RID and Japan implement Paditch for smart water management

Thansettakij•Economy•18d ago

Reader Briefing

The Royal Irrigation Department is implementing Paditch smart water gates and AI technology to optimize irrigation and increase crop yields in Thailand.

•The Royal Irrigation Department partnered with Japan Irrigation and Drainage Institute (JIID) to develop Paditch smart water supply outlets.
•Pilot projects in Lampang and Kalasin provinces since 2024 showed significant increases in rice yields.
•The system integrates AI, satellite data from Sentinel-2, and IoT to shift from supply-based to demand-based water management.
•A second phase of high-level agricultural land consolidation is planned for 2026-2030.

Overview

•The Royal Irrigation Department is transitioning to Smart Water Management using Paditch technology, AI, satellites, and IoT to address climate volatility and water instability.
•The Royal Irrigation Department installed 20 Paditch units in 2024, with 10 units in Lampang at the Kiew Lom Dam area and 10 units in Kalasin in the Kamalasai district.
•In Lampang, rice yields increased from 400-500 kg per rai to 600-800 kg per rai, while in Kalasin, yields increased from 700-800 kg per rai to 1,000-1,200 kg per rai.
•Paditch reduced the time for water to reach downstream farmers in Lampang from 4-5 days to just 1 day.
•The Royal Irrigation Department utilizes Sentinel-2 satellite data to monitor crops and collaborates with the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) using the Ag-Tima system for rainfall prediction.
•Combining land consolidation with smart water management can increase water delivery efficiency to farmers to approximately 60-70%, compared to only 30% in traditional systems.
•The Royal Irrigation Department plans to expand the project to Khon Kaen and Suphan Buri provinces between 2026-2030.
•The Royal Irrigation Department is collaborating with Japan to develop a Thai version of Paditch to reduce costs from the current 50,000-60,000 baht per unit.

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Key Quotes

Sarayuth Nguthip

"The key concept is to change from managing water based on what is available to managing it according to the actual needs of the area, with Paditch being a tool that helps make water distribution more precise."

แนวคิดสำคัญคือเปลี่ยนจากการจัดการน้ำตามที่มีอยู่ ไปสู่การจัดการน้ำตามความต้องการจริงของพื้นที่ โดย Paditch เป็นเครื่องมือที่ช่วยให้การกระจายน้ำมีความแม่นยำมากขึ้น

Key Entities

Organization

Royal Irrigation Department(กรมชลประทาน)

The government agency implementing smart water management and land consolidation in Thailand.

Japan Irrigation and Drainage Institute(สถาบันการชลประทานและการระบายน้ำแห่งประเทศญี่ปุ่น)

The Japanese organization collaborating with the Royal Irrigation Department to develop Paditch technology.

National Science and Technology Development Agency(สำนักงานพัฒนาวิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยีแห่งชาติ)ℹ️

The agency providing the Ag-Tima system for rainfall prediction to the Royal Irrigation Department.

Person

Sarayuth Nguthip(ศรายุทธ งูทิพย์)

Director of the Engineering Division, Central Land Consolidation Office, Royal Irrigation Department.

Place

Lampang Province(จังหวัดลำปาง)ℹ️

A pilot area for Paditch implementation at the Kiew Lom Dam.

Kalasin Province(จังหวัดกาฬสินธุ์)ℹ️

A pilot area for Paditch implementation in the Kamalasai district.

Khon Kaen Province(จังหวัดขอนแก่น)ℹ️

A target area for the expansion of the land consolidation project between 2026-2030.

Suphan Buri Province(จังหวัดสุพรรณบุรี)ℹ️

A target area for the expansion of the land consolidation project between 2026-2030.

Kiew Lom Dam(เขื่อนกิ่วลม)

The specific area in Lampang where Paditch was implemented to solve downstream water delivery delays.

Lam Pao Dam(เขื่อนลำปาว)

The dam associated with the RMC canal in the Kalasin pilot area.