Bidding for river project to go ahead

Professionals, academics and business operators gathered yesterday as City Hall refused to budge on plans to call bids for the controversial Chao Phraya riverside promenade project this month.

The critics insisted the project should be put on hold and new public hearings arranged.

Led by the River Assembly — a group comprising business operators and academics from various fields including urban planning and law — the news conference at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre yesterday featured representatives from various professional associations including the Association of Siamese Architects (ASA) and the Consulting Engineers Association of Thailand.

The controversial project, dubbed the New Landmark of Thailand, again drew heavy criticism as Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang recently told journalists that plans to call bids for the project, scheduled for later this month, remain in place and construction should start in July.

ASA president Ajaphol Dusitnanond said any state projects need thorough studies and must proceed with care. The ASA supported the riverside development but said that opinions need to be gauged from people at all levels.

The ASA has tried to voice various views on the project to state authorities, but no response was given by operational officers, he said.

Authorities have not launched a channel to listen to opinions raised by various sectors, said Mr Ajaphol, saying the ASA is ready to give advice to authorities. The project should be postponed and new hearings need to be held, he said.

Former president of the Engineering I nstitute of Thailand, Tortrakul Yomnak, expressed concerns about the environmental impact from the project.

“The project would certainly affect the environment as more than 1,000 foundation poles need to be installed [in the river],” said Mr Tortrakul. “In foreign countries, projects like this require a study of the impact on aquatic animals in the water. We did not study about this at all.”

The project would hinder the flow of Chao Phraya, he said, adding that engineers had also expressed disapproval.