Cabinet approves 165 billion Chainat-Pasak-Gulf of Thailand canal

MGR Online•Politics•14d ago

Reader Briefing

The Thai Cabinet has approved the Chainat-Pasak-Gulf of Thailand flood drainage canal project with a budget of approximately 165 billion baht.

•The Cabinet approved the Chainat-Pasak-Gulf of Thailand canal project on September 29.
•The project has a budget of approximately 165 billion baht and a timeline of 8 years from 2027 to 2034.
•The canal will span 135 kilometers and is designed to reduce flood-affected areas by 3.48 million rai.
•Funding is expected to involve foreign loans, requiring negotiation by the Ministry of Finance.

•The Cabinet approved the Chainat-Pasak-Gulf of Thailand flood drainage canal project on September 29.
•The project budget is approximately 165,000 million baht with a planned duration of 8 years from 2027 to 2034.
•The government estimates the project will reduce flood-affected areas by 3.48 million rai and decrease annual damages by 16,930 million baht.
•The project is expected to have a water storage capacity for the dry season of approximately 1,555 million cubic meters.
•The Ministry of Finance must negotiate loans because the project lacks direct benefits to attract private investment.
•Over 2,000 households remain unresolved regarding land expropriation and social impacts.
•Sitang Pilailaa suggests that the project may require water control structures and pumping systems in low-lying areas rather than relying solely on gravity.
•The project is described as a basin-level water management tool but is not a complete solution for Bangkok's flooding, which involves multiple causes.

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Cabinet(ครม.)

The government body that approved the Chainat-Pasak-Gulf of Thailand canal project.

Ministry of Agriculture(กระทรวงเกษตรฯ)ℹ️

The ministry that stated the project would involve foreign loans as part of its funding.

NESDC(สภาพัฒน์)

The organization whose secretary stated the Ministry of Finance must negotiate loans to accelerate the project.

Ministry of Finance(กระทรวงการคลัง)ℹ️

The ministry responsible for negotiating the loans for the canal project.

Royal Irrigation Department(กรมชลประทาน)

The department attempting to complete the Bang Ban-Bang Sai canal by 2028.

Kasetsart University(มหาวิทยาลัยเกษตรศาสตร์)ℹ️

The university where Asst. Prof. Dr. Sitang Pilailaa is an academic.

Thai PBS(ไทยพีบีเอส)ℹ️

The broadcaster of the program 'Tob Jot' where the project analysis was presented.

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration(กรุงเทพมหานคร)ℹ️

The entity whose drainage system is directly related to urban flooding in Bangkok.

Chainat-Pasak-Gulf of Thailand Flood Drainage Canal Project(โครงการคลองระบายน้ำหลาก “ชัยนาท–ป่าสัก–อ่าวไทย”)

A 165 billion baht mega-project spanning 135 kilometers to manage floods and store water.

Bang Ban-Bang Sai Canal Project(โครงการคลองบางบาล–บางไทร)

A 22-kilometer project cited as a lesson in delays due to land delivery issues.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Sitang Pilailaa(ผศ.ดร.สิตางศุ์ พิลัยหล้า)

A water resources engineering academic from Kasetsart University who analyzed the project's topography.

Chainat(ชัยนาท)ℹ️

The starting point of the canal project.

Pasak(ป่าสัก)

A location the canal passes through.

Gulf of Thailand(อ่าวไทย)ℹ️

The destination point of the drainage canal.

Bangkok(กรุงเทพฯ)ℹ️

The city facing flooding issues that the canal is intended to help mitigate as part of a larger system.