KANCHANABURI – Kanchanaburi province has conducted a religious ceremony marking the completion of Ban Mae Lamyai housing units which accommodate former riverside residents of the Khwae Yai River, as they started the removal of houses by the river, and relocated houseboats into a permanent docking spot. All 60 new housing units will be officially delivered to villagers by the Prime Minister in another ceremony on 11th November 2019.
The Governor of Kanchanaburi Jirakiat Bhumisawasdi today presided over the housing and houseboats regulation campaign to help residents along the banks of the Kwai Yai river, where the abbot of Wat Thewa Sangkharam temple Phra Kitti Suwattanaporn anointed the new houses on Ko Rattanakan Island with sacred paste for good fortune.
After the religious ceremony, volunteers and officials began the removal of houses beside the Khwae Yai, where former residents have already started relocating to 60 newly constructed housing units in six buildings. The housing complex was named Ban Mae Lamyai, after the name of a volunteer Lamyai Siriwetchaphan who provided food and water to volunteering construction workers. The complex comes equipped with all utilities, fences, and access roads.
Meanwhile, about 100 tourism houseboats have been moved to Khlong Bueng Bua Canal, which is now a permanent docking spot. However, some duplex houseboats were too high to be moved to the new location, so they’ll be docked at another designated spot in the near future.
The Kanchanaburi governor said today that this regulation is a D-Day action against houses and houseboats trespassing on the river and its surroundings, and to regulate houseboats to maintain orderliness. He said the effort has been successful thanks to cooperation from all sectors, all of which have the same intention – to solve the issue and develop Kanchanaburi province further.
He said the initiative is not just a short-term fix, but rather a permanent shift to improve tourism attractions and the scenery of Kanchanaburi province.
