Protest looms over highway construction threatening century old tree tunnel



NAN: -- The planned cutting of teak trees that form a 10-kilometre long tree tunnel lining Highway 383 by the Department of Highways goes viral on the social network with students and local residents posting strong opposition and calling for support to stop it.

The cutting of the tree tunnel is to pave the way for a four-lane highway to Laos.

Campaign to help and save the tree tunnel was posted on the Facebook of the Big Tree Network with the picture of students and local residents surrounding a big tree and a message which reads “it takes hundred years to become a legend, but will vanish soon by the hands of the Department of Highways.”

The tree tunnel which is about 10 kilometres long on Highway 383 from Nan to Tha Wangpha will be destroyed under the project to expand the road to a four-lane highway through Nan province to join Nan-Thung Charng highway

Local residents and students have earlier opposed the cutting of trees as they form a tree tunnel which has become the symbol of natural abundance of Nan provinces.

But so far the department has not made any announcement to make clear it would avoid construction through the tree tunnel.

They also said there was no environmental impact assessment of people in the areas.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/protest-looms-over-highway-construction-threatening-century-old-tree-tunnel

-- Thai PBS 2015-03-06

I'm a not a tree huger BUT this would be totally out of line and show case Thainess again for what its worth.

Good chance money has all ready changed hands and the project will go forward.

They paved paradise and put up a parkin' lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

They took all the trees, and put em in a tree museum
And they charged the people a dollar and a half to see them
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got till it's gone
They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot

Hey farmer, farmer, put away your DDT
I don't care about spots on my apples,
LEAVE me the birds and the bees please
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Hey now, they paved paradise to put up a parking lot
Why not?

All that teak must be worth a lot of money...

All that teak must be worth a lot of money...

cynical bugger aren't you !!! no money to be made here, move along !

Obviously, the Army needs to mobilze against these renegrade students and locals for causing national conflict and violation of martial law. When will Thais take Gen. Prayut's suppression of their rights and liberties at face value and not cause Gen. Prayut personal conflict. With the weight of Thailand's future exclusively on his shoulders, these distractions only serve to make him short-tempered. And the last thing anyone should want is an angry Junta leader.

The tree tunnel which is about 10 kilometres long on Highway 383 from Nan to Tha Wangpha will be destroyed under the project to expand the road to a four-lane highway through Nan province to join Nan-Thung Charng highway

The Nan to Thai Wangpha is the 101.. Theres no 3 digit '3xx' roads up here in the north, doesnt fit the numbering system.