Bangkok:Pongsakorn Kwanmuang has disputed the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's (BMA) claims over a cancelled land expropriation project intended for the Khlong Khu Bon water retention pond. He stated that the actual budget was only 324 million baht, not the 11 billion baht alleged by the current administration.
According to Thai News Agency, Pongsakorn, a Democrat Party spokesperson and former BMA spokesperson, clarified that the project under the previous administration adhered to legal processes and used a much lower budget. He questioned whether the project's cancellation favored housing developments linked to the governor's advisors.
The Khlong Khu Bon project was meant to control flooding in eastern Bangkok. Pongsakorn explained that the legal framework for land expropriation, initiated in 2017, involved public hearings and budget allocations and is awaiting further approval from the Ministry of Interior and the Cabinet. He emphasized that the original budget was divided into land and building compensations, disproving the current administration's claims of a higher budget.
Pongsakorn also addressed concerns about land price increases, noting that the 2019 Expropriation Act excludes post-announcement developments from compensation considerations. He argued that the budget should remain at 324 million baht if the law is enforced correctly.
He further pointed out that land ownership transfers fall under the Department of Land's jurisdiction, suggesting that real estate development within expropriation zones is impractical unless other factors are involved. Pongsakorn raised questions about the cancellation's timing and its connections to housing projects linked to the governor's advisors.
Pongsakorn urged the public to scrutinize the current BMA administration's decisions, highlighting the lost opportunity to implement a key flood control measure in eastern Bangkok. He called for transparency in the decision-making process.