Chiang Mai University, Naresuan University and Kasetsart University are collaborating on a research project to assess the environmental impact of a Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son cable car. Government officials and private investors who are in support of the cable car initiative believe this 1.2 ten-billion baht project in Mae Hong Son and the surrounding areas will take advantages for people in the areas.

Asst. Prof. Det Wattanachaiyingcharern, the manager and the co-ordinator of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), said that the cable car would use a wire rope system to transport the car from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son. The cable car would have the capacity to transport up to 40-50 people at a time, as well as medical supplies, construction tools or other equipment in the case of emergencies such as earthquakes or forest rescue operations.

Phoom Sirachadaphong, the managing director of Pai Cable Transport Co. Ltd., who originally proposed the project, believes that the cable car would not damage the local environment.
He said that the area had previously been surveyed by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) the project had been cancelled due to lack of funds. The director of Pai Cable Transport Co. Ltd. explained that the cable car would have only a minimal effect on the environment because its pillars would be set up high on the mountains and each pillar foundation would take up only 1 rai of space. The company would plant trees at a later stage to compensate for deforestation caused by the construction. If the research is approved, the project will begin as soon as possible, said Phoom.

The cable car would cover a distance of 141 kilometres, from Mae Taeng district in Chiang Mai to Pai district in Mae Hong Son 73 km, Pai – Pang Ma Pha district 27 km, Pang Ma Pha – Mae Hong Son 41 km. Only 20% of the cable car line would be constructed in Chiang Mai Province, while the other 80% would be located in Mae Hong Son Province. It will take 5 months to study the environmental impact of the project, which began in October 2007 and will continue until February 2008.

Previously, 3 other cable car projects have been proposed in the northern region, including the Three Regions Cable Car (Thailand, Laos and Myanmar) in the Golden Triangle, Chiang Saen district in Chiang Rai, the Chiang Mai World Cable Car above the city’s Night Safari park and the Doi Luang Chiang Dao Cable Car. However, none of these were built due to a lack of comprehensive environmental studies, as well as protests from local people.

Source: Thipwaree Ruangjaem – CityLife