Ex-Thai leader Thaksin drawn to Korean-type anti-flood program

Thailand’s ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra said Wednesday he has taken lessons from Korea’s mega river project for his own country’s flood prevention mechanism.

The 62-year-old fugitive former leader embarked on a two-day tour on Tuesday to sites that have been refurbished under the 22 trillion won ($19.1 billion) program to ratchet up water security, flood control and beauty in the basins of Korea’s four main rivers ― the Han, Geum, Yeongsan and Nakdong.

Thaksin is the older brother of the current Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. He resides in exile in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and faces two years in prison for corruption upon return.

His visit coincides with the Thai government’s plan to draw up reliable measures to stave off the Southeast Asian country’s chronic flood problems, which left more than 600 people dead and millions of homes devastated. Seoul officials value the project at 32 trillion won.

“The primary goal of our renovation scheme is to preclude flood damage,” Thaksin said in Yeoju, some 105 kilometers east of Seoul on the South Han River.

“We would not be able to revamp our rivers as beautifully as those in Korea given a lack of funds but we need to inject as much money as we can.”

His remarks could pave the way for the Lee Myung-bak administration’s ambition to transfer its technology to revamp river basins as it struggles to calm persistent criticism over the feasibility of the costly project and its possible impact on wildlife conservation.

Officials at the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs are pinning high hopes on Thailand as a potential first partner. Prior to Thaksin, Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul visited Seoul and discussed collaboration with Seoul officials.

“The ministry and the Korea Water Resources Corp. has been looking with the Thai government for ways to overhaul Thailand’s flood control regime and share our experience and know-how,” the ministry said in a statement.

Other countries including Morocco, Paraguay, Malaysia and Vietnam are looking to embrace Korea’s techniques for their own river restoration programs, said Shim Myung-pil, chief of the Office of National River Restoration under the ministry.

“Water security is a global issue since climate change has likely caused extreme weather events including droughts, floods and water shortages even in advanced countries,” Shim told The Korea Herald last month.

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)