Residents squeal in protest as pig farm stinks up Chon Buri canal

Hundreds of residents in Chon Buri‘s Phanat Nikhom district gathered yesterday to protest against a major pig farm, accusing it of polluting a local canal and causing a persistent foul odour for several years. The demonstration, which began at 11am, yesterday, July 24, saw villagers from Village 6, Village 9, and Village 10 coming together to voice their frustrations.

The protestors assembled in front of the pig farm, which occupies 20 rai and houses over 8,000 pigs. They have accused the farm of releasing wastewater into a nearby waterway, leading to significant environmental and health issues. The villagers demanded that the responsible authorities address their grievances immediately.

Lamyai Jankrajang, a resident who raises several hundred ducks, claimed that more than 200 of her ducks died after the pig farm allegedly discharged wastewater into the canal where the ducks bathe. She called for the farm to take responsibility and provide compensation for her loss.

“The stench has been unbearable for years and now it’s affecting our livelihoods.”

In response to the protest, Anuwat Anansuphak, the mayor of Thung Khwang Subdistrict Administrative Organisation, along with representatives from Phanat Nikhom district, the Public Health Department, and the Department of Livestock Development, visited the pig farm to investigate the claims.

Following their inspection, officials concluded that the farm must resolve the issues of wastewater discharge and odour within 30 days. Failure to comply with these orders could result in the farm’s closure, an outcome that provided some relief to the demonstrators.

“We are giving the farm 30 days to address these issues. If they fail to do so, we will take further action.”

Despite the tension, the pig farm operators did not provide any counter-argument to the press at the time of reporting and chose not to speak to the media, reported Pattaya News.

In related news, Thai police investigated the appearance of black water at a beach in Rayong, finding a foul odour but no dead marine life. It is suspected that wastewater flowed into the sea following heavy rain in May.