Thai AOT approves $167m for residents living near airport
THAILAND – THE Airports Authority of Thailand on Friday approved a Bt4 billion (S$167 million) budget to compensate residents living near Suvarnabhumi airport who have been affected by excessive noise from passenger jets’ engines during take-offs and landings.
The approval has reportedly been influenced by a sit-in protest by around 200 residents at a gate to the departure terminal of the airport since Thursday night, the latest effort in several rallies to hasten the AOT’s delayed process to give compensation to them.
The protesters met with senior AOT leadership and reached an agreement that they would seek urgent approval of the money for compensatory payments. The AOT has pledged to give unpaid amount to the residents but the time-consuming process has angered those affected.
