Thai Nuclear Power Plant Faces Strong Resistance

[george]

Nuclear power plant faces strong resistance

Is Thailand ready for nuclear power? File photo.

BANGKOK: -- A survey team scouting locations for the country's first nuclear power plant was blocked yesterday by villagers in the Tha Chana district of Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Somboon Arayasakul, deputy governor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, said Egat could not inspect the site for the nuclear power plant and hand out information on nuclear power to people as planned.

He blamed the public resistance on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with overseas funding.

The state enterprise might have to halt plant construction if next year it still fails to connect with local people. Egat might shift to communicating with the nationwide public about the pros and cons of nuclear power, he said.

Early this year, Egat, in cooperation with a research institute, conducted an opinion poll asking about 40,000 citizens their feelings towards nuclear power plants. Most respondents supported the construction of the plants, with a few disagreeing out of safety concerns.

Egat has to speed up the delivery of a clear message to people - especially those in the 16 places listed for establishing a nuclear plant - that nuclear power is a clean energy and does not pollute the environment, he said.

Egat's survey suspension would also pave the way for the Energy Regulatory Commission, which is considering the charges for electricity from nuclear plants, to forward the charges to local residents.

If the regulator sets the rate at 5 satang per unit, the area allowing the accommodation of a nuclear power plant will receive financial support of Bt400 million a year. The funds will persuade the community to develop its area while relieving the tension, he said.

The Egat survey team, led by Pinet Sukornwan, said the villagers who prevented them from entering the area were representatives from NGOs that worked with local politicians and were backed by international NGOs.

Even if the protest is legal, the survey team is concerned about the false information being spread on nuclear power, such as claims that it is a poor investment and unsafe.

-- The Nation 2009-11-12

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[sangfroid]

Before they build it, perhaps they might get into practice by getting the footpaths in Sukhumvit Rd right THIS time.

[Suttisan]

Thailand having a nuclear power plant, now that really is a scary thought.

[EnhancePlus]

Anybody know which country they plan to use to build it?

Cambodia

[tmark]

Should make a good photo when they are into construction. Imagine the dome of a nuclear power station surrounded by bamboo scaffolding!

[siam2007]

I hope as many FARANG as possible join and support the protests of the locals and NGO's

Thailand already has enough (self-created) problems, it doesn't need a real timebomb in addition......

[hmmbug]

...but what colour shirts are the protesters wearing and do they glow in the dark?

[otherstuff1957]

So, how did they phrase the question?

Do you think we should build a Nuclear Power Plant to generate more electricity?

Or

Do you think we should build a Nuclear Power Plant in your neighborhood to generate more electricity?

Edited November 12, 2009 by otherstuff1957

[OxfordWill]

At least there's an upside- it's the foreigners' fault again.

[nakachalet]

hi george

remember a few months ago, i was trying to conduct a survey on thaivisa on the pro and con of the opinion of farangs on this very topic--

should nuclear power plant be constructed in thailand and

where would they store the spent radio active rods?

it appeared there were many experts on this subject.... many did have hands on experience working with nuclear power plants in u.s. and france and else where.... others were authors on this subject and many were research scholars.... the majority were john do and jan do....

and the opinion at that time was about 30% supporting the construction, while the remaining about 70% were against having a nuclear power plant in thailand....

now that the headline reads.... local people demonstrated against it, but the govt seems to blame on the foreign ngo groups to have passed on false info to the local thais....

well.... the chinese-thai big money movers have already spent several millions printing up brochures.... and as its representatives said they are going to take it to the whole nation....

well.... how can we help these poor and almost defenseless thais against these giants, namely govt bureaucrats, power companies, certain banks, larger than life companies and those contractors stand to pocket millions and billions....?

just how can we help....?

[Lannatyne]

Should make a good photo when they are into construction. Imagine the dome of a nuclear power station surrounded by bamboo scaffolding!

........and will the dome be shaped like a Chedi??

[animatic]

Thailand is not ready for a Nuclear Power Plant.

End of story.

[wileycoyote]

I agree with Animatic,otherwise an international ,preferably European consultancy group should be brought in for construction & implementation phases.

I'm sure America/Canada could help if approached .

[angiud]

With the widespread corruption, the huge problem of "save face" in case of mistakes, the lack of professionality in many Thai I don't see a nuclear power plant in Thailand like a good and safe idea.

[loong]

Looking at the Build quality of the airport and crumbling runways.

A nuclear power plant in the Land of Kickbacks and corner-cutting. It's a scary thought

[CDNinKS]

16 places listed for establishing a nuclear plant

Anyone have a list of the 16 places?

[RKING]

Anybody know which country they plan to use to build it?

Ahhhh Maybe North Korea

[doggie888888]

God help us all...they can't even get the wiring for electricity right! AS others have asked, how can we get involved without the issue being turned into a us (Thai) vs them (foreigners) debacle. Can we help these brave villagers????

I also wonder how they intend to get rid/address of the wastes considering they have not even resolved issues relating to illegal dumping and other garbage issues.

[mrphil]

Before they build it, perhaps they might get into practice by getting the footpaths in Sukhumvit Rd right THIS time.

And when they've done that, perhaps speed up the building of a decent road from Pattaya to Jomtien.

They have been 'working' on that for over 3 years now, and it is less than 2km of road.

Of course it would help if there were actually any men (or women) working on it!

The idea of them building a nuclear plant is just unthinkable.

And then operating it is another story!

[loong]

Is it true that they are employing somebody called Homer Simpson as chief safety officer?

[Mosha]

Tha Chana in NST? Google Earth only gives Surat Thani.

From NNT

Tha Chana residents oppose power plant construction project

BANGKOK, 2 November 2009 (NNT) - Around 300 villagers in the southern province of Surat Thani gathered in front of Tha Chana district office to protest against the construction of a nuclear power plant.

The protest occurred during the monthly meeting of village heads chaired by Tha Chana district chief, Mr Santad Na Nakhon. The meeting invited officials and experts from the Energy Ministry to clarify the project plan to local residents. The meeting was later forced to be cancelled amid heavy opposition from the villagers who demanded the construction plan be scrapped.

The opposition came after officials from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and the Energy Ministry recently traveled to Tha Chana district to inspect land plots for the construction of a nuclear power plant.

News ID: 255211020037

Reporter : Weeranuwat Saengsawang

News Date : 02 November 2009

Edited November 12, 2009 by Mosha

[lucjoker]

Let them start building ...............it will take probably 100 years and

still not finished ?

[vicco]

Don't worry about it, the paperwork will take 50 years..... By that time maybe the Thai's will have grasped the benefits of maintenance....????

[Mrjlh]

Although a "properly" built nuclear energy plants have an excellent safety record overall, all it takes is "one" misfire and you have a major disaster that will last for years. Just ask the Russians. And even in the U. S. we've had a few close calls. And in "properly built", I mean "NO SHORT CUTS". I give the Thai people a lot of credit sometimes but in this case, an impossible task in Thailand. And another great question has been raised, "where are they going to store the spent rods?" They haven't even considered that I would bet and that is not a little chore.

The technology is available but only a few countries that have it. And the real fact is "they" struggle with it and even hide some of the facts. I use to be for nuclear energy but Chernobyl changed my mind.

[ScubaBuddha]

With the widespread corruption, the huge problem of "save face" in case of mistakes, the lack of professionality in many Thai I don't see a nuclear power plant in Thailand like a good and safe idea.

I am generally in favor nuclear power as a clean alternative to burning coal, but I also agree with your statement. Those issues will need to be addressed.

A good pro and con report on Nuclear power:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121432182593500119.html

And the founder of Greenpeace is pro nuclear power:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6041401209.html

http://www.wired.com/science/planetearth/n...007/11/moore_qa

Edited November 12, 2009 by Scubabuddha

[jfchandler]

Come 'on you guys....

Nuclear power in Thailand would be perfectly safe....

Right until the plant blows up/melts down and takes most of southern Thailand with it....

(Could this be the Thai government's budding solution to the Southern Unrest problem??? )

[TimeBandit2]

This seems like a really, really bad idea. The stakes are much higher with something like this than just poisoning a river or decimating a village. Someone is going to try to scam this thing, and when they do it's going to kill alot of people.

[mythBuster]

Why always blame NGO's with overseas funding? Maybe it could be done in the EGAT's directors garden. He would certainly not object and if he or his neighbors do object, we blame it on NGO's with foreign funding.

I wonder why Nuclear power plants are never situated in the Center of a country anyhow. They are always located near the border with another country. The wait is on for a cabinet resolution that the power plant will be build on the border with Kampuchea. Sisaket or Surin are good places, lots of Khmer people there, or would that be too blatantly obvious?

[markokang]

Anybody know which country they plan to use to build it?

Cambodia

Yeah and Thaksin will be the plant manager! LOL

[fsuthai]

Ask the residents of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Three Mile Island, or Chernobyl if nuclear power is dangerous or 'non-polluting'! Thailand should be leading SE Asia in the inevitable move toward "Green Power"...sun, wind, thermal (if available), and especially massive planting of hemp! Growing and processing hemp plants could supply cheap fuel, revive the economy with foreign sales, has over 35 substantial commercial uses for local needs (such a fibers for ropes, clothes, construction materials, and is good for the soil), grows without the need for pesticides & chemical fertilizers, etc. Unfortunately, however, the greedy power-mongers (even Thailand has them) can't make as much money off cheaper, practical solutions that would help spread a little of the potential wealth of meeting non-polluting power demands of the future.

This is one protest we ALL need to support---politely & by invitation, of course! I live here (8 yrs. now) and would love to see the Thais show some foresight about going GREEN for energy and solve most of the air pollution, garbage dumping, and widespread lack of meaningful jobs & wages! It could be so easy if the authorities would get over the American-exported paranoia about growing hemp; even though hemp has no THC to get you high like ganja (which should be grown also). The U.S. is so screwed up that it has to import hemp products from other countries! Might as well provide them with another booming market supplier...

Ciao, Paul