11 July 2024

Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang led city officials and police to prevent nine garbage trucks from Samut Sakhon province illegally dumping trash at the Nong Khaem incinerator on Thursday.

The governor said that city officials had been quietly keeping a close watch on the activities of the trucks at the garbage disposal facility for about a week before the raid yesterday.

He said that the City’s auditors had become suspicious of an unusual increase in the costs of trash disposal amounting to about 100,000 baht a day at the incinerator, which normally burns about 3,500 tonnes of garbage daily.

An investigation was then launched, with plain-clothes officials sent to the facility to observe, until it was confirmed that there was something amiss.

It was reported that two tambon administration organizations, at Tha Mai and Suan Luang in Samut Sakhon, had hired a private firm to dispose of garbage in their localities.  Instead of disposing the trash by itself, the company allegedly colluded with officials at the Nong Khaem incinerator to do the job.

Governor Aswin said he believes some city officials were involved in the illegal activity and promised to order an investigation, adding that a complaint will be filed with the police to demand compensation from the owner of the rogue garbage trucks.