Power plant investments at the crossroads

Power plant investments at the crossroads

Protests on Bangkok pavements convinced the government to delay a decision on building a coal-fuelled power plant in Thepha district of Songkhla. (File photo)
Protests on Bangkok pavements convinced the government to delay a decision on building a coal-fuelled power plant in Thepha district of Songkhla. (File photo)

The Thepha coal-fired power plant conflict in Songkhla province of the South shows the public decision-making process in Thailand is in a serious coma.

Previous large-scale infrastructure initiatives, such as the Krabi power plant, the Mae Wong irrigation dam, or the more historic Kaeng Sue Ten irrigation dam were all put on hold owing largely to the failure of the public decision-making process.

Such failures are particularly evident in cases concerning large-scale investments that affect local communities and the environment.

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Adis Israngkura na Ayudya

Adviser of the Thailand Development Research Institute

Adis Israngkura na Ayudya, PhD, is an adviser of the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI). Policy analyses from the TDRI appear in the Bangkok Post on alternate Wednesday.

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