- Published: 22/10/2012 at 12:00 AM
During her trip to a cabinet meeting in the South, Ms Yingluck visited Nakhon Si Thammarat's Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan temple, for which the government plans to seek Unesco listing as a World Heritage site.
At the temple, Culture Minister Sukumol Khunploem told the prime minister that the Unesco World Heritage Centre in Paris will include the temple on its tentative list on Sept 19 next year.
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Officials will carry out landscape decorations at the site and a working group will produce a complete report on the temple in Thai and English by December next year to back the World Heritage status request. Nakhon Si Thammarat authorities will also work out a master plan for the heritage bid.
As Ms Yingluck was heading to the temple, southern conservationists gathered on Ratchadamnoen Road in Muang district to protest against heavy industrial projects that they claim could have negative impacts on the environment and on local residents.
They obstructed traffic by lying on the road and holding posters, waiting for Ms Yingluck's delegation to pass in the same direction.
The demonstrators, led by conservationist Songwut Pattanakaeo of Tha Sala district, oppose a coal-fired power plant and petroleum and industrial port projects in the South and are calling on the government to protect the region and its seas, which are important for the country's food security. They pointed out that industrial projects in the South contradicted the United Nations' call for the international community to protect food sources in case of future crises.
The demonstrators ended their rally as Ms Yingluck's delegation left Muang district for Sichon district.
Share your thoughts
- Discussion 1 : 22/10/2012 at 06:28 PM
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D3,BJ is not surprisingly wrong again. It is quite feasible for Thailand,especially the southern parts,to rely fully on windmills and solar power. The problem is that no-one seems willing to invest,not even the various governments. I am only aware of solar panels in Tarutao Marine Park.
Maybe there's too little opportunity for graft and corruption?
D7,Khun Lungstib : Spot on!
- Discussion 2 : 22/10/2012 at 01:26 PM
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We have chopped your forests to plant rubber and palm, stolen the best locations for seaside resorts, robbed your seas to take away the fish and crabs and now we want to pollute your air and hire your cheap labour. And this will stop the problems?
- Discussion 3 : 22/10/2012 at 12:55 PM
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khunbj: Planning ahead would be nice indeed! But planning what? To generate big profits for the happy few, or give the general population a better life in a healthy environment? There's a lot of natural gas under the bottom of the Gulf of Thailand, in front of the door so to speak, so why want a coal fired central which pollutes much much more? Because the massive residue could be 'usefull' to some big cement companies in the neigbourhood (who owns them?)? And/or because coal mostly comes from China, or from Chinese owned mines elsewhere? A new 'synergy' to please the (Chinese) 'new elite' of Thailand?
- Discussion 4 : 22/10/2012 at 11:08 AM
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@ hill How do you propose that the South generate more electricity along with growth in "new forms of tourism, crafts & ... food production" as you note? (This could be a useful discussion, if you want.)
- Discussion 5 : 22/10/2012 at 09:44 AM
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khunbj D@3 Sorry, mate, your description of 'clean-coal' , while a good idea, is not presently widespread. Thus, from the Internet:
"Coal is the dirtiest of all fossil fuels. When burned, it produces emissions that contribute to global warming, create acid rain and pollute water."
"According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the burning of coal, a fossil fuel, is a significant contributor to global warming."
Cleaning coal is possible, but expensive. As we know, economics, not environment drives planning, so, I still say "No" to (more) pollution & coal burning in South Thailand!
- Discussion 6 : 22/10/2012 at 07:48 AM
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Coal fired power plants can be a perfectly fine and sound investment, just provided with the right filters. There need to be a balance between what is economically achievable and environmentally correct. As other countries Thailand cannot rely on windmills and solar power and nuclear power will have critics as well. So coal and gas fired plants are the alternative, add hereto waterpower but here environmental groups complain as well, so not exactly easy. The south can't rely on tourism alone there must be alternatives exactly as there will have to be elsewhere too , so power is required and planning ahead is required.
- Discussion 7 : 22/10/2012 at 06:15 AM
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Coal is dirty & pollutes the air. I hope that the PM will not ignore these grass-roots protests. Economic development in the South should stress new forms of tourism, crafts &, as the article implies, food production.
- Discussion 8 : 22/10/2012 at 05:22 AM
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perhaps the pm should re invest in the north ,people up there need their dignity and pride,they dont want handouts all the time, khoh sumui and phuket dont need any help they are doing ok,also it would be good not to either ignore the deep south people
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