EIA process in desperate need of transparency

Housing Business Association president Atip Bichanond complains that current procedures rely too heavily on “the personal judgements of the EIA committee members”. For “personal judgements” we could read “brown envelopes”. Some projects are approved within four weeks, he says, while others take over a year. For “four weeks”, read “very fat brown envelopes”.

Environmental Impact Evaluation Bureau director Piyanant Soponthanaporn reasons that decentralisation and a revision of the rules is necessary to solve delay problems, but goes no further. He claims that 72 firms are licensed to produce EIA reports. What are these firms? Are they qualified to pass judgement based on the laws of the land? Who appoints and pays them? Are they open to public scrutiny? Do brown envelopes motivate their frequent skirting of due process? A truly responsible and open body would publicly evaluate both the new and old systems. Transparency should be a key target in any policy revision but there is no sign of it here.

Pruksa Real Estate president and CEO Thongma Vijitpongpun says fast-tracking the approval process will boost the economy – or does he mean inflate the bubble? Speed, shoddiness, self-interest and short-term profit are the key mantras of Thai developers, not concern for the nation or its economy.

LPN managing director Opas Sriipayak is annoyed at having to alter project designs. So why not design them correctly in the first place, in accordance with established rules and regulations? Acting within the law could make life so much easier.

Sansiri president Srettha Thavisin whinges at having to postpone launches because of EIA delays. This is a whitewash. It is (illegal) common practice to begin construction prior to EIA or building certification, and design specifications are frequently altered along the way in any case. Anarchy is part of the planning. It’s the depth of corruption that causes delay. 

The Indian guru Osho wisely observed that “people who are not intelligent learn to be clever”. Creative corruption explains the “deconstruction” of much of Thailand, especially Bangkok. Since the industry campaigns to make “the process” quicker, easier, cheaper and more localised, deconstruction is likely to get a whole lot worse. 

Why would seasoned foreign investors choose to buy into such chaos and deception?

John Shepherd