The year 2011 should have been another year of celebrations, as His Majesty reached an auspicious milestone, his 7th cycle (84th) birthday. However, His Majesty’s frail health, and his concern for the plight of his people as a result of the floods was apparent in his Grand Audience at the Grand Palace when His Majesty appeared in a wheelchair, and gave a speech, referring to his own pilot projects on water management. “The water projects I have discussed are only suggestions, not orders,” he remarked, referring to the Monkey Cheek project amongst others. “But if the projects are beneficial and cost-effective, please implement them.”
While still in hospital, His Majesty held meetings with the prime minister and members of the Strategic Formulation Committee for Water Resource Management (SCWRM) who reported to His Majesty on the progress of flood control measures, while His Majesty would offer his suggestions, as he has always done. Deforestation and greed was partly to blame for the great floods, cautioned His Majesty. He encouraged the planting of mixed forests which would provide lumber, edible produce as well as water absorption from the deep roots.
The committee also proposed flood mitigation projects based on His Majesty’s concepts given during the previous floods of 1995 when he indicated that excess floodwater should be diverted to natural floodways in the eastern and western parts of Bangkok and quickly drained out into the sea.
With His Majesty to show the way, the government soon implemented the Monkey Cheek concept in the Thung Makham Yong project in Ayutthaya province. The Thai public were more than overjoyed when His Majesty the King, accompanied by Her Majesty the Queen and HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, made a trip to Ayutthaya in May 2012, His Majesty’s first trip upcountry in three years, to inspect the royally-initiated project which would help to store water for use in the dry season and ease flood problems in the rainy season.
A few months later, in July, the royal group travelled by river to the Royal Irrigation Department head office in Samsen district, to officially open – via remote live broadcast - five royally-initiated water catchment projects, namely the Khun Dan Prakan Chon Dam in Nakhon Nayok, Khwae Noi Bam Roong Dan Dam in Phitsanulok, Payang Bhumipat water tunnel in Kalasin, Thoranit-Narumitr Water Gate in Nakhon Phanom and Uthokvibhajaprasid Water Gate in Nakhon Si Thammarat.