Sinking of aquatic weed-collecting boat at Kiu Lom Dam goes viral
The sinking of a prototype aquatic weed-collecting boat in Lampang has gone viral on social media, as local residents claimed that the boat had never been put into actual use.
The vessel was the result of a Royal Irrigation Department (RID) project to commission a prototype boat for collecting floating aquatic weeds, through an electronic bidding process with a total contract value of 76.84 million baht.
On December 19, 2023, officials from the department's Kiu Lom-Kiu Kho Ma water delivery and maintenance project underwent training on the boat’s operational system. This activity was also publicised on the agency’s official website.
Following the online uproar, Nipon Sriwilai, senior irrigation engineer, took the press to view the sunken boat on Monday. The site of the sinking is near Sampao Thong Village in Chae Hom district.
The boat was found to be covered in mud, having been submerged for an extended period. The current low water levels at the dam have made the boat’s condition clearly visible.
Nipon explained that the prototype boat was developed to tackle the dense aquatic weed problem in the Kiu Lom and Kiu Kho Ma dams. The RID’s Office of Research and Development brought the vessel in for trial weed-collection operations at Kiu Lom Dam in December 2023.
He confirmed that the office had planned to hand over the boat to the Kiu Lom Dam authority, pending a thorough inspection by the dam director prior to formal acceptance.
However, on September 21, 2024, the area experienced heavy rainfall and strong winds. As a result, the boat was later found submerged in the dam. The incident was reported to both the RID’s Office of Research and Development and the private company involved.
At first, we intended to retrieve the boat immediately, but the murky water made it impossible to locate. So we agreed to wait until the water level dropped, Nipon said. Once the water receded, we notified the relevant departments and jointly inspected the site — but it ended up making the news before that process was complete.
Regarding the cause of the sinking, Nipon said it remains under investigation by the responsible authorities. He noted that the day the boat sank, the area was experiencing severe weather conditions. At the time, staff were also focused on monitoring water discharge from the dam, as Lampang province was experiencing major flooding.
Visually assessing the condition, Nipon expressed hope that the boat could likely be repaired and returned to operational status.
