Phuket MP investigates Ao Kung marina project after community complaints

Phuket MP Somchart visited Ao Kung in Pa Khlok on May 4 to investigate a proposed marina project after mounting community complaints over the development. He and his team met the community chairman, the Moo 9 headman and residents, who raised objections centered on the project’s approval process and its possible impact on livelihoods tied to coastal resources.

Residents said the main concern was a lack of transparency in the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment, or EIA. They told the MP they were never informed about, or invited to join, any public hearings required under the approval process, even though the EIA may already have been approved.

Questions over EIA process and public participation

Somchart said his inquiry will focus first on whether the EIA process followed proper procedure. That includes examining whether public participation requirements were bypassed or misrepresented, officials said.

Residents also questioned why the project appears to be advancing despite a reported National Human Rights Commission resolution opposing it. That concern added to calls for closer scrutiny of how the development reached its current stage.

Fishing grounds and wider regional livelihoods at stake

Community members said Ao Kung is an important fishing ground not only for fishermen in Phuket but also for fishing communities in Krabi and Satun. They warned that damage to marine resources in the area would affect livelihoods across multiple provinces.

Somchart said the second part of his investigation will involve coordinating with relevant agencies to assess and monitor potential environmental impacts, particularly on marine and coastal resources used by fishing communities. He said development must proceed alongside sustainability and public consent.

Source: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-mp-probes-ao-kung-marina-project-amid-community-backlash-100120.php