Thai government prepares for floodwaters in 2012

BANGKOK, May 13 (TNA) - The Thai government sharpens rhetoric against entering floodwaters this year, saying the coalition is well prepared for the arriving monsoon period. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong on Sunday said the first lot of loans borrowed by the government for flood mitigation would be disbursed later this month. Part of the 350 billion baht loan would go to the building of floodwalls for seven industrial estates, which took a direct hit from last year’s floods. Kittirat said he also expected the aerial survey jointly conducted with the Japan International Cooperation Agency be completed later this month, which would allow the government to pinpoint areas for retaining excessive water. He said this could involve the government buying back several plots of land from private tenants to open up more reservoirs. (TNA)