Bt1.6 bn needed for religious sites

PM’s Office Minister Surawit Khonsomboon, who oversees the National Office of Buddhism, yesterday disclosed that the restoration of this park alone would require more than Bt800 million.
Spanning more than 2,500 rai, this park is widely seen as an icon of Buddhism. Thousands of Buddhists gather here for candle-lit processions around the Giant Buddha Statue on every important Buddhist day.
“We need another Bt800 million for other temples damaged by the floods,” he said.
This year’s flooding is considered to be the worst to hit the country in decades. To date, a senior irrigation official has estimated that a large part of farmland in Ayutthaya province was still under more than 850 million cubic metres of water.
“We hope the area will have dried out by early next year,” Ayutthaya Irrigation Project chief Maitree Pitinanont said.
The flooding has also seriously hit Bangkok, with many city residents lodging complaints against the government for mismanaging the situation.
Ombudsman Siracha Charoenpanij yesterday disclosed that his office had already established a working panel to determine whether flooding in Bangkok could be considered a disaster, whether it was a result of the government’s mismanagement or if relevant officials/authorities were negligent.
“I sit on the panel, too, and will answer people’s questions before the end of this month,” he said.
According to him, the panel has already summoned water experts such as the Royal Irrigation Department’s director-general Chalit Damrongsak and a former chief of the department Pramote Maiklad to gather information.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Warning Centre yesterday warned about rough sea conditions off the South’s eastern coast along Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla, Phatthalung, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani.
“All boats should avoid going out to the sea,” it said.