Governor adds “Rainmaker’ to his titles

PHUKET: Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi revealed today that he has asked the Ministry of Agriculture to “seed” clouds passing over Phuket in order to induce rain. The Gazette understands that the rainmaking, which will be done by dropping chemicals on passing clouds from a helicopter, may start as early as tomorrow (Thursday). Gov Pongpayome explained, “Normally, we should have had about 2,200 to 2,600 millimeters of rain by this time, but this year the figure is only 1,000 millimeters, and there are only two more months in which we can expect rain. “I’d like to see it raining every day and, if we have natural rainfall only in the morning, then we need to induce rain in the afternoon as well, in order to increase our reserves. “My apologies to those who will be affected by rain when they are out and about or in traffic, but we have to think ahead to next year.” He added that, in the long term, the government has already approved the budget to install large water pumps in Klong Bang Yai – which takes the overflow from many tin mines – and pump it into the Bang Yai reservoir. However, this project will take almost two years to complete.