Page 19 - :: สมุดภาพกรมทางหลวง เล่ม ๒ ::

Department of Highways : A History

Department of Highways, Ministry of Transport, is in charge of the construction, supervision,
restoration, and maintenance of all highways, motorways, national highways, as well as concession highways,

ensuring that Thailand has a convenient and safe highway transportation network, furthering national progress
in economy, society, administration, as well as security.
On April 1, 1912, H.M. King Vajiravudh established the Department of Ways under the Ministry

of Public Works, as announced in the Royal Gazette:

The Royal Proclamation
Re-Organizing and Changing of the Name of
The Ministry of Public Works

And the Establishment of the Royal Arts Department

His Majesty King Vajiravudh graciously declared that, since the Ministry of Public Works is
a major ministry in charge of post and communications, as well as the construction of highways and
waterways, in order to facilitate travel and trade between the city of Bangkok and provincial cities and

towns, amongst those provincial cities and towns, as well as between the Kingdom of Siam and the
neighboring countries, which would contribute greatly to the progress of Siam. At present, however,

the internal organization of the ministry is not well-ordered enough, with overlaps of responsibilities,
so there is an urgent need to re-organize the Ministry of Public Works. Accordingly, His Majesty

orders that the Department of Canals shall be moved from the Ministry of Agriculture to the Ministry
of Public Works. Renamed as the Department of Ways, the new department will be responsible for

the construction of highways and waterways for transport. The policy on the construction of irrigating
canals for agricultural purpose, however, remains under the aegis of the Minister of Agriculture.
The implementation of the policy should be done by the new Department of Ways. The Department

of Public Works shall no longer be under the Ministry of Public Works. A part of the building
and construction section should be put under the Local Sanitary Department, Ministry of Local

Government. The fine arts section shall be joined with the Royal Museum Department, formerly of
the Ministry of Public Instruction, and called the Royal Arts Department, headed by a director who

reports directly to the King, who can select anyone to be the Department Director at any time as he
sees fit. At present he graciously chooses His Royal Highness Prince Krom Phra Nares Varariddhi,

who is going to be the Minister of Privy Seal, to be also the Director of the Royal Arts Department.
The re-organized Ministry of Public Works should be responsible for the planning and

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