PM nods for NASA request on climate surveys in Thailand

BANGKOK, June 18 (TNA) - A meeting of Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the ministers of foreign affairs, science and technology and defence, as well as armed forces chiefs agreed Monday that the Cabinet should allow the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to conduct climate surveys in Thailand. The authorities concerned confirmed that the project would not affect national security but would benefit flood prevention in Thailand. The concerned ministers told a joint press conference that the Thai Cabinet will Tuesday consider the NASA's request, insisting that the project will benefit Thailand's weather forecasts and preparation for typhoons or monsoons. According to the Thai foreign minister, NASA will deploy three planes and Thailand will use one plane to take photographs which will then be analyzed together with satellite photos. The foreign minister acknowledged that his ministry has studied the issue and concluded that the NASA project will require approval of the Thai Cabinet only and not a green light from the Thai Parliament. The ministers said that the meeting also agreed in principle for the establishment of the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Center, as disasters are now regional problems, and that the newly-set up regional center will be temporary and active only during disasters, noting that the meeting also agreed there should be an inter-country committee to conduct training on disaster relief for officials of countries in the region. The foreign minister revealed that both issues concern the use of U-tapao military airport in Thailand's eastern resort Chonburi province and the meeting assigned him to discuss them with China to prevent any misunderstanding, after the opposition warned that the Thai government's approval of the projects could upset China. During an official visit to Thailand last month, the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff affirmed that NASA has nothing to do with US military affairs. Regarding an espionage concern, the Thai foreign minister explained that the United States has satellites which can take photographs of even ants and the worldwide Google Earth application can already show movements; so, it appears unnecessary for the US to enter Thailand for the feared spying purpose. (TNA)