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Other Royal Projects.
This sampling of royal-initiated projects reflect the ingenuity of His Majesty the King of Thailand.


Accompanied by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, His Majesty the King surveying Makkasan pond for data on wastewater treatment
(June 8, 1983).
Dredging of Canal and Disposal of Water Hyacinth in the Lower Part of the Chao Phraya River Basin
Dredging of Canal and Disposal of Water Hyacinth in the Lower Part of the Chao Phraya River Basin is part of an attempt to expand the size of water detention and to slow down the water during high sea tide and to accelerate the water draining into the sea during low tide. This is an integral part of the "Detention Project" covering the distance of 1,296 kilometers and distance of water hyacinth of 906 kilometers or 10,925 rai (2.5 rai = 1 acre) Eight provinces are covered under this project including Ayudhya, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Bangkok, Chachoengsao, Samut Prakarn, and Samut Sakhon. For the implementation of this project, key agencies including Royal Irrigation Department, National Security Command, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Office of Accelerated Rural Development and the Public Works Department have been mobilized to dredge the canals, and dispose of the water hyacinth. The State Railways of Thailand will construct rail opening to accelerate the water flow along the eastern railway line between Hua-Mark station and Chachoengsao Province. The office of the Royal Development Projects Board will be the coordinating agency for this project.

Experimental Study of the Detention Project and Agricultural Development under the New Theory

Wat Mongkhol Chai Pattana, Tabon Khao Din Pattana, Amphoe Muang, Sara Buri Province.


Plan of the Pilot Project of the "New Theory" at Wat Mongkhol Chai Pattana.
    The Chaipattana Foundation in cooperation with the Royal lrrigation Department, Department of Fisheries, Cooperatives Promotion Department, Land Development Department, and the Asian Institute appropriate sites for the study, taking into account impacts on the social side, on investment cost, and particularly on income generation for the people. These sites may be broadly divided into four sections. The first is for breeding snappers, the second is for waste water treatment, the third serves as detention area and the remaining land, filled with soil excavated from the third area, seven as residential area, agricultural purposes or animal husbandry. Currently, AIT is undertaking detailed design and cost estimates which should be completed by
First stage
(1) Putting it in a nutshell : it is a procedure for the farmer who has a small plot of land (about 15 “rai”).
(2) Main point : It is to enable the farmer to achieve self sufficiency, beginning with frugal existence. This also demands solidarity in the community.
(3) The production of sufficient yearly consumer rice requires 5 “rai” of paddy land per family. This is the important feature of this theory.
(4) For the above production, water is required at the rate of 1,000 cubic meters per “rai”. Thus, five “rai” will require 5,000 cubic meters. For each plot of land (15 “rai”), five “rai” of paddy land and five “rai” of farmland (=10 “rai”) will require 10,000 cubic meters of water per year.
This tentative formula has been set up :
  • Paddy land : 5 “rai”. Farm crops and orchard 5 “rai”.
  • Farm pond, 4 meters deep, holding about 19,000 cubic meters. (19,200) : 3 “rai”.
  • House and other uses : 2 “rai”.
    Total 15 “rai”.
    (5) The most serious difficulty is : A reservoir or a pond which is filled only once a year, will suffer an evaporation rate of approximately one centimetre for each dry day. It means that in one year, supposing that there are 300 dry days, the level of the water will subside 3 meters (in this case, 3/4 of 19,000 cubic meters, leaving only 4,750 cubic meters of usable water). Outside water supply will be required so that there is enough water.
    (6) Supplementary water supply is required. For the Wat Mongkhol Chai Pattana Project, a water reservoir with a capacity of 800,000 cubic meters has been constructed, which has to serve an area of 3,000 “rai”.
    (7) The 800,000 cubic meter reservoir itself will be sufficient for only 800 “rai”. (The Wat Mongkhol Chai Pattana Project has a scope of 3,000 “rai”, divided into 200 plots of land.)
    The reservoir will serve only 4 “rai” per plot of land. The farm pond in each plot of land serve 4.75 “rai”. It can be seen that it is somewhat precarious, (4.75 “rai” + 4.00 “rai” = 8.75 “rai”) if one considers that while 8.75 “rai” can be fully cultivated, the other 6.25 “rai” must be left to the whims of heaven. But if one considers that, in the periods when irrigation water is not needed or when it rains, the rain water can be stored in the reservoir and the farm ponds, in reserve for use in due time; the reservoir and the farm ponds act as rain water regulators. It follows that this system should provide enough irrigation water.
    (8) Another big problem is the rather heavy initial expense.
    The farmer will need external assistance. (The government, the Foundation and private funds) But the routine expenses will not be heavy for the farmers.
    The Chai Pattana Foundation, 15 March 1994.
    Second Stage
    After the successful establishment of the “Demonstration Center” at Wat Monkhol Chai Pattana and the extension at the “Disco track”, the farmers began to understand the method of operation and requested that it should be extended to their own plots of land. When concrete results have been obtained, the “Second Stage” has to be initiated.
    It consists in having the farmers consolidate themselves in the form of “groups” or “co-operatives”. Activities of the “Groups” :
    (1) Production : (Seeds, land tilling, irrigation, etc.)
    (2) Marketing : (rice drying courts, barns, rice milling machine, marketing of the products)
    (3) Livelihood : (krill paste, fish sauce, food, clothing, etc.)
    (4) Welfare : (health, credits)
    (5) Education : (school, educational scholarships)
    (6) Social work and religion
    These activities are done with the co-operation of the government, the foundation and private enterprises.
    The Chai Pattana Foundation, 12 February 1995
    Third Stage
    The co-operative will approach a credit source (bank) and a fuel source (oil company) for the establishment and running of a rice mill (2), of a co-operative store (1,3), for credits (1,2), for the elevation of the standard of living (4,5,6).
    All this will benefit both the farmers as well as the bank and the company.
    : The farmers sell rice at a good price (the price will not be cut) ; the bank and the company will get consumer rice at a low price (they buy paddy rice directly from the farmers and will mill it themselves.) : (2)
    : The farmers buy consumer goods at a low price (it is a co-operative store buying goods at wholesale price) : (1,3)
    : The bank and the company will be able to redistribute their personnel.
    The Chai Pattana Foundation, 13 February 1995


    A model of the "New Theory".

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