Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha hinted Tuesday that the planned construction of a coal-fired power plant in Songkhla's Thepha district could be delayed.
"The project has been marred by conflict that has divided the community in two. As long as there are deep divisions over the project, the government cannot proceed with the plan," Prime Minister Prayut said.
He said the project may be shelved for a while until the Ministry of Energy can ease the concerns of residents in the area. Energy Minister Siri Jirapongphun has reportedly ordered ministry officials to investigate alternative locations for the coal-fired power plant that will not cause similar resistance, with the new study expected to be completed in March this year.
The military government is facing mounting pressure from local protesters against coal-fired power plants in southern provinces. On Monday, 14 upset Thepha district residents travelled to Bangkok and submitted a letter of petition asking the government to drop plans to build the 2,200-megawatt plant in the province.
On Feb 27, a group of locals from Krabi plan to travel to Bangkok to launch a similar campaign against an 800-megawatt coal-fired power plant which is to be built on the coast at their fishing village.
Madthayom Chaitem, a resident of Thepha district, said the protesters will remain in Bangkok until their voices are heard and the project is cancelled once and for all. Since Monday, the 14 residents have been staging a sit-in rally right in front of Government House.
He said the prime minister's latest comments are just a tactic to quell discontent, and that the project will receive a fresh push as soon as they lower their guard.
"Look at the Krabi power plant project. Despite the prime minister's promises and the rejection of the environmental impact study, the developer returned to push the project again," said Mr Madthayom, referring to the recent public hearing for another coal-fired energy project in the province.
Mr Madthayom said finding a solution to southern energy needs requires careful thought and consultation. "It is about time that the government changes the way it thinks about energy projects in the southern region. This region has evolved and its energy policy must also be revised," he added.
He said the resistance to the power plant will never go away as the government appears to have it "written in stone" that power plants in southern provinces must be coal-fired only.
During their protest against the Krabi coal project, residents said the province can generate renewable energy using biomass from palm tree waste, wind energy, solar farms or even solar rooftop projects that would allow homes in the area to produce their own electricity.