Celebration funds will go to flood wall: BMA
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Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will cancel a sound and light show planned for Father's Day so it can put the Bt30-million budget toward building a permanent flood embankment along Mahasawat Canal next year, a senior official said yesterday.
BMA clerk Charoenrat Chutikan said the flooding had caused extensive damage and badly affected people, especially those living in western Bangkok, where there was no permanent flood embankment.
The crisis and HM the King’s concern about the situation prompted the BMA to cancel the light and sound show, aimed to celebrate the King’s 84th birthday, from December 5-11, at the Grand Palace. The funds would be transferred to build the flood barrier in western Bangkok.
An informed source at the BMA said the celebration would scaled down to a grand merit-making ceremony at Sanam Luang in the morning, which would cost Bt5 million to organise. The rest of the funds would go to repair flood damage and building the 6km-long Mahasawat canal embankment from Taling Chan to Thawee Wattana. It would cost Bt35 million all up. The canal has a temporary 3m-high sandbag embankment at present.
