Suchatvee Suwansawat, president of King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), has remained coy over a possible run for Bangkok governor later this year, yet his flood control strategy is the kind of policy upon which campaigns are built.
Early last month Mr Suchatvee suggested a new way to deal with the capital's chronic flood problems by building underground kaem ling (monkey cheek) water-catchment facilities as a long-term solution.
His public discussion of flood-mitigation plans has been viewed by politicians and some university scholars as an indirect expression of his interest in local politics.
Critics believe Mr Suchatvee is ready to throw his hat in the ring and is just waiting for an "invitation" from political parties.
His name has already appeared in media reports among prospective candidates for Bangkok governor. Other names that have so far been mentioned are former transport minister Chadchart Sittipunt, Muang Thai Insurance chief executive and president Nualphan Lamsam, and former deputy Bangkok governor Taya Theepsuwan.
Present governor Aswin Kwanmuang, meanwhile, is believed to be keen on extending his tenure.
Mr Suchatvee on Monday denied such speculation, saying he is happy with his academic job.
On flood management, the university rector and current Bangkok governor Pol Gen Aswin are alike. Their ideas of flood prevention are rooted from the use of underground wells to retain floodwater.
While Pol Gen Aswin called the plan a "water bank", Mr Suchatvee named his initiative "Underground Floodwater BKK", which he nicknamed kaem ling taidin, which means underground flood-retention pond.
The two projects are similar in that stormwater will be siphoned into an underground well and then pumped back out once flood levels have fallen.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is building four water banks.
The first, which recently opened, is under Bang Khen Police Station and can hold 1,000 cubic metres of water, according to City Hall.
Another three water banks will have similar capacities.
Despite the almost identical concept, Mr Suchatvee insists his plan is superior.
"My concept is bigger, which makes it a more sustainable solution," said Mr Suchatvee.
"The city-run water banks can only solve flooding in limited areas because of their small size," he added.
He is already set to propose the first of his kaem ling water-catchment facilities to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
It involves the construction of an underground concrete water tank on land in Benjakitti Park near Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.
The project is projected to cost one billion baht and take two years to complete.
When finished, the underground tank will be able to store up to 100,000 cubic metres of water," Mr Suchatvee said.
The park was chosen because it is the second lowest-lying area in the city after Ramkhamhaeng Road.
Once completed, this kaem ling will relieve flooding in Yannawa, Klong Toey, Watthana and Sathon districts of inner Bangkok, he said.
The idea is part of a study conducted by the Smart City Innovative Research Academy (Scira) at KMITL.
After the first underground pond, Scira's study also recommended the construction of another smaller one -- costing around two million baht -- on either Soi Mahatlek Luang on Ratchadamri Road or under the Prathunam intersection.
Scira's study estimated the economic loss caused by two hours of flooding across half the city can be as high as 500 million baht.