Mae Rim residents cry foul over landfill

[Thaivisa News]

Chiang Mai:- Residents of a village in Chiang Mai’s Mae Rim district cried foul that a tycoon has been illegally operating a landfill in their neighborhood.

Residents of Ban Hong Nok in Tambon Mae Ram filed a complaint with Thairath that the tycoon has been using his own land as a garbage landfill, causing bad smell and affecting the environment.

They said the tycoon has been dumping garbage after the Mae Rim Municipality using a connected plot for as a temporary garbage site.

The residents of the village said the landfill of the tycoon has not been treated properly and garbage water also seeped into wells of local residents because the landfill is located next to a mountain.

They said the area used to have very fresh air and the area has been called a little Switzerland. The good weather prompted many resorts to be built and prompted many foreigners to live in the village.

The villagers said the illegal landfill on the private property was investigated by the Department of Special Investigation two years ago but nothing has been done about it so far.

A villager, whose name was withheld, told Thairath that the tycoon started dumping garbage on his 100-rai land after the municipality used a plot nearby as a temporary garbage site pending permanent disposal.

“The area where the illegal landfill is located is higher than houses and lands of local villagers so polluted waters seeped into wells of local residents,” the source said.

He said the Mae Rim police chief and the tambon municipality once checked the landfill and its caretaker promised not bring more garbage to the land but the garbage dumping would not stop.

[MESmith]

"Tycoon"?

Is that a "Typo"?

[clockman]

"Tycoon"?

Is that a "Typo"?

Love it!

[elektrified]

Well, the dictionary says "tycoon: A wealthy and powerful businessperson or industrialist; a magnate." I thinks it's just a funny translation.

But "garbage water also seeped into wells of local residents"....yuck!

[Chicog]

"A wealthy and powerful businessperson" pretty well sums up a bloke who can do stuff like this with impunity.

[namatjira]

Yes it's a typo, should be Thai coon

[Doc46]

Usually the norm is that a Tycoon who may well be a Thai Coon has nothing to worry about any law or regulations as he has very deep pockets that can easy smoothing things out from any wrinkles that are in the suit.

[jackanapes]

I think this man needs to be taken to court a rich thai man who obviously thinks he can get away with garbage disposal with no thought about the people who live in the immediate vicinity nasty nasty man .

[eliotness]

I bet this "dump" hasn't got a licence or that an EIA (environmental impact assessment) was done. In Europe the "tycoon" would have to pay for the removal of the waste to a proper licensed site and the clean-up of the illegal site. Estimate several million baht. Thailand is a member of ISO and recently hosted an International Solid Waste conference, so "they" (the powers that be) know full well the international standards they need to follow. Whoever turned a blind eye should have their bank account investigated.

[elgordo38]

"A wealthy and powerful businessperson" pretty well sums up a bloke who can do stuff like this with impunity.

The following quote sounds about right. The villagers said the illegal landfill on the private property was investigated by the Department of Special Investigation two years ago but nothing has been done about it so far. Maybe the Tycoon slipped them a little something and not a Mickey Finn

[Johpa]

Would this be in the vicinity of the landfill operation behind the Tiger Kingdom resort and just up the road from the Elephant Poopoo Paper store?

[ttthailand]

I am glad I rent.

[jiipii]

Why not Thai (car)toon?

[dean008]

And that of their entire family and staff

I bet this "dump" hasn't got a licence or that an EIA (environmental impact assessment) was done. In Europe the "tycoon" would have to pay for the removal of the waste to a proper licensed site and the clean-up of the illegal site. Estimate several million baht. Thailand is a member of ISO and recently hosted an International Solid Waste conference, so "they" (the powers that be) know full well the international standards they need to follow. Whoever turned a blind eye should have their bank account investigated.