More hydropower and coal to fuel plants

The Energy Ministry plans to increase the proportion of hydropower and coal used to generate electricity by at least 50% of total fuel demand over the next 15 years. Viset Choopiban, the energy minister, said Thailand would seek further co-operation with neighbouring countries, such as Laos and Burma, to speed up the development of hydropower dams, while Egat Plc and private producers would import coal for generating electricity to be fed into the grid after 2011.

The government plans to step up campaigns to achieve better public understanding of these measures, to ease the opposition to the use of coal.

Bangkok Post