Srisuwan Janya petitions for removal of Bangkok Governor Chadchart

Srisuwan Janya, leader of the Rak Chat Rak Phaendin organization, has submitted a petition to the Bangkok Metropolitan Council requesting the removal of Governor Chadchart Sittipunt from office. The petition asks the Council to urge the Minister of Interior and the Cabinet to exercise their authority under Section 52 (8) of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Act of 1985 to dismiss the Governor.

The request stems from allegations regarding the failure to implement a “Kaem Ling” (monkey cheek) water retention project. This project, based on royal initiatives from King Rama IX, was designed to mitigate flooding in eastern Bangkok, specifically through the Khlong Khu Bon retention pond. The site, covering approximately 130 rai with a capacity of 870,000 cubic meters, is intended to protect over 1.4 million residents in the Khlong Sam Wa, Khan Na Yao, Sai Mai, and Min Buri districts.

While the project received principle approval from the Cabinet in 2019, Srisuwan claims the current administration has failed to advance the necessary Royal Decree for land expropriation. The Governor has reportedly cited high costs exceeding 11 billion baht as a reason for inaction. However, the petitioner argues that if the decree had been pursued in 2022, land prices would have remained stable under existing expropriation laws, preventing the current inflated costs.