Areas hit by airport noise continue to change.
AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK
Airport authorities will take at least three years to establish exactly how many residences are affected by aircraft noise at Suvarnabhumi airport, but help will be extended to those who need it in the meantime, officials said yesterday. Chaisak Angsuwan, director-general of the Civil Aviation Department, said the number of affected residences was fluctuating with changes in the number of flights at the airport. It would take at least three years for the number to stabilise once traffic at the airport peaks.
Suvarnabhumi is capable of serving more than 1,000 flights a day. Currently, traffic stands at 800 flights, up from about 700 per day when the airport opened last September. The more flights, the more noise, he said.
According to Mr Chaisak, the radius of noise pollution is roughly 10 kilometres from the airport's northern and southern ends, and 4-5 kilometres from its eastern and western boundaries. This covers a combined area of 132 square kilometres around the airport.
The level of noise pollution at 60-65 decibels covers 49 sq km, that of 65-70 decibels covers 35 sq km, and that of over 70 decibels covers 48 sq km. Residences are not recommended within these areas, which should be developed for other purposes such as warehouses and factories.
Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) staff have made an initial estimate of the number of residences in the affected areas. The number affected within surveyed noise contour lines stands at 18,632, but if they are mapped out in blocks, the number increases to 25,735.
AoT is considering assistance for 222 homes seriously affected. However, the process is expected to be time-consuming as some owners have rejected its offers to buy their properties asking for structural modifications for sound insulation instead.
However, other owners want to sell even though structural modifications have been proposed for them, said Mr Chaisak
Bangkok Post
Saturday January 13, 2007
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