CHIANG MAI - People from six villages in tambon Thung Satok of San Pa Tong district have reaffirmed their opposition to a private company's plan to build an asphalt factory near their communities.
The resolution against the construction of the asphalt factory was made at a meeting on Thursday between representatives of Moo 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 villages in tambon Thung Satok and of Thanyalak Engineering Company at the auditorium of the Tambon Thung Satok Municipality.
The meeting was witnessed by the San Patong district chief and district police chief, as well as Thongkham Phadtan, the mayor of Tambon Thung Satok, and chief of the provincial industry office.
Mr Thongkham said the villagers were concerned about water and air pollution. They said trucks running through their villages to the factory could also cause accidents and affect their livelihoods.
Before today's meeting, the villagers had raised opposition to the factory plan many times.
Mr Thongkham said when the company first submitted the request to him on July 28, 2014, he turned it down because the villagers voted against it in a public hearing.
The company petitioned the Public Health Ministry, saying his rejection was against the law.
In response to the petition, the public health office in Chiang Mai sent four officials to conduct a fact-finding investigation. The villagers stood firm on their opposition.
But the issue did not end there when the provincial industry office gave the company the construction permit with a 30-day window for the villagers to petition against it.
This led to th when the villagers reaffirmed their opposition to the factory plan.