Chonburi Gov. Wichit
Chatpaisit (2nd left) and Chonburi officials begin distributing relief
to mussel farmers affected by the October 2009 typhoon, Ketsana.
Chonburi Public
Relation Department
More than a year after Typhoon Ketsana destroyed
large tracts of Chonburi mussel farms, the government began paying out
50 million baht in compensation to affected farmers.
Chonburi Gov. Wichit Chatpaisit presented vouchers to
farmers at Chalerm Phrakiart Hall in Bangsai Nov. 16.
The October 2009 storm, Asia’s largest since 1970,
killed 767 people across the region and, while weakened, still wreaked
havoc on the Eastern Seaboard. Mussel farms were particularly affected,
with huge waves washing away farms.
However, many mussel farmers who petitioned the
government for relief were deemed ineligible for compensation. Only
after the Chonburi government and community leaders petitioned Bangkok
to relax its rules that exceptions were made.
The Comptroller General approved an initial outlay of
50 million baht but said additional funds requested would not be
released until the mussel farming community developed preventative
measures to protect their enterprises during the annual storm season.
