PM inspects flood prevention projects in Thai old capital

BANGKOK, July 19 (TNA) - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Friday led her cabinet ministers to inspect flood prevention projects in Thailand’s old capital of Ayutthaya province. On the second day of her two-day tour to central Thai provinces, Yingluck visited an embankment project at Wat Phananchoeng Worawihan temple, located by the Chao Phraya River. The construction of the 148-million-baht embankment is set to be completed within this year. So, far 69 percent of the structure has been built. The prime minister, then, visited a 14-kilometers section of Bang Pain-Ayutthaya Road which has been elevated and functioned as an embankment. It is part of the government’s 350-billion-baht water management and flood prevention scheme. Yingluck said the elevated road would help protect downstream and important economic areas including industrial estates in Ayutthaya from flooding. Ayutthaya was among provinces hardest hit by the 2011 mega flooding in Thailand. Meanwhile, the Thai Cabinet on Friday approved a development budget for 4 provinces in the upper middle region. Prime Minister's Office Deputy Spokesperson Phakdeeharn Himathongkam said each of Ayutthaya, Nontaburi, Pathum Thani, and Saraburi province would be given a development budget worth 100 baht. He said the budget would be used to finance water gateways maintenance, canal dredging, constructions of buildings and tourist attractions, cultural tourism development and constructions of dams and OTOP centres. (TNA)