The Transport Ministry is looking at ways to raise the height of three main bridges over the Chao Phraya river so boats will find it easier to pass under them during the rainy season.
Mind your head: The Transport Ministry wants to investigate raising the Memorial and two other Chao Phraya bridges as their clearances are below standard in the rainy season.
Transport Minister Prajin Juntong has instructed the Marine Department to consult with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration on how to raise the Memorial Bridge, the Krung Thon Bridge and the Nonthaburi Bridge.
The bridges need to be at least 5.6m above water, a standard clearance. However, during the rainy season when the level in the Chao Phraya river peaks, the Memorial Bridge is only 4.7m, the Krung Thon Bridge 5.1m, and the Nonthaburi Bridge 5.3m above water at their highest clearance.
Freight and passenger transports become a problem for some tall boats. Boat operators have complained of difficulty getting past the bridges.
ACM Prajin said he has assigned deputy permanent secretary for transport Chartchai Thipsunawee to study the feasibility and engineering methods of raising the three bridges.
The minister said authorities must ask operators to lower the height of their boats as well. "It's about meeting half way."
But historical preservation is another concern for the government.
Marine Department director-general Chula Sulmanop said raising the height of the bridges requires careful consideration because the three bridges hold historical value.
He was particularly concerned for the Memorial Bridge, which has the lowest clearance among the three bridges and causes the most problems for boats during the three-month rainy season beginning each August.
The department chief ruled out demolishing the bridges and insisted other options must be studied, such as banning freight boats with empty cargo holds. They must carry some consignments heavy enough to push them down below the spans.
Lighter boats ride higher on water and have run into problems passing under the bridges.
Mr Chula said the three bridges are primarily steel, and raising them will require precise calculations of the strength of the beams and their weight-bearing
abilities. He said the operation may also involve expanding the areas connected to the bridges, which could mean stripping people of their land.