Cabinet approves funds for repair of drought-hit roads

BANGKOK, 3 February 2016 (NNT) – The Cabinet has resolved to allocate 451 million baht to the Department of Rural Roads in a bid to carry out road maintenance in drought-affected areas.

Following the weekly Cabinet meeting, Minister of Transport Arkhom Termpittayapaisith made known that the Cabinet agreed to a proposal to acquire an additional loan of 451 million baht in order to fund the Department of Rural Roads’ projects to develop the land transport system.

With 39 projects in total, there are two main work plans, consisting of the improvement of roads linking farmland and tourist destinations and the improvement of those linking border checkpoints and special economic zones. Most of the roads scheduled to be repaired were damaged by the severe drought over the past year.

In regard to aviation, the Cabinet acknowledged a plan to hire an organization specialized in issuing licenses to new aviation operators under a budget of 185 million baht. The plan is to be given more details and will be presented to the Cabinet again next week.


-- NNT 2016-02-03

Is a drought-hit road in the same category as a flood-hit road?

Are the roads failing because they are dry? Somehow I droubt it.

Is this why the same section of dual carriageway in my area is being repaired for the second time in less than a year ?

"the Cabinet agreed to a proposal to acquire an additional loan of 451 million baht in order to fund the Department of Rural Roads’ projects to develop the land transport system."

More deficit spending. What's the point of having a rubberstamp parliament approving the government budget when the regime then just uses loans (treasury bonds?) and unilaterally moves funds internally to whatever is Prayut's project focus of the moment?

Seriously, the cabinet in its budget submittal for FY 2016 didn't think about road maintenance needed in drought-affected areas? One thing predictable about an annual drought is that it occurs annually. The Thai taxpayer has carried growing the military budgetary budren since 1933. Perhaps it's time for the military to cash out some of its own assets and cut its own operating costs to meet the Nation's needs.