In a bid to break the impasse over the Thailand-Malaysia gas pipeline project, the Thai government has asked local oil and gas company ptt Plc to assess opposition to the project and decide on how to proceed. The project has been delayed several times earlier because of local concerns over its social and environmental impact.
Recently, the Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra spoke to the villagers who are said to be affected by the project and listened to their complaints. Simultaneously, Thai industry minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit asked majority state-owned ptt Plc to prepare a report on the impact of the project on the local people and on environmental problems that could emerge during construction. With unrest mounting, it is likely that the project would be shelved.
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