Bangkok groups threaten to sue BMA if it does not drop new city plan
Civil networks claim the city plan is unlawful because no public hearings were conducted beforehand
More than 20 civil groups gave the Bangkok governor an ultimatum on Monday – drop the announcement of a new city plan in 30 days or face the court.
The groups led by the Thailand Consumers Council (TCC) said governor Chadchart Sittipunt will be given until August 18 to suspend the ongoing process leading to the planned announcement of the fourth revision of the Bangkok city plan.
Other groups included the Foundation for Consumers, Duang Prateep Foundation, Society for the Conservation of National Treasure and Environment, Klong Toey Community Council and the Network for Protection of City Dwellers’ Quality of Life.
TCC secretary-general Saree Aongsomwang said if the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) ignored this call, then they would turn to the Central Administrative Court to seek a court order to annul the new city plan.
Saree alleged that the new city plan was unlawful because the BMA had not conducted any public hearings before drafting it.
She also said that just delaying the deadline for public hearings to the end of August was not enough. Instead, she said, the BMA should drop the process altogether and wait two years before restarting the drafting process. She added that the residents of all 50 districts of the capital should be invited to participate from the very beginning.
TCC official Kongsak Sahasakmontree said the groups had decided to join forces and submit the demand to BMA because Bangkok residents have become more aware of problems that may stem from the new city plan.
Chadchart, meanwhile, told the group’s representatives that he had no authority to stop the ongoing process, adding that it had started several years before he took office. He went on to say that the new plan still had to be reviewed by relevant government agencies.
The deadline for a public hearing on the city plan has been extended several times, from January to February and now to the end of August.
Among the concerns raised is that the new city plan would undeniably favour property developers, citing the designation of 148 roads over 600 kilometres long that would pass through people’s homes.
