Thai PM calls for trees growing to celebrate Queen’s birthday

BANGKOK, July 7 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has ordered concerned government agencies to speed up growing more trees and constructing weirs in honour of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, who celebrates her 80th birthday on August 12. Yingluck made the instruction Saturday morning when chairing a workshop of authorities concerned on rehabilitating and conserving Thailand's forests and soil, insisting that her government is determined to grow eight million trees nationwide to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s 80th birthday. Yingluck urged every government agency to promote the conservation of forests nationwide and to grow more trees, as advised by Her Majesty the Queen, and local people to also play their role in conserving forests. The prime minister acknowledged that growing trees and building more weirs are necessary and are to be carried out urgently so that Thailand's upstream areas can slow down flows of rain water, telling every concerned government agency to cooperate with each other and complete the task within two months. The prime minister also suggested people living on soft soil and near river or canal banks to evacuate before a water embankment is built by the government. The prime minister's remarks followed a soil erosion incident on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in the central Ang Thong province, damaging some 14 houses. (TNA)