The Internal Security Operations Command has become involved in a long-standing administrative dispute over the management of waste which local government officials have been unable to resolve.
The Hua Hin municipality and the Thab Tai administration have been in conflict over dumping at Thab Tai which has resulted in a lawsuit and an order to improve the area with a budget of 33 million THB. Major General Phadung Yingpaiboon, a director of The Internal Security Operations Command has investigated the conflict and has been assisted by Ms. Pailin Kongpun, the deputy mayor of Hua Hin. An inspection was made of the area where there has been a garbage dump used by the Hua Hin Municipality.
The Thab Tai sub-district was formed in recent yearas and took over administration of this area. Last year protesters said they had put up with the stench from a gigantic mountain of trash, as well as other problems, since the dump opened 22 years ago. Each year the waste mountain grows taller and putrid liquid seeps into natural water sources, contaminating their crops. The Hua Hin Municipality is responsible for environmental problems in the area, such as the smell of solid waste and waste that comes after the rain when waste flows into canals adjoining farming grounds.
The municipality has a budget of 33 million THB from the Pollution Control Department to improve and solve the problem and to transport waste to Pranburi near the Fort Thanarat Thai Army base. The municipality has received the budget to resolve the problem with a duty to provide urgent solutions. However administrators of the Thab Tai Administrative Authority remain dissatisfied and sued the municipality of Hua Hin and a transport company for allegedly using the area without permission. The area is closed with no one allowed to bring any waste into the area. The issue is that waste water from the garbage remains a real problem with the area being unable to be used as well as unauthorised use of land. The provincial governor established a committee to resolve the conflict and manage improvement of the environment.
The committee called on both sides to talk and to agree on a compromise. However without a resolution the National Security Agency will now manage the situation and report to the Prime Minister’s office. Major General Phadung says similar problems exist in other regions of Thailand such as Nakhon Si Thammarat,
Chumphon as well as Hua Hin. He believes that a solution involving the private sector is required with the operation of a garbage processing plant producing electricity and fertilizers. This will enable benefits to be shared and the problem resolved. Phupung also said that the construction of a garbage processing plant is required due to the large amount of waste. Many developed countries as well as Phuket in Thailand, have garbage processing plants.
“I think it’s time for our country to make an urgent move to build garbage processing plants. We have many waste disposal problems and the use of landfills causes many problems as we already know. Now the problem of garbage is a big problem in every province. The Prime Minister sees this as a big issue and the person who is directly responsible is the Governor of the province.
