The government will go ahead with the building of the Kaeng Sua Ten dam in Phrae and the Mae Wong dam in Nakhon Sawan and will no longer listen to opponents, Science and Technology Minister Plodprasop Surasawadi said on Sunday.
Mr Plodprasop was speaking in Phichit province on the last day of a three-day tour of flood-prone provinces to see the progress of flood prevention projects and latest situation.
He said floods have continued to ravage provinces in various river basins because of the people's opposition to the planned construction of Kaeng Sua Ten dam and Mae Wong dam.
"I would like to announce loudly today that this government has a policy to build these two dams for sure. We will no longer yield to the voice of opposition.
"However, the government will stick to the principle of not causing trouble to the people and everything to be done must be allowed by the constitution and the law," Mr Plodprasop said.
As for Phichit province, the government has a plan to dredge the old Phichit River for a distance of 127 kilometres, from Ban Dong Setthi in Muang district of Phichit to Pho Thale district to connect the Yom River in the North with the Nan River in the South as proposed by Pheu Thai Party list MP Sunee Luangwichit.
He said this would be carried out in fiscal year 2013.