Thai energy reform debate ends in stalemate

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ENERGY FORUM
Energy reform debate ends in stalemate
Kris Bhromsuthi
Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation

Photo : Adisorn Chabsungnuen

BANGKOK: -- ENERGY REFORM advocates yesterday met energy company executives and technocrats for the first time in a climate of distrust at the Army Club.

The event was blessed by the junta, which sent a representative to listen, but there was no breakthrough or agreement.

The meeting was moderated by a prominent leader of a faction of the People's Democratic Reform Committee, monk Luang Pu Buddha Issara, who charged up the proceedings at times with his provocative remarks.

"Anyone who lies [here] will go to prison. Buddha Issara won't let you off the hook," the monk said at one point, only to acknowledge later: "We argued back and forth but we failed to arrive at any agreement."

As the atmosphere became tense, he said, "You guys please hurry and make a brief statement, I need to go out for a pee," before leaving in the middle of a session.

Although the conference reached no conclusion, the monk said proposals made at the forum would eventually be sent to the National Council for Peace and Order.

"Let us not rush [the NCPO]. We have been wanting to hold such a forum for a long time," said energy reform advocate Veera Somkwamkid, who was released just last week from detention over his energy campaign.

Top executives from PTT, Chevron (Thailand) and Bangchak Petroleum were on the receiving end and often subjected to questions and accused of placing their benefits above public interests.

The meeting turned acrimonious with one executive, Manoon Siriwan, senior executive vice president of marketing at Bangchak Petroleum Public Co, telling the more than 1,000 participants at the question and answer session organised by the Petroleum Institute of Thailand, that he was not a defendant in a legal proceeding.

"Don't pose questions to me as if I am a defendant. I am not a defendant," he told one energy advocate on the same panel who asked him a question in a hostile tone.

Much of the distrust and angst was squarely focused on PTT. However, Piyasvasti Amaranand, chairman of the PTT board, stood up to defend the energy giant.

Energy reform advocates want PTT to be nationalised. They also made many other proposals.

Veera proposed that the state retake full ownership of PTT and the company pay rental cost for gas pipeline dating back a few decades.

Kornkasivat Kasemsri, another energy reform advocate, proposed that domestic gas price should be reduced to the level of PTT's export price. He also called for more transparent gas price calculation methods.

Boonyuen Siritham, a former senator and energy reform advocate, proposed that the new government scrap a Cabinet resolution on computing the domestic oil price in correlation with the international oil price. She also proposed a new framework to control the price of refined oil.

One participant suggested that the NCPO lay down an energy policy that would last two to three decades and would be binding on future governments.

The issues of ownership of gas pipeline, price of oil and LPG gas saw heated debates.

Towards the end, PTT CEO Pailin Chuchottaworn said the corporation belonged to Thai people and would continue to belong to the Thai people.

Others on the side of the energy executives and technocrats urged the public to study information comprehensively and carefully before making any judgement.

One participant, Uthai Attaporn, manager at The Association of Creating Development of Community and Society, told The Nation that the meeting had failed to bridge the differences as both sides believed they were right and were not willing to truly listen to one another.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Energy-reform-debate-ends-in-stalemate-30241937.html


-- The Nation 2014-08-28

[Suriya4]

PTT is not 100% Thais. This is a fact.

[NongKhaiKid]

The junta ' blessed ' the event so have they taken over administering Buddhism too ?

[The stuttering parrot]

Why is this fake monk even walking the streets?

Whatever happened to charges against him?

[smedly]

The junta ' blessed ' the event so have they taken over administering Buddhism too ?

what's the point of making such a comment, if you have something constructive to say on the topic then say it, it's people like you that clutter TVF up with garbage and useless contributions

[NongKhaiKid]

The junta ' blessed ' the event so have they taken over administering Buddhism too ?

what's the point of making such a comment, if you have something constructive to say on the topic then say it, it's people like you that clutter TVF up with garbage and useless contributions

So you set the standard then ?

[tx22cb]

Bad idea to have a bunch of amateur non-shareholders of a listed company trying to dictate what PTT should do.

Privatising a trans-national corporation would be terrible for PTT, and worse for Govt coffers.

The Junta have just appointed a capable person (Piyasvasti) as Chairman of PTT - they should leave him to steer the corporation without interference from ignorant activist outsiders who have no clue about the energy business.

[Eric Loh]

Bad idea to have a monk be the moderator. Wrong job skill and he has already taken side. How on earth can he ever be moderate and facilitate dialogue. No wonder it ended in a stalemate.

[Baerboxer]

Why is this fake monk even walking the streets?

Whatever happened to charges against him?

Probably because he hasn't been tried, convicted and sentenced for anything yet.

Unlike various PTP senior members who have been tried, convicted and sentenced but still walk the streets.

[monkeycountry]

I am still wondering why all those activists never mention that PTT subsidises natural gas for the Thai public to the tune of 30 billion baht/year. Seems like quite a nice present from PTT to the public, which not one person has ever said thank you for.

Perhaps they could make a deal, PTT pays rent for the gas pipelines, which I believe PTT paid to construct?, and then the PTT stops subsidising gas to the public. My guess is the activists do not want that deal

Also, keep in mind that while 51% of PTT belongs to the Finance Ministry, the other 49 % belong to shareholders all over the world. Any form of nationalisation, other than buying the rest of the shares at market price, will likely and should be met with lawsuits from those shareholders.

Remember, among the many lies spread by these activists are the one where they claim that Thailand has more oil reserves than Saudi Arabia, and that certain people are hiding that "fact" from the public in order to somehow steal the oil, sell it abroad and pocket the money. Such lies are probably believed by the uneducated masses, who do not know where or what Saudi Arabia is anyway, but at the same time should make it obvious to any intelligent individual that the activists are lying through their teeth to gain public support.

Edited August 28, 2014 by monkeycountry

[Thai at Heart]

She also proposed a new framework to control the price of refined oil.

What is it with Thais and controlling markets and prices. Is this an exestential thing? Why is a monk at an energy reform meeting? Does he have shares?

[tx22cb]

She also proposed a new framework to control the price of refined oil.

What is it with Thais and controlling markets and prices. Is this an exestential thing? Why is a monk at an energy reform meeting? Does he have shares?

"Why is a monk at an energy reform meeting?"

Unfortunately, for all the talk of Reform, Anti-Corruption, No Nepotism, Anti-Cliques ..... the Junta are doling out jobs for the boys - no qualifications required, as long as you are "with us".

In fact, you can chair the meeting .... and don't worry if you don't understand an iota of the technical workings of the industry, we Generals don't either.

Just don't fall asleep during the debate, like those useless politicians.