Anutin orders study on flood-retention basins around Bangkok
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul instructed the Department of Public Works to study water retention basins around Bangkok, confirming existing budget availability.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- PM Anutin Charnvirakul ordered a study on building retention basins around Bangkok
- The initiative follows a proposal by MP Atthawit Suwanpakdee from the United Thai Nation Party
- The project aims to tackle both floods and droughts, with government budget secured
At 09:48 on October 7, 2026, at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul discussed water management strategies. He stated that retention basin concepts are integral to the Royal Irrigation Department's policies, and he plans to assign the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) to study potential area expansions.
This directive followed a presentation on October 6 by Atthawit Suwanpakdee, a party-list MP from the United Thai Nation Party, regarding retention basin projects surrounding Bangkok. Consequently, Mr. Anutin instructed the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning to evaluate whether they have the direct jurisdiction to implement this project. If feasible, the government is fully prepared to execute it immediately.
"We are trying to make everything serve as both a drainage receiver and a water storage source, because once the flooding situation ends, the dry season begins, which is something that must be done. I emphasize that we are accelerating the study."
Anutin Charnvirakul
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The Prime Minister further clarified that Mr. Atthawit's proposal specifically targets areas encircling Bangkok. Meanwhile, nationwide water retention projects are already part of the Royal Irrigation Department's existing plans, implemented in cooperation with provincial and local administrative bodies with full government backing.
The monkey cheek (Kaem Ling) retention basin concept originates from the royal initiatives of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and remains vital for mitigating urban flooding in the capital. Translating parliamentary suggestions into immediate bureaucratic studies highlights the administration's urgency in confronting climate variability and managing the volatile transition between monsoon floods and dry spells.
Source: Khaosod Politics
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