Bangkok Council Votes to Cut Budget for 145 Electric Water Trucks
Bangkok's city council voted to cut funding for 145 electric water trucks after councillors raised concerns about insufficient charging infrastructure and undersized batteries for the planned fleet.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Council voted 26 to 19 on September 15 to cut the budget for leasing 145 electric water trucks after councillors challenged the project's specifications and implementation timeline. Governor Chatcahti defended the initiative as a historic first for Bangkok in environmental protection and urban services.
The project involves 145 six-wheeled electric water trucks with 6,000-liter tanks and high and medium-pressure spray systems, budgeted at 4.326 million baht for the current fiscal year. Councillor Suthichai Veerakulsuantor, who opposed the spending, raised concerns including insufficient charging infrastructure—only 45 chargers for 145 vehicles—and undersized batteries at 120 kilowatts for vehicles carrying 6-ton water loads. He argued that empty-vehicle testing does not reflect real operational demands including energy consumption under full load.
Suthichai also questioned project delays and timeline violations. The bidding occurred on February 2, 2025, with the winner announced March 18, with a contract value of 759.771 million baht. The technical requirements set a 180-day bid validity period ending September 13, 2025, but the Environment Department did not call the winning bidder to sign the contract within the deadline and has not secured a time extension from the contractor. The special committee held the majority vote to retain the original budget despite these concerns.
