on 65 projects at an Eastern Seaboard industrial estate that were barred
by an injunction for possibly causing environmental damage.
The government had sought to overturn the injunction, arguing it had harmful
economic effects.
The Supreme Administrative Court did overturn the injunction on 11 other
projects, allowing them to resume operations at the Maptaput industrial
estate in Rayong.
The court ruled Wednesday that the 11 projects were unlikely to cause any
effect to people’s health and livelihoods. Several were specifically
concerned with alleviating pollution.
The injunction prevents all activity, including construction, pending a
definitive court ruling on whether government approvals of the projects
violated the constitution. A clause in the country’s charter says projects
deemed harmful to the environment or public health must be subject to public
hearings before approval.
The Stop Global Warming Association, an alliance of environmental groups and
residents, said state agencies and several ministers failed to follow proper
procedures in issuing operating licenses at the estate.
The government, which had appealed the Sept. 28 injunction issued by a lower
court, has claimed the ban on construction and production could reduce
Thailand’s GDP growth by as much as 0.4 percentage point. It also expressed
concern about the effects on investor confidence and employment in the area.
The estate, which houses several large petrochemical complexes, employs
about 100,000 people. Some of Thailand’s biggest companies operate there,
including oil and gas conglomerate PTT and industrial conglomerate Siam
Cement.
Six workers inhale gas
in Maptaphut, hospitalized
Panel to submit environmental plan next week
Emergency medical teams
prepare to move in and evacuate the area.
Six construction workers were sent to hospital for
treatment early Saturday, December 12 after accidentally inhaling gas
leaking from a factory in the Maptaphut Industrial Estate in Rayong,
officials at the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand said.
The accident occurred at about 9.30 a.m. at the Glow Energy Co., Ltd, on I-5
Road, Maptaphut Industrial Estate. 200 Glow Energy Co. workers were ordered
to leave the area. 100 workers from the Siam Wilas Steel Plant nearby were
also moved to the Rayong Government Offices Center, about 10 kilometers
away.
Officials said six workers experienced chest pains and were taken to
Maptaphut Hospital for treatment. All were treated and released. All workers
from both companies have since returned to work. However, the cause of the
leak has not yet been found.
Several chemical leak incidents have taken place in Maptaphut Industrial
Estate in recent weeks, especially after the Administrative Court
temporarily suspended 76 industrial projects in September.
So far only 11 of the total 76 projects were allowed to continue their
operations while 65 remain closed until a full court hearing takes place and
resolves the matter.
A four-party panel chaired by former prime minister Anand Panyarachun
appointed last month to resolve problems in the area is expected to advise
the government late next week on how to assist the 65 suspended projects and
speedily set up an independent body to further discuss differences.
Tasked with accelerating the government’s overall response and balanced
assessment as an independent body under Article 67 of the Constitution, the
committee will be established to ensure that each project conducts an
environmental impact assessment (EIA) and a health impact assessment (HIA).
Anand said the EIA could be made after a revision of Natural Resources and
Environment Ministry regulations which may cover more than 19 industrial
types as it is now.
A similar revision will be applied on the HIA, said Anand.
Realizing that issuing a new law could consume much and may hamper new
industrial investment projects, Anand said his panel may consult with the
Council of State on how to break the deadlock and whether interim
regulations should be introduced during the absence of an independent body.
(TNA)
115 autistic, needy
students given 690,000 baht in scholarships
Boonlua Chatree
Chonburi Governor Senee Jittakasem handed out 690,000 baht in
education funds to 115 autistic and disabled children Dec. 9 at Chonburi
Community Hall as part of the annual Khun Phum Foundation scholarship
program.
 Chonburi
Governor Senee Jittakasem speaks in front of a portrait of HRH Princess
Ubolratana during a scholarship presentation ceremony.
The Khun Phum Foundation was established in commemoration of the HRH
Princess Ubolratana’s son, Khun Phum, who died in the 2004 tsunami. Primary-
and secondary-school students can receive 6,000-10,000 in aid.
The foundation supports the development of children with disabilities in
need of special care to become excellent students and ethical adults, and
carries out drug-prevention campaigns and activities in cooperation with
non-profit organizations assisting people affected by natural disasters.
The foundation’s scholarship program for autistic and special children is
run in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and grants 5,000
scholarships worth 53,166,000 baht each year. The program has given
171,000,000 baht to the children in its three years.
Royal Garden lights up Pattaya for holidays
Royal Garden shopping plaza is
once again lit by 600,000 lights to celebrate the holiday season.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Royal Garden Pattaya Plaza officially lit its Christmas tree at 7 p.m. Dec.
3, marking the start of celebrating this year’s holiday season.
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay, Tourism Authority of Thailand Pattaya Director
Niti Kongkrut and Minor International general manager for retail and
entertainment Aongorn Somprasong joined together to light up the South
Pattaya mall.
“It’s known among Pattaya residents and tourists that Royal Garden Plaza
beautifully decorates for Christmas every year and it has become Pattaya’s
landmark during the time of year,” said Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay.
“Despite economic and political crises, we have continued the tradition and
this year the Christmas tree has been decorated even more specially than the
year before. And we hope that it brings happiness to the people.”
Aongorn said that the tree and mall have been decorated with 600,000 drop
shaped lights, illuminating the entire beachfront. Customers can also sit
and take photographs on the Santa sleigh in celebration of the New Year at
the department store. And the interior of Royal Garden Plaza is themed
“Starry Night at North Pole.”
Russian robbed by woman
with knock-out body, literally
Boonlua Chatree
A Russian man woke up with a headache and missing valuables
after a Walking Street entertainer he took back to his hotel apparently
spiked his drink and her breasts with a tranquilizer.
 Emergency
workers wheel Vadim Martynin out of the hotel and into a waiting
ambulance.
Police and medics were called to the Jomtien Orchid Hotel Dec. 7 by
staff who could not awaken guest Vadim Martynin, 26. Paramedics took the
unconscious man to the hospital.
Officers examined the room and found nearly all Martynin’s possessions
had been taken. Left behind were an empty beer bottle, plastic shower
cap and a pack of cigarettes. Gone were a camera, watch, gold bracelet
and money.
After interviewing the victim, police found he’d been drugged by
sleeping medication placed in his drink and on his guest’s chest. She
was described as being light-skinned, well-endowed, 160-170 cm tall and
between 25 and 30 years old.
Police have requested copies of the CCTV footage from the hotel so that
they can attempt to identify the woman.
Police raid grounds B-52 disco
Boonlua Chatree
The operator of Waking Street’s B-52 disco will be phoning home
for new help after police raided the venue and arrested all its Russian
employees for not having work permits.
 Russian
women hide their faces at the police station after police arrested them for
working without a permit.
Eleven Russian women between ages 18 and 32 were charged with working
illegally Dec. 9.
Col. Worawit Tanomjit, investigative superintendent of Chonburi Provincial
Police, said B-52 was one of several entertainment venues known to be
employing Eastern European staff and threatened to continue raids against
any establishment not complying with Thai labor laws.
Ladies man’s noisy car gets him busted for drugs
Boonlua Chatree
Police who stopped a driver suspected of shooting from his car on Third Road
didn’t find a gun but did discover crystal methamphetamines and ecstasy.
 Police
search the modified car and arrest its owner (left, in handcuffs).
Sarawut Tabkan, 30, was arrested near the Rungland housing complex in South
Pattaya Nov. 22. He was caught with 2 grams of ya ice and one ecstasy pill
in his pocket. He was charged with possession of Class 1 narcotics.
Police had stopped his red Nissan after receiving a report gunshots had been
fired near Third Road entertainment venues and a car described as matching
Sarawut’s had been seen.
The driver admitted it was his car but that no shots were fired. He said
he’d modified the vehicle so it would make an exploding sound to impress the
ladies.
Frenchman who claims he paid off police returns for refund
Boonlua Chatree
A Frenchman who said he paid Pattaya Police officers 150,000 to drop
charges he was selling pirated goods returned to the Police Station four
days later demanding a refund.
Cyril Bossis Bonye, owner of the Green Ice restaurant on Soi VC, filed a
complaint with police inspector Lt. Col. Anan Tamchaikul that he was the
victim of extortion by 10 officers who raided his business Nov. 23 and
seized 20 counterfeit shirts, 15 pairs of shoes, 10 watches and 38 DVDs then
brought him to the station for interrogation.
 Bonye
registers his complaint with Lt. Col. Anan Tamchaikul.
There, he claims, officers told him he could be released if he paid them
150,000 baht. Otherwise, he said they told him, he’d be facing serious jail
time. So Bonye said he had a friend get the money and deliver it to
officers. After that, he was released and the pirated goods were returned,
he said.
However, the Frenchman told Anan, he now wanted half, if not all, his money
back as he believes the entire incident was a scam. Anan took his report and
said the case would be referred to his superior for further investigation.
Couple narrowly escapes exploding car
Patcharapol Panrak
A Nakhonpanom couple narrowly escaped death when their natural
gas-powered Honda caught fire and exploded in Sattahip.
 A
Nakhonpanom couple narrowly escaped death when their natural gas-powered car
exploded.
Narak Thanachan, 31, and Orawan Hoompang, 21, were visiting a relative at
the Sattahip Naval Station Dec. 7 when they decided to borrow a car to drive
to the Sattahip Market. En route, the car’s engine caught fire on Soi
Ruamruedee. The couple fled the vehicle and managed to run about 100 meters
before the vehicle blew up.
Firefighters arrived to find the car fully engulfed and took about 15
minutes to extinguish the flames.
Car owner Warrant Officer Pongsak Raethanoo said the vehicle had had a
natural-gas engine for about six years without any problem and it was
maintained regularly. However, a compressor fan was in need of repair, which
could have caused the fire, he speculated.
Elderly Brit dies alone in hotel room
Boonlua Chatree
Natural causes are believed to be behind the death of an elderly
Englishman whose body was discovered in his hotel room in Central Pattaya.
Gordon Miller, 72, had been dead for several days before hotel employees
discovered his body lying on the floor of his room Dec. 8. Police found no
sign of foul play; only a neatly folded set of clothes on the bed.
Police sent the body to Institute of Forensic Medicine for autopsy but
assume he died of old age or perhaps a heart attack.
Police investigate
Australian’s deadly hotel fall
Boonlua Chatree
Police are trying to determine the details behind the death of an
Australian tourist who died after falling from his hotel balcony.
Paramedics found Todd Adam Senior, 29, badly injured and writhing in pain
outside his hotel on Soi Diana Dec. 7. Despite quickly transporting him to
Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, the Aussie died of his injures hours later.
Authorities were initially unsure of which floor Senior had fallen from and
why. He sustained broken arms and legs and was severely bruised. His body
was sent to Bangkok’s Institute of Forensic Medicine for autopsy so a report
can be made to the Australian Embassy.
|
