The army is using rubber to repair roads in the far South under plans to help local growers.
Deluge of support: Narathiwat flood victims carry relief bags and images of His Majesty the King from the Rajaprajanugroh Foundation.Photo: WAEDAO HARAI
During a visit to the region yesterday, Deputy Defence Minister and army chief Udomdej Sitabutr said he would inspect the progress of the project to fix roads using rubber mixed with asphalt.
The mixture will be used to repair 37 roads in the region.
The idea for the scheme was floated after rubber farmers in the South demanded government intervention to shore up falling market prices.
The farmers said the current oversupply of rubber should be used in new and versatile ways, to create more demand in the market and lift prices.
Gen Udomdej said 10 roads have so far been repaired using the mixture, although the work has been hampered by rain. The repairs are being carried out on instruction from the government, he said.
On Friday, Prime Minister Prayu Chan-o-cha used his weekly televised address to acknowledge fierce competition among rubber producing countries.
He said the rubber price had fallen because countries in the region are now growing rubber trees at low costs.
Gen Udomdej meanwhile reaffirmed that the authorities have control of the security situation in the three southernmost provinces.
There have been fewer violent incidents in the far South this month compared to the same time last year, he said.
Gen Udomdej said a briefing from relevant officials yesterday had boosted his confidence about the security situation in the far South.
He said he told the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4 Forward Command to tighten cooperation with other security agencies and make necessary preparations to prevent violent attacks before and during the upcoming holidays.
Isoc has also been ordered to conduct stringent security surveillance, especially in municipal and key economic areas.
As part of the visit, Gen Udomdej toured flooded areas in Pattani and was updated on military assistance provided to flood victims.
In Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat, a sergeant major was found dead after being swept away in the Sungai Kolok River during a mission to evacuate flood-hit residents on Wednesday.
The body of Charnnarong Malichuen was found in the Munoh Kolok area, about seven kilometres from where he fell in the water.