Plodprasob Wants A New Nuclear Reactor: Thailand

[webfact]

Plodprasob wants a new nuclear reactor

WANNAPA KHAOPA

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee vowed yesterday to build a new nuclear research reactor in Thailand within the next five years.

"Thailand should have another nuclear reactor. I'll do my best to start the project again," Plodprasob said when he presided over the opening of the 2nd Asian Symposium on Material Testing Reactors.

The event coincided with an open house at the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (TINT) held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the country's sole nuclear research reactor.

A bid to build a new reactor in Ongkharak in Nakhon Nayok has been put on hold due to a lawsuit. But Plodprasob said he would not wait till the lawsuit goes through the courts - he would seek to restart the project.

"Probably, we can buy a new 10-megawatt reactor with better technology," he said.

"I, myself, as Deputy Prime Minister will push forward this project. I will propose it to the Cabinet."

Plodprasop was promoted in the latest reshuffle. Previously he was science and technology minister.

TINT said the nuclear facility, Thai Research Reactor-1, was upgraded and became known as TRR-1/1. The 1.3-megawatt reactor has been operated for 50 years, since October 1962. It now faces a shortage of uranium 235 fuel because the company that makes it may stop producing the fuel in the next five years, as fewer countries use reactors with this technology now. So, the reactor may be closed if it has no fuel by 2017.

Many students and teachers visited the reactor yesterday on its open house day.

Pavin Pirom, 19, an engineering student from Chulalongkorn University, said: "I like learning about how to make use of nuclear [power]. Nuclear energy is suitable for the world today as it has less effect on the environment. This is my first time to see the reactor and I felt more confident that nuclear energy is not that scary after I learned more about it."

Chanyanuch Arpornram, 17, a student from Phraharuthai Don Muang School (PTD), said she feared for people's safety when talking about nuclear energy. "What I learnt here is that nuclear [power] is not as dangerous as I thought. I was really surprised when I learned that it can change the colour of gems," she said.

Boonchewin Chalakul, 17, another PTD student, said: "Before coming here, nuclear [power] meant weapons and destruction [bombs]. But, I found many advantages of nuclear [energy] here. So, [people should] please come and learn about what they've not known before."

Kittipong Namjan, 26, a physics teacher from PTD, said he learned about the reactor's systematic safety so he could teach his students clearly about it. He would also take other students to study the reactor.

People interested to learn about nuclear power can visit TINT and the reactor today until 4pm.

-- The Nation 2012-10-30

[Moruya]

God help us all

[looping]

They could put the owner of Suan Siam water park in charge of maintenance. What could possibly go wrong?

[Buchholz]

A nuclear reactor for the Science Guru.

It would do more for stopping the next Bangkok Flood than his boat propeller brainchild.

Just drop the fuel rods into the Chao Phraya and evaporate all the excess water.

.

[siampolee]

A bid to build a new reactor in Ongkharak in Nakhon Nayok has been put on hold due to a lawsuit. But Plodprasob said he would not wait till the lawsuit goes through the courts - he would seek to restart the project.

Again we see so clearly the contempt for the law,that the P.T.P. and Thakins clique have a legal process is in being enacted yet the deputy Prime Minister intends to ignore that process and push ahead irrespective of the outcome of the inquiry. He does indeed display a wonderful respect for a democratic process as does his employer Thaksin.

"Probably, we can buy a new 10-megawatt reactor with better technology," he said.

"I, myself, as Deputy Prime Minister will push forward this project. I will propose it to the Cabinet."

Egotiscal remark the big ''I'' perhaps it's the idea of being able to add yet more money to his large personal financial resources is prompting this move.Possibly of course there will be others involved in the matter and they too will be eying the prospect of improving their retirement funds too.

All that commission money, one one could establish one private zoo and dine on exotic foods every day, no doubt though snake would be off the menu as it is to closely related to Plodprasob and his friends..

[daoyai]

The next field trip should maybe be a visit to Fukushima.

[sms747]

As Thailand is the health and safety hub for the world I cannot see any problems it. Thailand is well known for it's very safe electrical installations and it's building regulations are second to none, you wont see many cracks or irregularities in new buildings here whilst the pavements are rightly famous for lasting a very long time without the need for repair. Nuclear safety should cause no problem and if in the unlikely event anything went wrong it could be blamed on foreigners who invented it, as they did everything else used in Thailand! I just don;t see why they 'should' have another reactor, surely one toy is enough?

[asiawatcher]

Nuclear is clearly not the way to go. Spent rods need to be kept in refrigerated water for more than 50 years to cool down as once atoms split they react for decades. If power is cut for any reason to that water, it takes less than a day to evaporate off the pools, the rods heat up to become unstable and then the explosion far greater than any Hiroshima follows that will take out cities. Sheer stupidity. Nuclear energy is NOT the way to go and in the hands of incompetents even worse.

[Thai at Heart]

I can't help thinking these ridiculous stories are just a diversion for something else.

Edited October 30, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[h90]

A nuclear reactor for the Science Guru.

It would do more for stopping the next Bangkok Flood than his boat propeller brainchild.

Just drop the fuel rods into the Chao Phraya and evaporate all the excess water.

.

Don't take it serious, it is either:

a) a diversion and/or

if you buy a reactor, how much money you can take, my guess is more than on the airport, alone this project would make his family rich for centuries.

[Valentine]

For his expert & astute handling of the floods he gained a promotion & being an ex science minister has great knowledge of nuclear power. Good grief. Why not spend all these megabucks on promoting alternative energy sources such as solar & wind. Even small scale projects dotted throughout the country will make a huge difference to Thailand's energy consumption & if structured right could save the end user a lot of money on their power bill. A grand populist gesture which can benefit all.

[FOODLOVER]

Does Burberry make a line of lead clothing?

[Tatsujin]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[orchidlady]

They can't even get a foottie stadium ready for the FIFA cup and he wants to push forward with a nuclear reactor. If there is a problem(leak), he will probably have helicopters come in to push out the radioactive particles from he area! This guy needs to be muzzled or maybe keep him busy by giving him the idea to build a glorious museum highlighting all of Thailand's scientific and technological achievements.

I was in Singapore for 5 days and all I heard on the news channels was talk about Thailand not being ready for FIFA and how embarrassing this was for the country. The anchors on one occasion also joked that when they do the F1 race the racing surface probably won't be ready or there will be sinkholes. They said maybe it will turn into a demolition derby race.

[StreetCowboy]

I imagine now we're going to be inundated with all the scare stories from the litany of accidents that have happened at the existing reactor over the last fifty years.

SC

[cloudhopper]

Does Burberry make a line of lead clothing?

Not to worry the present seat of government (and future PTP expat community) in Dubai is far enough away.

[Payboy]

The next field trip should maybe be a visit to Fukushima.

Who's Ushima?

Edited October 30, 2012 by Payboy

[StreetCowboy]

They can't even get a foottie stadium ready for the FIFA cup and he wants to push forward with a nuclear reactor. If there is a problem(leak), he will probably have helicopters come in to push out the radioactive particles from he area! This guy needs to be muzzled or maybe keep him busy by giving him the idea to build a glorious museum highlighting all of Thailand's scientific and technological achievements.

I was in Singapore for 5 days and all I heard on the news channels was talk about Thailand not being ready for FIFA and how embarrassing this was for the country. The anchors on one occasion also joked that when they do the F1 race the racing surface probably won't be ready or there will be sinkholes. They said maybe it will turn into a demolition derby race.

So you base your decision-making on ill-natured and ill-informed television commentary from a foreign country on an unrelated topic? How much research have you done into the Thai nuclear industry? Do you have any comparative data on industrial safety at Thai manufacturing plants compared to other countries? How does the safety record of PTT compare to its peers?SC

[arthurboy]

_{Before we write this off as yet another stupendously stupid idea, let's take a little time to consider the benefits to Thailand's future. Here goes:}

[FOODLOVER]

The next field trip should maybe be a visit to Fukushima.

Who's Ushima?

ROFLMAO

[Colabamumbai]

N.I.M.B.Y. Thank you.

[chivo]

" I was really surprised when I learned that it can change the colour of gems," she said."

Well in that case lets take the risk!

[rakman]

A nuclear reactor for the Science Guru.

It would do more for stopping the next Bangkok Flood than his boat propeller brainchild.

Just drop the fuel rods into the Chao Phraya and evaporate all the excess water.

.

Don't take it serious, it is either:

a) a diversion and/or

if you buy a reactor, how much money you can take, my guess is more than on the airport, alone this project would make his family rich for centuries.

Buy a Russian Graphite Pile Reactor and become the hub of Plutonium sales.

[fxe1200]

The next field trip should maybe be a visit to Fukushima.

They could make it a world trip and acquire valuable information starting in Fukushima, then Three Mile island, Sellafield, La Hague, Asse, Tschernobyl, the open air nuclear waste sites in Siberia. They also should put their focus on where to store the future nuclear waste, i.e in Yala, Narathiwat or Pattani....

[OzMick]

For his expert & astute handling of the floods he gained a promotion & being an ex science minister has great knowledge of nuclear power. Good grief. Why not spend all these megabucks on promoting alternative energy sources such as solar & wind. Even small scale projects dotted throughout the country will make a huge difference to Thailand's energy consumption & if structured right could save the end user a lot of money on their power bill. A grand populist gesture which can benefit all.

Well you got one part right, it would be a "grand populist gesture."

[Ricardo]

Clearly SM/DPM Plodprasop sees Thailand as a world-leader in nuclear-research, heaven only knows what he's smoking, but I'd say it's giving him a bad trip !

Better to stick to things Thailand does well, and leave the dangerous hi-tech stuff to other countries, like China or the USA or the Europeans.

[akampa]

O.M.G

[EarthAlien]

"Plodprasob wants a new nuclear reactor"

... unbelievable,.. the guy can't even handle water management,- Now he wants to play with nuclear power!!!

I can just imagine his policy on nuclear reactor meltdown,.. "if you see black clouds of smoke and distinctive smell from the power station,.. head for higher ground, run, or buy a boat!"

"Plodprasop was promoted in the latest reshuffle. Previously he was science and technology minister." (Now he's Deputy PM,.. is there any end to the incredulous mentality of this government?).

[MunterHunter]

This is real X*XX*XX scarey and might be the thing that makes me consider leaving Thailand!

Edited October 30, 2012 by metisdead

[h90]

"Now Somchai, jump the wire from here and twist it together with the wire from the coolant pump and everything is OK"