Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra got her hands dirty, and her lips wet, in Kanchanaburi this week as she toured rural groundwater development projects aimed at solving Thailand’s ongoing water crisis.
Yesterday, June 9, the Thai premier made her first stop at the Royal Initiative Project on Groundwater Supply in Ban Pak Chat Nong Bua, located in the Nong Fai subdistrict of Lao Khwan district. There, she received a briefing from the Department of Groundwater Resources on the project’s progress, including a close look at tools used for groundwater detection and boring operations.
Inspecting the water purification process first-hand, the 38 year old PM even sampled the treated groundwater and declared it was just as good as bottled water.
“There was no smell at all,” she said, adding that the quality was impressive. Her public show of confidence came as residents eagerly filled up gallon containers to take clean water home.
The 14.85 billion baht project, launched under a royal initiative, is designed to bring reliable and clean groundwater to communities historically plagued by water shortages.
According to PM Paetongtarn, it has already benefited over 100,000 families in Lao Khwan alone, cutting costs for both drinking water and farming.
“The government has allocated a significant portion of the economic stimulus budget to water supply initiatives,” adding that clean water is a long-term investment in people’s quality of life.
After reviewing the groundwater project, the prime minister continued her visit to the Ban Nong Bua Hing Project in the Huai Krachao district. There, she met with locals to hear feedback on the region’s ongoing drought and water supply issues, reported Bangkok Post.
In response to concerns about high electricity bills, a key hurdle in pumping and purifying water, PM Paetongtarn announced that the government had green-lit a budget to install solar panels in the area. The move is expected to slash electricity costs and support more sustainable water access.
The story Paetongtarn backs clean groundwater in drought-hit Kanchanaburi as seen on Thaiger News.
