PM assures no dam which is damaging to environment will be built in Politics | November 29, 2014 12:

[Lite Beer]

PM assures no dam which is damaging to environment will be built

BANGKOK: -- Any dam which will destroy natural resources stands slim chance getting constructed because the project will be opposed by the people, said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha during his weekly address to the Thai people Friday night.

“But we will have to consider what to do to ensure that the people have water for use because the people must understand us too and must find a way out if a dam cannot be built, then what about building a reservoir? We will have to look after one another on long-term basis,” he was quoted to have said.

The prime minister talked about proper water management – that is how to keep as much water as possible so that there will be sufficient water for use during the dry season and, at the same time, to prevent flooding.

The problem of Thailand, he explained, is that there is still huge expanse of farm land which have no access to water. And if there is no access to water, he said that farming in those areas will have to be adjusted to correspond with the quality of the farm land and access to water.

The prime minister maintained that the government has not thought about building a dam or more dams now and urged environmentalists not to raise the issue to stir up trouble.

On national reform, he assured that the government is ready to listen to all divergent views but would prefer to see the people not to resist his government.

He said that the country must move forward and cannot go back to the pre-coup days. He pleaded with all parties concerned to cooperate with the government and the National Council for Peace and Order to drive the country forward.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pm-assures-no-dam-damaging-environment-will-built

-- Thai PBS 2014-11-29

[JOC]

>>On national reform, he assured that the government is ready to listen to all divergent views but would prefer to see the people not to resist his government.<< Quote

Well what can you say??

[jpeg]

On national reform, he assured that the government is ready to listen to all divergent views but would prefer to see the people not to resist his government.

But on another thread, not Abhisit it seems, whom, whether you are a fan or not, does have experience of governing a bloody country. Not dictating to it

[Costas2008]

You better say nothing if it is not of any substance.........not unusual for you........just listen and admire the man.

You have still lots to learn in your life.

[JOC]

This guy is a walking PR-disaster!!

On the other hand, if he only opened his gob, when he knew what he was talking about, Thailand would be very silent!!

[JOC]

You better say nothing if it is not of any substance.........not unusual for you........just listen and admire the man.

You have still lots to learn in your life.

Just like your hero, you are losing the plot more and more by the day!!

[JOC]

Any dam which will destroy natural resources stands slim chance getting constructed because the project will be opposed by the people, said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha during his weekly address to the Thai people Friday night.<< Quote

I know a few more things that are "opposed by the people".

One of them is living under a non-elected military-led "government" !!

[chainarong]

For a country that has plenty of rain fall one wounders why there is a water shortage , it is quiet apparent that in the last 5 decades the Thai Government has had major problems keeping up with the population growth and expansion , good governance is hard to find, but this is not only confined to Thailand.

[terryp]

looking forward to the never ending beach that will be covering thailand within the next 30 years..........dumb is dumb and that will never change here

[cmsally]

No tree cover, and the ground suffers from a huge increase in evaporation. Thailand has very little tree cover and the Thais are not great fans of trees. Mostly for reasons such as the leaves drop on their precious cars or they have to exert themselves in sweeping the leaves. Your average housing complex has zilch trees as do the roadsides.

I have an idea to start with - how about burying the cables so you can plant trees by the road, it will also encourage more cyclists and therefore reduce pollution.

[Thai at Heart]

This guy is a numpty, and actually quite a dangerous one.

He can lock u up in a trice

[billd766]

For a country that has plenty of rain fall one wounders why there is a water shortage , it is quiet apparent that in the last 5 decades the Thai Government has had major problems keeping up with the population growth and expansion , good governance is hard to find, but this is not only confined to Thailand.

I don't think the problem is the high rainfall but more likely where it rains. Parts of Issan get a fair amount of rain but overall there isn't enough for more than one rice crop.

I live next to the Mae Wong national park in Khampaeng Phet province and I log into the Thai Met office website daily. Over a 30 year average November has 66.5 ml of rain in 6 days. This year so far we have had 8 days with rain but only 36.2 mm, a little more than half the 30 year average. October was was 16 days and 211.9mm average and 17 days and 80.3mm in reality.

The year average is 1299.5mm and reality is 1279.2mm, so close to the average this year.

Having said that I expect the government water to stop sometime in February as it does most years and hopefully back by Songkran, 2 to 3 months.

Edited November 29, 2014 by billd766

[tbthailand]

You better say nothing if it is not of any substance.........not unusual for you........just listen and admire the man.

You have still lots to learn in your life.

not everyone is a fawning admirer of military cant-use-the-d-word-ships

[Commerce]

You better say nothing if it is not of any substance.........not unusual for you........just listen and admire the man.

You have still lots to learn in your life.

Is that why you left Greece? To learn more about another country falling into deep financial crises, due to corruption?

Don't ever forget your grass roots - one day you may be calling out for them!

[Commerce]

You better say nothing if it is not of any substance.........not unusual for you........just listen and admire the man.

You have still lots to learn in your life.

not everyone is a fawning admirer of military cant-use-the-d-word-ships

I'm certainly no admirer of dictatorships....... especially those that resemble Pinochet, and the use of martial law in a last stand.

[ChrisY1]

For a country that has plenty of rain fall one wounders why there is a water shortage , it is quiet apparent that in the last 5 decades the Thai Government has had major problems keeping up with the population growth and expansion , good governance is hard to find, but this is not only confined to Thailand.

They probably would have been able to improve infrastructure over the past, but all the money gets stolen....after they all get their snouts out of the trough, there ain't much left!!

[JOC]

You better say nothing if it is not of any substance.........not unusual for you........just listen and admire the man.

You have still lots to learn in your life.

I take, your post is directed to the PM!!

If so, you are spot on!!

[djjamie]

This guy is a walking PR-disaster!!

On the other hand, if he only opened his gob, when he knew what he was talking about, Thailand would be very silent!!

Maybe he should just spend all his time traveling to the Maldives and when cornered by the media state "I was not aware of this" or "I cannot comment on this now" or simply walk past them and ignore them.

It is good to see the most popular PM in the last decade be proactive and offer sound proposals to solving the water situation in Thailand. I still remember the last PM's nuggets of wisdom in solving the drought issues. "encourage local officials to manage water resources effectively" and "instruct the Water and Flood Management Commission, the National Economic and Social Development Board and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss with nearby countries about measures to use water from the Mekong River in the most efficient way possible." WOW Do an effective job and use water efficiently. Amazing, who would have guessed. When people questioned her competence the replies were "She is not a water inspector"

[tbthailand]

This guy is a walking PR-disaster!!

On the other hand, if he only opened his gob, when he knew what he was talking about, Thailand would be very silent!!

Maybe he should just spend all his time traveling to the Maldives and when cornered by the media state "I was not aware of this" or "I cannot comment on this now" or simply walk past them and ignore them.

It is good to see the most popular PM in the last decade be proactive and offer sound proposals to solving the water situation in Thailand. I still remember the last PM's nuggets of wisdom in solving the drought issues. "encourage local officials to manage water resources effectively" and "instruct the Water and Flood Management Commission, the National Economic and Social Development Board and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss with nearby countries about measures to use water from the Mekong River in the most efficient way possible." WOW Do an effective job and use water efficiently. Amazing, who would have guessed. When people questioned her competence the replies were "She is not a water inspector"

the most popular PM in the last decade

perhaps you should put "PM" in quotes since the only thing he has in common with the elected PMs of the last decade is the title "PM"

[Bakseeda]

Any dam which will destroy natural resources stands slim chance getting constructed because the project will be opposed by the people, said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha during his weekly address to the Thai people Friday night.<< Quote

I know a few more things that are "opposed by the people".

One of them is living under a non-elected military-led "government" !!

JOC,,,, as far as I can make out, you are more likely to be one of "me" than a Thai person... (JOC) I have been living in Thailand a very long time and have many many Thai friends...educated and non.. by far the majority of Thai peoples are much happier now than living under the Shinewatras control. The Junta may not be perfect but much much better than the previous government. The recently arrested high ranking policeman, which we are going to find out a lot more about was installed by Mr Thaksin and his cronies.. And over the next year many of the mighty are going to be toppled... Elections will take place in a year or two and the Thai peoples will get their chance to elect the party of their choice.. We farangs will have to be happy for them and whomever they choose. So JOC.. you can only talk for yourself and as it has absolutely no bearing on you a farang, I advise you to stop trying to foster hate... Drink your Hon Thong and be happy..!

[fobuff]

all dams flood million of hectares.... so what gives PM

[Rob8891]

all dams flood million of hectares.... so what gives PM

SHAME ON YOU........ (you're on topic! )

And you're right, every dam damages the environment, so I guess Thailand will be giving up building them, eh?

[espinoza]

>>On national reform, he assured that the government is ready to listen to all divergent views but would prefer to see the people not to resist his government.<< Quote

Well what can you say??

Hes already bananas.

[espinoza]

Any dam which will destroy natural resources stands slim chance getting constructed because the project will be opposed by the people, said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha during his weekly address to the Thai people Friday night.<< Quote

I know a few more things that are "opposed by the people".

One of them is living under a non-elected military-led "government" !!

JOC,,,, as far as I can make out, you are more likely to be one of "me" than a Thai person... (JOC) I have been living in Thailand a very long time and have many many Thai friends...educated and non.. by far the majority of Thai peoples are much happier now than living under the Shinewatras control. The Junta may not be perfect but much much better than the previous government. The recently arrested high ranking policeman, which we are going to find out a lot more about was installed by Mr Thaksin and his cronies.. And over the next year many of the mighty are going to be toppled... Elections will take place in a year or two and the Thai peoples will get their chance to elect the party of their choice.. We farangs will have to be happy for them and whomever they choose. So JOC.. you can only talk for yourself and as it has absolutely no bearing on you a farang, I advise you to stop trying to foster hate... Drink your Hon Thong and be happy..!

Your already &lt;deleted&gt;.

[espinoza]

This genius general gets thumb down everywhere in the world. He is at great leader. Now he do not like the pressure, but that's his choice. If he think he is the saviour OK. If he cannot stand the pressure, it`s not him. Nervous breakdown soon.

[djjamie]

This guy is a walking PR-disaster!!

On the other hand, if he only opened his gob, when he knew what he was talking about, Thailand would be very silent!!

Maybe he should just spend all his time traveling to the Maldives and when cornered by the media state "I was not aware of this" or "I cannot comment on this now" or simply walk past them and ignore them.

It is good to see the most popular PM in the last decade be proactive and offer sound proposals to solving the water situation in Thailand. I still remember the last PM's nuggets of wisdom in solving the drought issues. "encourage local officials to manage water resources effectively" and "instruct the Water and Flood Management Commission, the National Economic and Social Development Board and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss with nearby countries about measures to use water from the Mekong River in the most efficient way possible." WOW Do an effective job and use water efficiently. Amazing, who would have guessed. When people questioned her competence the replies were "She is not a water inspector"

the most popular PM in the last decade

perhaps you should put "PM" in quotes since the only thing he has in common with the elected PMs of the last decade is the title "PM"

Nah, no need to. Evidence as opposed to beliefs have shown otherwise.

Unless you refer to election 3 years ago to justify your case!!!

55

[ronz28]

Dams always damage someone's environment, but they should be built to be beneficial for most people for flood control, drinking water, electric power production, agricultural purposes, etc. Good for many, but those that must sacrifice their homes and land should be adequately compensated and assisted in the transition to a new location.

[goferman]

OK folks, it's Saturday night and this story is my only entertainment!

So bear with me while i vent on a few issues i had with this article ...

1) The headline and the header didn't quote the General.

The header attributed words to the General without quotations.

Those paraphrases aren't repeated in the story.

So how accurate are the reporter's paraphrases?

2) The headline said no dam which damages the environment will be built.

But all forms of energy development impact the environment at least to some degree.

There are "qualifiers" to remedy this situation, such as "acceptable", "significant", "mitigable", etc.

3) The General fails to back up the reporter's message in the headline and header.

And the header deviates from the headline by diluting "no" to "slim chance".

But this aspect is not expanded on anywhere in the story.

In fact, the only relatively close reference was this quote attributed to the General:

"if a dam cannot be built, then what about building a reservoir?"

In other words, if Project "A" can't be built, what about Project "B"?

How is this interpreted to be a "no" or a "slim chance"?

Therefore, it seems we can assume that all projects will proceed in some form.

4) Let's revisit "slim chance" and the reason given for it in the article.

[Any dam which will destroy natural resources ... slim chance ... b/c [it] will be opposed by the people].

Again, this text was written by the reporter and attributed but not quoted to the General.

The problem is the underlying assumption that people will oppose all projects that impact the environment.

I'd submit that such rationale should be considered highly speculative.

What if a project benefits the people in the vicinity at the expense of the environment?

Who then shall speak out against the project?

Somehow it seems fitting for the reporter to add another paraphrase attributed to the General:

[the government ... urged environmentalists not to raise the issue to stir up trouble]

[Daniel Boon]

To those who are proactive, comments about the necessity of vegetation are spot on, but water retention is enhanced by healthy microorganisms in the soil, thereby facilitating strong vegetation growth.

If someone replies, l will provide link (cannot do as on mobile)

[rickirs]

"The problem of Thailand, he explained, is that there is still huge expanse of farm land which have no access to water. And if there is no access to water, he said that farming in those areas will have to be adjusted to correspond with the quality of the farm land and access to water."

Really? Even the Romans had a solution (perhaps borrowed from the Greeks and Egyptians) for inadequate water supply called an Aqueduct. By the 3rd century AD Rome was able to sustain a population of over 1 million and a cattle industry. The USA California Central Valley was made into an agricultural cornupian landscape with a 700-mile California Aqueduct. The largest existing aqueduct in the world is the 96-mile Thirlmere Aqueduct in North West England built between 1890 and 1925. Also in the USA is a “water tunnel” that provides 1.2 billion gallons of fresh water per day to New York City’s 8 million residents.

Surely, Thailand can find a solution to meet its own moderate agricultural needs other than, "if it doesn't exist, you do without." For a government whose answer to a stagnant economy is infrastrucure spending, a do-nothing approach to its water problems seems lame.