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Published on October 27, 2007

 Locals in Chachoeng sao's Bang Pakong district yesterday threatened a mass protest against a lignite-fired power plant due to be built near their communities.

Organisers of a rally against the scheme said they had gathered signatures of more than 14,000 people opposing it, including more than 4,600 yesterday alone. The group said it might organise a mass gathering and road blockades in some areas "soon".

The new constitution allows 20,000 or more people to petition against any government projects they deem hazardous or inappropriate. Jeerasak Kaysorn, a protest leader, said he would send all 20,000 signatures required to the Energy Ministry, which granted permission for the plant under an independent power producer scheme.

A villager said he did not believe a statement in flyers distributed by Italian-Thai Development that Bang Pakong and Chachoengsao residents would pay cheaper electricity bills once the plant's operation began.

"Bang Pakong has had the most powerful Egat [Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand] plant for a long time, but none of us has ever had even a Bt1 discount for electricity bills.

"How would we ever benefit from a new plant run by a private operator?" asked Suthat Nutsawat, a motorcycle taxi driver.

On another statement in the flyers - that the plant would create a large number of jobs for local residents - Suthat said he believed very few people would risk their lives by working in a plant where chemical leaks or toxic accidents were likely, in addition to regular toxic emissions from the power generators.

The plant is set to be built at a large riverside plot near the Bangkok-Pattaya motorway and the Bang Pakong district office.

The 2,300 megawatts of output from the plant will be needed after Egat closes its Number One and Two generators, with combined capacity of 1,375 megawatts, at its own plant in the next few years.

The Nation