Bhumibol Dam

#100TravelTips Bhumibol Dam is a concrete arch dam and the first multi-purpose dam in Thailand. It was originally called Yanhee Dam. Later, on July 25, 1957, His Majesty the King granted the name of the dam as Bhumibol Dam. The dam is the only concrete arch dam in Thailand and Southeast Asia. And it is ranked 8th in the world, blocking the Ping River at Khao Kaew, Sam Ngao District, Tak Province. The reservoir can hold up to 13,462 million cubic meters of water. His Majesty the King laid the foundation stone for the construction on June 24, 1961. The initial construction consisted of the construction of the dam, the power transmission system, and the power plant building, which installed generators 1-2 with a capacity of 70,000 kilowatts each, and were able to supply electricity on May 17 and June 15, 1964, respectively. Later, His Majesty the King opened the dam on May 17, 1964. Later, generators 3-6 with a capacity of 70,000 kilowatts each were installed, and generator 7 with a capacity of 115,000 kilowatts was installed, and was able to supply electricity on May 11, August 9, 1967, October 25, August 19, 1969, and October 18, 1982, respectively, in order to extend the life of the generators to 1988. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand therefore improved the generators, Units 1-2, increasing their production capacity by another 6,300 kilowatts each, and were able to supply electricity in November 1992 and November 1993, respectively. The improvement of Units 3-4 had the same production capacity as Units 1-2, and was completed and was able to supply electricity to the system in February and August 1997, respectively. In addition, in 1991, EGAT installed the 8th pumped storage generator with a production capacity of 171,000 kilowatts and constructed the lower Mae Ping Dam, which was able to supply electricity to the system in January 1996, making the Bhumibol Dam hydroelectric power plant have a total installed production capacity of 779.2 megawatts as of May 17, 2002. It can provide irrigation benefits to an area of ​​up to 10 million rai per year. The reservoir above the dam can store 13,462 million cubic meters of water, with a surface area of ​​approximately 300 square kilometers. The length of the river from the dam to Hot District, Chiang Mai Province is 207 kilometers. In addition to its benefits in terms of electricity and irrigation, the Bhumibol Dam is also a place for recreation. And it is a breeding ground for freshwater animals. ##Visit Tak Province