135km canal planned to fight central plain flooding

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia
A man commutes on a makeshift raft from his flooded house in Phanom Sarakham district of Chachoengsao in 2018. (File photo: Sonthanaporn Inchan)
A man commutes on a makeshift raft from his flooded house in Phanom Sarakham district of Chachoengsao in 2018. (File photo: Sonthanaporn Inchan)

The Irrigation Department plans an 80-billion-baht canal through five provinces to mitigate flooding in the lower Chao Phraya river basin.

Pichet Ratanaprasartkul, the department’s director for engineering and architectural design, said the new canal would stretch 135 kilometres from tambon Roeng Rang in Sao Hai district of Saraburi to tambon Klong Song in Bang Pakong district of Chachoengsao.

The new canal would link the Pasak River and the Gulf of Thailand, speeding up flood drainage in the rainy season with a maximum drainage rate of 600 cubic metres of water per second. It would also contain about 57.4 million cubic metres of water for consumption during the dry season, Mr Pichet said.

The canal would run through 11 districts of five provinces: Saraburi, Ayutthaya, Nakhon Nayok, Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao. The total canal area would cover 16,305 rai, the director said.

There would also be two 10-metre-wide roads along both banks of the canal.

Land expropriation for the project was estimated to cost about 20 billion baht and the construction of the canal and relevant buildings would cost about 60 billion baht, Mr Pichet said.

The Irrigation Department will propose the project to the cabinet after finishing a detailed design, he said.

Continue Reading

135km canal planned to ease central plain flooding

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia
A man commutes on a makeshift raft from his flooded house in Phanom Sarakham district of Chachoengsao in 2018. (File photo: Sonthanaporn Inchan)
A man commutes on a makeshift raft from his flooded house in Phanom Sarakham district of Chachoengsao in 2018. (File photo: Sonthanaporn Inchan)

The Irrigation Department plans an 80-billion-baht canal through five provinces to mitigate flooding in the lower Chao Phraya river basin.

Pichet Ratanaprasartkul, the department’s director for engineering and architectural design, said the new canal would stretch 135 kilometres from tambon Roeng Rang in Sao Hai district of Saraburi to tambon Klong Song in Bang Pakong district of Chachoengsao.

The new canal would link the Pasak River and the Gulf of Thailand, speeding up flood drainage in the rainy season with a maximum drainage rate of 600 cubic metres of water per second. It would also contain about 57.4 million cubic metres of water for consumption during the dry season, Mr Pichet said.

The canal would run through 11 districts of five provinces: Saraburi, Ayutthaya, Nakhon Nayok, Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao. The total canal area would cover 16,305 rai, the director said.

There would also be two 10-metre-wide roads along both banks of the canal.

Land expropriation for the project was estimated to cost about 20 billion baht and the construction of the canal and relevant buildings would cost about 60 billion baht, Mr Pichet said.

The Irrigation Department will propose the project to the cabinet after finishing a detailed design, he said.

Continue Reading

Huge majority believe truck sticker bribe scandal is real: poll

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia
A big truck stops at a weigh station on Highway 347 in Muang district, Ayutthaya province, on June 7. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)
A big truck stops at a weigh station on Highway 347 in Muang district, Ayutthaya province, on June 7. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)

Both truck operators seeking convenience and police – who allow trucks to breach the legal weight limits in return for bribes – are responsible for the overloaded truck bribe-sticker scandal, according to an opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.

The poll was conducted on June 6-7 by telephone interviews with 1,310 people aged 18 and over of various levels of education, occupations and incomes throughout the country to compile their opinions on the scandal.

The criminal activity, said to have been prevalent for 20 years or more, was brought to light by Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, a Move Forward party list MP-elect, who said overloaded trucks with special stickers were not detained, nor were their drivers ever arrested.

A majority, 82.90% of the respondents, believed most of the trucks were loaded beyond the legal weight limits, 11.45% did not think so and 5.65% were uncertain when asked to comment on the reported highway bribery.

Of the respondents who believed the bribery did exist and those who were uncertain (1,160 in total), when asked why the trucks exceeded the legal weight limits – with each allowed to give more than one answer – 73.36% said they did so to cut costs; 63.19% said they did so to gain advantage; 27.07% said they did so because the legal weight limits were unrealistic; and 0.09% had no answer or were not interested.

Asked whether they believed the bribe-sticker reports, 86.10% said “yes”; 13.52% said “no”; and 0.38% had no answer or were not interested.

Asked what led to the existence of highway bribery, with each respondent allowed to give more than one answer, 75.55% said the truck operators were willing to pay for convenience; 75.11% said the law enforcers were seeking their own advantage; 26.13% said the legal weight limits were unrealistic; and 0.35% had no answer or were not interested.

Asked whether they believed the highway bribery problem would be solved, a slim majority – 51.46% – said “no”; 48.19% said “yes”; and 0.35% had no answer or were not interested.

Continue Reading

2 Russians killed in Pattaya car accident

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia
Rescuers examined the badly-damaged Toyota Altis that crashed into a palm tree on the medial strip of Sukhumvit road in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, on Sunday morning. Two Russian nationals, a man and a woman, were killed in the accident. (Photo: Chaiyot Pupattanapong)
Rescuers examined the badly-damaged Toyota Altis that crashed into a palm tree on the medial strip of Sukhumvit road in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, on Sunday morning. Two Russian nationals, a man and a woman, were killed in the accident. (Photo: Chaiyot Pupattanapong)

CHON BURI: Two Russian nationals – a man and a woman – were killed after a car they were travelling in crashed into a palm tree on the median strip of Sukhumvit road in Bang Lamung district early on Sunday.

Pol Capt Cholwit Athipansee, a Muang Pattaya police duty investigator, said the accident was reported to the police station at about 5am.

Police, accompanied by medics and rescuers, rushed to the spot on the Sattahip-bound side of Sukhumvit road opposite Soi Sukhumvit Pattaya 87 (Soi Nong Krabok) in tambon Nong Prue.

They found a Bangkok-registered Toyota Altis had smashed into a palm tree on the median strip. The car was badly damaged and its parts scattered all over both sides of the road.

Rescuers forced open the car with hydraulic jacks and moved a man and a woman, who were then still alive, out of the wreck. The two died later from serious injuries. The woman was later identified as Valeriia Khimich, 18, the driver, and the man Gleb Solovev, 23.

As they were no eyewitnesses, police examined the scene and were checking footage of security cameras in the area to establish the cause of the accident.

Continue Reading

Two Russians killed in Pattaya car accident

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

CHON BURI: Two Russian nationals – a man and a woman – were killed after a car they were travelling in crashed into a palm tree on the median strip of Sukhumvit road in Bang Lamung district early on Sunday.

Pol Capt Cholwit Athipansee, a Muang Pattaya police duty investigator, said the accident was reported to the police station at about 5am.

Police, accompanied by medics and rescuers, rushed to the spot on the Sattahip-bound side of Sukhumvit road opposite Soi Sukhumvit Pattaya 87 or Soi Nong Krabok in tambon Nong Prue.

They found a Bangkok-registered Toyota Altis had violently crashed into a palm tree on the median strip. The car was badly damaged and its parts scattered all over both sides of the road.

Rescuers forced open the car with hydraulic jacks and moved a man and a woman, who were then still alive, out of the wreck. The two died later from serious injuries. The woman was later identified as Valeriia Khimich, 18, the driver, and the man Gleb Solovev, 23.

As they were no eyewitnesses, police examined the scene and were checking footage of security cameras in the area to establish the cause of the accident.

Continue Reading

Yellow Line adds 9 stations to trial run, extends operating hours

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

The Yellow Line monorail service will add nine more stations and extend its operating hours to between 6am-8pm during a trial run period from Monday.

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) has evaluated the trial run which started early this month on 13 stations with Eastern Bangkok Monorail (EBM), the concessionaire, and the project consultant, and decided to add nine more stations.

The free rides on the line, which comprises 23 stations, will from Monday cover 22 stations. Lat Phrao Station is still not open as some work is still under way.

The line’s operating hours will also be extended to 6am-8pm to take passengers during the morning and evening rush hours. Currently the trains run every 10 minutes, with operating hours from 9am to 8pm daily. With a maximum speed of 80km/h, the monorail holds four carriages that can carry up to 568 passengers each, or about 17,000 per hour. Travel time is around 30 minutes from end to end.

The line, covering a distance of 30.4km, interchanges with other city trains such as the MRT, BTS and Airport Rail Link. It is expected to help ease congestion on Srinakarin Road and Lat Phrao Road. Soon the Yellow Line will be connected to the Orange Line via Yaek Lam Sali Station.

The Yellow Line is expected to begin commercial operations next month, with fares ranging from 15 to 45 baht.

Continue Reading

Land Dept to probe SRT title deeds

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

Dispute over Buri Ram plots drags on

The Department of Land (DoL) will set up panels to investigate land documents for plots of land totalling 5,083 rai in the Khao Kradong area of Buri Ram’s Muang district following a land dispute between two departments, according to a source.

The DoL has set up committees under Section 61 of the Land Code as instructed by the Central Administrative Court, DoL director-general Chayawut Chanthorn informed the court recently.

The panels are investigating the legitimacy of land documents and revoking those that were issued for plots of land in the Khao Kradong area that belong to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), the source said.

There are 772 documents to be examined initially, 396 of which are land title deeds and 376 land use documents.

Of the land documents, 12 land title deeds amounting to 179 rai in total, are said to belong to the Chidchob family, a powerful political clan in the province that has several businesses on the land, including the Buriram International Circuit and a 32,600-seat football stadium.

The move follows the March 30 ruling by the Central Administrative Court in a dispute between the DoL and the SRT.

The SRT, which seeks to reclaim its land in the Khao Kradong area, filed a petition with the court in September 2021 accusing the DoL of malfeasance for issuing land papers to people who illegally occupied its land.

It demanded the DoL revoke the documents and remove all people from the area after the Supreme Court said the rail agency owned the land.

The Central Administrative Court ruled in the SRT’s favour, ordering the DoL to work with the SRT in examining the boundaries of Khao Kradong. In the complaint, the SRT also demanded the DoL pay about 700 million baht in compensation, but the request was rejected by the court.

After the court ruling, the DoL said it accepted the decision but would consider whether to appeal. It also insisted it would revoke the land title deeds if any were illegally issued. The SRT appealed the compensation ruling to the Supreme Administrative Court last month, according to the source.

Continue Reading

‘Man o’ war’ yet to surface despite reports

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

There were no signs of the Portuguese man o’ war yesterday on Phi Phi Islands in Krabi, despite media reports that it had surfaced, a parks chief said.

Ratchanok Phaenoi, chief of the national marine park overseeing the archipelago, said a survey was conducted following news about the highly venomous hydrozoan being found at some beaches in neighbouring Phuket.

Staff failed to find the man o’ war (Physalia physalis), but would stay on alert due to the potential danger they pose to tourists, said Ms Ratchanok.

The Portuguese man o’ war has venomous microscopic nematocysts which deliver a painful sting powerful enough to kill fish and has been known to occasionally kill humans.

Found mainly in the Pacific Ocean, the man o’ war is sometimes found in Thailand during the southern monsoon, said Ms Ratchanok.

Continue Reading

Yellow Line adds nine stations to trial run, extends operating hours

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

The Yellow Line monorail service will add nine more stations and extend its operating hours to between 6am-8pm during a trial run period from tomorrow.

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) has evaluated the trial run which started early this month on 13 stations with Eastern Bangkok Monorail (EBM), the concessionaire, and the project consultant, and decided to add nine more stations.

The free rides on the line, which comprises 23 stations, will from tomorrow cover 22 stations. Lat Phrao Station is still not open as some work is still under way.

The line’s operating hours will also be extended to 6am-8pm to take passengers during the morning and evening rush hours. Currently the trains run every 10 minutes, with operating hours from 9am to 8pm daily. With a maximum speed of 80km/h, the monorail holds four carriages that can carry up to 568 passengers each, or about 17,000 per hour. Travel time is around 30 minutes from end to end.

The line, covering a distance of 30.4km, interchanges with other city trains such as the MRT, BTS and Airport Rail Link. It is expected to help ease congestion on Srinakarin Road and Lat Phrao Road. Soon the Yellow Line will be connected to the Orange Line via Yaek Lam Sali Station.

The Yellow Line is expected to begin commercial operations next month, with fares ranging from 15 to 45 baht.

Continue Reading

Organic law probe could doom Pita

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

Cases against MFP leader mount

The Election Commission (EC)’s decision to investigate Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat over whether he had violated the organic law on the election of members of parliament may lead to many senators voting against his bid for the prime minister post, according to a former commissioner.

The EC decided to conduct the inquiry on Friday over whether Mr Pita had applied as a list-MP candidate despite knowing he may not have been eligible to run for a House seat. It did so on the same day it decided to no longer accept complaints over Mr Pita’s alleged iTV shareholding offence.

“The EC’s decision to pursue this criminal case against Mr Pita, although it may not be made final in time [for the prime minister selection process], is enough an excuse for many senators who intend not to vote for Mr Pita to justify their move,” said Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, former EC commissioner.

Worse still, he said, Mr Pita’s share-holding case could still be filed with the Constitutional Court if at least 50 MPs or 25 senators signed a court petition against his premiership bid, he said.

“Heavier weapons are being transported into this warzone, meaning the 151 anti-aircraft guns are just the beginning,” he said, apparently referring to the EC’s inquiry into whether Mr Pita had violated Section 42 (3) and Section 151 of the organic law on the election of MPs.

Deputy Pheu Thai leader Sutin Klungsang echoed Mr Somchai’s opinion that a number of senators will use the inquiry as a reason to not vote for Mr Pita when selecting a PM. “Those senators will cite uncertainties surrounding Mr Pita’s future as the next PM as a reason not to support him,” he said.

However, regarding speculation that Pheu Thai may form a coalition without the MFP should Mr Pita fail to win enough support to become prime minister, Mr Sutin said such a decision would have to be discussed among all eight potential coalition partners, not just Pheu Thai alone.

To prove whether Mr Pita is guilty of violating Section 151 of the organic law will be more difficult than deciding whether he is eligible to contest the election because of his iTV Plc shareholding, said Sodsri Sattayatham, another former election commissioner. The sentence for violating Section 151 carries a more serious penalty, she said.

Those found guilty face 10 years in prison, a fine of up to 200,00 baht and a ban from voting in elections for 20 years, she said.

Violating Section 151 is a criminal offence, and a final ruling may take about a year, she said. However, while awaiting the final ruling, Mr Pita’s political opponents can still petition the House speaker to seek a Constitutional Court ruling on Mr Pita’s alleged ineligibility to contest the election, she said.

Jade Donavanik, former adviser to the Constitution Drafting Committee, urged the EC and the court to speed up Mr Pita’s case, saying if their decision is only known after he becomes PM, the situation will become even more complicated.

However, he admitted that deciding whether Mr Pita had violated Section 151 of the organic law is something new in Thailand’s judicial process.

MFP list-MP-elect Rangsiman Rome also viewed the EC’s inquiry into Mr Pita’s alleged violation of the organic law as an attempt to prevent the MFP from forming a new government.

Ratsadorn leader Arnon Nampa warned that if Section 151 is used as a tool to derail Mr Pita’s future as PM, his supporters will protest in the streets.

Continue Reading