Abstract:
The objective of this research are to study meaning and importance of public benefit sharing concept, an economic concept applied in legal concept by using documentary research namely laws. regulations, rules, ordinances and foreign laws, related to the public benefit sharin concept mainly in Japanese and South Korean laws, to compare with that in Thai laws. The study proposes recommendations concerning various forms for managing public interest for communities around nuclear power plants. By studying the laws, rules, regulations and ordinances of Thailand, it was found that some provisions in some legislations may be interpreted to apply the public benefit sharing concept. However, they are not explicity written and do not cover matters related to nuclear power plant projects. Especially, consideration on such issues as safety, environment and health impacts of the communities around nuclear power plant areas. After reviewing foreign laws, it was found that enacting the public benefit sharing concept into law for clearer practice is one crucial factor to make people accept the operation of the mega projects or activities of the government particularly the nuclear power plant projects . The researcher, therefore, offers two recommendations about the legal concepts on public benefit sharing. The first proposal is in the macro level by which the government needs to create the body of knowledge on public benefit sharing concept, as well as, to promote public participation on nuclear power plant. The second proposal focuses only on matter of the public benefit sharing concept by amending the related present laws for (1) allocating the stocks to people around nuclear power plant areas (2) allocating the stocks to communities around nuclear power plant areas (3) discounting electricity fee for communities around nuclear power plant areas (4) donating money for the local government located around nuclear power plant areas and (5) giving opportunities to localities for investing in nuclear power plant projects. Moreover, the researcher offers enactment the new law on public benefit sharing for the communities around nuclear power plant areas, by identifying sources, managements and forms of the public benefit sahring for the communities around nuclear power plants in the clearer, more systematic and more appropriate manners.