Petchabun Roads and Effluent

[Snowyrivers]

As a recent resident in Nong Pong village, part of Wichian Buri I was horrified at the state of the road to our village which has had no major maintenance for years!

Further to this I was absolutely appalled that effluent from sewerage operators is being dumped in sugar cane fields. Our town relies on ground water for everything and the thought of contamination is horrific.

i have sent the following letter to the District Government Office and would like anyone who has further experience to comment.

 

Chief Executive

Wichian Buri District Office

 

 

Provincial Highway 2012, Tha Rong, Wachian Buri, Phetchabun, 67130

 

DEAR SIR/MADAM

I am an Australian farang living in the Nong Pong village part of the Borang of the Wichian Buri District. 

I wish to raise with your office a number of concerns which are the responsibility of the

District Office.

Firstly, the state of the road from Wichian Buri to Nong Pong which has fallen into total disrepair. Yes this has been partially due to floods, however the lack of any maintenance now making the road virtually unusable!

It is imperative that action is taken to grade and reset the road level to permit water drainage on the unsurfaced sections. The sealed sections urgently need potholes repaired or the road will further deteriorate and become irreversible and further deterioration will result.

The second matter I wish to raise is that of private effluent removalist dumping human excrement in sugar can fields along the Wichian Buri to Nong Pong Road. The Government Officials should exercise the local powers to fine and prosecute these operators. The practice is extremely dangerous to human health and could result in an epidemic of very large proportion.

I am happy to discuss these matter, however my Thai is limited and would suggest any discussion be in English.

Yours faithfully

 

[JaiLai]

As a recent resident in Nong Pong village, part of Wichian Buri I was horrified at the state of the road to our village which has had no major maintenance for years!
Further to this I was absolutely appalled that effluent from sewerage operators is being dumped in sugar cane fields. Our town relies on ground water for everything and the thought of contamination is horrific.
i have sent the following letter to the District Government Office and would like anyone who has further experience to comment.
 

Chief Executive

Wichian Buri District Office

 

 

Provincial Highway 2012, Tha Rong, Wachian Buri, Phetchabun, 67130

 

DEAR SIR/MADAM

I am an Australian farang living in the Nong Pong village part of the Borang of the Wichian Buri District. 

I wish to raise with your office a number of concerns which are the responsibility of the

District Office.

Firstly, the state of the road from Wichian Buri to Nong Pong which has fallen into total disrepair. Yes this has been partially due to floods, however the lack of any maintenance now making the road virtually unusable!

It is imperative that action is taken to grade and reset the road level to permit water drainage on the unsurfaced sections. The sealed sections urgently need potholes repaired or the road will further deteriorate and become irreversible and further deterioration will result.

The second matter I wish to raise is that of private effluent removalist dumping human excrement in sugar can fields along the Wichian Buri to Nong Pong Road. The Government Officials should exercise the local powers to fine and prosecute these operators. The practice is extremely dangerous to human health and could result in an epidemic of very large proportion.

I am happy to discuss these matter, however my Thai is limited and would suggest any discussion be in English.

Yours faithfully

 

This will go straight in the bin.

Why not go there in person?

Good luck.




Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Snowyrivers]

I will go to the Government Office but hope to build enough local Nong Pong support first to get a crowd with me. 

[JaiLai]

I will go to the Government Office but hope to build enough local Nong Pong support first to get a crowd with me. 

Wow, I would proceed with caution.

Unless you can converse in Thai I would consider it a waste of time, you’ll never get it translated correctly and never get your point across.

I’d be surprised if you get a crowd as rural Thais are used to being suppressed, they won’t want the hassle me thinks. If they do as soon as someone with authority scorns them they will go home.

Sad as it is, Thai people know their social standing. Born poor, remain poor ( of course there are exceptions but very few ).


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[impulse]

Take a video.  Enlist a Thai speaker to narrate.  Demonstrate the points you've made above (and any others- you get 1000 words per picture)

 

Post it on YouTube.  Make it searchable in Thai.

 

Then they can't bin it. 

 

Best to have a friend back home post the video, though.  One that's outside of any poop-storm that may result.

 

 

 

[phutoie2]

I would go speak to Johnny Borang, he is the big shot farang near you, just look for his mansion. His wife is Mrs big shot , represents several villages in the area. Check if you actually come under WB amphur for maintenance issues, the Tessabaan in Phu Toei looks after several villages around you.

Johnny B slurps at the Swiss blokes restaurant in WB town, Soi 1.

[Denim]

I assume that snowyriver had that letter translated in Thai otherwise it will likely go unread.

 

As for Johnny Borangs restaurant in soi 1 ......do you mean the International bar ?

[JaiLai]

I would go speak to Johnny Borang, he is the big shot farang near you, just look for his mansion. His wife is Mrs big shot , represents several villages in the area. Check if you actually come under WB amphur for maintenance issues, the Tessabaan in Phu Toei looks after several villages around you.
Johnny B slurps at the Swiss blokes restaurant in WB town, Soi 1.

Johnny Borang, is this a real person?


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[phutoie2]

2 hours ago, Denim said:

I assume that snowyriver had that letter translated in Thai otherwise it will likely go unread.

 

As for Johnny Borangs restaurant in soi 1 ......do you mean the International bar ?

JB spends most of his time in the Swiss blokes place, he doesn't own it. Never heard it called the International bar. Popular with the Wichian Buri crowd, ones BS detector must be highly tuned. Mention immigration issues and most likely you will be thrown out on your ar*e.  

[cms22]

13 hours ago, JaiLai said:

Born poor, remain poor

Of course. Sufficiency economy!

[gjoo888]

One thing I've learned working and living in Thailand for 12 years, is that no Thai company or government entity ever responds to emails or letters written in English. The only time I ever received a reply to an English query was from the Mitsubishi Corp. (Thailand), I was shocked.

[JaiLai]

One thing I've learned working and living in Thailand for 12 years, is that no Thai company or government entity ever responds to emails or letters written in English. The only time I ever received a reply to an English query was from the Mitsubishi Corp. (Thailand), I was shocked.

Likewise, wasted effort writing the letters.

I filled out a complaint online about the service from Ducati in Thailand, 2 days later phone call from Italy wanting all the info.




Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[klauskunkel]

14 hours ago, Snowyrivers said:

I will go to the Government Office but hope to build enough local Nong Pong support first to get a crowd with me. 

Don't take more than three people, or you break the junta's law.

[craigt3365]

I've got a buddy who owns a business on a major road here in Pattaya.  It's got a huge hole that causes at least one accident per week.  I was there to witness one. 

 

He's been to the local office, the Chonburi office, etc, etc, etc.  Lots of finger pointing and nothing has been done.  His wife has done the same and has been doing so for months.

 

The accident I saw caused a young man to be seriously hurt.  Absolutely unacceptable.

[Bob12345]

The way you approach this sounds completely wrong for Thailand. They will not respond to your letters, especially not in English, as they have nothing to gain. They wont let anybody tell them how to do things and you being farang even makes it insulting to them.

 

Besides using connections as others mentioned, your best shot would be social media. Make it funny, get attention, and shame them into taking action to save face.

 

We have seen this before; people waiting for rain and then taking pics of themselves swimming in the potholes. Post it with a Thai caption and description and hope it goes viral.

 

If i were you i would buy some toy machinery and lego items and take pictures of the 10cm toy truck dumping sand in the pothole (close up picture). Add a thai caption like "with this speed it will take us months to repair the road, hope Wichian Buri road maintenance will hand a helping hand".

 

Keep it light and funny and contact as many people as possible on social media. Hope it catches on and see them jump into action.

 

Alternatively fix parts of it yourself and get it into a newspaper.

[wump]

Dumping sewage on crop fields is standard practice, even here in Germany. 

[AlQaholic]

uhoh, now you are in trouble.....

[thaipo7]

I had a home built where there are about 60 homes.  The roads that were put in were torn up by the truck traffic bringing in building supplies.  We were told that the roads would be repaired after the last home is complete.  This was 4 years ago and the development now says that after the homes we complete the Government took over the roads and up to local Government to fix.  Will never happen.  Really, Really bad streets.  But this is Thailand.

[JaiLai]

The road will get fixed if you pay for it, you could ask the locals to split the cost - they won’t.....

 

But they will enjoy the repaired road without so much as a thank you.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

[Srikcir]

16 hours ago, impulse said:

Take a video. 

 

16 hours ago, impulse said:

Post it on YouTube. 

Become very familiar with The Computer Crime Act B.E. 2550 and defamation laws first before posting on the internet or making complaint otherwise public. Best to have a Thai surrogate take the lead on the complaint and keep oneself in the background as being a foreigner.

[impulse]

6 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

 

Become very familiar with The Computer Crime Act B.E. 2550 and defamation laws first before posting on the internet or making complaint otherwise public. Best to have a Thai surrogate take the lead on the complaint and keep oneself in the background as being a foreigner.

 

While I agree with the sentiment, (and stated so in my post), I'm not a big fan of "becoming very familiar with" many of the Thai laws since they're often deliberately vague to allow those in positions of power to bang up anyone doing something they don't like.  

 

Proceeding as if you understand (and have the protection of) Thai laws is a recipe for disaster.

 

 

[Scott]

A post containing a racial slur has been removed.  

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Wasn't there a farang volunteer in the news recently for filling holes in roads at his own expense, somewhere in Thailand? Perhaps he'd like a vacation in Wichianburi.

[Gandtee]

Good luck with that! Better to get the trouble and strife to simulate taking a bath in the pot holes. That seems to stir up the faceless ones.

[Srikcir]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

Proceeding as if you understand

My implication is that once familiar with those laws (if only to the extent that they're vague), one will NOT proceed.

[sawadee1947]

Why the hell you call yourself a "farang" ???????????????? You are an Australian Citizen living in Thailand

[manchega]

my experience of complaining in the country in general about anything be it safety, common sense  or otherwise is it causes someone somewhere to lose face. 

I end up making enemies for life

life goes on with no change except I have created a new enemy

how did it work for you?

except for the agree in principal but nothing will be done?

[JaiLai]

my experience of complaining in the country in general about anything be it safety, common sense  or otherwise is it causes someone somewhere to lose face. 
I end up making enemies for life
life goes on with no change except I have created a new enemy
how did it work for you?
except for the agree in principal but nothing will be done?

Totally agree, complete waste of time - better just to suck it up.

I’ve the same issue regarding the road however at the end of rainy season a guy that owns a local quarry fills up the worst bits FOC, this year they decided to use mud...... oh well, life goes on


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[thaiguzzi]

Roads around here, the small inter-connecting village roads, have always been bad. Generally repaired sort of most years, for another year.

 

But I have NEVER EVER seen them this bad in 14 years of living here. Hi speed trains, subs, new toys etc, BKK-must-not-flood etc etc...

Strange that, innit?

Nakon Nowhere is not at the top of any list on the Junta's to-do-list...

Weekly moped/scooter accidents due to pot holes. One about 20 metres from my house,  huge and deep, accident every week.

[impulse]

4 hours ago, Srikcir said:

6 hours ago, impulse said:

Proceeding as if you understand

My implication is that once familiar with those laws (if only to the extent that they're vague), one will NOT proceed.

 

On that we agree, but there seem to be a lot of amateur attorneys who read Thai laws and think they understand them (and in the context of the Eastern legal system).  They proceed at their own peril.