Nernrodfai Community residents claim the angry owner of land next to the neighborhood’s new recycling center destroyed property in an attempt to intimidate them into shutting down the facility.
President Manoon Wongsena and residents filed a complaint with police April 12 that Rungsri Jungthanasombat broke lights and other property at the community office in protest over the recycling center, which opened in March on state-owned land in the East Pattaya neighborhood.
Rungsri could not be reached for comment.
The recycling station, funded by public donations, acts as a rubbish bank where waste is separated. All plastic bags, bottles and other recyclables are kept for recycling while waste can be used as fertilizer for crops and plants. It both lessens the trash load on Pattaya and provides extra income for residents.
The owner of the land next to the trash dump was less than enthusiastic, however. Manoon told city lawyers and former city councilman Nakhon Phonlookin that Rungsri filed a complaint with the State Railway of Thailand, which leases the land to Pattaya City Hall for 7.2 million baht a year, and brought in a fake television reporter to intimidate neighbors.
City lawyers said destruction of the community office property is considered destruction of public property and will be prosecuted.
