Most want Mae Wong Dam put on hold: poll
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- A majority of Thais (81.9 per cent) want the Mae Wong Dam project to be suspended and reviewed, believing that many politicians are benefiting from the dam's construction, an Abac Poll revealed yesterday.

The poll - conducted among 2,140 people nationwide from September 25-October 2 - found that 94.7 per cent knew about the government's push for the dam construction, while the remaining 5.3 per cent said otherwise. Over half (59.5 per cent) didn't believe the dam would solve flood problems.

When asked about suspicions over the project, 74.3 per cent said they felt certain a group of people would benefit from the construction, while 25.7 per cent disagreed.

The parties believed likely to benefit most from the dam construction were; politicians, advisers, politics-oriented academics and state officials (59.4 per cent); investors (24.8 per cent); and the general public (15.8 per cent).

Most people (76.3 per cent) believed the dam would lead to more wildlife trade. They urged that time be given for the relocation of wildlife to safe places and to preserve the area's bio-diversity (78 per cent), and for a role to be given to international organisations in checking the dam's impacts (69.8 per cent).


-- The Nation 2013-10-04

Looking the way the authorities manage dams in Thailand my frankly advice is they better don't build it. As I mentioned before dams can be double edged sword. They are against the floods if they are correctly operated and managed and with the floods if they are poorly operated and managed.

The inner circle is salivating over the ancient forest to be salvaged ahead of construction; not to mention graft from the contracts. After it is built, the game poachers only have to wait just outside the 'protected' areas for the game to flee the rising waters right into their traps/snares. From what I have read, this dam will have a negligible effect on flood-prone areas.

Does not make a jot of difference what the majority wants,

theres money to be skimmed so the Government will go

ahead with it.

Does anyone know what happened to that water treatment

plant they built,costing Billions, don't think it ever opened

and last I heard was going to be a fish farm?!, or maybe

just left to rot away like the Fire Engines at the port.

regards Worgeordie

The inner circle is salivating over the ancient forest to be salvaged ahead of construction; not to mention graft from the contracts. After it is built, the game poachers only have to wait just outside the 'protected' areas for the game to flee the rising waters right into their traps/snares. From what I have read, this dam will have a negligible effect on flood-prone areas.

Simply because they don't operate them correctly. By now they should build up levels for the two dams in the North by controlling discharges at least during major downpours to prevent both flash floods and minor floods.

The two flows namely discharges from dams and runoff shall not be allowed to meet at the same time along the river path. Otherwise the final outcome will be flood. Dams can be used to hold most of the major runoff temporarily. This is very fundamental issue. But then they fail miserably. Obviously Thailand gets miserable result.

Does not make a jot of difference what the majority wants,

theres money to be skimmed so the Government will go

ahead with it.

Does anyone know what happened to that water treatment

plant they built,costing Billions, don't think it ever opened

and last I heard was going to be a fish farm?!, or maybe

just left to rot away like the Fire Engines at the port.

regards Worgeordie

exactly.

The poll is meaningless any how. It is a Thai poll they have a set number people on their pay roll that they inform them of the answer they want and then ask the question. This poll was obviously paid for by the anti dam people. Stand by for an exact opposite poll to be payed for by politicians and contractors.

"Most people (76.3 per cent) believed the dam would lead to more wildlife trade. They urged that time be given for the relocation of wildlife to safe places and to preserve the area's bio-diversity (78 per cent), and for a role to be given to international organisations in checking the dam's impacts (69.8 per cent)."

Sounds to me like they have already given up on the ideas of it not happening.

Whilst I appreciate the niceness of the poll most of the 81.9% of the people who voted for it don't actually live there or even in the region and would be hard pushed even to find which province it is in lets alne where the site is on a map.

Does not make a jot of difference what the majority wants,

theres money to be skimmed so the Government will go

ahead with it.

Does anyone know what happened to that water treatment

plant they built,costing Billions, don't think it ever opened

and last I heard was going to be a fish farm?!, or maybe

just left to rot away like the Fire Engines at the port.

regards Worgeordie

exactly.

The poll is meaningless any how. It is a Thai poll they have a set number people on their pay roll that they inform them of the answer they want and then ask the question. This poll was obviously paid for by the anti dam people. Stand by for an exact opposite poll to be payed for by politicians and contractors.

"Most people (76.3 per cent) believed the dam would lead to more wildlife trade. They urged that time be given for the relocation of wildlife to safe places and to preserve the area's bio-diversity (78 per cent), and for a role to be given to international organisations in checking the dam's impacts (69.8 per cent)."

Sounds to me like they have already given up on the ideas of it not happening.

Why do you think there is an economic interest in the anti-dam movment? Where should these money come from?

Can't you see an involvment by ecologists to save Thailands nature, without thinking of money?

They have obviosly no money to pay a poll.

The economic interest is on the other side.

The contractors, politicans and logging traders etc are waiting to cash in, as you wrote.

And some thick envelopes (or suitcases) to Mr T w family and and associates