Energy
Thai activists hold alternative 'review' of coal plant
Songkhla residents protesting against plans for a new coal-fired power plant and sea port in Thepa district held their own “public review” 28 July. The move followed their boycott of the third and final public of the third and final public hearing on the Environmental and Health ...
Villagers call for suspension of dam resettlement program
Cambodians who have accepted relocation from the future reservoir zone of the Lower Sesan II hydropower project have called for the suspension of the resettlement program for one year and help to repair homes built by the Cambodian-Chinese energy firm constructing the dam. Villagers who held negotiations ...
Thai boats caught smuggling oil in Vietnam waters
Vietnamese coast guards have caught two Thai boats smuggling fuel to two Vietnamese fishing boats in the southwestern waters off off Phu Quoc Island. Keep reading ...
Thai court holds hope for transboundary justice in the Mekong
The closely watched lawsuit filed by Thai Mekong communities against the Xayaburi Dam’s power purchase agreement (PPA) has reached a critical juncture: the final day that the Administrative Court will accept evidence into the case. It has been just over a year since the Thai Supreme Administrative ...
Controversial Cambodia dam goes ahead despite concerns
Implementation of the Lower Sesan 2 hydropower project in northeast Cambodia is underway despite civil society organisations and local residents expressing concerns over possible serious impacts on the environment and natural resources. Ouch Vibol, project officer of the Culture and Environment Preservation Association, told journalists at the ...
Coal plant proposed for pristine Thai coast sparks outcry
Plans to build an 800-megawatt coal power plant near some of Thailand’s most popular beaches have sparked protests and a hunger strike by activists who say officials aren’t considering its impact on the pristine environment that makes the area an international tourist destination. More than 100 members ...
Thai PM warns of power bill hikes
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has warned that electricity bills could go up in a year or two if new power generation plants don’t get off the ground. His warning came in the wake of protests against a coal-fired power plant project in Krabi which intensified ...
Surge in electricity bills spark confusion
Confused citizens in coastal communities like Kampot and Sihanoukville are complaining about surging electricity bills, which they say are not linked to higher usage or even rises in per unit cost. The rising costs are largely unexplained and often disproportionately high in relation to actual power ...
MoU for Salween hydropower project to be signed between Thailand, Myanmar, China
Thailand, China and Myanmar are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the development of the 7,000-megawatt Mong Ton hydropower-plant project on the upper Salween River this year, after Myanmar’s government cancelled its Tasang hydropower project. Speaking yesterday on behalf of the three countries, ...
Fuel tax delayed after pump protest
Provincial administration organisations (PAOs) in Thailand’s three southern border provinces have agreed to delay imposing a new local tax on fuel sales, which led to a brief protest by local pump stations 13 July. Motorists in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat were left high and dry after most ...