Picture courtesy of Matichon.

 

Residents of Bo Kwang Thong in Bo Thong district, Chonburi, are up in arms over the continued construction of a Chinese-funded factory spanning more than 70 rai, despite the project having failed to receive approval through mandatory community consultations and public hearings.

 

Mr Damrongdet, a local community leader from Village 4, revealed that construction at the factory site has proceeded almost daily without pause, sparking outrage among residents. Despite repeated efforts to engage with local authorities and relevant government agencies, the construction has not been halted.

 

“The people in this village will not give up,” Mr Damrongdet stated firmly. “We are determined to fight because we know the potential environmental consequences of this factory. The same investors previously developed a similar facility in Nong Irun subdistrict, Ban Bueng district and it caused severe pollution. That project led to constant complaints from locals and even legal proceedings against the factory and yet they still operate illegally to this day.”

 

Residents have staged protests around the construction site, demanding that the building work be stopped until it complies with all legal requirements. However, their calls have largely gone unanswered.

 

The community fears that, if completed, the new facility could bring long-term environmental damage, particularly to future generations. Many residents are gathering photographic and video evidence of ongoing construction activity, and are filing daily police complaints against the factory owners.

 

“We are asking the authorities to come and enforce the law. The factory should not be allowed to continue building without the proper permits or community approval,” Mr Damrongdet added. “We demand serious legal enforcement to prevent future suffering.”

 

Local reports suggest that previous attempts to halt construction via official channels, including the local municipality’s emergency complaint hotline (157), have also failed to stop the factory’s progress.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-07-16

 

 

 

 

What, does this mean Chinese are not free to come here and do whatever they please? I surely thought they could!

It's ok it probably will collapse after a few months and the government just let's them build anything they want while someone is getting the envelope

Yet another example of the growing anti-Chinese sentiment within the Thai, and at times the Chinese-Thai, population.

26 minutes ago, JimHuaHin said:

Yet another example of the growing anti-Chinese sentiment within the Thai, and at times the Chinese-Thai, population.

and a good thing it's happening - they (and the rest of the world) are waking up at last 

Outside of the industrial estates and their stricter environmental controls. This is happening all over Chonburi, Rayong, Prachinburi, Chachoengsao. The Chinese are offshoring their dirtiest industries. 

22 hours ago, Briggsy said:

Outside of the industrial estates and their stricter environmental controls. This is happening all over Chonburi, Rayong, Prachinburi, Chachoengsao. The Chinese are offshoring their dirtiest industries. 

Yeah, the USA used to do that with refining some years ago.