Chanthaburi protesters submit petition, Krabi protest convoy arriving soon

A GROUP of protesters from Chanthaburi rallied at Government House today (Nov. 8) and submitted a petition opposing the construction of Klong Wang Tonot reservoir which they argued is unnecessary for local residents and would trigger floods during the rainy season and cause water shortage during dry spells, Amarin TV and Naewna newspaper said.

Calling themselves “Rak Chan” group and led by Mr. Phatcharadonai Jaithiang they said they are part of a protest mounted by Krabi subdistrict headman Mr. Mano Kruakaew, aka Kaman Mano, who is travelling in a convoy all the way to Government House to bring the grievances of local people directly to the government’s attention, a move that has gained significant traction on social media.

Phatcharadonai said his group represented the people of Chanthaburi in submitting the petition to the government, following the cabinet’s approval of Khlong Wang Tonot reservoir project on August 5.

Chanthaburi residents have consistently opposed the project with the protesters having gathered approximately 20,000 signatures to halt it, arguing that the proposed reservoir offers no benefit to the local people and would instead destroy the natural resources within Khao 15 Chan National Park—a forest that has been protected and preserved by generations of their ancestors.

Mr. Santi Tansrisakul, a durian farmer in Chanthaburi, explained that the government has already constructed three reservoirs in the province.

All three were built to supply water to the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) in Chon Buri and Rayong provinces, providing no benefit whatsoever to the people of Chanthaburi. Because these reservoirs are used to store large volumes of water for EEC, they lack the capacity to hold additional rainfall during the monsoon season. This leads to severe flooding, damaging homes and destroying fruit orchards—a devastating loss, given the significant investment required to cultivate durian trees to the point of harvest.

Conversely, during the dry season, local residents are forced to purchase water at a high cost for their daily needs and farming. For these reasons, they oppose the construction of a fourth reservoir, suggesting instead that the 7.2 billion baht budget would be better spent on managing the existing three reservoirs to ensure they actually benefit the local population.

Meanwhile Metropolitan Police deployed security personnel and closed roads surrounding Government House to handle the protest convoy heading here from Krabi organised by the People’s Revolutionary Front for the Defence of the Land and led by Kamnan Mano, which has reached Phetchaburi province and is heading for Bangkok today.

This movement aims to pressure the government to urgently address the high cost of living. They are specifically demanding a 10-baht-per-litre reduction in the price of diesel, setting a deadline for tomorrow, Nov. 9.

Metropolitan Police Bureau advised the general public that unless travel in the area is essential it is best to avoid routes surrounding the protest site. Commuters are encouraged to study alternative routes and plan their journeys in advance to prevent traffic congestion.

CAPTIONS:

Top and first insert: Chanthaburi protesters at Government House. Photos – Amarin TV

Second insert: One of the roads around Government House closed as Krabi protest convoy heads for Bangkok. Photos – Naewna

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