Original:  Director of state-funded non-government organisation, Bio-diversity and Community Rights Action Thailand , Withoon Lianchamroon pointed out that rather than carry out extensive testing to isolate GM crops, it would be cheaper to pay compensation to all 2,600 farmers and destroy all the papaya on their farms, because the cost of GMO testing – Bt1,600 (US $40) per sample – was prohibitive. Two GM papaya strains are being developed in Thailand, according to Greenpeace: Khak Dam and Khak Nuan. The plants being grown in Thailand were genetically altered at Cornell University in the US, but details of the agreement were kept secret by the Thai government and Cornell, Greenpeace said. The group believed though, that a royalty fee was to be charged for commercial use of the plants showing the altered genetic code, which was designed to be resistant to ringspot virus. Blame Although the Network of Northeastern Alternative Agriculture has filed complaints of negligence against the Prime Minister and senior agriculture officials, calling on Khon Kaen police to launch a criminal investigation into how the crops had spread, Greenpeace claims that no charges have been laid against anyone except the two activists. Mr Somsak has launched an internal investigation to determine how the GM papayas from the experimental fields leaked to taint local crops, while director-general of the Department of Agriculture (DOA), Chakan Saengraksawong, eager to begin further field trials, told The Nation, “We never sold the GM papaya seeds. If any official is found to have illegally sold the seeds he will surely face punishment." Mr Withoon alleged at the time that a cover-up of the extent of dissemination of the GM variety had occurred. Mr Somsak said that the problem was limited to the Khon Kaen farms, whereas Withoon suspected that many more seedlings had 'escaped', with the thousands of Ubon Ratchathani villagers having been given seedlings by state experimental farms. Environmentalists pointed to the apparent lack of effectiveness of the Khon Kaen farm's strong fences and round-the-clock security in preventing escape of the GM seedlings. Status of GM in Thailand Since 2001, Thailand has banned importation of GM organisms for commercial non-research purposes, until national regulations can be developed. Exports to Europe were cancelled in the face of the discovery, affecting Thailand's US$ 1 million, 3,000 ton papaya export market.
Revised:  Director of state-funded non-government organisation, Bio-diversity and Community Rights Action Thailand , Withoon Lianchamroon pointed out that rather than carry out extensive testing to isolate GM crops, it would be cheaper to pay compensation to all 2,600 farmers and destroy all the papaya on their farms, because the cost of GMO testing – Bt1,600 (US $40) per sample – was prohibitive. Two GM papaya strains are being developed in Thailand, according to Greenpeace: Khak Dam and Khak Nuan. The plants being grown in Thailand were genetically altered at Cornell University in the US, but details of the agreement were kept secret by the Thai government and Cornell, Greenpeace said. The group believed though, that a royalty fee was to be charged for commercial use of the plants showing the altered genetic code, which was designed to be resistant to ringspot virus. Blame Although the Network of Northeastern Alternative Agriculture has filed complaints of negligence against the Prime Minister and senior agriculture officials, calling on Khon Kaen police to launch a criminal investigation into how the crops had spread, Greenpeace claims that no charges have been laid against anyone except the two activists. Mr Somsak has launched an internal investigation to determine how the GM papayas from the experimental fields leaked to taint local crops, while director-general of the Department of Agriculture (DOA), Chakan Saengraksawong, eager to begin further field trials, told The Nation, "We never sold the GM papaya seeds. If any official is found to have illegally sold the seeds he will surely face punishment." Mr Withoon alleged at the time that a cover-up of the extent of dissemination of the GM variety had occurred. Mr Somsak said that the problem was limited to the Khon Kaen farms, whereas Withoon suspected that many more seedlings had 'escaped', with the thousands of Ubon Ratchathani villagers having been given seedlings by state experimental farms. Environmentalists pointed to the apparent lack of effectiveness of the Khon Kaen farm's strong fences and round-the-clock security in preventing escape of the GM seedlings. Status of GM in Thailand Since 2001, Thailand has banned importation of GM organisms for commercial non-research purposes, until national regulations can be developed. Exports to Europe were cancelled in the face of the discovery, affecting Thailand's US$ 1 million, 3,000 ton papaya export market.
Edit intent: fluency