"Waterfall size depends heavily on space,budget and a person's belief in feng shui.
"I've always been quite cautious, paying attention to details, so I decided to buy the insurance. Although I'm young, nobody knows the future and I don't want to leave the burden to my family.
Water has always played a vital role in nurturing all life. Apart from nourishing our body, water also refreshes our soul with its intrinsic miracles.
A vast array of household fountains dancing merrily at night can make the nocturnal ambiance more spectacular and vivacious.
The sound of water running through an artificial waterfall is able to soothe many souls seeking a bit of hydrotherapy at home.
Unsurprisingly, these two items are the latest hot feature in many households as some people want to live a healthier life amid the natural environment - and with these two choices they can get close to nature via the most simple and accessible channels.
"Fountains and remodelled waterfalls can exude a sense of cooling and serenity to the house and its inhabitants. Besides, many people also enjoy watching the running and dancing water and listening to its solacing sound," said Nuntapom Ketpongsuda, a landscape designer at Sea Square Thai.
"On top of that, these aquatic installations can be placed even in small areas since now they come in all sizes and designs to suit the vastly different lifestyles of city dwellers who rarely have time to appreciate natural beauty up close."
According to Nuntapom, today's artificial fountain, or nam pu pradit , comes in four styles including the ready-made fountain,made-to-order fountain, fountain with a sculpture or terracotta and big fountain, usually installed in the middle of a natural pond.
The ready-made fountain comes with a pump and a small tub which can be installed yourself. More importantly, it consumes less electricity.
The made-to-order fountain depends on the customers' needs and personal taste. Its size can be modified to suit a chosen location.
Fountains with a sculpture or terracotta can be very artistic and lively. This type is very popular as it gives garden lovers more stories to tell their guests. Most importantly,it can be located either inside or outside or at any corner of the house to enhance the atmosphere.
Big fountains are normally suitable for a large pond as they help oxygenate the water for plants and fish.
What makes each kind of artificial fountain different is the many sprinkle jets that can Yes, it can, beautifully and sometimes sexily.But "cold dancers" can lose their balance and give an inferior performance if they get dirty. So it is strongly recommended to keep these dancers clean from time to time to ensure their best performance.
According to Nuntapom, it is a piece of cake to maintain fountains of all types,especially small ones.
"It's as easy as cleaning other kitchen appliances so you can do it by yourself," he said.
Here are some tips provided by Nuntapom to keep the fountain cool and clean.
Keep water in the fountain tub full at all times as some kinds of pump will stop working or break if the water level is too low.
Keep the fountain and pump jets free from dirt. Regularly scoop out the basin to avoid clogging the jets.
If there is an electricity blackout, switch off the pump immediately to prevent any damage.
The fountain should be cleaned monthly or more.
Turn off electricity before cleaning the fountain.
Remove the fountain jet and carefully clean it to get rid of any clotted debris, mosses, and rotten leaves.
Remove the pump and also clean it according to the instructions.
Refill the water until it reaches the right level.
create unique "water sculptures".
Some kinds of sprinkler heads release a single line of water while others produce a spray. More sophisticated designs can give different layers to the fountain.
However, not all types of jets are compatible with all fountains. For example, a big sprinkler head is perfect only for a large basin.
But if it is used with a smaller basin, water can spill out from the edge of the basin,
making the entire area wet and slippery.
More importantly, water inside the basin must be refilled more frequently which can result in a higher charge for electricity and water.
On the contrary, if a small fountain jet is installed in a large pond, it will yield no aesthetic impact at all. So the size of the fountain should be in line with that of its basin.
"When it comes to the selection of a fountain, homeowners should take many things into consideration like its style, size and price.They should not consider only their personal penchant because only the right fountain is congruous with the right location," said Nuntapom.
According to Nuntapom, the ideal place to install a fountain should not be under trees since fallen leaves can make the fountain tub or pond dirty more easily. And it should not be located in a windy area as the wind can blow away the fountain's stream.
As for the remodelled waterfall, it is mainly categorised into four designs including the ready-made waterfall made from rock or concrete, those made from plastic or resin, fibreglass waterfalls and made-to-order waterfalls made from various kinds of materials such as natural and artificial rocks.
According to Nuntapom, the first type is rather small but heavy, ranging from 3kg to 100kg. It can be used to decorate a tray garden or installed in a vast garden.
Plastic and resin waterfalls are mainly used for the tray or glass tank garden.
For those who want an endurable product,the fibreglass waterfall can serve the purpose.Its styles are varied, depending on the manufacturers' imagination and expertise.The last pattern has no fixed design. Its price is a bit exorbitant, starting from five to six digits, depending on its size and components.
"Waterfall size depends heavily on space,budget and a person's belief in feng shui,"said Nuntapom.
No matter how beautiful or expensive they are, both fountains and waterfalls of all designs can become an eyesore in no time if left unused.
"If you want to see them as gleaming like new, you should take care of them with your heart. Long-term maintenance is crucial. If part of your happiness comes from these two sources, you should take good care of your sources of happiness. Don't just follow the fad," stressed Nuntapom.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
VILLAGERS UP IN ARMS AGAINST HUGE PROJECT
A group of 500 villagers living near a huge steel-mill project in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Bang Saphan district yesterday gathered outside the Industry Ministry asking it not to permit construction while a pending administrative decision is not yet reached.
Protest leaders also demanded that Industry Minister Charnchai Chairungrueng give them a written promise that he would comply with their demand and nothing would be done against the villagers' will until he returned from an overseas trip on September 13.
Jintana Kaewkhao, a protest leader, said the Administrative Court had issued an injunction halting the project of Sahaviriya Steel Industry until mandatory environmental studies were finalised and disputes over land ownership settled. She also demanded that in future other projects that cause large-scale pollution should not be permitted near the district.
The group later submitted a request to a government agency at the Goverment House asking it to invalidate an environment impact assessment (EIA) result in favour of the public company. The assessment only had recommendations and opinions of government experts on science, technology and industry but left out those of doctors and experts on public health.
The Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) said later that it had twice rejected an earlier EIA submitted by the project owner, last time in July last year, because it was not complete on more than 100 issues.
Suchaya Amralikhit, a senior ONEP official, said those issues included conveyors of industrial materials were too near to communities, as were piles of those materials. The other issues, which still need improvements, are wastewater management, water drainage, impact on local tourism, public-health concerns and visual pollution.
ONEP also requires the project owner to propose measures to restore biodiversity in nearby forests and to accept comments from a local natural conservation group allied to the villagers.
Project owner Sahaviriya Steel Mill later issued a statement saying the project site was not located in a forest reserve, as alleged by villagers, thus the project was not the reason behind repeated flooding and pollution in the forest reserve and nearby areas.
Chaiphat Khemaphirak, a senior company official, said only a one-rai plot, out of the entire 222-rai project site, was located in an area adjacent to the forest reserve.
"The company has created a 123-rai buffer zone, where green projects are situated, between the project site and the forest reserve," he added.
He said the steel mill operation, when carried out, would generate pollution and industrial waste at a level under the legal limit. He added that Sahaviriya Group's entire corporate standard on health and environment management, which was certified by Mahidol University, was the best in the country.
Protest leaders also demanded that Industry Minister Charnchai Chairungrueng give them a written promise that he would comply with their demand and nothing would be done against the villagers' will until he returned from an overseas trip on September 13.
Jintana Kaewkhao, a protest leader, said the Administrative Court had issued an injunction halting the project of Sahaviriya Steel Industry until mandatory environmental studies were finalised and disputes over land ownership settled. She also demanded that in future other projects that cause large-scale pollution should not be permitted near the district.
The group later submitted a request to a government agency at the Goverment House asking it to invalidate an environment impact assessment (EIA) result in favour of the public company. The assessment only had recommendations and opinions of government experts on science, technology and industry but left out those of doctors and experts on public health.
The Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) said later that it had twice rejected an earlier EIA submitted by the project owner, last time in July last year, because it was not complete on more than 100 issues.
Suchaya Amralikhit, a senior ONEP official, said those issues included conveyors of industrial materials were too near to communities, as were piles of those materials. The other issues, which still need improvements, are wastewater management, water drainage, impact on local tourism, public-health concerns and visual pollution.
ONEP also requires the project owner to propose measures to restore biodiversity in nearby forests and to accept comments from a local natural conservation group allied to the villagers.
Project owner Sahaviriya Steel Mill later issued a statement saying the project site was not located in a forest reserve, as alleged by villagers, thus the project was not the reason behind repeated flooding and pollution in the forest reserve and nearby areas.
Chaiphat Khemaphirak, a senior company official, said only a one-rai plot, out of the entire 222-rai project site, was located in an area adjacent to the forest reserve.
"The company has created a 123-rai buffer zone, where green projects are situated, between the project site and the forest reserve," he added.
He said the steel mill operation, when carried out, would generate pollution and industrial waste at a level under the legal limit. He added that Sahaviriya Group's entire corporate standard on health and environment management, which was certified by Mahidol University, was the best in the country.
Monday, August 31, 2009
BOONTHAVORN HOLDS BACK PLAN FOR MORE OUTLETS
Company watching economic trend closely before proceeding with expansion plans
Boonthavorn, like its retail customers, has grown cautious about spending billions of baht on building up its chain of speciality stores for construction materials and home improvement products, despite the upturn in the economy.
"Although the economy overall shows signs of recovery, we need time to be sure in which direction to go," Sitthisak Tayanuwat, commercial vice president for Boonthavorn Ceramic, said yesterday.
The company is considering whether to speed up or put on hold its expansion plan to cover all the big cities upcountry such as Chiang Mai, Phuket and Hua Hin. Its provincial sales account for only 20 per cent of its total sales. A brokerage source said Boonthavorn had planned to raise funds from the public, but there has been no movement for a while.
Instead, Boonthavorn has opted to widen its market into a younger segment by refreshing its brand and renovating its six showrooms with a five-year budget of more than Bt1 billion. This is considered its biggest overhaul in 30 years of doing business.
The six Boonthavorns are located in the Ratchada, Rangsit, Pinklao, Suvarnabhumi and Thon Buri-Pakthor areas of greater Bangkok and in the beach resort city of Pattaya.
Construction on the new Kaset-Navamin branch in Bangkok with total retail space of 40,000 square metres is already 75 per cent complete. When it opens next quarter it will also display furniture and lighting.
"Changes in people's lifestyles such as the way they think or make buying decisions led us to refresh our Boonthavorn brand and showrooms to expand our target group to youngsters, who just graduated or started working, aged down to 25 years," Sitthisak said.
"Up to the present, our target group was concentrated on middle-age customers who are more than 35."
Customer buying behaviour is proactive, as shoppers come to Boonthavorn for the purpose of buying something. But over the past six to 10 years, what the new generations want are convenience and value for their money, he said.
Major products carried by Boonthavorn stores are wall and tile ceramics, kitchenware, sanitary ware, paints, lighting, tools and hardware.
Boonthavorn offers strong brands and a wide variety with 80,000 items from its suppliers and 30,000 patterns of ceramics. But, its name does not register with youngsters, he said.
Boonthavorn's customers come in four categories - retail, regular, deep pocket and project. The company's sales were most hit by project customers since fewer real estate developments were started.
Retail represents 25 per cent of total sales. This group was affected only slightly by the economic crisis, but individual customers are more cautious than before.
The regular group, consisting of professionals such as architects, contractors and designers, has experienced a drop in home-building work. The company tries to retain this group by launching a CRM programme for two years.
Recently, Boonthavorn opened a Builder Contractor and Designer Club, which now has 100,000 members, at its Ratchada showroom for architects and home-building specialists to use as a library or centre for meeting with their clients.
The deep-pocket customers, who normally spend a large sum per bill, have largely escaped the economic contraction.
This year the company has spent Bt200 million-Bt300 million on improving its product variety.
Boonthavorn's workforce numbers 2,000 and has never been reduced since the wake of the economic crisis of 1997.
The company recently lowered its sales target for this year to Bt7.5 billion from Bt8 billion set earlier. It booked Bt7.3 billion in sales last year.
Boonthavorn, like its retail customers, has grown cautious about spending billions of baht on building up its chain of speciality stores for construction materials and home improvement products, despite the upturn in the economy.
"Although the economy overall shows signs of recovery, we need time to be sure in which direction to go," Sitthisak Tayanuwat, commercial vice president for Boonthavorn Ceramic, said yesterday.
The company is considering whether to speed up or put on hold its expansion plan to cover all the big cities upcountry such as Chiang Mai, Phuket and Hua Hin. Its provincial sales account for only 20 per cent of its total sales. A brokerage source said Boonthavorn had planned to raise funds from the public, but there has been no movement for a while.
Instead, Boonthavorn has opted to widen its market into a younger segment by refreshing its brand and renovating its six showrooms with a five-year budget of more than Bt1 billion. This is considered its biggest overhaul in 30 years of doing business.
The six Boonthavorns are located in the Ratchada, Rangsit, Pinklao, Suvarnabhumi and Thon Buri-Pakthor areas of greater Bangkok and in the beach resort city of Pattaya.
Construction on the new Kaset-Navamin branch in Bangkok with total retail space of 40,000 square metres is already 75 per cent complete. When it opens next quarter it will also display furniture and lighting.
"Changes in people's lifestyles such as the way they think or make buying decisions led us to refresh our Boonthavorn brand and showrooms to expand our target group to youngsters, who just graduated or started working, aged down to 25 years," Sitthisak said.
"Up to the present, our target group was concentrated on middle-age customers who are more than 35."
Customer buying behaviour is proactive, as shoppers come to Boonthavorn for the purpose of buying something. But over the past six to 10 years, what the new generations want are convenience and value for their money, he said.
Major products carried by Boonthavorn stores are wall and tile ceramics, kitchenware, sanitary ware, paints, lighting, tools and hardware.
Boonthavorn offers strong brands and a wide variety with 80,000 items from its suppliers and 30,000 patterns of ceramics. But, its name does not register with youngsters, he said.
Boonthavorn's customers come in four categories - retail, regular, deep pocket and project. The company's sales were most hit by project customers since fewer real estate developments were started.
Retail represents 25 per cent of total sales. This group was affected only slightly by the economic crisis, but individual customers are more cautious than before.
The regular group, consisting of professionals such as architects, contractors and designers, has experienced a drop in home-building work. The company tries to retain this group by launching a CRM programme for two years.
Recently, Boonthavorn opened a Builder Contractor and Designer Club, which now has 100,000 members, at its Ratchada showroom for architects and home-building specialists to use as a library or centre for meeting with their clients.
The deep-pocket customers, who normally spend a large sum per bill, have largely escaped the economic contraction.
This year the company has spent Bt200 million-Bt300 million on improving its product variety.
Boonthavorn's workforce numbers 2,000 and has never been reduced since the wake of the economic crisis of 1997.
The company recently lowered its sales target for this year to Bt7.5 billion from Bt8 billion set earlier. It booked Bt7.3 billion in sales last year.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Lead poison scandal grows
The impact of a Chinese lead poisoning scandal spread to another two provinces yesterday, threatening further cuts in supply from the world's top producer of the metal.
Hunan, the second-biggest producer of refined lead among China's provinces,and Guangxi, which ranks number five,are checking smelters after protests by parents at a lead and zinc smelter operated by Dongling Group inChangqing, Shaanxi province, and at a manganese smelter in Hunan earlier this month.
"The result of the checks will come in another few days," a smelter official in Hunan said, adding that possible closures of lead smelters would depend on the findings.
Lead poisoning is endemic among villages near Chinese smelters.
In Shaanxi's Fengxian, where smoke billows from a Dongling Group zinc smelter, two wan and listless toddlers tested with high levels of lead in their blood earlier this year.
"These problems are really common.It's just that the Dongling case in Changqing got some attention," said a villager.
Older villagers develop circulatory problems and some workers got too sick to work.
"This environmental pollution is not unique to Fengxian. It's all over."
Lead poisoning due to air and water pollution from poorly regulated smelters and mines haunts the valleys of the orerich Qinling range, in a poor and remote part of China.
The problem dogs heavy metals bases in Hunan, Henan, Yunnan and Guangdong provinces. Closing polluting plants has pushed the industry to poorer areas where any investment is welcome.
The shift to poorer regions echoes the migration of the lead smelting industry to China over the last decade,as stricter environmental laws forced smelters in richer countries to close.
In late 2005, two of China's largest zinc smelters shut temporarily after cadmium contaminated the Pearl River Delta and the Xiang River, sources of drinking water for millions in Hunan and Guangdong Provinces.
More than 1,500 children have tested positive to excessive amounts of lead in the past two weeks.
Hunan, the second-biggest producer of refined lead among China's provinces,and Guangxi, which ranks number five,are checking smelters after protests by parents at a lead and zinc smelter operated by Dongling Group inChangqing, Shaanxi province, and at a manganese smelter in Hunan earlier this month.
"The result of the checks will come in another few days," a smelter official in Hunan said, adding that possible closures of lead smelters would depend on the findings.
Lead poisoning is endemic among villages near Chinese smelters.
In Shaanxi's Fengxian, where smoke billows from a Dongling Group zinc smelter, two wan and listless toddlers tested with high levels of lead in their blood earlier this year.
"These problems are really common.It's just that the Dongling case in Changqing got some attention," said a villager.
Older villagers develop circulatory problems and some workers got too sick to work.
"This environmental pollution is not unique to Fengxian. It's all over."
Lead poisoning due to air and water pollution from poorly regulated smelters and mines haunts the valleys of the orerich Qinling range, in a poor and remote part of China.
The problem dogs heavy metals bases in Hunan, Henan, Yunnan and Guangdong provinces. Closing polluting plants has pushed the industry to poorer areas where any investment is welcome.
The shift to poorer regions echoes the migration of the lead smelting industry to China over the last decade,as stricter environmental laws forced smelters in richer countries to close.
In late 2005, two of China's largest zinc smelters shut temporarily after cadmium contaminated the Pearl River Delta and the Xiang River, sources of drinking water for millions in Hunan and Guangdong Provinces.
More than 1,500 children have tested positive to excessive amounts of lead in the past two weeks.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Q-Con maintains sales goals
SET-listed Quality Construction Products Plc, a manufacturer and distributor of lightweight concrete under the Q-Con brand, has maintained its sales estimates for 2009 despite falling short of its target in the first half.
Second-quarter sales missed its estimate by 25% on 195 million baht, making first-half figures fall 13.5% to 450 million,said Kitti Soonthornmanokul, vicepresident of the sales and marketing.
The company earlier projected revenue of 520 million in the first six months,Mr Kitti acknowledged.
"The second quarter saw a business slowdown, especially in the private sector,for high-rise building construction where some projects have been delayed. Also,purchasing power in the provinces has declined due to the falling prices of agricultural products," he said.
"However, demand recovered for the low-rise building sector by the end of last quarter," noted Mr Kitti.
Despite the weak performance in the first half, he said Q-Con is still hoping to maintain its sales goal of 260 million baht for each quarter in the latter half.
"Looking at rising orders in July and this month, we are confident that the second half will be better than the second quarter," he said.
The company is penetrating the provincial market and creating marketing campaigns to lift volume and product prices.
"The government is launching infrastructure projects such as mass transit rail lines, highways and roads. We will see an increase in high-rise building construction along the rail lines," he added.
Q-Con's revenue slid 8% to 198 million baht in the second quarter with net loss decreasing to 7 million baht from 18 million the same period last year.
Mr Kitti said profit margin this year will be on par with last year due to lower oil prices and raw material costs.
Q-CON shares closed yesterday on the SET at 1.60 baht, up 2 satang, in trade worth 538,000 baht.
Second-quarter sales missed its estimate by 25% on 195 million baht, making first-half figures fall 13.5% to 450 million,said Kitti Soonthornmanokul, vicepresident of the sales and marketing.
The company earlier projected revenue of 520 million in the first six months,Mr Kitti acknowledged.
"The second quarter saw a business slowdown, especially in the private sector,for high-rise building construction where some projects have been delayed. Also,purchasing power in the provinces has declined due to the falling prices of agricultural products," he said.
"However, demand recovered for the low-rise building sector by the end of last quarter," noted Mr Kitti.
Despite the weak performance in the first half, he said Q-Con is still hoping to maintain its sales goal of 260 million baht for each quarter in the latter half.
"Looking at rising orders in July and this month, we are confident that the second half will be better than the second quarter," he said.
The company is penetrating the provincial market and creating marketing campaigns to lift volume and product prices.
"The government is launching infrastructure projects such as mass transit rail lines, highways and roads. We will see an increase in high-rise building construction along the rail lines," he added.
Q-Con's revenue slid 8% to 198 million baht in the second quarter with net loss decreasing to 7 million baht from 18 million the same period last year.
Mr Kitti said profit margin this year will be on par with last year due to lower oil prices and raw material costs.
Q-CON shares closed yesterday on the SET at 1.60 baht, up 2 satang, in trade worth 538,000 baht.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Other industries support upstream push
Industry operators support establishing an upstream steel industry in Thailand as it would reduce risks from importing expensive steel products.
Ninnart Chaithirapinyo,vicechairman of Toyota Motor Thailand, said an upstream steel producer would vastly reduce the production cost of locally made vehicles. Locally produced steel is 10-15% cheaper than imported products because of import tax, logistics cost and shipment insurance, he said.
Local supply would also allow production flexibility as imported steel purchasing orders must be made three months in advance. Local supply would also eliminate exchange-rate and price fluctuations as speculative investment can affect global steel prices, said Mr Ninnart.
Local production promotes development of other industries that need quality steel products such as shipbuilding, bus,rail and plane assemblers.
The government should support steel industry development, especially local community understanding of the industry and environmental protection,he said.
"Interested investors for projects need to know the government's direction,"said Mr Ninnart.
Last year, the automotive industry contributed 900 billion baht or 10% of GDP. The industry employs 1.2 million workers and vehicles are the secondlargest export product, in terms of value.Electrical and electronics items are the country's top export.
Payungsak Chartsutipol, president of the Steel Industry Club at the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), agrees the country needs upstream steel production.
"All industries would benefit. We use 13 million tonnes of steel products yearly to support various industries," he said.
"While steel demand is expected to surge to 15 million in a few years, we should have local production to complete the supply chain, create local jobs and guard against steel speculation and exchange-rate fluctuation."
According to Vikrom Vajragupta, director of the Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand (ISIT), four upstream steel investors - Japan's Nippon Steel and JFE Steel, India's Arcelor-Mittal and China's Baosteel - have all filed preliminary environmental and community management plans to the Board of Investment (BoI).
An upstream steel industry development team under Industry Ministry supervision has selected three to four potential sites in the southern and eastern regions. The sites need massive environmental rehabilitation and investors are expected to contribute to this improvement.
"The project would also have to be acceptable to the local community," said Mr Vikrom.
The ISIT is now waiting for 38 million baht from the 2010 government budget to be disbursed so it can go ahead with in-depth research on the finalist sites.
Ninnart Chaithirapinyo,vicechairman of Toyota Motor Thailand, said an upstream steel producer would vastly reduce the production cost of locally made vehicles. Locally produced steel is 10-15% cheaper than imported products because of import tax, logistics cost and shipment insurance, he said.
Local supply would also allow production flexibility as imported steel purchasing orders must be made three months in advance. Local supply would also eliminate exchange-rate and price fluctuations as speculative investment can affect global steel prices, said Mr Ninnart.
Local production promotes development of other industries that need quality steel products such as shipbuilding, bus,rail and plane assemblers.
The government should support steel industry development, especially local community understanding of the industry and environmental protection,he said.
"Interested investors for projects need to know the government's direction,"said Mr Ninnart.
Last year, the automotive industry contributed 900 billion baht or 10% of GDP. The industry employs 1.2 million workers and vehicles are the secondlargest export product, in terms of value.Electrical and electronics items are the country's top export.
Payungsak Chartsutipol, president of the Steel Industry Club at the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), agrees the country needs upstream steel production.
"All industries would benefit. We use 13 million tonnes of steel products yearly to support various industries," he said.
"While steel demand is expected to surge to 15 million in a few years, we should have local production to complete the supply chain, create local jobs and guard against steel speculation and exchange-rate fluctuation."
According to Vikrom Vajragupta, director of the Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand (ISIT), four upstream steel investors - Japan's Nippon Steel and JFE Steel, India's Arcelor-Mittal and China's Baosteel - have all filed preliminary environmental and community management plans to the Board of Investment (BoI).
An upstream steel industry development team under Industry Ministry supervision has selected three to four potential sites in the southern and eastern regions. The sites need massive environmental rehabilitation and investors are expected to contribute to this improvement.
"The project would also have to be acceptable to the local community," said Mr Vikrom.
The ISIT is now waiting for 38 million baht from the 2010 government budget to be disbursed so it can go ahead with in-depth research on the finalist sites.
Sahaviriya reluctant to invest more until green rules clarified
The Sahaviriya Group, the country's largest steel producer, will not invest in any big projects locally until uncertainties about environmental and health impact regulations are cleared up, says president Win Viriyaprapaikit.
"There's too high a risk for us to invest a lot of money here; we also need to limit our damages. From now on we will invest only in small projects that complement the production lines we already have here, so there will be limited damage if anything happens," he said.
"We would rather invest in massive capital projects overseas."
Sahaviriya recently abandoned a fouryear attempt to develop an upstream steel project and smelter worth 500 billion baht. It had faced strong opposition by environmental activists and communities near the planned site in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
However, the final decision to give up - after 3 billion baht in preparation costs - came after a court in April declared the heavily industrialised Map Ta Phut area of Rayong a pollutioncontrol zone. The ruling called into question a whole range of environmental regulations and put the brakes on hundreds of billions of baht in planned industrial investments.
At issue is the interpretation of Section 67 of the 2007 Constitution, which seeks to protect the public from the harmful effects of some industries. The central government and local authorities are
still debating what kinds of controls will be required and how they will be enforced.
The Council of State recently ruled that authorities can use existing laws to grant operating permits Win: Big projects to factories in Map overseas a choice Ta Phut with previously approved environmental impact assessment (EIA)reports However, Mr Win said the Council of State's ruling was just a short-term solution, while in the long term, there is no guarantee that industrial investments won't face more legal challenges.
"[Activists] threatened to bring the government to court right after the premier gave the go-head to authorities last week to proceed with issuing operating permits [to factories with approved EIAs].In fact, the law gives the authorities the power to do so," Mr Win said.
"I don't think we can take risks doing anything big here in this [unclear] climate."
Mr Win says that Section 67 needs to be rectified since the law now creates two authorised bodies to examine projects.
"There is an independent committee responsible for inspecting EIA reports.Why does the law require one more committee to look after the same issue?If they want to ensure a project's environmental management policy, they should design a single committee that covers the whole thing," he said.
"In my view, the new committee could have more power to abort any projects it wishes to even though the state authorities have already given their approval."
Sahaviriya is the country's biggest hotrolled coil producer. Its subsidiary, Sahaviriya Steel Industries Plc (SSI), also produces cold-rolled coil and other steel products.
SSI closed on Friday on the SET at 0.92 baht, up one satang.
"There's too high a risk for us to invest a lot of money here; we also need to limit our damages. From now on we will invest only in small projects that complement the production lines we already have here, so there will be limited damage if anything happens," he said.
"We would rather invest in massive capital projects overseas."
Sahaviriya recently abandoned a fouryear attempt to develop an upstream steel project and smelter worth 500 billion baht. It had faced strong opposition by environmental activists and communities near the planned site in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
However, the final decision to give up - after 3 billion baht in preparation costs - came after a court in April declared the heavily industrialised Map Ta Phut area of Rayong a pollutioncontrol zone. The ruling called into question a whole range of environmental regulations and put the brakes on hundreds of billions of baht in planned industrial investments.
At issue is the interpretation of Section 67 of the 2007 Constitution, which seeks to protect the public from the harmful effects of some industries. The central government and local authorities are
still debating what kinds of controls will be required and how they will be enforced.
The Council of State recently ruled that authorities can use existing laws to grant operating permits Win: Big projects to factories in Map overseas a choice Ta Phut with previously approved environmental impact assessment (EIA)reports However, Mr Win said the Council of State's ruling was just a short-term solution, while in the long term, there is no guarantee that industrial investments won't face more legal challenges.
"[Activists] threatened to bring the government to court right after the premier gave the go-head to authorities last week to proceed with issuing operating permits [to factories with approved EIAs].In fact, the law gives the authorities the power to do so," Mr Win said.
"I don't think we can take risks doing anything big here in this [unclear] climate."
Mr Win says that Section 67 needs to be rectified since the law now creates two authorised bodies to examine projects.
"There is an independent committee responsible for inspecting EIA reports.Why does the law require one more committee to look after the same issue?If they want to ensure a project's environmental management policy, they should design a single committee that covers the whole thing," he said.
"In my view, the new committee could have more power to abort any projects it wishes to even though the state authorities have already given their approval."
Sahaviriya is the country's biggest hotrolled coil producer. Its subsidiary, Sahaviriya Steel Industries Plc (SSI), also produces cold-rolled coil and other steel products.
SSI closed on Friday on the SET at 0.92 baht, up one satang.
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