Divided opinions cast shadow over Kaeng Krachan park road project

By THE NATION

 

 

A CONTROVERSIAL road-improvement project in Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi province remained in limbo yesterday as park officials and critics of the project stuck to their positions.

 

The National Parks Department suspended the project on Saturday due to heavy criticism by environmentalists.

 

Those backing the project were invited to a consultation meeting in Phetchaburi yesterday, while the opponents, led by the Raksa Kaeng Krachan Forest Network and its allies in Bangkok, lodged a petition with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and chairman of the National Environment Board to halt the project. Jamlong Vilailert, a representative of the group, said the group was sticking to its stance of not supporting the park’s plan to pave with concrete the nearly 18km-long route that leads to the top of the Phanoen Thung mountain. However, Jamlong is accused of having conflict of interest as he runs a tourism business,

 

 

The route cuts through the heart of the park and environmentalists fear increased convenience offered by the road would impact wildlife and the ecosystem. Measures being suggested by officials such as speed limits cannot guarantee mitigation against the feared impact, as they are still questionable, Jamlong said.

 

He added that the authority had taken up the project in a slapdash manner, without proper consultation or environmental impact assessment (EIA).

 

Srisuwan Janya, a lawyer and president of the Stop Global Warming Association, said concerned authorities should prioritise their work concerning national parks as they have been set up for environmental protection, not tourism. By saying the aim was just to improve the old road as it does not require an EIA, the National Parks Department could possibly be in violation of the law, he said.

 

The project, he added, was likely to devalue the ecological values of the park crucial for its nomination as a UN World Heritage Site. If the park insisted on going ahead with the project, the group will petition the Administrative Court to grant an injunction, he said.

 

The project’s supporters, meanwhile, were vocal in their backing of the project. They were invited to the meeting chaired by the department’s deputy chief, Chalermchai Papata, at the National Park Office in Phetchaburi. They included the park’s advisory committee members, local authorities using the route, as well as tourism business representatives nearby. They agreed that the road was damaged to a point where it needed a thorough overhaul to ensure the safety of visitors and park rangers, and threw their support behind the resurfacing.

 

Sumon Sutaviriyawat, a committee member, and former senator for environment for Phetchaburi, said she has been working on environmental issues for the past 30 years, and if the project were bad, she would not have let it go ahead. The road was heavily damaged and required improvement, she said. 

 

The Bt86-million project was initiated by park chief Mana Phermpool, in consultation with the park’s advisory committee, over a year ago in an attempt to repair the 30-year-old road whose surface had eroded badly. Rock falls and collapses were periodically reported along the route.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30357946

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-06

those that want to exploit for personal gain over those that think as much of what is left of the natural forest cover should be preserved lest the place look like many European places where all forest cover has been removed.

 

it all stems from the original road through kaho san where certain people wanted a private car club,

now everyone thinks its a race track and just rush through as a shortcut etc.

 

 

Quote

However, Jamlong is accused of having conflict of interest as he runs a tourism business,

Am I missing something here? He is part of the group opposing the project. How would someone who runs a tourism business benefit from the road NOT being improved?

Well i agree looks like a definate 4x4 route and should remain so,a concrete road would attract many more people with the obligatory tossing of rubbish out the windows of cars that Thai's seem to take such delight in,plus all the rubbish left by the road builders,leave it be.

Follow the money.

Whose gonna benefit? 

 

 

Otherwise, leave the natural areas be.

Stop cementing over everything.

On 11/6/2018 at 8:29 AM, GroveHillWanderer said:

Am I missing something here? He is part of the group opposing the project. How would someone who runs a tourism business benefit from the road NOT being improved?

 

They run tourism/taxi businesses taking people up the mountain. As the road is so bad they have a nice little earner. They will still have customers (without cars or just those wanted to go as group or arranged camping) after the road would be repaired but their major objection is that if the current project goes ahead it closes the road for a year and a half so they will have no business in that period.

 

Then there's the birding guides who make money taking customers up there to see birds.

Some of these also own hotels/guesthouses so there will probably be a reduction in customer numbers.
Its not small money I come over once a year for birding and it costs me about 12,000 baht a day for accommodation, fees and a guide with a car (worth it to me). Last year we could not get up the road for 2 days because it was raining and the pickup could not get up there.

 

So their argument is partially masked as a conservation issue as that creates sympathy for their cause, but even the real conservationists cannot agree according this .... 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1067502-special-report-kaeng-krachans-main-priority-tourism-or-wildlife-protection/

 

I have no opinion on the road but I don't like to see people pushing their one sided opinions in social media, especially when they could have an alternative motive.

 

Its all about money but not always on which side you think it is.

Edited November 14, 20187 yr by MRToMRT