Thai Cabinet approves 108 billion baht water development projects

[webfact]

Cabinet approves 108 billion baht water development projects



BANGKOK: -- The cabinet on Tuesday approved a total investment of over 108,000 million baht for the implementation of more than 4,000 water resource development projects.

The projects are divided into six categories: water for consumption, 12,795 million baht; water for agro industry, 70,599 million baht; watershed rehabilitation and prevention of soil erosion, 677 million baht; flood prevention, 16,870 million baht; water quality improvement, 1,718 million baht and 5,610 million baht for water management.

Mr Lertviroj Kowattana, director-general of Irrigation Department, said that all the projects – if successfully implemented – would rehabilitate 47,000 rai of forested land, prevent 675,000 rai of land from soil erosion and ensure that 3,491 villages will have sufficient water for consumption.

Also, 150,000 farming households will benefit from the scheme and 2.91 million rai of farmland will be irrigated.

(Photo : ThaiPBS file)

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/cabinet-approves-108-billion-baht-water-development-projects


-- Thai PBS 2014-12-31

[webfact]

Gen. Prayuth to launch speedy implementation of water management projects

BANGKOK, 31 December 2014 (NNT) – The Prime Minister has pledged to implement water management projects to help the country better handle both flood and drought.

Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is also the chief of the National Council for Peace and Order, said that the Cabinet has started reviewing Thailand’s water management plans, which are expected to be implemented from 2015 to 2026.

Gen. Prayut said that more than 10,000 projects have been designed while their funding will come from both the government budget and additional sources which are yet to be decided.

The Prime Minister added that any implementation of these projects should be transparent while any plan that is worth more than one billion baht will be joined by international organizations.
He went on to say that the government is determined to promote transparency in its administration of the country.


-- NNT 2014-12-31

[Gsxrnz]

That means that if they manage to cull the corruption, they're getting roughly 130 Billion worth of value in the old money.

It's a shame he said "if successfully implemented". He should probably have said "when". I hope that was a translation error.

Edited December 31, 2014 by Gsxrnz

[worgeordie]

This will make some people very happy ,if you get my drift.

regards Worgeordie

[chainarong]

Whatever spiel there is to this one , it can't be any worse that Yingluck's flood mitigation programme, this is more important to the blue collar Thai than any high speed train heading North to Beijing , it would have been nice to see water development more highly prioritized, however .

[hansgruber]

Mercedes Benz Thailand must breathe a sigh of relief when projects like this get approved.

[Tuskfish]

Mercedes Benz Thailand must breathe a sigh of relief when projects like this get approved.

Yep for sure!

And the real estate agents too I bet!

[kotsak]

Another hole in the water.. and an expensive one as usual..

[kotsak]

Mercedes Benz Thailand must breathe a sigh of relief when projects like this get approved.

Yep for sure!

And the real estate agents too I bet!

and the side hoes as well

[rickirs]

"... their funding will come from both the government budget and additional sources which are yet to be decided."

For any project over Bt1 billion the government will be looking for additional outside funding. Why and how much? I don't see the transparency nor do I see the urgency for government funds to be spent immediately to get these projects started for the sake of economic growth. The Junta has about three more months (half the fiscal year) for actual construction start of planned projects if the investments mean anything for the economy in 2015.

[rubl]

"... their funding will come from both the government budget and additional sources which are yet to be decided."

For any project over Bt1 billion the government will be looking for additional outside funding. Why and how much? I don't see the transparency nor do I see the urgency for government funds to be spent immediately to get these projects started for the sake of economic growth. The Junta has about three more months (half the fiscal year) for actual construction start of planned projects if the investments mean anything for the economy in 2015.

Why and how much? Probably because only so much is budgeted in the National Budget and third party involvement is appreciated.

Now you complain about the government doing anything. If they don't do a thing you'll probably start to grumble about that

[tullynagardy]

Now you complain about the government doing anything. If they don't do a thing you'll probably start to grumble about that

Unlike you, who cheers when they don`t do anything, and cheers when they don`t. Make no mistake about it, this military lead junta is just the best government in the history of civilisation in your eyes.

[rubl]

Now you complain about the government doing anything. If they don't do a thing you'll probably start to grumble about that

Unlike you, who cheers when they don`t do anything, and cheers when they don`t. Make no mistake about it, this military lead junta is just the best government in the history of civilisation in your eyes.

Clearly a misunderstanding on your part.

This government has nothing to do with either Dutch people or Dutch uncles

[millwall_fan]

If this were true, it would be good news, even given that most of the money would be spent in Greater Bangkok, but without any independent scrutiny or even investigative journalism to verify whether a) there is any scheme at all or just the Dictators thoughts about what should/could/ought to happen, b ) it is not a scheme like all others to net the initiators a large cash sum or c) hopelessly unrealistic and

unfull-fillable, how are we to know if this is good news or not?

Edited December 31, 2014 by millwall_fan

[vijer]

So lets do some simple math

108 billion budget 108

less 30 percent operational inefficiency (32)

less 30 percent for using 1000 year old designs. (32)

less 40 percent for sponges (not used to absorb water) (43)

-----------

actual amount spent on real water projects 1

That's about right based on history

rice scheme farmers benefited = none

one tablet scheme students benefited = none