BANGKOK, March 21 – Thailand’s first amphibious vehicle to brace for floods was unveiled by a leading university in Bangkok on Wednesday.
Nine students of King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang jointly built the prototype amphibious vehicle after the 2010 massive floods that severely affected Thailand.
Suchatvee Suwansawat, dean of the Faculty of Engineering, said the vehicle, named “Matchanu”, can transport two persons at a maximum weight of 250 kg and move through floods at a speed of 18 km/hour for a distance of 25 km.
The three-wheeled vehicle can also run against the tide at a speed of 5-8 km/hour. It can move forward and backward.
The assembly cost for each unit is Bt200,000. It can be made for recreational or tourism use.
The dean said the university has an ambitious plan to produce the amphibious vehicle for commercial purposes.
