Most thumbs down in survey on Doi Suthep housing estate

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Most thumbs down in survey on Doi Suthep housing estate

By Pratch Rujivanarom 
The Nation

 

 

Social media users responding to a government survey are almost universally in favour of demolishing the residences built for judges on Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai and letting the forest grow back.
 

As of press time Wednesday, the survey asking for “one comment about the solution to the problem of justice officials’ housing project” had drawn more than 18,000 responses.

 

The survey is posted on the Facebook page of the Government Spokesman Bureau, @ThaigovSpokesman.

 

More than 6,000 Facebook users shared the post within 24 hours of its appearance on Tuesday just before noon.

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had pointed out earlier that the judges’ residential estate had been established in accordance with the law, but the government was concerned that it had caused a public outcry and wanted citizens to suggest a solution.

 

The resulting opinion poll on Facebook insists that only one comment be posted and it must not be offensive, defamatory or seek to politicise the issue.

 

Most of the comments agree with the stance of the network formed to oppose the housing estate – that all buildings erected beyond the former forest line be demolished – but some respondents side with the government, wanting the project left as is.

 

The majority see the project as visual pollution, an invasion of a “sacred” mountain, destruction of pristine headwater forest and an unreasonable expenditure for such an obscure use.

 

“We should entirely demolish it and not regret the money already spent, because we need to rebuild the foundations of our society,” a Facebook user posting as Seree Pansang commented. “If the authorities need official residences for judges, they should not be so luxurious.”

 

“Amornsak Kit” said the authorities, especially Court of Justice officials, should be role models for others when it comes to protecting the environment and remove all structures that encroached on the forest, which is an important “lung” allowing residents of Chiang Mai to breathe clean air.

 

“Ente Vogel” was among posters urging the government to let the buildings stand because so much money had been invested, but to turn the site over to the public to use.

 

“Hamich Teenrabirt” said razing the buildings and restoring the forest would be a further huge expense and waste the money already invested. He suggested letting the project stand but making it less visually obtrusive by planting more trees among the buildings.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30344447

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-02

[scorecard]

 

The whole concept is wrong, wrong, wrong, smacks of elitism and an insult to the taxpayers of Thailand that their taxes are being spent on luxury accomodation for one sector of society who are well rewarded for their work and are capable of providing their own accommodation.

 

Judges should have much better ethics and values then allow a scarce resource, taxpayers money, to be used for their luxury living.

 

If it' OK to build a luxury enclave, with tax money, for judges then when do we see a luxury homes enclave being built for:

 

- Bus drivers

- Clerical officers in government offices  

- Government based security officers

- Government based cleaning staff

- Government based ....................................................

ie. join the government, get a salary and get a free luxury house.

 

This also brings the argument of why isn't there luxury housing for all Thai taxpayers (and all Thais do pay taxes either by salary deduction, 7% VAT and more), regardless of their employment, these folks are providing the taxpayers funds.  

 

Just wrong!

 

 

[yellowboat]

The problem is anything the government says is legal.  This is not going to reflect well on the Prayuth legacy and will damage army's standings for years to come.

[Stargeezr]

Thailands Elite, including judges and staff. Military commanders and staff, doctors, lawyers

and the other rich can go buy their own places....period. Tear down these houses or give

them to poor locals..

Geezer

[cmsally]

If you have to build houses for judges (and that is a BIG if), it would have been far easier and cheaper to go into one of the existing moobahns and buy up a patch of land or existing houses for sale and renovate or build there. All the infrastructure in place and it would have cost a fraction of the price.

Still no info on who the contractor is  regarding these monstrosities. If it was any other scenario, nose would be stuck to the paper trail already.

[cmsally]

From what I have seen of other govt employees, they mostly get very basic housing or a low interest loan to buy their own. Why should these be any different?

[Sir Dude]

Well, when you look at the photos of it from the air and the expense of the place with such opulence etc., which was obviously going to go to the favoured, then it's a piss-take whichever way you shake it tbh. The sheer gall of them thinking what they can get away with knows no bounds and the Thai public is right to be properly annoyed on this one.

Edited May 3, 2018 by Sir Dude