News

The Nation 10 February 2010 | Pongphon Sarnsamak

The National Economic and Social Development Board will submit its eco-town guidelines to the Joint Public-Private Sector Consultative Committee on February 22.

It hopes they will become the model for Map Ta Phut or a new industrial zone for upstream steel projects.

The Nation 06 February 2010 | Petchanet Pratruangkrai 

Japanese investors have called for the Thai government to announce a clear road map for solving the Map Ta Phut problem as soon as possible.

They say doing so would ensure investment remained in the Kingdom and that companies affected would have to carry a financial burden from the episode for only six months.

The Nation 02 February 2010 | Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Map Ta Phut four-party panel yesterday set up a subcommittee to study how to revive the buffer zone, which would separate the residential and industrial areas to avoid future crises.

The panel, chaired by former prime minister Anand Panyarachun, has learned that the Map Ta Phut city plan, as conceived by the local authorities, will expire next year. The local authorities are hiring a private consultant to draft a new city plan.

The Nation 29 January 2010 | Nalin Viboonchart  

About one-third of the members of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce (JCC) are deeply concerned about the Map Ta Phut impasse, with many of those affected considering relocating their planned investments to other Asean countries if it is not resolved within six months as promised by the prime minister.

Bangkok Post 27 January 2010  

Business leaders yesterday repeated their pleas for the government to speed up the resolution of the Map Ta Phut case, saying the latest court verdict to reject requests to restart 30 projects had severely depressed the investment climate.

The Nation 26 January 2010 | Pongphon Sarnsamak

Private companies will be responsible for any risks they incur while seeking licenses for new projects before the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry comes up with a final list of activities that might have serious environmental impacts, the Federation of Thai Industries said.

The Nation 26 January 2010  

The companies with 30 industrial projects paralysed by the court will meet today to chart a course to get them restarted as soon as possible.

Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) vice chairman Payungsak Chartsutipol yesterday said the private sector would thoroughly review the Central Administrative Court's injunction and how they should comply with it.

Bangkok Post 26 January 2010  

Higher court last gasp on Map Ta Phut

PTT, the national energy flagship, is considering resubmitting its petition requesting its halted projects in Map Ta Phut restart to a higher court after the Administrative Court rejected its petitions on Friday, said company spokesman Atthapol Ruekphiboon.

Bangkok Post 15 January 2010  

'Lack of trust' led to current impasse

The Map Ta Phut dispute will be resolved within six months but businesses must prepare to deal with tougher environmental regulations, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday.

Bangkok Post 14 January 2010 | Apinya Wipatayotin

The four-party panel tasked with resolving the Map Ta Phut impasse has set up a technical committee to study the pollution problems at the industrial area and help the government come up with control measures.