Compensation to be accelerated

Surachai Thansitpong, permanent secretary and chairman of the tripartite committee set up to resolve the airport's noise-pollution problem, yesterday said after a meeting that the ministry wanted to accelerate the settling of claims by those living near the airport.

The move came after a report that red-shirt protesters would gather at the airport on Sunday to rally against the delay in payments.

Surachai said he expected Airport of Thailand (AOT) to disburse the funds more quickly by using a specific procedure for payment.

Somchai Sawasdeepon, senior specialist for AOT and chairman of a committee overseeing compensation for noise victims, said the authorities were waiting for Cabinet approval. The amount requested is about Bt11.23 billion.

"If the Cabinet grants approval, AOT will be able to pay compensation immediately to all those who have been affected by the airport's construction first," he said.