Six Groups Picked For Thailand's Water Management Projects

[webfact]

Six groups picked for Thailand's water management projects

By English News

BANGKOK, Feb 6 – Six corporate groups have won bids to prepare conceptual plans on Thailand’s water resources management which will cost the country Bt350 billion (US$11.7 billion), according to Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi.

Mr Plodprasop, in his capacity as chairman of the Water and Natural Disaster Management Committee, said eight corporate groups joined the auction and selection of the six winners was approved by the cabinet on Tuesday.

newsjs

The six groups consist of 15 Thai firms and 16 international companies, he said, adding that the committee intentionally wanted a mixture of Thai and foreign companies.

Thai companies are more knowledgeable on Thailand’s geography and water resources channels while overseas firms are experienced and apply technology in water management, the deputy premier said. The foreign companies are based in China, Japan and Korea.

The six corporate groups will propose details on construction and technical aspects, time frame and expense for another auction in April when bid winners will be announced by a selection committee to be specially set up for the purpose.

The selection committee will work closely with a consultant firm which will be in charge of supervising construction of all the projects, Mr Plodprasop said.

The six corporate groups which won bids for the conceptual plans are Korea Water Resources Corporation (K. Water), Japan-Thai Joint Business Group, ITD Power China JV, Thailand Team Joint Business Group, Summit SUT Joint Business Group and Loxley Joint Business Group.

Two groups which failed in the bids are China CAMC Engineering Co and Consortium TKC Global from Korea.

The projects involve construction of reservoirs along major rivers from northern Thailand to the central region, development of agricultural and irrigation zones, construction of floodways and flood diversion channels and improvements to the flood warning system. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-02-06

[rkidlad]

Well done to the six groups. You've basically won the lottery!

[belg]

"Thai companies are more knowledgeable on Thailand’s geography and water resources channels"

euh... farang experts cannot read a map or a thai one knows all the waterways by heart (rote learning???)

[Pimay1]

"Thai companies are more knowledgeable on Thailand’s geography and water resources channels"

euh... farang experts cannot read a map or a thai one knows all the waterways by heart (rote learning???)

Thainess.

[muttley]

A transparent way of doing business it seems and no cry of "corruption" from the usual anti's (yet, and ignoring the "thinly veiled" first post). Well done the government.

[jbrain]

adding that the committee intentionally wanted a mixture of Thai and foreign companies

Of course, always handy to have some foreigners in the project when a scapegoat is needed.

[rkidlad]

"Thai companies are more knowledgeable on Thailand’s geography and water resources channels"

euh... farang experts cannot read a map or a thai one knows all the waterways by heart (rote learning???)

Hence the floods in 2011.

[conimex]

"Thai companies are more knowledgeable on Thailand’s geography and water resources channels"

euh... farang experts cannot read a map or a thai one knows all the waterways by heart (rote learning???)

Thainess.

Thai companies know better which officilals needs to be bribed.

[rkidlad]

A transparent way of doing business it seems and no cry of "corruption" from the usual anti's (yet, and ignoring the "thinly veiled" first post). Well done the government.

There was nothing thinly veiled about it.

[AleG]

It's good to see that they finally got around to thinking about conceptual plans to use the emergency founds approved without parliamentary oversight last year.

Apparently the definition of emergency is something you can start to think about in a years time.

[AleG]

A transparent way of doing business it seems and no cry of "corruption" from the usual anti's (yet, and ignoring the "thinly veiled" first post). Well done the government.

The man in charge of this, Plodprasob, is worth nearly a billion Baht; can you tell us how he made that fortune?

[rkidlad]

A transparent way of doing business it seems and no cry of "corruption" from the usual anti's (yet, and ignoring the "thinly veiled" first post). Well done the government.

The man in charge of this, Plodprasob, is worth nearly a billion Baht; can you tell us how he made that fortune?

He will probably tell you hard work and a good attitude.

[Pimay1]

A transparent way of doing business it seems and no cry of "corruption" from the usual anti's (yet, and ignoring the "thinly veiled" first post). Well done the government.

The man in charge of this, Plodprasob, is worth nearly a billion Baht; can you tell us how he made that fortune?

Selling grilled lion and elephant steaks maybe?

[Buchholz]

A transparent way of doing business it seems and no cry of "corruption" from the usual anti's (yet, and ignoring the "thinly veiled" first post). Well done the government.

The man in charge of this, Plodprasob, is worth nearly a billion Baht; can you tell us how he made that fortune?

Boat propeller manufacturing?

.

[Payboy]

K. Water

We already had K Pop, now K Water, just need K Whiskey.

[muttley]

"Thai companies are more knowledgeable on Thailand’s geography and water resources channels"

euh... farang experts cannot read a map or a thai one knows all the waterways by heart (rote learning???)

Hence the floods in 2011.

"Hence the floods in 2011."

Are farang experts renowned for their foresight of the highest above normal rainfall ever? Obviously not.

looking at Meteorological Department figures from 1951 onwards you can see that for the full year of 2011 it is the highest above normal rainfall listed recorded ever.

http://asiancorrespo...t-2012-version/

The alleged mismanagement of the dams supposedly didn't help either but there is an alternative viewpoint on this at

http://asiancorrespondent.com/71001/did-the-irrigation-department-mismanage-the-discharge-of-water-from-the-dams/

but I don't suppose you want to hear that, do you, it might shatter all those preconceptions built up from reading this forum at the time.

To sum it up,

"RID were simply operating within the rules they had for many years and the extraordinary above normal rainfall this year caused the problem. Hence, it is more a system problem with the rule curves than RID making a mistake/losing their nerve".

[rkidlad]

"Thai companies are more knowledgeable on Thailand’s geography and water resources channels"

euh... farang experts cannot read a map or a thai one knows all the waterways by heart (rote learning???)

Hence the floods in 2011.

"Hence the floods in 2011."

Are farang experts renowned for their foresight of the highest above normal rainfall ever? Obviously not.

looking at Meteorological Department figures from 1951 onwards you can see that for the full year of 2011 it is the highest above normal rainfall listed recorded ever.

http://asiancorrespo...t-2012-version/

The alleged mismanagement of the dams supposedly didn't help either but there is an alternative viewpoint on this at

http://asiancorrespondent.com/71001/did-the-irrigation-department-mismanage-the-discharge-of-water-from-the-dams/

A

but I don't suppose you want to hear that, do you, it might shatter all those preconceptions built up from reading this forum at the time.

To sum it up,

"RID were simply operating within the rules they had for many years and the extraordinary above normal rainfall this year caused the problem. Hence, it is more a system problem with the rule curves than RID making a mistake/losing their nerve".

Who said anything about foresight? I'm talking about precautions.

[Baerboxer]

A transparent way of doing business it seems and no cry of "corruption" from the usual anti's (yet, and ignoring the "thinly veiled" first post). Well done the government.

Have you audited the RFP process and awards criteria? Or is your comment just very wishful thinking?

[Robby nz]

So it seems the Govt indeed has no plan of their own and will rely on plans presented.

I wonder about the term AUCTION does that mean the contract (s) will go to the lowest bidder or will there be consideration to the best and not the cheapest?

And anyway who in the present Govt has the expertise to determine what is best?

As for time frame; useing the past river levels where I live as a guage, if I am correct in the way I see the weather heading they have between 3 and 5 years before another big flood can be expected. However I may well be wrong in that.

[Rancid]

Regardless, the biggest kickbacks will win the deal in the end. This is not of course about water management at all, it is about being seen to be doing something whilst making a nice dollar as well. If it doesn't work then that is just a soundbite for later to a population that has given up listening to crooked politicians generations ago, no one actually cares. Thais get their payment at election time, that is payment for the right to rape the Treasury.

[Familyonthemove]

Can I place a bet on the China company winning the final contract?

[Kitbaikitmah]

Am confused by the term 'farang'..but regardless, thats alot of money up-for-grabs. What a win-win!

Government coffers

'Foreign' scapegoats

Hard currancy kickbacks

Local buisness kickbacks

Watch the news for a sublime location, mobile on redirect, saibai saibai, with Rosettastone 'how much for me' -'safe as houses' -I'll see ya right gov'-'know a mate at half the price'-'da dog is free'.

This guy should be in Wall Street

[Ponbkk]

So it seems the Govt indeed has no plan of their own and will rely on plans presented.

They are checking the full moon charts.

[surangw]

more cousins and mai nois get work

[rubl]

Thai companies are more knowledgeable on Thailand’s geography and water resources channels while overseas firms are experienced and apply technology in water management, the deputy premier said. The foreign companies are based in China, Japan and Korea.

Now this is really new to me, 'foreign firms apply technology'? Being from the Netherlands originally I'm really appalled, apply technology? Since when did sticking a finger in a dyke go out of fashion?

What's next, blaming the weather for too much rain, or a certain Minister who continued from one government into another and who even had the bloody nerve to admit keeping water behind the dams for just a wee bit longer to allow rice harvesting.

[Locationthailand]

A transparent way of doing business it seems and no cry of "corruption" from the usual anti's (yet, and ignoring the "thinly veiled" first post). Well done the government.

The man in charge of this, Plodprasob, is worth nearly a billion Baht; can you tell us how he made that fortune?

On his 130,000 Baht a month salary and like his mentor Thaksin, a far better financial planner than I obviously don't have.

[Ricardo]

Thai companies are more knowledgeable on Thailand’s geography and water resources channels while overseas firms are experienced and apply technology in water management, the deputy premier said. The foreign companies are based in China, Japan and Korea.

Now this is really new to me, 'foreign firms apply technology'? Being from the Netherlands originally I'm really appalled, apply technology? Since when did sticking a finger in a dyke go out of fashion?

What's next, blaming the weather for too much rain, or a certain Minister who continued from one government into another and who even had the bloody nerve to admit keeping water behind the dams for just a wee bit longer to allow rice harvesting.

Allowing a few extra days, to get the crops in-the-ground harvested before they were flooded, made sense.

But holding back extra water for the following irrigated-crop didn't, once it became clear that it was an unusually-wet year, and they would need the ability to mitigate likely-floods by holding-back water, so needing the dams emptier. A fine judgement to be made there.

New technology in water-management is perhaps Khun Plodprasop's brilliant idea, about using moored boats/ships, to reverse the flow of a river in-flood ? Definitely ahead-of-his-time with that one.

Edited February 7, 2013 by Ricardo

[MaxLee]

The government's plan???

Block the water, built flood walls like there is no tomorrow to protect sinking Bangkok at the cost of other provinces, sh****tload on other provinces, and delay the so called Mega projects.

Same bullsh****t as last year, but with different deluding strategy for the public, to make them believe, they really care, when in reality they don't.

And this year it's the early integration of specific foreign companies "other than the Netherlands", companies like Japan or Korea who MIGHT have their own hidden motive to reap any benefits. I mean with Japan it's obvious, they want to protect their cars, with Korea I don't k ow yet, maybe Samsung products, lol????

Everything looks like the Thai government cares ON THE SURFACE, but according to the Bangkokpost, all the Thai ministers are saying is:

"You can propose your ideas, but in the end the Thai expert partners decide. You've got no choice, thanks for coming and contributing to Thailand's National status, aka puting on a SAFE FACE on our Nation, bye."