The Cabinet has approved over 11 billion baht to underground electricity cables in four cities in order to boost tourism, Thai News Agency said today (Feb.14).
Kobsak Phutrakul, assistant minister to the Prime Minister’s Office said that the Cabinet approved a total of 11.668 billion baht for the Provincial Electricity Authority to implement a pilot project to underground power cables in four cities with these being Chiang Mai’s Muang District, Nakhon Ratchasima’s Muang District, Pattaya and Songkhla’s Hat Yai district.
The power agency would also have to build transmission stations both above and below ground to improve the flow of power supply and decrease blackouts.
The government’s aim is to improve the landscape of these cities so that they become even better tourist destinations on par with globally-important tourist centers which have already moved these unsightly cables underground.
Of this amount 8.750 billion baht will be borrowed within the country with the rest being drawn from the Provincial Electricity Authority’s income, Mr Kobsak added.
Once this pilot project is completed in these four cities it will be expanded to eight other cities in keeping with the 12th National Economic and Social Development Plan to develop the country’s basic infrastructure.
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Top: Street power lines in Chiang Mai. Photo: Iwan Gabovitch (CC-BY2.0)
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