Lookin ok now
looks like this unprecedented natural disaster has peaked, and things will start to improve over the next few days
Lookin ok now
looks like this unprecedented natural disaster has peaked, and things will start to improve over the next few days
Looks like it will end up "not as bad as feared"- although try telling That to Chi and many thousand other people. The government/ Bangkok governor duo did a much better job of keeping people realistically informed the last few days than their previous debacles, at least.
Not the worst case scenario it seems, but you cant really be happy with the "management" of this crisis surely?Originally Posted by sabang
The management from both the Government and the BMA has been reasonable considering what they had to work with. It would have been much easier if there was a functioning disaster management plan in place with properly trained emergency services rather then using the military.
^I largely agree with this though IMO, for an event of this scale and spread, the military would always be required to assist in any country I can think of - they have the available manpower, the logistics, the heavy equipment and (hopefully) the command structure. That does not equate to putting them in charge.Originally Posted by DroversDog
Tucked away in the detail of the reports, there are many pointers to a helluva lot (not all) getting done when and where needed - to an extent that I admit I didn't expect. I'm struck by a line in David Lyman's comment piece (https://teakdoor.com/thailand-and-asia-news/97694-the-politics-behind-thailands-floods-8.html#post1919596):
"One of my secretaries once told me long ago that Thais are not known for being good planners but they are fabulous at coping."
Elsewhere in that piece, he also makes the point about a bewildering array of bodies (agencies, ministries, governors etc) that have overlapping responsibilities - and, one assumes, therefore overlapping authorities..... not to mention the political factors. Even with the management mis-steps (mostly in the area of communication) recounted/discussed at length elsewhere, it still seems to me surprising - and a relief - that things have not turned out far worse.
And, sure, it's not over yet.....
.
“.....the world will little note nor long remember what we say here....."
I am not saying that the military should not be involved. They should only be called on to add manpower when required. Unfortunately in Thailand they do the role of emergency services which they are largely untrained for.
With the size of the Thai military it is surprising that they don't have more resources involved then they currently have.
Episode 4
Uploaded by roosuflood on Oct 29, 2011
Lets not forget that most of these will be run by a self absorbed little emperor with two major obsessions, growing their empire and never putting themselves in a position where they would be held accountable for anything. It bedevils the whole government infrastructure.Originally Posted by SteveCM
Where the fvck is Noah when he's needed?
Get over the high tide in the next 24 hours and the situation will improve measurably.
Expect even more glowing accollades for Yingluk and her Coalition government from the United Staes of America administration.
What a gutsy efficient focused leader the newly democratically elected Prime Minister has so quickly grown into, everything that looser absit wasn't.
You cant argue with that
Wow, the Bangkok Post actually was somewhat muted today in its criticism of the Prime Minister and her government."Floods Peak, Defenses Hold" was the Post's main headline. And, they almost got to the point where they kind of agreed that the PM was doing a creditable job. The editor did a fair and balanced report also. I guess maybe they are coming to the conclusion that PM Yingluck is doing the best possible job in the worst of situations. If anyone thinks it's easy to manage a flood of this magnitude they had better think again. In many other third world nations floods of this size kill thousands and sometimes hundreds of thousands of people. 400 people killed is 400 too many. But, come on. That many people probably die on a good day from diseases in Thailand. Once this disaster is over the rebuilding and refurbishing will begin. Everyone will pitch in. The engineers, having learned from this, will implement structural changes to better deal with floods in the future. Life will go on. Even the people who despise PM Yingluck politically or otherwise will have to admit that she is worthy of being Prime Minister. I wish her the best as she and the country go forward.
Episode 5
Uploaded by roosuflood on Oct 31, 2011
^Whilst these videos are great, the quite bit of this advice isn't very practical for those poor souls who live day to day to the point they have to buy their food daily. This crisis have been a real eye opener to just how many people around the where I live fall into this catagory.
^BTW you raised before the question of whether the government had anything to do with producing these. A couple of days back I came across a reference to the idea and execution all being the product of an animation studio - off their own bat as it were. Sorry, I can't recall the source now; if I come across it again, I'll post it.
^ Saw another reference today.....
Confused About Thailand
Confused About Thailand’s Floods? Watch the Blue Whales
November 1, 2011
By Newley Purnell
...
The series, called “Roo Su Flood” (literally “know, fight flood”), was organized by 26-year-old Thai filmmaker Kriangkrai Vachiratamtorn. He assembled what he calls the ” Roo Su Flood Group,” which consists of volunteer animators and others with technical skills. Mr. Kriangkrai says the group worked with a Thai public broadcasting channel and flooding experts to ensure accuracy.
Asit Wangsuekul, 26, who helped Mr. Kriangkrai assemble the group, says that their intention was to use the volunteers’ background in mass communications to provide level-headed advice to cut through the disparate messages coming from the TV and the Web. The videos focus on facts, rather than “attitudes,” to “generate calmness,” Mr. Asit said in an email.
...
They seem to have done that in spades. The government media could learn a thing from them.Originally Posted by SteveCM
for sure. everything from 'will i be flooded' to 'oh shit i'm flooded what do i do' is pretty much covered in a few short clips. I come off the back of them a hell of a lot calmer than i do after reading the news updates..Originally Posted by OhOh
Bangkok Post : Development that leads to destruction
COMMENTARY
Development that leads to destructionThe huge road in front of the Government Complex on Chaeng Wattana Road used to be a dirt road sandwiched by two canals full of lotus flowers under the shade of tall raintrees.
The area where the Government Complex now stands used to be a massive swamp that held water during heavy rains, prevented flooding and provided nearby neighbourhoods with all sorts of fish and freshwater vegetables.
All around were ricefields that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Nimit Warawan, 66, was born here. So was his father, now 97. Never once in their lifetimes had they seen their Thung Song Hong sub-district north of Bangkok submerged under water. Not even in 1995, when Bangkok experienced severe flooding. Until this year, that is.
"When I was little, the high waters came and went within a day or two. It flowed to the lower ground on the other side of the Prapa Canal and travelled quickly through the web of waterways into the Chao Phraya River," he recalled.
"This year is really strange. The higher ground in Thung Song Hong is heavily flooded while the low-lying areas remain dry. This is certainly not natural," he said.
The rapid transition of rural Thung Song Hong into a city centre mirrors Bangkok's unregulated growth that has destroyed the old web of waterways. His observation of the "unnatural" course of the flood water also strikes a chord with many. They do not blame Mother Nature for the country's worst flood in recent memory. For them, we are reaping what we sow.
"It is our poor urban planning that has destroyed the swamps and waterways. It is also our selfishness that has made things much worse."
The flood chaos has revealed that each community, each business, each individual has been intent on building protective dykes which obstruct the waterways and increase the water's ferocity when the dykes breaks. Worse, where the floodwater goes is often dictated by politics on different levels.
When they feel they have had enough, the affected communities rise up to stop what they perceive as flood mismanagement.
The result is that communities on different sides of the dykes clash with one another. As the floods approach Bangkok with the government's plan to sacrifice outlying areas to save the inner city, the clashes are increasingly between the communities and central authorities, both from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Royal Irrigation Department.
The latest involves the residents at Klong Sam Wa in northeastern Bangkok. After suffering for over a month, they want to open the watergate to release the stagnant water. Now the BMA is blaming Klong Sam Wa for triggering the deluge in the capital. Obviously there is now an easy scapegoat for the flood management fiasco.
"Bangkok is set to face many more bad floodings. We can't go on like this," said Nimit.
"We need to accept this new reality. We need to make Bangkok a city where excess water has ways to go into the river and to the sea without any blockades _ the way it used to be."
And that should be done without transferring one's suffering onto others, he stressed.
He wonders who will listen to an old man like him.
I met Nimit when he was using his passion for making bead necklaces to teach flood victims at the evacuation centre in the Government Complex.
"It help calms their troubled minds. If they are good at it they can make a living from it too," he said.
He did not turn up at the centre on Monday. He was busy evacuating his family from his flooded home.
"But I will go back once my family is safe. Thung Song Hong is my home. I want to help people in trouble in my area," said the former village head.
Nimit's desire for a more flood-friendly Bangkok might not be heard. But one thing is certain. Along with other volunteers, Nimit is sharing his big heart to help make life a little more bearable for the victims. In a time of hardship, that is what counts most.
Sanitsuda Ekachai is Assistant Editor, Bangkok Post.
Email: sanitsudae[at]bangkokpost.co.th
Poorly planned development can cause all sorts of problems anywhere in the world.Originally Posted by SteveCM
Maybe this is the time for the Thais to think about "planning for the future" not today.
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