The new governor of Bangkok, Pol. General Aswin Kwanmuang has pledged to make the city free of floods, traffic jams and security issues.
He stated that as a person he is quick,determined and accurate and he has to achieve favourable results.He is the first police officer ever to take the top job in Bangkok.
Aswin went on to say that floodwaters have to be drained as fast as possible. If floods do hit the city next year, they will have to disappear in no more than five hours.
For the past seven years, Bangkok residents have been holding the former governor responsible for the flooding due to his ineffective administration.
Aswin said that he has already come up with plans to deal with possible flooding during next year’s rainy season.
He also intends to deal with traffic congestion and has held meetings with police, the State Railway, and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration [BMA].
The subject of security is also a major concern and he hopes that with his experience as a police officer who has resolved many high-profile criminal cases, he will be able to clear up many of these issues.
The CCTV system will be improved in terms of quality rather than quantity. There will be no need to buy more.
He added that transparency was also a top priority and that he would not destroy his reputation by getting involved in corruption.
Aswin was one of Bangkok’s deputy governors under the previous administration of Sukhumbhand, who was suspended in August due to his alleged involvement in corruption scandals. These are still under investigation by the appropiate agencies.
He went on to say that he did not want to “dig up the past” and preferred instead to help the two agencies prevent “present and future” cases of irregularity.
A BMA source said: “The new governor is very quick and accessible. Working with him lets us achieve things easily thanks to his clear instructions, goals and high accountability. He has his own backup team and a lot of powerful connections.”
(Source: The Nation, Thailand)