Gold Mine closure hints at strange new law application

Local Hua Hin and regional Thailand news articles and discussion.
Post Reply
User avatar
Jimbob
Legend
Legend
Posts: 2069
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:27 am
Contact:

Gold Mine closure hints at strange new law application

Post by Jimbob »

From the Sydney Morning Herald Dec 16.
The chairman of Australian gold miner Kingsgate says the forced shutdown of its mine in central Thailand has sent a "horrendous" message to potential foreign investors in the military-run nation.

"Foreign direct investment is already way down and, in the mining sector, there is absolutely no chance of anybody else going there," Ross Smyth-Kirk told Fairfax Media as the company prepared to sack more than 1000 workers from the Chatree mine, Phicit280 kilometres north of Bangkok.

Australian-run Chatree gold mine, near Thailand's Phichit, has been ordered to close due to a controversial decision.
Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha used his dictatorial powers to order the mine operated by Kingsgate subsidiary Akara Resources to shut down on New Year's Eve, shocking foreign companies based in Thailand.

It was the first time Mr Prayuth, a former general, had used his sweeping powers against a foreign company since he led a coup to topple the country's democratically-elected government in 2014 after months of political instability.
Mr Smyth-Kirk said it would take an "ironclad guarantee" from Thailand that his company would be allowed to operate without interruption before it again invested in the country.
The open-cut mine will be put under a care and maintenance program on January 1.
Its closure comes as the Turnbull government has been negotiating with Thailand to strengthen the Thai-Australian free trade agreement. Australian officials have raised Kingsgate's treatment in the talks.

Mr Smyth-Kirk said he hesitated to use the word "farcical" to describe how the company had been treated "because I still have to talk to them, to negotiate".

"We have been treated like some kind of pariah," he said. "We have complied with every law they have come up with – some have been quite unreasonable – yet we are still treated as if we haven't complied."
Asked about the mine's future, Mr Smyth-Kirk said he did not know, despite there being a lot of gold still at the site. "We wake up every day and there is something new," he said.
Last week, the government's military-stacked Parliament passed a mineral bill allowing gold mines to operate legally in the country, despite an announcement in May that all gold mines must cease operation by New Year's Eve.
Thailand has reaped tens of millions of dollars in taxes and royalties from Thai Stock Exchange-listed Chatree. Photo: Craig Skehan
But late on Tuesday, Mr Prayuth ruled that the mine must cease operation on January 1 pending the establishment of a national mining commission to oversee Thailand's tiny mining industry.

He also ruled that gold mines must rehabilitate mining areas or else their operators could face fines and/or a year in jail.
For months Mr Prayuth's government had been sending confusing messages about the Chatree mine, which had been the target of a sustained campaign by environmentalists.
In May Mr Prayuth cited a public outcry over health and environmental issues for ordering the mine's closure.

But Akara insisted that multiple studies, including by Thai government agencies, had failed to produce any evidence that the mine had damaged the environment, the health of workers or nearby residents.

Mr Smyth-Kirk said the mine's closure would have a devastating impact on district and provincial councils, local businesses and families in what was one of Thailand's poorest areas before the mine opened there in 2001.
"That is the saddest thing of all," he said.

Mr Smyth-Kirk described coverage of accusations against the mine in the Thai media as "outrageous".

"If you believe them we were responsible for 40 to 50 deaths," he said. "But nobody has come up with any evidence that even one person became sick.

"Perhaps it would have been better if we had had an environmental issue and we could have been seen to have fixed it. But we simply didn't have one."

Mr Smyth-Kirk said there had been suggestions of a behind-the-scenes plot to force Kingsgate from the country so others could operate the mine. "I have seen no evidence of that," he said. "I can't really speculate."

Thailand has reaped tens of millions of dollars in taxes and royalties from Thai Stock Exchange-listed Chatree.
Akara had been planning to invest a further $US1 billion ($1.34 billion) to continue mining on adjacent leases for another 20 to 30 years, raising several billion dollars in revenue, company executives said.

Kingsgate now plans to open a mine in Chile.
Perhaps into 2017 Chatree will restart operations having somehow fallen into the hands of a well connected Thai businessman with connections to the military.
User avatar
Nereus
Hero
Hero
Posts: 10900
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:01 pm
Location: Hua Hin and Bangkok

Re: Gold Mine closure hints at strange new law application

Post by Nereus »

Mr Smyth-Kirk said there had been suggestions of a behind-the-scenes plot to force Kingsgate from the country so others could operate the mine.
Yes, do not be surprised if a Chinese company is "invited" to re-open the mine.
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
handdrummer
Addict
Addict
Posts: 5389
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:58 am

Re: Gold Mine closure hints at strange new law application

Post by handdrummer »

another day in the land of everything backwards. I wouldn't be surprised if one day no foreigners could live here. just bring money and leave.
User avatar
Name Taken
Suspended
Suspended
Posts: 1025
Joined: Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:57 pm

Re: Gold Mine closure hints at strange new law application

Post by Name Taken »

Nereus wrote:
Mr Smyth-Kirk said there had been suggestions of a behind-the-scenes plot to force Kingsgate from the country so others could operate the mine.
Yes, do not be surprised if a Chinese company is "invited" to re-open the mine.
That's probably what will happen.
I know the thieving Chinese have big Mining 'agreements' with neighboring Myanmar.
RCer
Ace
Ace
Posts: 1294
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2016 12:48 pm

Re: Gold Mine closure hints at strange new law application

Post by RCer »

So we're supposed to feel sorry for a company raking in humdreds of millions of dollars, while their employees earn a penny per dollar?
User avatar
Spitfire
Addict
Addict
Posts: 5248
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 1:17 pm
Location: Thailand

Re: Gold Mine closure hints at strange new law application

Post by Spitfire »

Sounds like another Carlsberg/Pepsi case to me. :roll:
Resolve dissolves in alcohol
User avatar
caller
Hero
Hero
Posts: 10977
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 6:05 pm
Location: Hua Hin

Re: Gold Mine closure hints at strange new law application

Post by caller »

RCer wrote:So we're supposed to feel sorry for a company raking in humdreds of millions of dollars, while their employees earn a penny per dollar?
Well, they won't be earning anything now, will they? Over 1000 jobs gone.

Taken together with the new computer laws, I suspect a lot of foreign companies operating here will be considering their longer term plans.
Talk is cheap
musungu
Professional
Professional
Posts: 397
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2013 3:28 pm

Re: Gold Mine closure hints at strange new law application

Post by musungu »

When a company claims it is was going to invest over a Billion $'s in new investment and the country would have received several billion $'s of revenue it exceeds normal comprehension IMO - words flow freely in such circumstances. Somebody is being taken for a ride and Kingsgate will know this well and have the facts. What have they taken out of Thailand over their investment I wonder? I can tell you it will be a considerable amount as so typical when such investors operate in emerging countries.
Prior Planning & Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
Post Reply