PTT to appeal against court´s order on Map Ta Phut case

BANGKOK, 24 December 2009 (NNT) – PTT Public Company Limited is planning to appeal against a court order which has halted the operation of its nine projects located in the Map Ta Phut industrial estate.

Mr. Auttapol Rerkpiboon, Executive Vice President for Corporate Communication & Social Responsibility of PTT Public Co., Ltd stated that the firm is preparing to appeal against the Supreme Administrative Court’s order suspending the operation of its nine industrial projects in eastern province of Rayong’s Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate. He claimed that the company has acquired operating licenses of the nine frozen projects before the promulgation of the 2007 Constitution.

He reiterated that all of the nine suspended projects have passed the environmental impact assessment (EIA) requirement and confirmed that some of them did not create pollutions or environmental degradation as speculated.

The Administrative Court earlier gave an injunction for 76 projects in the Map Ta Phut industrial estate to suspend functioning after relevant environmental agencies and local residents lodged a complaint over environmental and health concerns. Later on 2 December, the Supreme Administrative Court agreed to permit 11 out of the 76 projects to resume operation. And on 23 December, one more project — Siam Yamato Steel Co. Ltd., was also cleared from the terms of the court’s injunction.