The Harbour Office in Nakhon Phanom is currently embroiled in a controversy where it is accused of providing illicit assistance to sand dredging business owners, resulting in significant financial losses for the Thai government. Reports suggest that the Harbour director exploited legal loopholes and violated sand dredging regulations in the Mekong River to aid these business owners. Local concerns about non-compliance with regulations initially brought attention to these illegal activities.
In response to the allegations, the Provincial Governor of Nakhon Phanom, Wanchai Chanpron, urged security departments and other agencies to visit the site, enforce the law, and prevent the unfair exploitation of natural resources, tax evasion, and any unjust advantages. The situation took a more serious turn when audio clips of a clandestine deal involving someone claiming to be the Harbour Director emerged on social media. The conversation, which involved negotiations with a Mekong sand dredger, caused a nationwide sensation.
It is believed that the person leaking the audio clips may be a business owner who was treated unfairly by the Harbour Office. Frustrated by such behavior and the exploitation of legal loopholes, the business owner decided to expose the audio clips. Subsequently, additional audio clips were leaked, revealing a conversation where the individual, presumably the Harbour director, offered assistance to the sand dredgers and mentioned a prominent political figure, suggesting a direct line of communication with a retired Royal Thai Navy commander.
There are discussions and speculation about upcoming transfers of local security officials in October, including the potential transfer of the provincial governor of Nakhon Phanom and the assistant director of the Internal Security Operations Command in the province. This could create an opportunity for the Harbour director to facilitate the smooth approval of sand dredging for the upcoming season starting on November 1.
In response to the growing crisis, the Provincial Governor of Nakhon Phanom, Wanchai Chanpron, launched an investigation involving military units and security organizations to determine the truthfulness of the information and prevent any violations of the law. An inspection team from the central Harbour Department was also dispatched, but their proceedings were kept confidential, with no information shared with reporters. Meanwhile, the Harbour director has yet to provide a statement regarding the allegations and has been avoiding media inquiries.
Anuphap Saenkham, the Vice-President of the Nakhon Phanom Provincial Industry Council and a representative of cross-border trade, stated that the council aims to support and nurture businesses in the area in line with Nakhon Phanom’s economic development policy, particularly in the sand dredging industry in the Mekong River.
This has economic implications for regional trade and construction projects. It is recognized that currently, there is a problem with importing sand from neighbouring countries because there is no agreement between the agencies or clear demarcation of the water boundaries between Thailand and Laos.
This allows certain entrepreneurs to exploit legal loopholes to benefit their businesses, leading to disputes between state agencies and entrepreneurs about operational standards. However, assuming that in the future or the next sand dredging season, if the Industry Council can participate in the approval of sand dredging operations, it believes it will be a good thing leading to greater clarity in operational guidelines.
