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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    NGOs Urge Thailand Not to Buy Electricity From Luang Prabang Dam

    A group of Thai and international organizations are urging the Thai government not to buy electric power from a major dam Laos is building on the Mekong River, saying that the dam’s operation will threaten the ancient Lao city of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


    The call comes ahead of a July 16-31 UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting scheduled to consider the impact of the 1,460 megawatt, U.S. $3 billion Luang Prabang Dam on protected areas.


    The project will displace 581 families or 2,285 people and will affect 20 other villages in the northern Lao provinces of Luang Prabang and Oudomxay.


    In a July 12 letter signed by six organizations and ten individuals, the group noted that work on the dam has already begun, reminding both the Thai government and the dam’s Thai-owned developer, the Ch. Karnchang Company, that a required heritage impact assessment (HIA) has not yet been completed.


    UNESCO has called the town of Luang Prabang “an outstanding example of the fusion of traditional architecture and Lao urban structures with those built by the European colonial authorities in the 19th and 20th centuries.”


    Luang Prabang celebrated its 25th anniversary as a World Heritage Site last year.


    Speaking to Radio Free Asia, a sister agency of BenarNews, on July 12, a representative of one of the letter’s signing groups pointed to the threats posed to the resources, culture, and livelihoods of the people of Luang Prabang town by construction of the dam, which is scheduled for completion in 2027.


    “These resources have already been impacted by other development, and if the Luang Prabang Dam is built, this will impact these resources even further,” the representative said, speaking on condition of anonymity.


    In March, Luang Prabang residents told RFA’s Lao Service they were worried because the government had already begun construction on the project before its international approval process was complete.


    Many expressed safety fears, saying the dam was too close to the city of 55,000 people.


    At that time, three temporary ports had been completed, and service roads, a workers’ camp with water supply, and land clearance were about 99 percent complete. A Mekong river bridge, power lines and relay stations were in various stages of completion.


    In July 2020, RFA reported after prior consultation on the Luang Prabang Dam had been completed in June, downriver Mekong nations Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand urged the developer to review the design of the dam to minimize the environmental, social, and trans-boundary impacts.

    ‘All reports complete’


    Daovong Phonekeo, the Lao government’s Minister of Energy and Mines, declined to comment on the letter, saying he had received no information about it, but an official of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism’s World Heritage Department said that Laos has already completed all required impact reports.


    “Now, UNESCO is demanding a new world heritage impact assessment,” he said.


    “We’ve actually done an assessment that concluded the dam will have no impact on the [Luang Prabang City] world heritage site, either during the wet or the dry season. But UNESCO would not accept that assessment,” he said.


    Attempts by RFA to reach Thai authorities received no reply.


    The protection of Luang Prabang City will be a major focus of the meetings beginning this week of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, “where the Committee will take decisions to ensure the preservation and safeguarding of the Outstanding Universal Value of [this] World Heritage property,” Roni Amelan of the UNESCO Press Service told RFA by email on July 15.


    “The property has been subject to a number of World Heritage Committee decisions on its state of conservation since 1996,” Amelan said.


    The Luang Prabang Dam when completed will be part of a cascade of 11 Mekong mainstream dams that form the centerpiece of Laos’ controversial economic strategy to become the “Battery of Southeast Asia” by selling electric power to neighboring countries.


    Though the Lao government sees power generation as a way to boost the country’s economy, the projects are controversial because of their environmental impact, displacement of villagers without adequate compensation, and questionable financial and power demand arrangements.


    The 7th-century city, which served as royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos from the country’s independence from France in 1953 until the communist takeover in 1975, has been a major center of tourism, a sector which brought in US$900 million a year before the 2020 pandemic shutdown.


    NGOs Urge Thailand Not to Buy Electricity From Luang Prabang Dam — BenarNews

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Chinky bastards at it again.

  3. #3
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    Oh, and Free Tibet while you're at it, saffron warriors.


    Interesting little 'giveaway' too-
    Speaking to Radio Free Asia, a sister agency of BenarNews,
    So, BenarNews is part of the RFA/CIA network.
    Last edited by sabang; 17-07-2021 at 03:53 AM.

  4. #4
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    ^ A bit slow, are ye?

  5. #5
    Thailand Expat
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    Fast enough to know that their efforts are in vain kitty.

  6. #6
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    Chinky bastards at it again.
    They are. Aided and abetted by this Thai company who have already started construction.

    CH. Karnchang Public Company Limited

    The above is near complete and they are well along in the beginnings of the Luang Prabang Dam project.

    UNESCO can moan til hell freezes over but the dam will be built.
    "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect,"

  7. #7
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton View Post
    UNESCO can moan til hell freezes over but the dam will be built.
    ...and the electricity produced and sold...

  8. #8
    กงเกวียนกำเกวียน HuangLao's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    ...and the electricity produced and sold...

    ....to those in the broad region.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    Chinky bastards at it again.
    (celebrating his 1,000th comment of the same difficult wording...)
    Anyway, he will be happy not minding some power outages, won't he?

  10. #10
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    For the clueless who don't know what's going on here, all part of "Belt and Owed".

    In early September, the Lao government signed a deal to give majority control of its electric grid over to a Chinese state-owned company amid mounting public debt as Beijing continues to expand its role in the country.

    State-owned China Southern Power Grid Company signed a deal with the Lao government’s Electricite du Laos to gain majority control of a new company, Electricite du Laos Transmission Company Limited, that will manage the national electricity supply.
    New Chinese power deal sees Laos risk its future for quick gains | ASEAN Today

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    Chinky bastards at it again.
    Actually, the first 50 years of electrification in Thailand were made m ainly by American companies. Because of that, had somebody expected (like harry) that Thailand will be depending on US?
    (Perhaps yes, the support and the warm hospitality during Vietnam War...)

  12. #12
    I'm in Jail

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    Klondyke =1 Harry =0

    The warm hospitality. Lol not many klondyke posts make me laugh but this one did

  13. #13
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by beerlaodrinker View Post
    Klondyke =1 Harry =0

    The warm hospitality. Lol not many klondyke posts make me laugh but this one did

    "For the clueless who don't know what's going on here"

  14. #14
    Thailand Expat
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    ^"and who don't know the clue like (we know who)...

  15. #15
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Klondyke View Post
    Actually, the first 50 years of electrification in Thailand were made m ainly by American companies
    Actually the Brits, Swedes and Danes did it. Nice newsie info but nothing to do with the Luang Prabang Dam project.

  16. #16
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton View Post
    Actually the Brits, Swedes and Danes did it. Nice newsie info but nothing to do with the Luang Prabang Dam project.
    Oh look, one of the three stooges doing their "whatabout" crap again.

    Nothing to do with the chinkies using "debt diplomacy" to take over the Laos electricity grid either.

  17. #17
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton View Post
    Actually the Brits, Swedes and Danes did it. Nice newsie info but nothing to do with the Luang Prabang Dam project.
    Perhaps you could advise where did you see the power plants (in Thailand) made by Brits, Swedes and Danes?

  18. #18
    Thailand Expat
    aging one's Avatar
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    He was not born like you and he is correct.

    Thailand Electricity History



    Wat Lieb Power Plant

    The Siam Electricity Co.,Ltd. was established on December 27, 1898 having the company registered in Copenhagen, Denmark with Aage Westenholz as the representative who was regarded one of the first foreign pioneers developing electricity system in the capital city of Thailand. The company and its power plant were located at Wat Lieb, so it was called Wat Lieb Power Plant. It was a thermal power plant using logs, coal, oil, and husk as the fuel.

  19. #19
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Klondyke View Post
    Perhaps you could advise where did you see the power plants (in Thailand) made by Brits, Swedes and Danes?
    The first 50 years of Thai Electification was a bit before my time so never got the chance to see it. 1884 was the first Thailand had electricity. America had little or nothing to do with Thai electrication and certainly not in it's first 50 years.

    Roads, you bet they did but that was then and Luang Prabang Dam project is now.

    If you are going to do "yeh but what about", try something related and factual.

  20. #20
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    ^^Wot he said.

  21. #21
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton View Post
    nothing to do with the Luang Prabang Dam project.
    Surprise surprise!

  22. #22
    Thailand Expat
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    Roads, you bet they did
    And airports. They remain the best in Thailand.

  23. #23
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by aging one View Post
    He was not born like you and he is correct.

    Thailand Electricity History

    Wat Lieb Power Plant
    OK, I was referring to power plants for electrification of almost all Thailand, not just a king palace...

    (Anyway, I would be disappointed if anything what I remark here would not be ridiculoused...)

  24. #24
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by Klondyke View Post
    OK, I was referring to power plants for electrification of almost all Thailand, not just a king palace...
    So post up a link. Its not that hard. FYI electricity had to start somewhere in Thailand, and that long ago it was not going to be anywhere but BKK.

  25. #25
    Thailand Expat lom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Klondyke View Post
    OK, I was referring to power plants for electrification of almost all Thailand, not just a king palace...
    TD does not have the telepathy module enabled and my crystal ball is away to be serviced.

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