chooka Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 What are the laws in relation to putting industrial sites amongst housing in Thailand/Chiangmai. We built a home in a gated community thinking it would safe and a nice place for a family. About 8 months ago a chemical company pulled down a couple of houses and built their business in our village. They do a white ant extermination and the like. Since they have been running many children have been sick and plants dying. The person who owns the company is also the head of the village and he says there is no problem. The attached photo's are from my garden and the Child in Hospital is my son. Doctors say he has been exposed to excessive chemicals and his white blood cells are down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 You would need to take soil samples, air samples and water samples. You would be best to do research on what chemicals that factory is likely to be using and producing in order to narrow down your search. You need to eliminate other causes of plant stress and illness in children. And even then if you find something, you need to find an authority that will take note and take action. Remember 7 (?) people died in the Downtown Hotel due to insecticide poisoning allegedly and no action was ever taken. Although the owner thought it best to completely obliterate any trace of their own hotel after too much bad publicity. Consider moving, it would be easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chooka Posted January 28, 2014 Author Share Posted January 28, 2014 We have moved into a hotel at the moment and a number of other children who played in the park beside this place have also been admitted to hospital Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jose Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 You would need to take soil samples, air samples and water samples. You would be best to do research on what chemicals that factory is likely to be using and producing in order to narrow down your search. You need to eliminate other causes of plant stress and illness in children. Chlorpyrifos could be the number one suspect, as it was at the Downtown Inn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackr Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 I'd be inclined to get in contact with a good lawyer and have them check this out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante99 Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Organize community action. Numbers speak. You need a group of Thais to take the lead. There are some laws but the law is slow and expensive. And it seems that you do not have much time before the area could get contaminated beyond repair. A friend with a similar problem got it resolved when the community joined together to address the issue. The Provincial offices have some environmental people who can help but would be best approached by a committed group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jingjoke Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 (edited) Time, like this chemical plant, is not your friend. Pack up, sell and move elsewhere, now. You have taken the first step but hotel living is inconvenient for a family, and costly: try renting in the interim. Legal action not only is time-consuming, intricate, and costly; but even if successful, will not completely clean up the pollution. Of concern too is fallout from village head's loss of face. Ethics comes into play in selling your property in divulging, or not (no tests as yet point to the plant), the toxic situation possibly facing prospective buyers (no tests as yet point to the industrial site); but a deep discount may help. As for: "What are the laws in relation to putting industrial sites amongst housing in Thailand/Chiangmai." Who knows, certainly Thai society seemingly is unconcerned given the mixed status in so many neighborhoods. The gods weep at your dilemma. Edited January 28, 2014 by jingjoke 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBrad Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Can you tell us where this factory is located? Others close by should be made aware of this situation in the case that they, too, are in danger of falling victim to the harm caused. Moreover, you'd be doing a service by alerting those who might be considering moving into the neighborhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chooka Posted January 29, 2014 Author Share Posted January 29, 2014 (edited) Can you tell us where this factory is located? Others close by should be made aware of this situation in the case that they, too, are in danger of falling victim to the harm caused. Moreover, you'd be doing a service by alerting those who might be considering moving into the neighborhood. San Sai on the 141. I think the Mods would jump on me if I named them. Lot of empty homes on the estate now and it could almost become a ghost village. The remaining residents want a new election and dump the head boy then hopefully get the company closed down. There needs to be laws where industrial is forbidden in residential areas. Edited January 29, 2014 by chooka Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackr Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 There's surely a zoning law, even here. Different tack, but someone fairly recently (could have been ThaiPauly) had pile-driving work stopped as it was affecting living conditions. But certainly best to band together and get anything done through the Thais. Perhaps get together with those who have sick kids and spur them into action. Get out of the picture and rent a house temporarily in a nearby moobaan, sit on the property and wait for this prat to get shutdown. Good luck. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elektrified Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 I don't have anything more to offer than what the others have already said but let me be the first to wish your son a speedy recovery. This is the kind of thing I always worry about happening in Thailand; along with traffic accidents (already happened) and getting electrocuted, or a sign pole or electric pole come crashing down, etc. and then no one taking responsibility. Fortunately when I was in a bad accident, the other party took full responsibility. Hope you get them shut down before anyone else is injured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger1999 Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 No idea if this will help but you might want to try to get a Thai friend to involve a Thai reporter. Your situation sounds serious and no one should have to put up with this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onthedarkside Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 A post advocating a criminal action has been removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beetlejuice Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Organize community action. Numbers speak. You need a group of Thais to take the lead. There are some laws but the law is slow and expensive. And it seems that you do not have much time before the area could get contaminated beyond repair. A friend with a similar problem got it resolved when the community joined together to address the issue. The Provincial offices have some environmental people who can help but would be best approached by a committed group. Absolutely spot on. This is the only way the OP is going to be able to do any positive complaining regarding the said chemical plant. My guess is the local area authority and perhaps even the Board of Trade have been paid off to issue a permit for the go ahead of the plant and if the OP tries to approach these authorities himself, the common ploys used is to either fob him off somewhere else, tell him there is nothing they can do or ignore the situation completely, or in other words the complaint will go around in never ending circles and no action will ever be taken against the plant owner/s. Another problem the OP may encounter is that if the property is not rented, if his name is not on the house papers as a legal owner of his home and or cannot prove that the home was purchased with his wife`s money, than this may lead to problems if the case goes to court. So be prepared for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chooka Posted January 29, 2014 Author Share Posted January 29, 2014 I don't have anything more to offer than what the others have already said but let me be the first to wish your son a speedy recovery. This is the kind of thing I always worry about happening in Thailand; along with traffic accidents (already happened) and getting electrocuted, or a sign pole or electric pole come crashing down, etc. and then no one taking responsibility. Fortunately when I was in a bad accident, the other party took full responsibility. Hope you get them shut down before anyone else is injured. Thanks he is recovering, fine now but he hates this black medicine we have to force down his throat twice per day. Makes him throw up. We have moved out of our home and been staying in a hotel. Tomorrow we will move into a rented property until we can organise and build a new home. Home not house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mapguy Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Sounds like bad news. You need to contact the provincial office of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment ASAP. You most likely will also need the help of a competent attorney who can also present whatever medical documentation and other evidence that you might have. That, of course, would mean at the very least organizing and getting information from your neighbors. The ministry can officially test the environment and make recommendations including shutting a facility down. They have limited enforcement authority, however. Otherwise, make noise with the local district authorities. Start here: http://www.chiangmaiinsideout.com/directory_page.php?lang_id=2&dg=1402 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chooka Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 Good news on this. apparently the people on the estate have rallied and the place is being shut down. Now I will wait until they have finished building the new Super Home Pro right next door, huge complex. Taken out a rental lease so have to abide by that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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