“I want to create consumer awareness, to make the private sector more responsible to society. Villagers may look only at the return for their work, without realising the real cost or long-term image.”
“Phu Thap Boek is a tourist attraction with nature and the weather as its selling point. If there is spraying of chemicals, or contamination, in the area no one will want to visit there, or to buy the contaminated farm produce,” said Mr Kraisorn.
He also cited the example of Tak province's Phop Phra district, where many farmers in three tambons planted with around 5,000 rai of potatoes suddenly found their crop had failed. They could not harvest the potatoes as their plants had rotted.
The farmers demand for compensation spread into a months-long dispute. The company eventually agreed to pay 16.8 million baht in total compensation to end the case.