Tourism associations from Thailand`s southern provinces of Phuket, Krabi and Phang-nga yesterday launched a protest against the government`s flagship `land bridge`…
Tourism associations from Thailand`s southern provinces of Phuket, Krabi and Phang-nga yesterday launched a protest against the government`s flagship `land bridge` cross-country oil pipeline project, saying that it would inflict environmental damage and harm tourist destinations currently bidding for World Heritage status.
Speaking on behalf of the official tourist associations of the three provinces, Phuket Tourist Association President Phatanaphong Ekwanich said that local tourism businesses were taking extremely seriously the government`s drive to see the start of the land bridge constructed in the Phang-nga district of Tai Muang.
Warning that the project would damage the environment of all three provinces, in particular the marine environment, he noted that the Similan Islands, the Surin Islands and the Phang-nga Bay were currently seeking World Heritage status on account of their natural beauty.
The construction of oil pipelines, refineries, petroleum plants and the presence of oil tankers would have an inevitable impact on the areas which required assiduous conservation efforts, he said.
While acknowledging Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra`s earlier promises to ensure that the project did not have an adverse environmental impact, Mr. Phatanapong said that Tai Muang had already lost half of its tourists, and that building on the region`s tourism potential would be better than pushing ahead with the land bridge scheme.
Warning that other private sector organizations would join in the fight against the land bridge, he spoke of further action should the project go ahead.
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