Bangkok Post
May 7, 2002

Thai Prime Minister should not waste time with another committee examining the Klong Dan waste-water treatment project because there is already plenty of evidence of irregularities, says Samut Prakan senator.

Senator Charoon Youngpraphakorn has urged the cabinet to scrap the Klong Dan waste-water treatment project, claiming it was riddled with corruption.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra should not waste time with another committee examining the project because there was already plenty of evidence of irregularities, the Samut Prakan senator said.

“The prime minister should have received all information from his inspection tour to the site last Thursday.

“He should make a quick decision and I think he has it in his mind because the Senate environmental committee and his fact-finding committee have already examined the project and sent him their reports,” Mr Charoon said.

Irregularities started with the land acquisition, changes in the treatment system requiring a bigger plot of land, procurement of pipes, substandard construction, and specifications changed to favour the contractor.

The site in tambon Klong Dan of Bang Bo district, Samut Prakan, was not one of the 13 locations urged by the project’s consultant.

A former provincial governor had conspired with the Town and Country Planning Department to change the Klong Dan site from an agricultural zone to an industrial one to permit construction, Mr Charoon said.

Samut Prakan people had complained to the former Counter Corruption Commission, now the National Counter Corruption Commission, but ministers were more interested in the views of the Pollution Control Department, the project’s owner.

The construction contract expired on Feb 26 but was simply extended for another eight months.

The Senate environmental committee had studied the project and asked the
government to suspend it. The request was ignored, he said.

Mr Charoon said he would ask ministers about their stance at parliament on Friday.

“I will make it clear that the project will damage the nation. It will be a loss-maker from the first day. How could a project be designed to pump more than 500,000 cubic metres of water over 125 kilometres a day?

“That will mean a daily power cost of two million to three million baht,” Mr Charoon said.