Thailand mulls to review city planning in eastern region

BANGKOK, October 22 (TNA) -- Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi, who chairs the Thai government-appointed Water Management and Flood Prevention Commission (WMFPC), says that city planning in the Thai East needs a big change, following the heaviest flooding in the region in 50 years. Plodprasop acknowledged on Tuesday that current flooding damages in the eastern Thai region reflects the need to review city planning, elaborating that buildings have blocked floodways in many areas, including three latter phases of the Amata Nakorn Industrial Estate and an inter-city motorway, where drains need to be expanded. According to the deputy prime minister, the government plans to improve flood prevention in the Thai East, referring to the construction of new 3-4 new dams, waterway dredging and city planning improvement. The deputy prime minister noted that floods have, however, relieved in many areas in the Thai East, assessing that the situation in the Thai East should return to normal by the middle of next month, when damage will be then estimated. As low-lying Phimai district of Nakhon Ratchasima province in the Thai Northeast has been flooded, Thai Culture Minister Sonthaya Khunploem told journalists, meanwhile, that he has urged relevant agencies to protect the Phimai Historical Park there from flooding. Sonthaya suggested that the compound of the Phimai Historical Park needs a permanent flood prevention system, which will not affect its landscape, saying that he is estimating damage of flooded historical sites nationwide. (TNA)