Page 10 - :: สมุดภาพกรมทางหลวง เล่ม ๒ ::

Foreword

On April 1st, 1912, the Department of It is thus admirable that the Department of
Ways was established as an office in the Ministry Highways gives much value on preserving records

of Public Works. From its origin as the Department of its work, on museum work and other preservation
of Canals, Ministry of Agriculture, it has since of memories. A building and an area were thus

developed through its 112 years of history, to today. set up as a museum, preserving vehicles and
With ever-increasing responsibility and tools that were used to construct roads and
manpower, it later became Department of highways. Books, printed matters, as well as
Highways, an office of considerable importance objects pertaining to the Department are also

in the Ministry of Communications, with its office collected, so the development of the Department
on Sri Ayutthaya Road. could be studied.
Department of Highways thus considers A budget is also set aside for the publication

April 1st as the Department’s establishment day. of annual reports, as well as Thang Luang
Put briefly by Mr Sarawut Songsiwilai, Samphan, a journal that is regularly published
Director-General of the Department of Highways, as print as well as e-journal. These publications
the Department is an agency in the Ministry of are easily accessible by anyone, so future

Communications, which is in charge of National generations of the Department staff or the general
Highways, Motorways, and Concession Highways. public can study how the Department deals with
The Department designs and builds not its work, its problems, and its solutions to those

only highways, but also bridges, which altogether problems. For instance, during the 1950s – 1970s,
connect cities and towns, within the Kingdom of Communism spread its influence over Thailand,
Thailand as well as with those of the neighboring leading to casualties of not only the Department
countries, facilitating travel, tourism, transportation of Highways’ staff, but also civil servants, military

of goods and services, as well as increasing personnel, police, as well as the civilians, who
opportunities for trade and investment. Highways suffered injuries and death. It took so much

bring forward cooperations, which drive regional dedication and selflessness from the Department
growth in economy. In total the Department of of Highways’ staff to overcome this situation, so
Highways is in charge of more than 1,500 highways, that nowadays people move around the Kingdom
with a combined length of 53,000 kilometers. comfortably.

8 I 8