PM inquires Rayong answers

This forced investors there to suspend their expansion plans while they await direction from the government.

The Joint Public Private Consultative Committee (JPPCC) has expressed concern over the recent developments, including a decision by the National Environment Board to seek environmental impact assessments for 60 projects.

However, 40 of the projects, worth a combined 400 billion baht in investments, have started construction. Their collective pollution-control investments total 17 billion baht. Another 20 projects have yet to start construction.

JPPCC executives said that any delays in expansion would hurt the investment climate and employment at a time when fears of job losses are high.

It said the country might lose the opportunity to earn up to 480 billion baht in exports per year. Exports from petrochemical industries in Map Ta Phut were worth 250 billion baht in 2008.