Phuket residents take high-voltage electricity protest to governor

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Phuket residents take high-voltage electricity protest to governor


Protesters gathered outside of Provincial Hall, many holding placards.

PHUKET: -- More than 100 Pa Khlok residents went to Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday morning (June 9) to protest against the plan to install high-voltage electric power lines in their area. Governor Nisit Jansomwong told them to return in two weeks for an answer.

At 9am, Pa Khlock and Baan Para residents led by village headmen gathered in front of Provincial Hall to meet with Gov Nisit for an update on a plan to install high-voltage electricity lines in their neighbourhood.

Residents have a number of concerns relating to the 500KV power supply and said they would continue to stand against the planned install.

They also wanted to press Gov Nisit to convince the Phuket Electric Authority (PEA) to reconsider the idea of installing the 500KV pylons.

However, upon arrival at Provincial Hall, the residents learned that Gov Nisit was in Patong for the tsunami evacuation drills. So instead they were met by Vice Governor, Somkiet Songkhowsuttirak, V/Gov Suthee Tongyam; Taweesak Srirachaya, assistant manager of the electricity system project and Damrongtham Centre chief, Prapan Khanphrasang who were happy to listen to the resident̕s concerns.

But the residents were insistant on meeting with Gov Nisit.

Many residents were holding placards asking for justice, others read “Pa Khklok and Para residents against the high voltage electricity” and “Put the high voltage power lines in the ground and build roads”.

More than 20 police, territorial defence volunteers and navy officers were called to Provincial Hall to keep peace and order during the protest.

Former Baan Para village headman, Samran Pandin, said that installing the 500KV power lines in a residential area has sparked many safety concerns among Pa Khlok and Para residents.

“The residents have no objection over the installation of new electricity power lines into Phuket Town, but installing the pylons in the area of Pa Khlok will limit residents safe access to land,” he said.

The pylons will be at least 60 metres high and this, residents believe, will cause land prices to drop.

Residents also believe that the pylons will send out cancer causing radiation and that it is possible some locals could even be electrocuted.

Gov Nisit eventually arrived at Provincial Hall at 11:40 to meet with the residents and said that their concerns are understood and that he will try to find a solution at his next meeting with the PEA in two weeks time.

Assistant manager of the electricity system project, Taweesak Srirachaya, said that Phuket consumes a lot of electricity and is constantly suffering power outages.

It is the PEA̕s responsibility to plan to install new electricity power lines and that new high-voltage lines will be installled in many areas in the future.

However, he did point out that all that the PEA has done so far is survey areas where it is possible to put pylons.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-residents-take-high-voltage-elecricity-protestest-to-governor-52712.php


-- Phuket News 2015-06-11

[OttoPollmann]

Yesterday I've to read from the development of renewable energy and today they are against of the transport of this energy.

I've to admit, living close to a power transmission line has an impact to your health-related quality of life.

But what I am missing here is how close this overhead line will be to the village?

Also I didn't know that Thailand has a 500KV Grid?

But more importen is how much current they want to transfer?

Then in my opinion the magnetic field has a higher impact to the life quality then the eletric field.

But anyway, all this opponent sleeping with the TV in standby and the mobile phone close to their heads.

[KarenBravo]

Yesterday I've to read from the development of renewable energy and today they are against of the transport of this energy.

I've to admit, living close to a power transmission line has an impact to your health-related quality of life.

But what I am missing here is how close this overhead line will be to the village?

Also I didn't know that Thailand has a 500KV Grid?

But more importen is how much current they want to transfer?

Then in my opinion the magnetic field has a higher impact to the life quality then the eletric field.

But anyway, all this opponent sleeping with the TV in standby and the mobile phone close to their heads.

There are no known harmful effects of being close to powerful magnetic fields.

If there was, life couldn't exist as we all live within the earth's magnetic field.

Hospitals use powerful magnetic fields for diagnostics with the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans.

No, the real reason these people have got a bee in their bonnet is the fall in land prices. That's the only reason.

Edited June 11, 2015 by KarenBravo

[Ulic]

Sounds like they are most worried about the devaluation of the land. Put

the cables underground.

[nakhonandy]

You have to laugh at the educational level of the protesters.

Radiation health problems (nonsense), people may get electrocuted (how?).

Put them in the ground and build roads (500kV cables, really?) Since when does the PEA build roads?

Real issue fear of losing money due to decreased property values. As usual money.

Property values probably wouldn't change much anyhow!

[masuk]

Research in Scandinavia shows there is some concern about living under or close to high voltage transmission lines.

Here are a few opinions:

Australia: What can be Concluded from the Research Studies? The studies indicate that if there is a link between long term, low level EMF exposure and cancer, it is a very weak one. That is, the excess risk of cancer from living near power lines is at best zero, and at worst very low. This very low risk must be balanced against the high cost of modifying existing power systems and designing new ones to minimise EMFs. The option of putting power lines underground is not the complete solution, as many people suppose, because the magnetic field remains largely unaffected by this measure. Research evidence must be firmly established before expensive decisions based on health concerns are made. The process of making such decisions is greatly assisted by the international expert bodies which review and assess research findings.

http://emwatch.com/power-line-emf/

http://hps.org/hpspublications/articles/powerlines.html

The consensus is that nothing can be proved, and placing cables underground certainly does not improve the situation.

Maybe we have a few Thais who object to their skyline being cluttered with cables, and good luck to them!

[Srikcir]

I personally have an issue with electrons having intrinsic angular momentum characterized by the quantum number 1/2.

It leads to twice the confusion.