Dead pilot "loved Phuket view from above"

Captain Arif Mulyadi once told his son that of all the places he had flown, Phuket had the worst weather. But it also had the most beautiful scenery from above.

The retired lieutenant colonel was among the 88 people who died on Sunday in a plane crash on the Thai resort island of Phuket.

"Father promised to come home to see his grandsons on Sept 28," Arif's oldest son, Agung, told news portal detik.com on Monday.

He is returning home 10 days early, but not for the joyous family reunion that had been anticipated.

Arif's body arrived from Thailand yesterday morning (TUES) at SoekarnoHatta International Airport. He was buried at Pondok Ranggon public cemetery, southeast of Jakarta, yesterday.

He is survived by wife Lief Farikha; three children, Agung Bayu Hanggono, 29, Windi Hapsari Catu Pratiwi, 27, and Dimas Bayu Prakoso, 25; and two grandsons.

Arif was piloting the McDonell Douglas MD82 that crashed Sunday. The plane, operated by Thai budget airline OneTwoGo, broke into two and burst into flames on landing, killing 88 people and injuring 42 others.

Chairman of OneTwoGo, Udom Tantiprasongchai, told reporters in Bangkok that the pilot was "an experienced foreigner".

Arif, who graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1974, retired from the Air Force two years ago after serving for more than 30 years.

He piloted jet fighters for several years before flying transportation planes, according to soninlaw Lt Col (ret) Munir Umar. He finished his service as an instructor at the Air Force Academy.

"He started his pilot career outside the Air Force long before he retired. To my knowledge, he once worked for Star Air and Sempati, among others," Umar told reporters at Arif's home at the Halim Perdana Kusumah Air Force housing complex in East Jakarta.

Arif's wife was in Thailand on Monday to identify her husband's remains and accompany the body back to Indonesia.

Arif worked for OneTwoGo for several years. His wife joined him in Thailand, where the couple lived, while their children remained in Jakarta.

"Ibu (Arief's wife) just returned home two weeks ago. It was a routine visit, visiting her children and grandsons," Umar said. "Now she is returning here for a different reason."

All budget flights are operating normally

Thailand's budget airlines, including tragedy-stricken One-Two-Go, are reporting no flight cancellations despite predictions that their passenger numbers would drop up to 20 per cent for a few months following Sunday's Phuket crash.

All three budget carriers - Thai AirAsia, One-Two-Go and Nok Air - are maintaining normal operations.

Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapon Bijleveld said demand for bookings remained brisk and that there had been no cancellations.

"We resumed operations between Bangkok and Phuket on Monday afternoon after the reopening Phuket Airport," he said, adding that the only affect on Thai AirAsia was the cancellation of one flight into Phuket while the airport was closed. It flew two services to Phuket on Monday afternoon and has been operating its normal six daily flights between Bangkok and the resort island since then.

Nok Air deputy CEO Sehapan Chumsai said his airline was operating its two daily flights from Bangkok to Phuket as normal.

Surat Thani Airport director Chamnong Sarnaksorn said One-Two-Go flights from Surat Thani remained fully loaded, because locals understood that air accidents were uncommon occurrences. There have been no cancellations on flights out of Surat Thani on either One-Two-Go or Thai AirAsia. The former flies one service a day with 148 seats and the latter two flights with 172 seats each.

At Phuket Airport, large numbers of passengers, both local and foreign, queued yesterday to check in, undeterred by Sunday afternoon's tragedy. Many said they were confident about safety standards at the airport but would prefer to stick with mainstream airlines.

Praphan Sirikururat, 49, a regular passenger on Thai Airways International, said he arrived in Phuket on Sunday. He was returning to Bangkok fully confident in the safety standards at the airport, for both landing and taking off.

Phuket Airport director Pornchai Eua-aree yesterday said the airport was "100 per cent ready" in terms of safety measures to resume full operations.

The airport handles 106 landings and take-offs a day, he said. Its maximum capacity is 114 flights a day. He said because it was located near the sea, the airport had no special obstacles to normal flying operations despite strong winds.

"No plane has ever skidded off the runway [before Sunday's crash]. This was the first time - and we're not yet sure if the plane really skidded off, because the investigation is still underway," he said, adding that emergency procedures at the airport were thorough and in line with standards imposed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

One-Two-Go, which operates six daily flights from Bangkok to Phuket, has not yet cancelled any flights. It operates five daily flights from Don Mueang Airport and one from Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The airline has expressed its extreme regret about the tragedy on its website, www.fly12go.com.

"We will take full responsibility for each injured and killed passenger and make our best attempt to provide support," the airline said.

It advises that inquiries about names of passengers, carrying passengers' relatives to the accident scene and transportation of bodies be directed to its hotline numbers, all of which are listed on the website.

Govt to spend 174mln on airport noise

The cabinet approved a plan to set aside 174 million baht, to spend on aiding residents living near the Suvarnabhumi airport , and who are affected by noise pollution.This is the latest move by the government, after thousands of residents affected by aircraft noise at the airport rallied in what they said to be the "last peaceful move" on Sunday to pressure aviation authorities to answer their demands.They said Airports of Thailand has been slow in making compensation payments and mitigating the impact of the noise that has haunted them for a year now.The cabinet spending plan did not mention how the money would be spent.

Thanacity: Insurance Payout if a plane should crash into the resident’s home or condominium ? Will you get it before you grow old or die of old age

We believed most of the current residents have not thought much about this. What happens should a plane loose part of its engine or the plane crash into the homes of the residents ? Will the residents’ homes be compensated by AOT ? Or by the Airline ? Or by the government authority ? Or if the residents have bought insurance policies, will they get paid ? Look into the policy carefully. The insurance salesmen may not know what is happening. What happens if the homes is completely destroyed and where will these residents stay in the meantime ? Who will pay compensation for lost of use? Who will pay compensation for the rebuilding of these homes ?

What happens if some of the residents are killed ? What happens if some of the residents are badly injured and have to be immobilized or stay in the wheelchair for the rest of his life ? What happens if the sole breadwinner dies and will the family be compensated for lost earnings?

AOT have its own rules and procedures. Any payout requires approval but this committee and that committee and that there must be enough members present to carry out the vote which must later be endorsed by so and so…. Etc etc… etc. So does the government. I remembered reading somewhere that during a visit by the Prime Minister, he was approached by a person for medical help for transportation to a hospital. He agreed to help. It was even covered by the newspaper. But he was conveniently forgotten until he called in the reporters and TV stations. Correct me if I was wrong in this story. Of course the minister apologized. It was a misunderstanding and error by the officers .

Is the airport runways, controls , systems, approved by ICAO. ? Does the insurance policies covers these type of damages or death claims ? We got to read the fine lines of the insurance company. Most of the homes are insured for Fire and others types of disasters but plane crash… well it is kinda doubtful. But most probably not from a plane crash or damages from falling parts of the aircraft.

And if the planes runs straight into the condominiums. There will be hell of a lot of investigations. But in the meantime, there is no help for the residents. Who approved the present height of the condominiums ? Are these condos too high ? There will be panels and committees set up. Committee members resigned and hence there is no quorum. Probably the new President will resign too. Finally, nothing will be done. So Thanacity residents BEWARE. Do not be so smug and happy that you can get compensation and benefits by doing nothing.

Better look into your house insurance policies. Be prepared to pay for higher premiums as your house is in danger of being damaged by a possible plane crash and vibrations caused by the flying planes. Why must the residents be penalized ? Of course, those AOT chaps will say it is impossible until they moved and stay at Thanacity ! It is now getting bad to worst. Every other minute a plane flies over Thanacity. And it looks like they are scheduling more flights over Thanacity because the other runway is under repair.
Guess what ? They are now looking at expanding the airport. They are planning to pay out as compensation the grand amount of Baht 174 million. AOT constructed the airport tunnel for baht 4,000 million although SRT gave them a budget for Baht 500 million. Looks like the protestors and the residents will be in for a wild balloon ride. As Thanacity residents, we were promised many things by the developers but it looks like AOT is following the same route.

Editorial: Yasothon incident an utter disgrace

Officers' failure to act as one of their own was beaten at a police station shows the power of 'dark influences'

It would have been beyond belief in many countries, but what happened at a Yasothon a police station a few days ago represents so much that is true about Thailand's law-enforcers and "dark influences". According to news reports, a local godfather and his men stormed into the station after his son had allegedly been assaulted by one of the officers. That officer reportedly was made to prostrate himself before the man but was still beaten unconscious by the gang while two of his supervisors looked on. After an uproar in the media, four senior police officers in the northeastern province, including the provincial chief, were transferred to inactive posts.

There were two sides to the story regarding what had happened. The man who sparked the controversy, Sathiraporn Naksuk, president of the Yasothon Provincial Administration Organisation (PAO), claimed the assaulted officer had slapped his son during a minor incident at a concert. The officer, Sergeant Athit Daengdee, insisted he had not mistreated the teenager, although some witnesses claimed there could have been physical contact as a result of a scuffle.

No matter what actually happened during the concert, what followed was an absolute disgrace. Athit was reportedly made to apologise to Sathiraporn in the most humiliating way, yet followers of the Yasothon PAO chief kicked him senseless in full view of the policeman's supervisors. The incident triggered a protest by scores of police officers on Wednesday, touching off a wider reaction in the media and throughout society. Officials at national police headquarters took action on Thursday, and one doubts whether they would have reacted had it not been for the protest and public outcry.

It's not every day that police are at the wrong end of abuse, yet what happened in Yasothon is symptomatic of the malaise plaguing one of Thailand's weakest and most corrupt institutions. The action taken by Sathiraporn and his men, while undoubtedly a gesture of extreme hostility towards the police, also underlines deep-rooted close relations between law-enforcement and "influential people", some of whom operate outside the realm of the law.

We see all the "extremes" in this case. A police assault on an innocent pedestrian would have gone unreported and unnoticed. Within more just law-enforcement systems, charges would have been filed to protect that citizen's rights and punish the wrongdoers. We can't expect that to happen in Thailand, where just a few years ago thousands of suspected drug-peddlers were shot dead in a sweeping campaign against the amphetamine trade.

Men like Sathiraporn could have filed charges, but he chose to take matters into his own hands. Yet while we were amazed by his audacity, we were more dumbfounded by the action - or non-action to be exact - of the assaulted officer's supervisors. Were they afraid of Sathiraporn? Why? Or did they owe him some gratitude? If so, why? But the most relevant question is the one which has been asked resoundingly: if a policeman whose duty is to maintain public order and suppress crime is beaten unconscious at his own station by thugs, who can members of the public rely on for their safety?

If Sathiraporn deserves to be punished to the fullest extent of the law for assaulting a police officer and trampling upon the dignity of the police force as a whole, how should Athit's supervisors be penalised? If we are correct about the depths to which the police institution has sunk, here is what is going to happen: the PAO chief will escape legal action, and Athit's bosses will remain on the force, the dignity of which they have failed utterly to protect, and it will be business as usual as soon as the public's attention subsides and the media's focus turns elsewhere.

No matter how many senior officials try to portray this incident as an exception, there's no escaping the fact that it's nothing but the tip of the iceberg. And no matter how outraged the public may feel, there is little doubt in the minds of the people that something nastier must be going on somewhere else. A police officer may have been the one on the receiving end this time round, but the force may have brought it upon itself. A system with any semblance of integrity would have held the likes of Sathiraporn back. The Yasothon incident, on the other hand, is a desperate cry for help from a system in a coma.

Acting Yasothon police chief vow to clean up dark influence

YASOTHON - A suspect in the assault of a police officer, who confessed to kicking the sergeant senseless "to repay a favour", is wanted for a drug-related case in his home province, police said Saturday.

Vowing to crack down on local influential figures and to restore police's dignity and morale, Colonel Sommai Kongwisaisuk, acting provincial police commander, said he was not afraid and would order investigations into any officer allegedly under the influence of Sathiraporn Naksuk, president of the Yasothon Provincial Administration Organisation.

The police investigation has found that Wiroj Jaiphrommuang, 29, was wanted for a drug-related case in Samut Prakan's Phra Pradaeng district, Sommai said, adding that he would squeeze Wiroj into elaborating on his comment of beating up Sergeant Athit Daengdee on behalf of someone else.

Sommai said two committees were set to investigate if supervisors at Muang Yasothon Police Station allowed the assault to take place without acting against the aggressors, as well as to see if PAO president Sathiraporn's claim of not knowing the two assault suspects was true.

If Sathiraporn were behind the attack, he would be regarded as a dark force, not just an influential figure, he said.

Muang Yasothon police had interviewed six witnesses but did not summon Sathiraporn's side, as police could not contact him yet, he said.

Maj-Gen Amnuay Mahapol, deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Region 3, said he believes Yasothon had had no influential figures, only thugs. He would instruct all police to watch that these gangsters do not cause trouble, especially during the upcoming general election.

Many well-wishers continued to show their support for recuperating Athit.

The case drew public attention after Wednesday's protest by 100 police who were outraged over Athit's assault and his supervisors' inaction. The assault allegedly took place as Athit was apologising to Sathiraporn for reportedly slapping his teenage son's face during a concert on the night of September 1.

Abac Poll director Noppadol Kannikar said a recent survey of people in Provincial Police Regions 8 and 9 found that most agreed with the senior police officers' transfers following the Yasothon assault and nearly all wanted police to maintain their integrity and ensure justice for all.

The poll also covered local police and 69 per cent said they had problems with policies, as they were not in line with supervisors in the past 12 months. And 86 per cent said insufficient budgets were the main obstacle to their work.

Most approved of the police reform plan especially the decentralisation of command, while slightly over half agreed with the prime minister acting as the chairman of the national police policy board, but 30 per cent said otherwise.

2,000 Suvarnhabumi residents hold rally

Residents around Suvarnabhumi airport affected by noise pollution are still pressing ahead with calls for the Airports of Thailand to come to their plight.

Some 2,000 people gathered at Moo Baan Ruamrudi in Lad Krabang district of Samut Prakarn province to pressure authorities to disburse the financial compensation promised to them.

Wearing hats with a picture of balloons and two planes colliding, the residents threatened to release balloons to cause disruption to air traffic if their calls were not answered.

100 police officers have been dispatched around Suvarnabhumi airport in the possible case that the protesters decide to march to the airport during the rally.

Official Airport Taxi Scam

I guess the official airport taxi desk outside the arrival area on the lower level is not entirely scam free. A few weeks ago, I exited the airport, went up to the desk, and gave the guy (an older guy with glasses) the name of my mid-Sukhumvit Hotel. He then said what I thought was "You pay driver 40 baht." I thought he was talking about the toll or the airport surcharge and I didn't pay much attention, I just said "OK."

He directed me to a driver, who had a small SUV cab, not a corolla. Interestingly, the driver seemed a little reluctant to give me my portion of the ticket bck (with the driver's info on it), I had to ask him a couple of times for it.

We started to pull out of the airport, meter off. I asked him to put on the meter, and he said I had agreed with the desk guy to pay him 400 baht. I never meant to do that, I must have just misheard the guy. I told the guy I wasn't paying 400 baht, just to let me out. He said OK, if I would give him back the ticket with his info. I said no, I was getting out with the ticket. He then agreed to use to meter, BUT he was really angry about it, claiming that he had "big car" and that I had agreed to pay 400.

Ultimately I gave him 350 on arrival at destination, which I think was more than fair, but it's interesting that the airport metered taxi desk is apparently now steering people to non-metered cars and brokering off-meter deals.

The other moral to this story is to always get the ticket with the driver's info. He seemed legitimately worried about me exitng the cab with the ticket for his failure to use the meter and then presumably lodging a complaint.

Airport protesters 'won't release balloons'

Residents from 32 housing estates who are being affected from noise pollution at Suvarnabhumi airport Saturday pledged not to release balloons to disrupt air traffic at the airport on Sunday.Prasert Boonkaew, leader of local residents from the 32 housing estates, said leaders of the residents would hold a meeting, starting from 9.09 am Sunday, to discuss what problems had been solved by Airports of Thailand (AoT) for the residents during the past 11 months. Residents leaders will also discuss whether the contracts signed earlier with AoT are fair to the residents, said Mr. Prasert, adding that he could not say whether the disgruntled residents would move and surround the airport after the meeting. He said the residents had agreed with the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, under the supervision of the Transport Ministry, not to release balloons as they realised that such action would endanger air traffic.The local residents want concerned government agencies to honour last year's November 21 Cabinet resolution and want the AoT to adjust the flight timetable by having commercial airliners refrain from landing or take-off during night-time like some countries which would not disturb their sleep. (TNA)

Petitioner's village in Beijing to be demolished

BEIJING (AP) -- A rights group urged Beijing authorities Thursday to scrap their plan to tear down a settlement where thousands of aggrieved citizens from around the country stay while appealing to the central government for help.
Justice seekers from all over China crowd into the neighborhood of dilapidated single-story homes in southern Beijing's Fengtai district, drawn by the cheap rent and close proximity to the State Council petition office, which lies just across a highway.
They stay for weeks and sometimes months at a time, cooking on hot plates and sharing an outhouse with hundreds of others, while petitioning the central government for help in fighting local corruption or other abuses.
On Thursday, large printed notices could be seen plastered on walls in the neighborhood informing local residents that they had to leave by noon on Sept. 19. The notices said the demolition was being done to make way for a road leading to the capital's south train station.
The New York-based group Human Rights Watch said in a statement that up to 4,000 people would be affected. It said the demolition was being done in order to clean up the city ahead of a twice-a-decade Communist Party congress in mid-October that will renew President Hu Jintao's mandate and set policy for the next five years.
"Petitioners are some of China's most vulnerable citizens, and they have a right to housing while they pursue their legal claims," Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "Demolishing the Fengtai settlement only adds insult to injury."
Local residents said they expected to be compensated but the petitioners, because most of them rent, likely have no right to compensation without a lease or rental contract.
Several petitioners said the demolition will make it difficult to stay in Beijing because other districts are too expensive or prohibitively far from the petition office.
"If the petition village is demolished, I won't have anywhere to go and will have to live on the street," said Ma Xuecheng, a 54-year-old petitioner from north China's Shenyang city in Liaoning province.
A court ruled in 1999 that Ma was wrongly convicted of badly beating a man after he had already served seven months in jail. He is seeking compensation and social security from the government.
The number of petitioners in the district had been expected to swell in the run-up to next month's party Congress. People often come to Beijing at times of big political events in the hope they can gain more attention for their plight.
A woman with the local Fengtai government, who gave only her surname Wang, said residents would be compensated, but did not give specific details.
China's petition system dates back thousands of years and is designed to allow ordinary people to raise formal grievances.
"I'll die of anger if I just give up and go back to home," said Fang Shihua, a 52-year-old petitioner from north China's Jiamusi city in Heilongjiang province. She and her 30-year-old son, who has cancer, have been living in the settlement for a year and don't know where they will go after Sept. 19.
Fang claims corrupt officials at the sugar factory where she used to work have not paid her the back salary she is owed or provided medical insurance or unemployment benefits. She also said she was beaten for reporting on local corruption.
"This place is no kind of home," said Fang, gesturing to the 3 meter by 1.5 meter (10 by 5 foot) room she now shares with her son and a huge pile of trash just outside the door. "What a place here. But still we hope for a fair resolution."

KTAM's president loses his job

Sripop contract ended after firm hit by investment in bills of exchange

The Picnic Corp scandal has claimed another victim. Sripop Sararas, president and CEO of Krung Thai Asset Management (KTAM), has had his employment contract terminated by KTAM, effective from August 16, due to the damage suffered from the company's investment in Picnic's bills of exchange.Yesterday, a letter dated August 15 from the company's board to Sripop, which indicates the decision to terminate his job, was circulated to the media. The person who sent the letter to the media is unknown."I don't want to give any comment at the moment," Sripop said when contacted yesterday by telephone.He reportedly has close connections with the former chairman of Krung Thai Bank, Viroj Nualkhair, as both had been in the management at now-defunct Phatra Thanakit. The securities business of the company has been separated and renamed Phatra Securities.Krung Thai Bank president Apisak Tantivorawong, when asked about Sripop's job termination, said members of KTAM's board would be best placed to comment about the matter.However, KTAM chairman Krairit Euchukanonchai could not be reached for comment yesterday.During April and May, KTAM set up an examination committee to probe KTAM's investment in Picnic's bills of exchange worth about Bt500 million, carried out under Sripop's management. The company suffered from the late payment and default by Picnic and has so far received only Bt200 million in payments from Picnic.According to the letter, the board said Sripop had not followed the board's resolution, regulations, company policies and had not kept the company's interest in mind. It said Sripop had insulted, condemned and defamed his superiors, which was a criminal offence. Such actions, the board said in the letter, had violated the company's rules and discipline, and also broken the employment contract and caused damage to the company. Therefore, the company had decided to cease his employment according to Section 6.1 of the employment contract, with Sripop having no right to claim any compensation from the company.On August 15, the board of directors unanimously agreed to terminate Sripop's job contract dated September 29, 2003. The resolution took effect on August 16.In addition, KTAM's board demanded that Sripop pay the company compensation of Bt2.98 million together with interest of 7.5 per cent per annum counted from the day the company was damaged. Payment must be made within 30 days from August 15. Sripop also has to pay for any damages the company suffers in the future.Sripop was also ordered to submit a resignation letter as a director of the company on August 16, otherwise he must be held responsible for all damages that the company incurs. The letter was signed by Danucha Yindeepit and Preeda Laocharoenwong, the company's authorised directors.Aside from KTAM, other asset-management firms have also suffered from the default of Picnic's bills of exchange.Aberdeen Asset Management has received only Bt3 million out of total debts of Bt50 million, while Krung Thai Asset Management, which has won two out of 11 civil cases it filed against Picnic, is owed Bt370 million. The other creditor is Finansa, which is owed Bt90 million. Picnic has delayed payment and defaulted on its bills since early 2005. Three other firms - Ayudhya JF Asset Management, whose name was changed to Ayudhya Fund Management (AYF) last year, UOB Asset Management (Thai) (UOBAM) and Tisco Asset Management - were all affected by the delayed payment. However, debts of Bt500 million due to AYF, Bt100 million to UOBAM and Bt5 million to Tisco were all cleared as the bills of these three asset-management firms came due prior to the others.

AOT PRESIDENT QUIT - What will happen to the ongoing negotiations with AOT by the protestors ?

Hi All. Too much excitement. Yesterday, AOT was brought to the negotiating table. Today the acting president quit. What will become of the residents staying around the Survanabhumi airport ? Anxiety. Frustration. Despair. Of course, they will tell the head of the protesters to hold their horses. Hold On. We also have our internal problems. Note: I can bet most of the AOT top management does not stay around the airport !

Last week, I wanted to negotiate a new repayment scheme for my mortgage of my house to the bank. I had been talking to one girl for the last two months. I found out last week that she had quit. Everything is now in a limbo. First they have to look for the file. The new person taking over her job have to look into the file. Currently, there is nobody assigned to take over from her job. I am at a loss. The interests on the outstanding principal is running. The bank is demanding their payment on schedule. The manager asked us to wait. They will get back to us as soon as possible.

Will this happen to the new agreement that is being worked out. Or as the AOT and the transport ministry replied on the papers, being considered. A working agreement requires certain signatures. It may be the board’s policy of the various authorities that they require an existing President to put his or her signature into the agreement. The AOT president Khun Kulya was reported to be discouraged and exhausted. Shall we read between the lines? Is there a lot of things frustrating her? We have read in the newspaper that Survnabhumi Airport is now mired in so many legal lawsuits. Poor workmanship, corruption etc etc etc. No wonder she is so tired.

A good solution is to look for good people. We may have to replace most of the older staff. They have got the airport into this mess in the first place. Are they still protecting their own interests? Are they protecting their own job? We do not know. But what we know is that They should work for the good of the Thai nation. Some of them from what we have read in the newspaper are being investigated by so many crime suppression agencies. Good luck to them.

How long does it take to select a new President ? They say one to two months at least. How slow the wheels of AOT turns ?

Hey….. you protestors at Survanabhumi airport against AOT and the government authorities. We need to have rules. AOT need to follow our own internal rules. We need to set up panels. We need to set up committees. We need seriously to look and consider your case. Nothing is easy. Failed Promises? This is Thailand . Wake up all of you Farangs living at Thanacity. In the meantime, we suggest that you wear earplugs and learn to live with failed promises.

ชาวบ้านยืดเวลาปล่อยลูกโป่งกวนการบินสุวรรณภูมิอีก 15 วัน

ที่ประชุมร่วมระหว่างกระทรวงคมนาคม - ทอท.กับชาวบ้านที่ได้รับผลกระทบทางเสียง
รอบสนามบินสุวรรณภูมิ เบื้องต้นสรุปว่าภาครัฐรับ 5 เงื่อนไขไปพิจารณา ขยายกรอบความช่วยเหลือ ขณะที่แกนนำชาวบ้านระบุวันที่ 7 ก.ย.นี้ไม่มีลูกโป่งก่อกวนการบินแน่ แต่จะขอดูความจริงใจในการแก้ปัญหาของภาครัฐต่อไปอีก 15 วัน

นายชัยสวัสดิ์ กิตติพรไพบูลย์ ปลัดกระทรวงคมนาคม เปิดเผยภายหลังประชุมร่วมกับผู้บริหารบริษัท ท่าอากาศยานไทย จำกัด (มหาชน) หรือ ทอท. และแกนนำชาวบ้าน
ที่ได้รับผลกระทบเรื่องเสียงรอบท่าอากาศยานสุวรรณภูมิ เพื่อหาทางออกของปัญหาการจ่ายค่าชดเชย หลังกลุ่มชาวบ้านประกาศจะปล่อยลูกโป่งเพื่อก่อกวนการบินในวันที่ 7 กันยายนนี้ ว่าการหารือได้ข้อสรุปสำคัญ 5 ประเด็น ประกอบด้วย แนวเส้นเสียงที่ชาวบ้านระบุว่า แม้จะอนุญาตนอกแนวเส้นเสียง แต่ได้รับผลกระทบ ในส่วนนี้ได้ประสานกับ ทอท.กับกรมควบคุมมลพิษ หากชาวบ้านรายใดมีความสงสัย กรมควบคุมมลพิษจะจัดส่งเจ้าหน้าที่เข้าไปตรวจวัดเสียงใหม่ สำหรับประเด็นที่กำหนดว่าชาวบ้านที่ได้รับผลกระทบค่า NEF ที่ระดับไม่เกิน 40 เดซิเบล หรือเกิน 40 เดซิเบล หรือประมาณ 70 เดซิเบล ทอท.จะเข้าไปซื้อหรือปรับปรุงที่อยู่อาศัย ซึ่งชาวบ้านต้องการให้มีการรับซื้อทั้งหมด ทอท.จะรับประเด็นดังกล่าวไว้พิจารณา ขณะที่ข้อร้องเรียนของชาวบ้านที่ระบุว่าสัญญากับชาวบ้าน 71 รายที่ทำไป ชาวบ้านไม่ได้ตรวจสัญญาล่วงหน้า ทอท.จะรับไปดำเนินการให้การทำสัญญาซื้อขายที่อยู่อาศัย ให้เป็นที่พอใจทั้งสองฝ่าย ส่วนปัญหาการจ่ายชดเชยล่าช้านั้น ภาครัฐรับจะไปดำเนินการให้รวดเร็วขึ้น

ด้านข้อเรียกร้องใหม่ ที่ชาวบ้านต้องการให้ภาครัฐกลับไปใช้มติคณะรัฐมนตรีเดิมเมื่อวันที่ 21 พฤศจิกายน 2549 ที่มีแนวขึ้นลงของอากาศยานทั้ง 2 รันเวย์ทั้งหมด และให้ชดเชยผู้อยู่อาศัยก่อนปี 2549 รวมทั้งเลิกใช้มติคณะรัฐมนตรีเมื่อวันที่ 29 พฤษภาคม 2550 ที่ให้มีการคำนวณการขึ้นลงของอากาศยานตามจริง และจำกัดจะจ่ายชดเชยให้เฉพาะผู้อยู่อาศัยก่อนปี 2544 เท่านั้น ในเรื่องนี้จะเสนอให้รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงคมนาคมพิจารณาว่า จะเสนอแก้ไขมติคณะรัฐมนตรีอีกครั้งได้หรือไม่ และทบทวนมติคณะกรรมการ ทอท.ที่เคยมีมติดำเนินการตามกรอบมติคณะรัฐมนตรีใหม่ด้วย

“ส่วนกรณีที่ชาวบ้านขู่จะมีการปล่อยลูกโป่ง หากการเจรจาไม่ได้ข้อยุติที่พอใจนั้น เมื่อภาครัฐมีมติจะดำเนินการผ่อนปรนให้เช่นนี้ ก็หวังว่า ชาวบ้านจะไม่ดำเนินการใดๆ ที่กระทบต่อความปลอดภัยทางการบิน” นายชัยสวัสดิ์กล่าว

ด้านนายวันชาติ มานะธรรมสมบัติ แกนนำกลุ่มชาวบ้าน กล่าวว่า เมื่อภาครัฐรับปากจะแก้ปัญหาให้รวดเร็วขึ้น ตนจะประสานงานขอความร่วมมือกับชาวบ้าน ไม่มีการปล่อยลูกโป่งในวันที่ 7 กันยายนนี้ และจะรอดูความจริงใจในการแก้ปัญหาของภาครัฐต่อไปอีก 15 วัน ก่อนจะมีความเคลื่อนไหวต่อไป

ขณะที่ พล.ร.อ.ธีระ ห้าวเจริญ รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงคมนาคม กล่าวว่าสำหรับข้อเรียกร้องของชาวบ้านให้มีการกลับไปใช้มติคณะรัฐมนตรีเมื่อวันที่ 21 พฤศจิกายน 2549 นั้น ตามหลักกฎหมายในการแก้ปัญหา ต้องใช้มติคณะรัฐมนตรีหลังสุด แต่หากจะมีการเสนอให้ทบทวนมติคณะรัฐมนตรีใหม่ ต้องดูเหตุดูผลว่ามีความเหมาะสมหรือไม่ด้วย

นายเสรีรัตน์ ประสุตานนท์ ผู้อำนวยการท่าอากาศยานสุวรรณภูมิ กล่าวว่าในส่วนข้อเรียกร้องขอให้มีการแก้ไขมติของคณะกรรมการ ทอท. ที่อ้างอิงมติคณะรัฐมนตรี เมื่อวันที่ 29 พฤษภาคม 2550 ฝ่ายบริหาร ทอท.จะรายงานให้ที่ประชุมคณะกรรมการ ทอท.ทราบในการประชุมครั้งต่อไป

ผู้สื่อข่าวรายงานว่า ประเด็นข้อถกเถียงของความแตกต่างระหว่างมติคณะรัฐมนตรีทั้งสองครั้ง ที่มีการกำหนดแนวเส้นเสียงต่างกัน หากพิจารณามติคณะรัฐมนตรีเมื่อวันที่ 21 พฤศจิกายน 2549 พบว่ามีประชาชนที่ได้รับผลกระทบทางเสียงมีค่า NEF มากกว่า 40 เดซิเบล (70 เดซิเบล) 1,863 ราย และ NEF ระหว่าง 30-40 เดซิเบลอีก 25,932 ราย ขณะที่มติคณะรัฐมนตรี เมื่อวันที่ 29 พฤษภาคม 2550 จำกัดจะจ่ายชดเชยให้เฉพาะผู้อยู่อาศัยก่อนปี 2544 พบว่าจะมีประชาชนที่ได้รับผลกระทบทางเสียงมากกว่า NEF 40 เดซิเบล ลดลงเหลือ 773 ราย และ NEF 30-40 เดซิเบล ลดลงเหลือ 18,293 ราย ส่วนความคืบหน้าในการจ่ายเงินชดเชยเพื่อซื้อที่อยู่อาศัยปัจจุบันดำเนินการอยู่ 245 หลังคาเรือน อยู่ระหว่างการเจรจาทำสัญญา 199 ราย เป็นวงเงิน 199 ล้านบาท ซึ่งในจำนวนดังกล่าวมีการทำสัญญาจ่ายเงินแล้ว 9 ล้านบาท

SRT stunned by Suvarnabhumi tunnel cost

The State of Railway's board of directors has recently instructed the management to reassess the construction cost of the underground rail tunnel at Suvarnabhumi Airport, which is the end of the Airport Rail Link project.

Siva Sangmanee, chairman of the SRT, said the board is concerned with the huge cost. The SRT formerly set the budget at Bt500 million for the tunnel with 200-300 metres in length. However, the tunnel is much bigger than planned, with the total length of 800 metres, and it costs totally Bt4 billion.

Airports of Thailand carried out the construction on behalf of SRT prior to the airport's opening. It has also paid for the construction costs in advance.

"We have expressed our concerns on the cost and have coordinated with AOT. The construction contract would be examined as SRT has never known of the details. Now, we are considering on the payment issue, but have not yet decided when to pay the amount to AOT," Siva said.

Aircraft Noise

AIRCRAFT NOISE

For many living around airports, noise is the most evident environmental impact of aviation. This briefing examines the sources of noise from airports, the effects of noise on people and the implications of the Government’s forecasts for the growth in aviation. Potential technical and policy options to reduce aircraft noise are outlined. A more detailed POST report is also available covering this and other environmental issues associated with aviation.¹

Key points:

· current aircraft noise can affect the quality of life of half a million people living close to UK airports

· increases in air traffic could outstrip technological progress in making individual flights quieter and so worsen the noise climate around many of the UK’s airports over the next 30 years

· as a result, more people could be affected by sleep disturbance, annoyance and possible health effects

· aircraft noise could constrain airport expansion unless substantial noise reductions are made.

The growth of aviation

The Government has forecast that aviation is likely to grow over the next 30 years at an average rate of 4.25% per year. ² These forecasts are based on unconstrained growth – i.e. that airport and airline capacity is provided to meet all demand. The Department for Transport (DfT) points out that previous mid-range forecasts underestimated demand, with actual demand either following, or even exceeding the ‘high’ forecast growth curve; particularly for forecasts made before the emergence of the low-cost airlines in the late 1990s. ³

To meet the maximum forecast demand for flights, additional airport capacity would be required equivalent to that which can be handled through five new runways – with three of these located in SE England. Spare capacity exists at some airports (particularly at Stansted and Luton at off-peak times) and so some of the forecast growth could be met without the need for additional infrastructure. However, on current policies, spare capacity is likely to be exhausted by 2015, so unless demand were managed or congestion tolerated, meeting the forecast growth to 2030 would require new capacity.

Aircraft noise

Sources

Aircraft landing and taking off are the chief sources of aviation noise. Individual aircraft have become quieter over the past 30 years, but flight frequencies have increased. As a result, aircraft noise is giving rise to increasing community concern. In particular, landing noise is increasing in importance, and has become the dominant reason for complaints at some airports. In addition, those living close to very large airports may experience ‘ground noise’ from sources on the airport such as taxiing aircraft, aircraft engine tests, generators or airside vehicular traffic. Transport links to an airport, particularly private vehicles and trains, can also make a significant contribution to noise around airports.

The box on the next page outlines how aircraft noise is measured. In essence, the DfT estimates current and future impacts of aircraft noise by determining the area exposed to average sound levels of 57dB(A) or more between 7am and 11pm. This measure was chosen as an indicator of the onset of what the government describes as ‘community annoyance’ in the daytime, following a study in 1985 which showed a good correlation of this figure with annoyance. However, it is apparent that the mix and types of aircraft, their frequency of overflight, the social and economic circumstances of affected people and general levels of environmental awareness and sensitivity have changed since the early 1980s. The Government has therefore commissioned a three year study to provide a firmer basis for the relationship between aircraft noise and annoyance. The first results from this new study should be available towards the end of 2004.

postnote June 2003 Number 197 Aircraft noise Page 2

Measuring sound and noise

Environmental noise is measured with reference to the A-weighted decibel scale, dB(A). This reflects the fact that the human ear does not detect all frequencies of sound equally efficiently. To quantify sound levels which vary with time equivalent continuous sound level or Leq is calculated. This indicates the average sound level over a particular time period. For example, an Leq, 24h of 57dB(A) indicates that the sound energy produced by the noise source is equivalent to a constant sound of 57dB(A) over 24 hours. Other measures of noise are also available, that relate to different measurement periods, such as the instantaneous maximum noise level (Lmax), or the average over certain periods, such as evening or night (Lden).

Aircraft noise at airports

The Government considers noise to have the potential for the onset of significant community annoyance above a level of 57dB(A) Leq, but recognises that some people are annoyed at lower levels. Contours of noise from airports are drawn, showing the area exposed to average sound levels of 57dB(A) Leq or more between 7am and 11pm. Contour areas are then compared with population data to determine the number of residents within that contour. Contours are calculated by summing and averaging the noise from arriving and departing aircraft. For example, at Heathrow in 2002, nearly 130 km² of land from Fulham to Windsor was within the 57dB(A) Leq contour. Calculations of future noise exposure must also take account of the known or planned flight paths to and from the airport and (since different types of aircraft make different amounts of noise) the known or estimated fleet mix at that airport.

Effects

The Government acknowledges that noise can be “one of the most objectionable impacts of airport development.”⁴ Aircraft noise can affect concentration or sleep and result in feelings of anger, frustration and powerlessness to control the noise. These factors can thus adversely affect people’s quality of life. However, while many express concerns over aircraft noise, there remain considerable uncertainties over the precise nature of its impacts. The box opposite outlines the key effects of aircraft noise. Overall, much of the research in this area is either contradictory or inconclusive and many, including the World Health Organisation have called for considerably more research. Evidence to date suggests that most people exposed to aircraft noise are not adversely affected, but more vulnerable groups may be at increased risk; particularly those with pre-existing sleep problems, stress or mental health problems.

Aircraft noise already has the potential to affect the quality of life of at least half a million people in the UK – with 80% of these living close to major airports in the southeast of England. The figure opposite shows the extent of noise pollution around five major airports in the UK under DfT’s growth forecasts.⁵ For each situation, under worst-case scenarios, more people are likely to be exposed. Under the central scenarios, increases will be expected at Manchester, Birmingham and Stansted. Reductions at Heathrow and Gatwick would result from technological improvements alongside severely constrained growth.

The effects of aircraft noise Annoyance

Noise can lead to people feeling stressed and angry. It may interfere with conversations and leisure activities in the home, disrupt activities requiring concentration, and discourage people from using outdoor spaces. Further factors may affect whether noise is viewed as ‘annoying’: • occurrence of exposure – noise may be more annoying if it occurs often, even if each noise event is quieter

· fear of accidents – concerns about air crashes may increase some people’s sensitivity to aircraft noise

· fear of the future – especially about future growth in air travel and potential increases in the frequency of flights

· lack of control – inability to alter or escape from the noise source may make it more annoying. ⁶

The subjective responses to aircraft noise makes it difficult to quantify the relationship between noise and annoyance. However, noise levels below 50dB(A) Leq are unlikely to cause community annoyance while levels of 55dB(A) Leq may severely annoy some people. In the UK, the DfT uses a level of 57dB(A) Leq as an indicator of the onset of community annoyance in daytime. Nevertheless, there are likely to be people exposed to more than 57dB(A) Leq who will not be affected, and also those exposed to lower levels who will be affected. The location of the 57dB(A) contour is therefore not a precise guide (see the box on the next page).

Sleep disturbance

Interference with sleep patterns is frequently reported by those living near airports operating night flights. A recent study of residents in high noise areas close to Heathrow, Gatwick, East Midlands and Coventry airports found between 1 in 5 and 1 in 10 people often reporting difficulty getting to sleep or being woken early . The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that the UK Government’s procedure for decision-making about night flights was flawed, and that this flaw amounted to a “violation of the respect for private and family life and the home” under the European Convention on Human Rights. This judgement did not state that night flights themselves were a violation of human rights. The Government is appealing the decision. In the meantime, night flights continue as before, but if the judgement is upheld, the Government would need to review the regulation and operation of night flights.

Failed Promises – Frustration and Lashing Out

We have to pity and sympathise with the residents living around Survanabhumi Airport. They have put up with the non stop noises from the aircraft everyday, every hour, every minute, every second. They also dream of worst times when the new runways open. And before it opens, it is going to be more. More of everything. More aircraft landings and takeoffs as the airport accommodates more passenger traffic ; at the same time building even more facilities for more expansion.

The cabinet resolution last year to purchase and repair damaged houses were just lip service. They made their promises. We have to force them to keep their promises. They were keep on changing their standards. They will again and again form new committees, new panels to look into problems.

At Thanacity, we have lived with failed promises. The management too have promised Blue skies. Good maintenance. Gardens and landscape. We were led wide eyed . We are now living in a failed estate. They have spend a sum of money plant trees along the fringe of the main road to block out the unsightly vacant pieces of land . We question why they are doing this? Is this for their own interest? Have Tanayong started to contact AOT to negotiate to sell off their lands and houses to AOT ? They owned the golf club and the surrounding land and probably they are among one of the biggest single landowner around the airport that AOT must negotiate with. Are the rest of the house owners at Thanacity aware of this? Tanayong is a big company and probably they can reach the very top management of AOT and get the latest information ? Have Tanayong as the real estate developer who sold us the condos/houses/land printed a newsletter informing us of the latest happening in the estate ? The accounts for the maintenance of the estate after collecting their maintenance fees from us ? Did they ever ask the residents to get together to form a committee to look into the maintenance of the estate ? Did they ask the residents to get together and advise them to work as a group to get compensation from AOT?

Do not be Deceived. The vacant land behind these rows of trees are unkept. Unsightly. Breeding grounds for Mosquitoes and other insects. Do not forget that the Thailand Health Authorities had put up Big Signboards around the estate to warn the residents to be careful of Malaria and Dengue Fever. What happened to these signboards? Does anybody know the numbers of residents who have caught malaria or dengue fever while living in this estate. I know of 2 persons who had dengue figure from mosquito bites. Figure this out for yourself.

We seem to be getting failed promises from the management of Tanayong and now to AOT. What happens when the residents around the airport starts to release balloons into the air. Daytime or at Nighttime. We will then have a lot of policemen being deployed around Survanabhumi Airport vicinity observing and ready to catch any of these residents with balloons in the hand. It is a big waste of manpower. Operating at day and night shift, I reckon in order to stop the release of these balloons, we need to have a deployment of at least 1000 policemen.They need to wear Night Vision Googles. Wait till they sell black colored balloons. ………… When these policemen should be out enforcing law and order, catching corrupt government officials and politicians, they are now catching young kids and mums and pops holding balloons.

Then what happens if they catch young children as young as 1 – 2years old releasing balloons into the air. Are the police going to put these children in jail ?

We may need a new law to be immediately passed in Parliament. Balloons to be taken as a dangerous weapon. Anyone caught carrying a balloon in his or her possession will be fined and jailed. Babies and toddlers ,no exception. Notice how the AOT personnel have gone suddenly from one department store to the next to buy up all the balloons. Its too early for Christmas and New Year. Those chaps importing balloons are sure to make huge profits. Whatever imported will be bought up. And they may be giving it free to departing tourists from the Survanubhumi Airport. With compliments from AOT.

What will be next? Kites? “ No kite flying. Anyone flying Kites will be fined and Jailed “. Birds ? What happens if all the residents suddenly decides to feed the wild birds and also to rear one or two pigeons each at their estates?

What we should do is to get the AOT members and the various committees on the various panels looking into the noise problems to move themselves and their families and stay next to the airport for 3 months and then they will fully appreciate the problems that we have to deal with.

Failed promises may lead to drastic measures by the residents. It is not only a danger to the planes but also a danger to the various residents staying around the airport. We do not want that to happen. The better way out is to negotiate with the residents staying around the airport. And Please, Keep Your Promises. Please post your comments to the writer.

Sleepy residents fight new airport

Affected by aircraft noise around Suvarnabhumi airport, residents in the area demand a public debate with the Airports of Thailand (AOT) before Friday, or they will release balloons to disrupt air traffic.

The protesters, led by Wanchart Manadhammasombat, claimed the AOT did not honour resolutions they say it had agreed and accused the agency of insincerity and inaction in dealing with the problem, raising anger among the residents.

The disgruntled inhabitants said a debate between residents and AOT executives would prove whether the AOT was serious about solving the problem.

They urged the AOT to honour a November 21 Cabinet resolution to purchases houses in excessively-noisy zone and repair damaged houses.

A new resolution, on May 29, allowed the airport authorities to revise the "excessive-noise radius" replacing an old one drawn by the Pollution Control Department.

Based on the revised AOT noise pollution radius, nearly 40 per cent of the residents have been excluded from the mitigation scheme, and AOT revised its composition payment despite previously agreed compensation.

Chaisawad Kittipornpaiboon, Permanent Secretary for Transport, announced that the Pollution Control Department would re-survey noise pollution in the area and the ministry would ask the AOT to revise any agreements deemed unfair as well as to reconsider the residents’ demands.

All the issues will be considered at the AOT meeting this Thursday.

Meanwhile , aviation agencies warned residents that launching balloons to disrupt air traffic at Suvarnabhumi airport can cause aircraft to crash, and persons releasing balloons could be charged with acting against national security.

Prasong Theanthanoo, Deputy Director General of the Civil Aviation Department, reemphasised the gravity of the action.

If any problem occurs to the aircraft, he said, the department will have to stop air service to prevent untoward incidents that could harm the country’s image.

Mr. Prasong urged residents to take the negative impact into consider although their disturbance may not be against the law, but if action poses a threat to public safety, punishment can be handed down.

Anucha Kammong, an official of the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, said officials would keep an eye on any abnormal phenomenon, such as balloons released into the sky, and keep pilots informed.

After negotiations with the AOT have failed, residents say they no longer have patience as they have suffered from aircraft noise for nearly a year.

Friday's threathened balloon barrage intended to impede air traffic will take place at night, the residents say. (TNA)

Learning from Others – People who face similar problems on airports being built next to them

Hi Residents of Thanacity and Visitors to this Forum Website

We as residents need help badly. We can only do that much. Information is very Powerful. There is a lot of materials available out there from many parts of the worlds where the airport authorities have built their airports next to the living communities. These residents have built action groups and they are now linked to many communities in the world who faced the same problem. Many of them have achieved monetary compensation. Some are starting to receive compensation. We also must learn the mistakes and the tricks that the Airport authorities can play on the residents living next to this community. We can learn much from them instead of starting from Ground Zero. Or Meaning starting from Zero. We can read through their newsletters which they have posted on their websites. Initially, they were like us. They have no one to turn to. No one to help them. But they got together and formed their action groups. We can be stronger to negotiate as a group rather than negotiating singly as individuals. We must act together.

Many of these residents lived in the more civilized countries where the government will listen to their complaints. The government cannot be so unreasonable. Similarly, the Thai government need our votes. AOT is a business organization. Before they started the project, they should carry out an Environmental Impact Study. They should also have appointed various committees to look into possible problems. All these information are available to them. AOT is a money making organization. They cannot just want to make money themselves and make others suffer. We are suffering from noise pollution. Mental problems. Hearing Problems. Breathing Problems. Health Problems. Financial problems. All of these are created by aircraft noises and unhealthy living around the airport which have sprung up amongst us. And it is going to be worse when more runways are built.

We should learn from these Action Groups. Some of the residents who have more leisure perhaps can trawl these websites link and highlight in this forum their comments.

BANG - Birmingham Airport Anti Noise Group : http://www.bhamantinoise.org.uk/

ทอท.หัวหมอเนรมิตเส้นแนวเสียงใหม่ +ลดขนาดพื้นที่รับผลกระทบลง/อ้างมติครม.29พ.ค.50หวังลดจ่ายชดเชย/ชาวบ้านโวยหลุดโผกว่าครึ่ง

ชาวบ้านเยื่อพิษเสียงสุวรรณภูมิ 60 ชุมชนสุดช้ำ หลุดโผค่าชดเชยกว่า 50% เหลือไม่ถึง 30 ชุมชนหลังทอท.หัวหมอฉีกทิ้งแนวเส้นเสียงเก่าทิ้ง –ขีดเส้นเสียงใหม่ บีบพื้นที่ให้แคบลง ด้านละ 12 กิโลเมตร อ้างเหตุยึดมติครม.ขิงแก่ล่าสุด 29พ.ค.50ที่ระบุค่าชดเชย 1.2 แสนล้านสูงเกินจริงต้องสำรวจใหม่ ด้านชาวบ้านโวย 3,000-4,000 หลังได้ค่าชดเชยแค่ 1,000 หลัง เตรียมยื่นหนังสือ คมนาคม –บิ๊กแอ้ด ยึดมติครม.เก่า 21 พ.ย.49 ลั่นปิดสนามบินประท้วงอีกรอบแน่

ปัญหาความขัดแย้งระหว่างชาวบ้าน และ บริษัทการท่าอากาศยานไทย จำกัด (มหาชน) หรือ ทอท. เกี่ยวกับการจ่ายชดเชยให้กับผู้ที่ได้รับผลกระทบทางเสียงจากการขึ้น-ลง เครื่องบิน โดยรอบสนามบินสุวรรณภูมิ กระทั้ง มีการเดินขบวนประท้วงจน รัฐบาลชุดพลเอกสุรยุทธ จุลานนท์ ต้องสั่งให้ ทอท. ช่วยเหลือชาวบ้านที่อยู่โซนเสียงดังรุนแรงก่อน ขณะเดียวกัน ได้มีมติครม. ทบทวน ขนาดพื้นที่และ วงเงินชดเชยที่สูงถึง 120,000ล้านบาทใหม่ นั้น

ล่าสุด แหล่งข่าวจากบริษัทท่าอากาศยานไทย จำกัด (มหาชน) หรือ ทอท. เปิดเผยกับ "ฐานเศรษฐกิจ" ว่า ขณะนี้ ทอท.ได้ประกาศแนวเส้นเสียงจากการขึ้น-ลง เครื่องบินรอบสนามบินสุวรรณภูมิใหม่ โดยยึดมติคณะรัฐมตรี (ครม.) ชุดพลเอกสุรยุทธ จุลานนท์ วันที่ 29 พฤษภาคม 2550 ที่ผ่านมา เพื่อใช้เป็นเกณฑ์ในการชดเชยสำหรับผู้ที่ได้รับผลกระทบทางเสียงจริงนับจาก วันที่เปิดใช้สนามบินเมื่อวันที่ 28กันยายน 2549 จนถึงปัจจุบัน ที่ใช้เพียง 2 ทางวิ่ง และ มีสัดส่วน 80 ต่อ 20 %

ทั้งนี้ แนวเส้นเสียงใหม่นี้จะ แตกต่างจากแนวเส้นเสียงเก่า ตามมติครม.เมื่อวันที่ 21 พฤศจิกายน 2549 เนื่องจาก กรมควบคุมมลพิษ ได้คำนวณพื้นที่ตามเที่ยวบินเต็มพื้นที่ 100 % ในอนาคตจำนวน 4 ทางวิ่ง(รันเวย์) ทำให้พื้นที่ที่อยู่ในข่ายได้รับผลกระทบและได้ค่าชดเชยเพิ่มมากขึ้น ทั้งที่ปัจจุบันยังไม่มีปัญหาทางเสียงเกิดขึ้นทำให้มีปริมาณบ้านและวงเงินที่สูงถึง 120,000 ล้านบาท และมี อาคารบ้านเรื่อนที่ต้องชดเชยทั้งรับซื้อคืนและปรับปรุงซ่อมแซม เกือบ30,000 หลังคาเรือน

แหล่งข่าวกล่าวต่อว่า ที่ผ่านมา ทอท. ได้ลงพื้นที่ สำรวจ พื้นที่และบ้านเรือนประชาชน ว่ามีกี่หลังคาเรือน อยู่ในโซนระดับเสียงเท่าไหร่ ระหว่าง NEF 30-NEF เกิน กว่า 40 โดยตั้งเครื่องวัดระดับเสียง ใหม่ แล้วจึงทำแผนผังแนวเส้นเสียงขึ้นใหม่ให้ตรงกับข้อเท็จจริงในปัจจุบันมากที่สุด ตามมติครม. ใหม่ดังกล่าว

ทั้งนี้เกรงว่าจะมี ผู้ที่ ไม่เดือดร้อนจริงสวมรอยรับค่าชดเชยดังกล่าวและไม่เป็นธรรมสำหรับรัฐบาล สำหรับค่าชดเชยนั้น ขณะนี้อยู่ระหว่างว่าจ้างบริษัทประเมิน เพื่อประเมิน ที่ดินและสิ่งปลูกสร้าง ซึ่งเป็นล็อตที่2 ที่ได้รับผลกระทบทางเสียง โดย ทอท.จะแยกออกเป็นสองส่วนได้แก่ โซนที่ต้องซื้อคืน จะอยู่ในบริเวณNEF เกินกว่า 40 และ ที่จะต้องปรับปรุงซ่อมแซมจะต้องเป็นระดับความดังของเสียง ลดหลั่นลงไป ถึงNEF 30 ซึ่งขณะนี้ ได้แจ้งให้กับชาวบ้านทราบแล้ว อาทิ ฝั่งถนนบางนา-ตราด ได้แก่ บริเวณหมู่บ้านกรีนเลค หมู่บ้านกฤษณา บริเวณหมู่ 1 และหมู่ที่ 10 ตำบลราชาเทวะ คอนโดมิเนียม นูเวล คอนโดมิเนียมเพลสทีจ หมู่บ้านธนาซิตี้ คอนโดมิเนียมธนาเพลส ฝั่งมอร์เตอร์เวย์ หมู่บ้จุลมาศวิลล่า ชุมชนหลังหมู่บ้านเคหะนคร 2 หมู่บ้านเคหะนคร 2 ชุมชนชอยกำนัลแต๋ว หมู่บ้านลาดกระบังการ์เด้นท์ท ชุมชนมิตรปลูกศรัทธา หมู่บ้านมณสินี ชุมชนประชาร่วมใจ ชุมชนร่วมใจพัมนา หมู่บ้านศิลาภิรัตน์ เป็นต้น

ขณะที่ แหล่งข่าวจากกรมควบคุมมลพิษ กล่าวว่า ยอมรับ ว่าทอท. ได้ ส่งเรื่องให้คพ. กำหนดแนวเสียงใหม่ ตามขนาดเที่ยวบิน 2 ทางวิ่ง สัดส่วน 80:20 % ตามสภาพการใช้งานจริงในปัจจุบัน ตามมติครม. วันที่ 29 พฤษภาคม 2550 ดังนั้น ทำให้ พื้นที่แนวเส้นเสียงใหม่ มีขนาดสัดส่วนเล็กและแคบลงไปมาก เมื่อเที่ยบกับ แนวเส้นเสียง เดิม ที่คพ. ได้ กำหนดไปแล้วตามมติครม. 21 พฤศจิกายน 2549 ที่มีขนาด 100 กว่าตารางกิโลเมตร โดยความกว้าง 4 กิโลเมตร และความยาว วัดจากตัวสนามบิน ไปทางทิศใต้ เลยถนนเทพารักษ์ออกไป 10 กิโลเมตร และ ทางเหนือสนามบิน วัดขึ้นไปอีก 10 กิโลเมตร ไปบรรจบถนนสุวิทวงศ์

จากการกำหนดแนวเส้นเสียงใหม่ โดยอ้างตามมติ ครม. ใหม่ดังกล่าว ส่งผลให้ บ้านเรือนประชาชนที่ได้รับผลกระทบและอยู่ในแนวเส้นเสียงเดิม ไม่อยู่ในข่ายที่ได้รับค่าชดเชย จำนวนมาก และขณะนี้มีการร้องเรียนให้ทอท.รับผิดชอบและให้ยึดตามแนวเส้นเสียง เดิมและมติครม. วันที่ 21พฤศจิกายน 2549 เนื่องจากมองว่าไม่เป็นธรรม

ด้านนาย สุรเดช เบญจาทิกุล ประธานกรรมการหมู่บ้านร่มฤดี กล่าวว่า ชาวบ้านจำนวนมากที่ได้รับผลกระทบทางเสียง โดยเฉพาะที่เป็นหมู่บ้านจัดสรร รวมคันค้านและจะยื่นหนังสือ ต่อ พลเอกสุรยุทธ จุลานนท์ นายกรัฐมนตรี กระทรวงคมนาคมและ ทอท. ให้ยืนตามมติ ครม. เมื่อวันที่ 21 พฤศจิกายน 2549 แทน มติครม. ใหม่ 29 พฤษภาคม 2550 เนื่องจาก มองว่า ทอท.กำลังฉวยโอกาส เลี่ยงจ่ายค่าชดเชยให้กับชาวบ้านและ ถือโอกาสลงสำรวจใหม่ ให้มีจำนวนบ้านที่ได้รับผลกระทบน้อยลง ซึ่งเกณฑ์มาตรฐานที่ได้ มองว่าไม่เป็นธรรม และไม่มั่นใจว่า จะ เป็นไปตามข้อเท็จจริงหรือไม่

สำหรับ แผนที่แนวเส้นเสียงใหม่ พบว่า มีขนาด สั่นและแคบลง จากแนวเดิม คือ ส่วนหัว-ท้าย จะลดลง 2-3 กิโลเมตร และ ส่วนความกว้าง จะแคบลง ข้างละ 1กิโลเมตร ทำให้มีชาวบ้านหลุดโผไปจาก เดิม กว่า 50 % จากเดิมมีผุ้ได้รับผลกระทบ เกือบ30,000 หลังคาเรือน 60 หว่าชุมชน ขณะนี้เหลือไม่เกิน30ชุมชน มีผู้ที่ได้รับ ผลกระทบ ทางเสียงระดับ NEF เกินกว่า 40 จำนวน 800 หลังคาเรือน ขณะนี้เหลือเพียง 382 หลังคาเรือน เฉพาะ หมู่บ้านจัดสรร เดิมที่ได้รับผลกระทบ NEF30- เกิน 40 จำนวน 3,000-4,000 หลังคาเรือน จาก เกือบ 30,000 หลังคาเรือน ขณะนี้เหลือแค่ 1,000 หลังคาเรือนเท่านั้น โดยเฉพาะด้านเหนือ สนามบินจะมีหมู่บ้านจัดสรรเกิดขึ้นมาก ซึ่ง มี 20 กว่า หมู่บ้าน ปรากฏว่าแนวใหม่ออกมาเหลือเพียง 12 หมู่บ้านเท่านั้น อย่างไรก็ดี ก่อนหน้านี้ เดิม แนวเส้นเสียเก่า บริเวณด้านใต้สนามบิน จะผ่านถนนเทพารักษ์ไป ส่วนแนวใหม่ จะไม่ถึง ถนนเทพทรักษ์ และ แนวด้านเหนือสนามบิน ไม่ถึง ถนนสุวินทวงศ์จากแนวเดิม อยุ่ที่ถนนสุวินทวงศ์ ที่จะได้ค่าชดเชย ซึ่งมองว่าการกระทำลักษณะนี้เพื่อต้องการลดค่าชดเชยอย่างแน่นอน

นายสุรเดชกล่าวต่อว่า หาก ทอท.ไม่ปฎิบัติตามเงื่อนไขของมติครม.วันที่ 21 พฤศจิกายน 2549 ชาวบ้านจะรวมตัวกันประท้วงปิดสนามบินอีกครั้ง คาดว่าไม่เกินสิ้นเดือนนี้

Biggest Landowner in Thanacity vs House/Condos Owners vs AOT vs Compensation

Anyone who comes to Thanacity may have seen a spruce up recently at the front entrance of the project and also new advertisements depicting houses and land for sale. A good example. There is a new sales office besides the PC condo . It has been offering to sell the PC condos ( Prestige Condominiums ) at around Baht 36,000 to 38,000 per sq meter. You can see the banners hanging from the lampposts leading to the site. The banners state “ PERFECT COMMUNITY “. Thanacity is now being advertised as the perfect place to stay in. These are the vacant condos those have not been sold. Anyone checked any of the land sites value that they are trying to sell.?

Many of the house or condo owners drive past these banners and may laugh to you. But WAKE UP. This is a very serious matter if you already paid for your house and your condo or still paying monthly for your mortgages.

We have seen advertisements in the internet and in the newspaper advertising the units at the PC condo for sale from as little as Baht 17,000 to Baht 25,000 sq.meter furnished for the higher floors. Why are they advertising at such high prices when current owners because of the terrible noise from the aircraft nonstop and maintenance of the estate just want to sell super cheap and run away? A well decorated and built up detached Bungalow besides the golf course is advertised at Baht 24,000,000 for around 500 sq wah or so. Cheap. Cheap. Cheap. Why? Why? Why? Ask Yourself. The project owners have spend a lot of money building their sales office and from the looks of it, nobody seems to be interested. They also seems uninterested to do any sales. Is there another Objective in Mind ? Will you buy these units at the current sales prices being offered by their sales office ?

Current Residents Beware.

We wonder whether there is a hidden agenda? Some of the residents have got together to sue AOT for compensation. Current valuation at Bangna-trad area is about Baht 55,000 per sq wah for land only. What happens if Tanayong sells at at a much cheaper price to AOT ? What happens if a secret deal is carried out ? In Thailand and AOT, nothing is impossible. Are the residents protected from such a secret deal? Must the residents then follow the prices sold out by Tanayong to AOT and these prices taken to be standards ? If AOT becomes the owner of the project, can they outvote all the existing residents ? Will AOT take over the maintenance of the estate because they are the majority share holders now of the land in the project ? Can they take over the main road and identify those residents who protest too much and limit the water and electricity to them and don’t provide them with any security or don’t repair the roads or cut the bushes and the trees? What is the current responsibility of Tanayong to the current residents to the estate ? They sold us the houses in a project that failed with many unsold houses and lots of aircraft noises and all of us cannot sleep peacefully. We were not told of this in the sales contract. Again, we must remind ourselves that we are dealing with a faceless person. This is a company listed in the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

Have anyone checked who is the biggest landowner at Thanacity? We believed that it is Tanayong and probably some by the Asset Management? There is a lot of vacant houses, land and condos. Who really owns the Golf Course now ? Is there any danger of it being taken over by anybody ? We don’t know. There is a good opportunity to buy these land from the Asset Management or from the banks at very low prices when these land/houses/condos comes up for auction. Or will it be a closed door negotiation? Who then will buy it? The one who have the most knowledge on these parcels of land, of course. Most , if not all of the residents does not know what is happening in and around the estate .I am very worried when Tanayong makes a deal with AOT! The one who buys the distressed land and then resells it to AOT can make a graceful exit from Thanacity. The person can make a lot of money. If it is Tanayong, when they make an exit, there will be totally chaos for the residents. There will be no maintenance. No immediate takeover by the residents. The guards will be suddenly pulled out. No grass will be cut. All the residents will be left to themselves.

How about the various house owners stuck in many parts of the estate? They will have no one to talk to. No way to air their complains and their opinions. We believe that now all the house owners and the condos owners must get together and form a committee. We must set up a list of all the residents in the estate. This forum will act as a platform to help the residents of Thanacity. Originally, when they were sold the houses by Tanayong, they were promised of a good living environment. But now, a lot of the houses and land areas are unsold. Some of the houses are surrounded by trees and bushes. However, under the terms of sales, Tanayong is supposed to provide all the facilities and keep the estate up to a good standard. They did not do this. They are the biggest landowner as far as we know in the project. They must contribute their fair share towards this upkeep of the estate. Anybody seen the books and anybody seen the report on how they spend the funds that they collect from the various houses for the maintenance of the estate? Did they bother to send this report to any of the residents during the past many years? Are they still responsible for the maintenance ? Or are they acting as if they are responsible?

Did they declare how much properties that they own? Did they contribute themselves to the maintenance of the estate because they are the biggest landowner and originally the ones who sold us the project? Did they keep their promises? Look into the contracts that you signed with them when they first sold the house or condo to you? Look into what are their responsibilities ? There are new changes in the laws now and they are mean to protect the buyers? Be aware of your rights. Consult your neighbors. Consult your friends. Talk to your MP. Talk to your lawyers. Remember that Tanayong is a public listed company and a money making organization. It is a business for them.

AOT gives sleeping pills as panacea

For most people, acquiring sleeping pills or stress-relief drugs legally is not simple, as the medicines can't be bought over the counter.

But for villagers living near Suvarnabhumi airport, the drugs were delivered directly to their homes by Airports of Thailand (AoT) in the agency's latest attempt to silence residents' complaints about aircraft noise.

Thanatos Preeprem is among neighbours who received dozens of sleeping pills from the AoT's mobile medical unit this year.

"I did not expect that the doctor would prescribe controlled medications that easily," said the 35-year-old artist whose house is in Keha Nakhon 2 housing estate, around 400 metres from the north of the western runway.

The AoT's medical unit visited his community twice after the airport opened on Sept 28 last year.

On the first visit, the doctor gave him drugs that "help ease sleeping disorders" right after he complained that he had problems sleeping.

However, after finishing them, his insomnia problem still had not eased. So he met the medical unit again. This time they gave him yellow-white capsules clearly described as sleeping pills, after a quick check of his physical and mental condition.

"It seems that sleeping pills and stress relief drugs have become the airport's key measure to tackle the Suvarnabhumi noise problem," said Mr Thanatos, who has joined villagers from 32 communities around the airport in a struggle for proper compensation and mitigation schemes for people affected by aircraft noise over the past year.

According to the Bangkok Post's observation, a plane passes communities to the north of the runway every 2-5 minutes.

Mr Thanatos said the villagers' struggle had become fruitless since the AoT had failed to come up with any measures to mitigate aircraft noise. "First they gave us earplugs, then sleeping pills. And now that some of us have developed respiratory problems, possibly caused by oil vapour from the aircraft, AoT suggested that we should buy a face-mask," he said.

"Superficial solutions are all we can expect from the agency."

A public relations official working for the AoT's environmental department admitted that the agency's mobile medical unit had prescribed sleeping pills and anti-stress drugs to villagers who suffered from insomnia and stress.

However, the prescriptions were written only after a thorough examination of the patients' mental health by state doctors who joined AoT's mobile unit.

Most drug recipients were the elderly, said the official.