SENIOR officials from Bangkok today examined a local Phuket road built with a local council budget of 28 million baht that cuts across a billabong and services only two Phuket beach resorts, including a Holiday Inn.
The development is a threat to a rare pikehead species of fish, (Luciocephalus pulche) and the benefits to the local community of the road and an additional powerline at a cost of 1.9 million baht, are non-existent.
One establishment at the northern beach of Mai Khao, the Piraya Resort, is already open, while the Holiday Inn, which could be up to 400 rooms, remains under construction. The new road ends at the entrance to the Holiday Inn.
Police Major General Krirk Kalayanamitr, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on Anti-Corruption and Good Governance of The Senate, said the issue of environmental damage and possible corruption had been first raised 18 months ago and was still being examined.
''The road is two-and-a-half kilometres, and it has already been damaged by large trucks,'' he said. ''This road cuts a natural billabong in half. Now we can see bad water from the construction being piped into the billabong.
''There is also garbage from construction in the billabong. The really sad things is,'' he said, ''there is a species of fish with a long snout that is the only one of its kind, and this billabong is its only habitat on Phuket.
''It's an important Phuket wilderness area.''
Three local houses are at one end of the road that continues another 2.5 kilometres to the resorts.
Major General Krirk said he could not understand why the then Governor of Phuket, the Director of Thalang District, the Natural Resources and Environment Department of Phuket, and the Mai Khao orbortor council passed this project with no environmental assessment investigation of any kind.
''Did they know that this billabong was unique and needed to be saved for the next generation?'' he asked. ''I can't see any benefits whatsoever for the local people here, yet 28 million baht has been spent on the road.
''There must be something wrong.''
Corruption is at a higher level in Thailand compared to other parts of the world and other Asean countries, he said.
The major general says he will raise the issue of the Phuket billabong in Bangkok and take it further.
''Everyone knows Phuket's environment has been seriously damaged by people who have the money to pay,'' he said. ''I hope one day the people who have the power make decisions based on the real needs of Phuket and its future generations.''
Phuket's Chinese NY Boom: 2011 Outlook GoodThe development is a threat to a rare pikehead species of fish, (Luciocephalus pulche) and the benefits to the local community of the road and an additional powerline at a cost of 1.9 million baht, are non-existent.
One establishment at the northern beach of Mai Khao, the Piraya Resort, is already open, while the Holiday Inn, which could be up to 400 rooms, remains under construction. The new road ends at the entrance to the Holiday Inn.
Police Major General Krirk Kalayanamitr, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on Anti-Corruption and Good Governance of The Senate, said the issue of environmental damage and possible corruption had been first raised 18 months ago and was still being examined.
''The road is two-and-a-half kilometres, and it has already been damaged by large trucks,'' he said. ''This road cuts a natural billabong in half. Now we can see bad water from the construction being piped into the billabong.
''There is also garbage from construction in the billabong. The really sad things is,'' he said, ''there is a species of fish with a long snout that is the only one of its kind, and this billabong is its only habitat on Phuket.
''It's an important Phuket wilderness area.''
Three local houses are at one end of the road that continues another 2.5 kilometres to the resorts.
Major General Krirk said he could not understand why the then Governor of Phuket, the Director of Thalang District, the Natural Resources and Environment Department of Phuket, and the Mai Khao orbortor council passed this project with no environmental assessment investigation of any kind.
''Did they know that this billabong was unique and needed to be saved for the next generation?'' he asked. ''I can't see any benefits whatsoever for the local people here, yet 28 million baht has been spent on the road.
''There must be something wrong.''
Corruption is at a higher level in Thailand compared to other parts of the world and other Asean countries, he said.
The major general says he will raise the issue of the Phuket billabong in Bangkok and take it further.
''Everyone knows Phuket's environment has been seriously damaged by people who have the money to pay,'' he said. ''I hope one day the people who have the power make decisions based on the real needs of Phuket and its future generations.''
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did he really say "Billabong"?
Posted by stuart on January 15, 2011 19:45
Editor Comment:
Stuart, I thought I banned you from reading Phuketwan. Please go away.