Showing 1 - 6 of 6
Pollution taints seaside community's prosperity
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 09/02/2020
» Bangkok's seaside neighbour Samut Sakhon is known for many things -- as a fishing hub, a thriving seafood market, and also as the largest location of Myanmar's migrant community in Thailand.
Without new toxic waste laws, we stay contaminated
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 22/04/2014
» Fear of toxic pollution from the recent blazes at a rubbish dump in Samut Prakan's Phraeksa area seem to have disappeared from our collective attention as soon as it disappeared from the headlines. However, the many health risks it poses have not gone away.
What a waste
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 09/04/2014
» Tourism on Samet Island seems to have fully recovered since last year’s oil spill. My friend recently went there and many are planning to spend their long weekend on the island during the upcoming Songkran holiday. I still question the long-term impact of the leaked crude oil that caused an environmental disaster last July. I still want to know who will cover the clean-up expenses — our tax money or the energy titan PTT? Leaving my doubts aside, I have to praise all attempts by the authorities to clean up and return the island to its appealing self. The Pollution Control Department (PCD), Energy Ministry and the Navy worked together to restore the ecology of the beach and reputation of Samet. For me, the oil spill case shows that our authorities can be proactive about cleaning up contamination — if they want to.
Documenting disaster
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 30/10/2013
» Like other environmental calamities, the 54,000-litre oil spill in the Gulf of Thailand from PTT Global Chemical's pipeline on the morning of July 27 will soon become a distant memory. Collective anger towards PTT has started to subside thanks to a well-oiled PR machine and orchestrated efforts by Thai authorities to play down the environmental impact.
Reversing the rot
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 04/09/2013
» When one thinks of Rayong, what are the images that spring to mind? Is it a picture of Sunthorn Phu - the late renowned poet, the province's famous native _ or the outlandish image of petrochemical factories at Map Ta Phut belching fire and smoke?
Paradise lost
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 19/08/2013
» The words "national park" should convey the spirit of conservation and a well-protected space of natural beauty. But in Thailand, sometimes the parks are beset by scandals and controversy that also imply problems: law violation, land disputes, poaching, encroachment and environmental abuses.