WATER USAGE for all activities in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) provinces will be studied, as the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) is drafting a water management plan.

The plan aims to deal with increasing water demand in the EEC.

ONWR secretary-general Somkiat Prachamwong said that as the government is currently promoting industrial investment in the three EEC provinces – Chon Buri, Rayong, and Chachoengsao – water demand in the region is expected to rise drastically. He was speaking in Rayong on Friday at an orientation event of the Eastern Region’s water resources development and management project.

He said his office has to carefully plan water resource management beforehand to prevent shortages and conflicts over limited resources in the future.

“As we are trying to prepare the water management plan to cope with rising water demand after the EEC is fully developed, we have to first understand the nature of water usage for all activities in the region,” Somkiat said.

“In order to do so, we have to prepare a water account, which will list all the available water sources, the water users in the region, and their demand, so as to let us get a big picture of water demand and supply in the region and allow us to properly develop a strategic water management system for the EEC.”

Therefore, he said all water users in EEC provinces have to register their water demand, so that the ONWR and related agencies can accurately allocate water for each area and also estimate properly the water demand growth in the region.

“Those who register in the water account are guaranteed sufficient water supply for consumption. We are also studying water usage quota for each economic activity such as industry, agriculture, and domestic water consumption to make sure that there will be enough water for everyone,” he said.

According to the preliminary study of water demand and supply in the Eastern Region and the three EEC provinces by ONWR, it was found that total water supply in the whole Eastern Region was around 2.936 billion cubic metres, while water supply in the three EEC provinces was 1.682 billion cubic metres.

However, it was found that demand for water consumption requirement for all economic activities in the entire Eastern Region was 3.833 billion cubic metres, while in the three EEC provinces the demand was 1.984 billion cubic metres.

From the figures, it can be seen that that there is a mismatch of demand and supply, Somkiat said, warning that unless there were efficient irrigation systems in place, the entire region could suffer serious water shortage, especially in the next 20 years.

The ONWR study also estimated that water demand in the three EEC provinces would rise to around 2.242 billion cubic metres by 2027.

“From the study, we expect that with the growth of the industrial sector in the EEC, demand from industry will increase to up to 680 million cubic metres. However, water supply is limited in the core EEC areas, so we have to look beyond these areas and divert excess water resources from other water basins to meet the EEC’s growing water demand,” Somkiat said.

He informed that in order to generate more water supply for the industrial development and urban expansion in EEC, ONWR has planned many new irrigation projects in EEC provinces and nearby provinces for instance reservoir enlargement, water diversion pipeline network expansion, and construction of four new reservoirs in Chantaburi.

As more water is diverted into EEC areas from other water basins, he assured water users, especially farmers, in the local area will be the first to get water for irrigation and only if there is excess after local consumption will the supply be diverted to EEC areas.

Thinnakorn Suthin, director of the Pasae Water Diversion Project and Maintenance, also highlighted that there were clear procedures for water diversion across the different water basins, as for instance the water could not be diverted from Pasae Reservoir to Nong Plalai Reserviors and then to Bang Phra Reservoir, unless the water in the destination reservoirs are lower than the source reservoirs.

Apart from new irrigation projects and water diversion, Somkiat said the ONWR is coordinating with Groundwater Resources Department to tap more groundwater to meet the EEC’s demands.

He said the three EEC provinces still have potential to pump an additional 1.187 billion cubic metres of groundwater per year from the current groundwater use of 1.31 billion cubic metres per year.

Meanwhile, he also pointed out that the industrial sector in the EEC is also encouraged to reuse water and desalinated seawater to lower the demand for water.

To avoid confusion among international investors in Thailand’s financial instruments, the tax liability on income from bonds issued by the Bank of Thailand as well as the FIDF should be treated in the same way so it was necessary to issue the NCPO order to grant the income tax exemption.

Entities registered overseas who have invested in Bank of Thailand and FIDF bonds are also exempted from income tax on the interest. The exemption also covers bond investors who have been holding Thai debt instruments since October 2010. The exemption came into effect last Friday after the NCPO order was published in the Royal Gazette.

The special tax measure is expected to help expand the size of the Thai bond market and increase its efficiency in terms of mobilising international funds for investment in both public and private sector projects in Thailand.

A bigger and more efficient bond market will help reduce the cost of funds raised by entities in Thailand so that they can become more competitive on the global market.

The FIDF was set up in 1985 as a separate entity of the Bank of Thailand to provide assistance to financial institutions in trouble, especially those hit hard by the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

The massive bailouts became necessary so as to minimise |damage to the country’s financial system.

The developer appeared hesitant to take up the idea posed at the informal Technical Consultation Meeting at Chiang Mai University, saying all government-set conditions had been satisfied. Also attending the meeting were representatives of the Thai Mekong People’s Network from Eight Provinces and academics, who share concerns about the dam’s potential impacts.

The site is 90 kilometres from the Chiang Rai border. Chansaveng Boungnong.Acting Director General, Department of Energy Policy and Planning’Ministry of Energy and Mines , was also present.

Chayan Vaddhanaphuti, director of Chiang Mai University’s Regional Centre for Social Science and Sustainable Development, cited the deadly collapse of the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy Hydroelectric Power Project in Laos and said people were worried about a possible recurrence.

Despite this, he said, the public is never fully informed about the details of dam projects in Laos.

He said he “looked forward” to Datang and the Lao government hearing Thais’ questions and concerns.

Dr Sathit Phiromchai of the Thai Department of Water Resources said his agency had participated in four technical consultations regarding the new dam and had forwarded its comments to the Lao government.

He said the department was particularly concerned about flooding since there were no detailed estimates in that regard or about the vulnerability of areas in Thailand.

It was also concerned about sedimentation affecting downstream areas.

He said the department wanted assurances about water management, including an early warning system, as well as more information about the dam structure.

Sathit said recommendations were made for an in-depth study on the possibility of polluted water flowing to Thailand and for a more systematic geographical study.

Dr Pisit Phumkong of the Department of Fisheries said information supplied by Datang “could possibly not be applied” to the fishing situation. It was not clear, for example, whether passageways planned to protect giant catfish would work and what impact they might have.

Fishery expert Dr Chavalit Wittayanon said completed hydropower projects in China have had “tremendous impacts”. More than 900 fish species in the Mekong migrate over long distances, including the giant catfish, he noted.

Some dams in China have permanent reservoirs that disrupt the ecological system, causing segmentation of the water flow in major tributaries and impeding the mainstream current, he said.

Hannarong Yaowalert of the Integrated Water Management Foundation said residents raised multiple concerns during 2017 technical consultations on the Pak Bang Dam, located quite close to Thailand.

He said there was still no information about the size of the reservoir or how tall the dam would be.

There should be clear cooperation prior to commencement of construction, he said.

“The catastrophe with the Lao dam was unexpected but it has inevitably had transboundary impacts,” Hannarong said. “It has concerned the public since such incidents could happen with any dam. But so far, no clear explanation has been forthcoming. The developers should absolutely consult the local communities and affected population.”

Datang representative Wu Tao said an attempt had been made to explore new cooperation in the Mekong region. The developer had to consider various factors, particularly compliance with the regulations of the Mekong River Commission.

He said an effort would be made to conduct a preliminary study and recruit advisers on various issues to ensure compliance with international standards. Regional consultations would be held as well, he said.

“By participating in all these activities, we have demonstrated our sincerity about solving the problems and meeting various demands,” he said, citing changes made to the design of the dam earlier this year to help limit impacts, such as decreasing its size and height and redesigning the fish passageways.

Chansaveng said that the Lao government regarded such cooperation as important and had instructed him to hear comments on all issues.

He has participated in two such consultations and reported back to his superiors. Effort would be made to confine any impacts to Lao territory, he said.

Chansaveng declined to take up the Thai delegation’s proposal but was agreeable to further studies, even though studies have been ongoing on this project for 13 years.

Datang’s delegation insisted the project already complies with conditions set out by the two governments.

WITH ELECTIONS on the horizon, several political parties yesterday pledged to promote land rights equality, and communal natural resources management as their prime policies.

Representatives from seven political parties announced their policies on land and natural resources at a public seminar titled “Land is Life: Thailand’s Land Conflict” at Thammasat University.

Though they all agreed that social disparity and land rights issues were major problems for the country, each of the parties prioritised a different aspect of the issues and showed a different approach to tackling the land problems.

The parties that made public their positions were: Democrat Party, Future Forward Party, Commoners’ Party, Green Party, Thai Liberal Party, Action Coalition for Thailand, and Commoner Party of Thailand.

However, Phalang Pracharat Party, which supports and is seen as a nominee party of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), and its major political opponent, Pheu Thai Party, did not reveal their policies.

Commoners’ Party had the strongest policies in tackling land rights issues, with its representative, Chumaporn Taengkliang, saying the party would revoke all unjust NCPO orders and the junta’s other harmful policies such as forestland reclamation and unfair land expropriation to develop special economic zones.

“We have learnt from the history of Thai politics that the ones who govern the country, who normally come from the country’s most powerful and richest social class, are representing the interests of their own class,” Chumaporn said.

“So, as our party has its roots among the poor and marginalised sections, we pledge to protect the interests of common people by promoting equality in land ownership and natural resources management.”

Democratic Party representative Sathit Wongnongtoey said his party had long been working on the land rights issues along with land rights activists nationwide. He said his party not only has concrete land policies, but also has experience in dealing with land problems.

Sathit said it was clear that Thai society has severe problems on land ownership equality and the Democratic Party believed in the principle that good development must not leave anyone behind. So, if they are elected to Parliament, the party will pledge to establish communal land rights deeds, land bank, and a progressive land tax to ensure that everyone will have equal access to land.

“Both the communal land deed and land bank were initiated by the Democratic Party administration under then-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, but we did not have a chance to fully develop these policies into reality, as the succeeding government did not continue our good land policies,” he said.

“Therefore, we promise to finalise our work on the communal land deed and land bank into effective tools to let everyone have access to land resources.”

Meanwhile, Anukoon Saipetch, FWP’s agriculture policy coordinator, said FWP’s main priority is to tackle the inequality in land ownership, as 20 per cent of the people owned more than 70 per cent of overall land in Thailand, while many Thais did not own even a small piece of land.

“Our party will focus on progressive land tax, as we are all seeing the land tax law of this administration is ineffective in resolving the severe land ownership inequality problem,” Anukoon said.

“We are going to propose our own version of progressive land tax law, which will allow each locality to adjust the land tax to suit the local situation.”

He also insisted that the party would prioritise resolving the farmers’ debt problem, as this was the main reason why farmers lost their land.

Among other parties, the Thai Liberal Party said its main focus would be on eradicating corruption in state agencies so as to tackle land conflicts at their source. The Commoner Party of Thailand said it will prioritise resolving the conflicts over forestland, as there are currently more than 1 million families living on forestland who have land rights disputes with the authorities over forestland encroachment.

There are 52 teen moms under the centre’s care. The moms meet in groups of around 15 people – teens, teen parents, and their parents – where they sit in a circle and share their experiences, offering each other a nod or a hug and ask each other advice related to safer sex and child rearing.

“Some teens have no idea how to wash their kids’ dirty clothes. A couple of them were devastated and suicidal,” Sudaporn Narkfak, one of Khon Wai Sai counsellors at the centre, said. She is referred to by teen mom as “Aemmy”.

The centre was founded back in 2006 by the network of Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), Women Health Advocacy Foundation (WHAF) and the community. The Centre is in a one-storey house painted in bright blue in Mae On District, Chiang Mai.

Many teen moms suffer from stress related to the judgement they faced from their friends, themselves and their communities, says Sudaporn.

A Wai Sai officer said their job was to make the girls realise their value – and that being a teen mom has some bright sides, too.

“I feel like I’m very mature now that there is a baby I have to care for,” said a teen mom as her little boy sat on her lap. She had dropped out of secondary school but is now studying at a state-owned non-formal education centre to get a high-school diploma.

Many times, parents are so angry at their child that the family bond suffers. Wai Sai Centre then works as a bridge for the girls and their parents.

“At first I didn’t want to see my daughter’s face at all, but I met other girls and their mothers and realised we were not alone,” admitted the mother of a teen mom.

Another mission for officers at Wai Sai Centre is to help the girls access government funds for newborns such as the Bt600 monthly grant for the newborns of a poor family.

They also give safer-sex education and referred the girls to Sarapee Hospital for birth control and advice on nutrition during pregnancy and after.

However, there are problems the centre cannot tackle, said Sudapon. Only a handful of the young moms went back to school, or to a non-formal education centre or college. Most must stay at home or work in a low-paid job.

Lack of an educational diploma means jobs are limited to department store retail, packaging at a local factory, serving beer at a bar or sex work, Sudaporn said.

Beer-bar girls don’t need a diploma. Plus, the job allow a teen mom and her husband to take turn to take care of their baby – she during daytime and he at night after work.

According to a girl at Wai Sai centre, working at a beer bar is profitable, especially if the girl puts in the so-called “overtime” or “OT”, which involves selling sex to customers.

However, these jobs don’t provide social security, have no holidays and are sometimes dangerous. Women who work at a beer bar are at risk of domestic violence from their jealous husbands, said Sudaporn.

According to Sudaporn, only half of the teen moms at the centre are still coupled with the baby’s father. The rest have found a new husband or are rearing their child as single mothers.

Without financial stability, a strong family bond, education and a secure job, the quality of their lives and that of their children remains worrisome.

Saranya Wangcharoensuk said that almost 50 women of the doctor’s patients had already contacted her to give information.

“Until now, some 50 patients of the doctor have given their accounts. Some had settled their case with the doctor while some others didn’t,” said the lawyer.

She said women allegedly molested by the doctor during their visit to his clinic should help the case by providing information to her.

Saranya is fighting a legal case against a doctor, whose name was not revealed, through a charity organisation called Thamkwamdee, formed by an actress, Panadda Wongpudee.

Panadda will meet national police chief Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda tomorrow at 10am and submit a petition to police to help prosecute the doctor, Saranya said.

A lawyer, Decha Kittiwithayanun, had earlier warned her that she should be careful in dealing with the case.

Decha said she should not jump to conclusions so quickly and should base every move on solid evidence. She should examine the women’s claims thoroughly to make sure they were really the victims, Decha said.

“I would not comment on his statement. At the end, the judge will consider and deliver the verdict,” Saranya said in response to Decha’s words of caution.

Meanwhile, Medical Council of Thailand spokeswoman Chanwalee Srisukkho said the council’s secretary-general could raise the issue in a meeting to be held in two weeks’ time although no one had filed a complaint on the matter with the council.

In considering the case, the council will invite each party to separately meet the council in order to find out the facts, she said.