Thread: The politics behind Thailand's floods

Bangkok Post : Pathum Thani governor gets transferred

Pathum Thani governor gets transferred

• Published: 26/10/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

The cabinet yesterday approved an Interior Ministry proposal to abruptly transfer Pathum Thani governor Pirasak Hinmuangkao to the position of inspector-general at the ministry.


Pirasak: Sent to work at Interior Ministry

Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit said Kachornsak Singtokul, deputy director-general of the Provincial Administration Department, has been appointed acting Pathum Thani governor.

He said there should be no problem for Mr Kachornsak in assuming Mr Pirasak's duties since he has formerly served as the chief of many districts.

Mr Yongyuth said he had not yet considered whether to transfer the governors of other flood-hit provinces.

He declined to explain Mr Pirasak's transfer. He said only that Mr Pirasak had performed his duties to the best of his ability.

Mr Pirasak yesterday said he did not regret being transferred, saying he had done his best as governor. He also posted a farewell message at the provincial hall, thanking Pathum Thani people for their cooperation in fighting the floods there.

"I have been transferred to work at the Interior Ministry starting today. Anyone who needs help please contact the acting provincial governor. I'd like to thank you for your cooperation in fighting the floods and hope that Pathum Thani will get through this hard time soon," Mr Pirasak said in the message.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said he was surprised by the transfer since Mr Pirasak had done what he could considering the circumstances.

Mr Abhisit called on the government to cooperate with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to speed up draining water to the east, control the price of consumer goods, and look for more places to shelter flood victims.

In Pathum Thani, overflow from Khlong 6 canal in Thanyaburi district yesterday flooded several state welfare centres on Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok road, forcing officials to evacuate children, women, the disabled, homeless, the elderly and those with mental illnesses to the second floor of the centres' buildings. Floodwater was about 80cm to one metre high.

The welfare centres have been facing a shortage of food after most areas around them were inundated. The centres have called for food and drinking water for children, the disabled and people under their care.
In Nonthaburi, the entire tambon of Bang Si Thong in Bang Kruai district was inundated.

Most residents yesterday evacuated from their flooded houses after Bangkok Noi canal linking the Chao Phraya River burst its banks late on Monday night, sending water from the canal into homes and onto roads in tambon Bang Si Thong. Bang Kruai-Sai Noi road, a major road in Bang Kruai district, was at least 50cm under floodwater. In some areas, floodwater rose to more 90cm, making it impassable to small vehicles.

Wanchai Wancharnwej, chairman of tambon administration organisation in Bang Si Thong, said the entire tambon had been flooded. More than 200 residents took refuge at the community's savings cooperative building. Others who were stranded in their homes wanted to be evacuated but the tambon did not have enough boats to get them out.

Mr Wanchai called for boats and trucks to help evacuate people in the area.

Niwat Rungsakhon, chief of Nonthaburi's Bang Yai district, yesterday said several flooded communities were plagued with foul smells and mosquitoes, prompting the district to ask for Effective Microorganisms balls to fight the smell.

Even this national disaster is being used as a political weapon - The Nation

guest column

Even this national disaster is being used as a political weapon

Pavin Chachavalpongpun October 26, 2011 10:00 am


Such a stupid bitch, she is!

As dim as a buffalo! She's a bimbo, a brainless Barbie doll. The first female prime minister - who has brought all this bad luck upon the country!

This is what Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is now called and labelled by her upper-class critics.

Much of Thailand has for some time been submerged under floodwaters. Bangkok itself is bracing for raging floods. Soon, the capital could be turned into a giant swimming pool. At the same time, Yingluck is about to drown in the political floods. This is no longer just an issue of natural disaster. It has become a ferocious political game.

The discourse of "stupidity" is being used prevalently and discursively. Yingluck has been made to represent the face of stupidity. The objective is clear - to discredit her and belittle her endeavours to find solutions to the problem.

In employing this discourse to assess Yingluck's performance, many seem to assume that Thai politics is the realm of the "intelligent". But if it is so, then why did past leaders also fail to solve the relentless problem of annual floods once and for all?

If Yingluck is to be judged, then perhaps the word "weak" would be better used to measure her leadership qualities. It is true that Yingluck has responded to the floods too slowly. While she works tirelessly to display her commitment, she fails to produce an integrated approach to ameliorate the grave situation. But it is very convenient, in times of crisis, to condemn others. All fingers are thus pointing at Yingluck's lack of crisis management skills.

But would it be fair to put all the blame on Yingluck? Should she alone be held responsible for the overpowering floods? Why was the Royal Irrigation Department keeping huge reserves of water in key dams at the beginning of the monsoon season and refused to release it despite the prolonged and massive rainfall we have seen during this monsoon season? Why did previous governments, which also experienced threatening floods, not put in place an effective flood management system?

Rumours, lies and false statements regarding the flood situation have been found on social networking sites. A picture of Yingluck, taken before the July election, which shows her taking a photo from her hand-phone on a helicopter, has been circulated on Facebook, with captions such as: "The nation is in crisis but this bitch is having a good time." Another picture of a Yingluck lookalike partying and drinking whisky from a bottle was also shared in cyberspace.

<needed to snip a bit>

Could this be a part of a coordinated attack against Yingluck with the aim of destroying confidence in the government? Certainly, the opposition Democrat Party has been busy contesting the legitimacy of the Yingluck regime. Its leader, former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, absurdly suggested the declaration of an emergency decree to fight the floods. Through this, the military would be granted full authority to operate in almost any way it likes - a decision that will not be accepted by the current government. Yet, Abhisit did not elaborate on whether the military could handle the problem better than the Yingluck government.

Abhisit has also worked closely with MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra, the Bangkok governor, to compete, not cooperate, with the government. While many brand Yingluck as stupid, Sukhumbhand showed his superstitious faith in a Khmer ritual of "chasing water" in his search for a solution to the threat of floods in the city. He was intensely protective about his turf. At one point he declared, "Listen to me and only me. I will tell you when to evacuate."

Meanwhile, footage of the military going into affected areas to aid flood victims is impressive. But the military, like the Bangkok governor, has functioned almost independently from the government. There is clearly a sense of competition between the government and its rivals. Some of the fiercest critics of the government have called for Yingluck to resign. Yingluck's supporters interpret such competition and the pressure to remove her from power as part of a plot to stage a "water coup".

This competition, even during the height of the crisis, unveils a reality in Thailand: this is a deeply fragmented society in which political ideologies have overshadowed public responsibility and the urgency for national survival. It is no longer a country where its members are willing to forge ahead and leave their differences behind. Eliminating political adversaries, at the expense of a national catastrophe, is seemingly acceptable today.

The last crusade to save the capital from the floods also reflects a self-interested mentality among Bangkok residents. Bangkok, once again, is a symbol of contentious politics. Other provinces have long suffered from floodwaters that do not seem to go away. It is a case of a great disparity between the people residing in the rural and urban areas.

For now, those who are complaining the most, the loudest, are the Bangkok residents, who have over the past two months been so fortunate to have been kept dry. Yingluck has fallen into the trap of political disparity: she recognises the absolute necessity to rescue Bangkok to please her Bangkok critics, but earlier acted so slowly to prevent surrounding provinces from being inundated.


Pavin Chachavalpongpun is a fellow at Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. Follow him at Pavin Chachavalpongpun | Facebook.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

"I have been transferred to work at the Interior Ministry starting today. Anyone who needs help please contact the acting provincial governor. I'd like to thank you for your cooperation in fighting the floods and hope that Pathum Thani will get through this hard time soon," Mr Pirasak said in the message.



Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said he was surprised by the transfer since Mr Pirasak had done what he could considering the circumstances.

Peerasak lost his post after letting a group of people tear down a sandbag embankment.

He had association with Bhum Jai Thai Party and was the governor of Buriram Province under the previous government.


Obviously Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva was surprised; he just came back from his tour of dereliction of duty in the Maldives

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Such a stupid bitch, she is!

As dim as a buffalo! She's a bimbo, a brainless Barbie doll. The first female prime minister - who has brought all this bad luck upon the country!

"This is what Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is now called and labelled by her upper-class critics".

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

But the military, like the Bangkok governor, has functioned almost independently from the government.

I think she is doing a good job considering she has several battles on her hands wth the flood, the idiotic military and the dumb elite that rather see Bangkok drown rather than accept an elected Government.

What do you think SD?

Thailand tries to censor site devoted to flood news - Committee to Protect Journalists

Thailand tries to censor site devoted to flood news


Floodwaters have reached Bangkok. (AP/Sakchai Lalit)

Bangkok, October 25, 2011 - The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports that Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government has tried to censor the citizen-journalist website Thaiflood, which has provided crucial news and information about massive flooding that has inundated one-third of the country's provinces. At least 350 people have been killed and millions dislocated by the natural disaster.

Local news reports said the state-run Flood Relief Operations Command had issued a new requirement that Thaiflood submit its reports to the government for approval before publication. Thaiflood had been based in the government's flood relief operations command, where the site's operators worked collaboratively with the government for two weeks. The relationship soured after the government tried to control what Thaiflood published. Emergency officials were apparently upset about one of Thaiflood's high-water warnings, with a spokesman saying the site should not cause "panic."

Poramote Minsiri, Thaiflood's founder, told news outlets that he objected to the government screening his site's reports. "I told them I can't do it that way. In a crisis, people are waiting for information for their own survival," Poramote was quoted saying in the English-language daily Bangkok Post. In the piece, Poramote also accused the government of providing inadequate information and said its crisis management team was hampered by conflicts.

Thaiflood has now moved its operations to a private office, where it also publishes Twitter news updates at #thaiflood. The new arrangement means the site can operate without interference but also without direct access to the government's flood command center. (The flood command center's offices were reported flooded on Tuesday.)

"We call on Yingluck Shinawatra's government to stop interfering with independent news sites that are playing a crucial role in keeping the public informed about Thailand's flood disaster," said Shawn Crispin, CPJ's senior Southeast Asia representative. "It is essential in evolving crisis situations that the public has access to uncensored, independent news that can be crucial to protecting livelihoods and saving lives."

Yingluck's government has come under widespread media fire for its response to the natural disaster, which now threatens to inundate Bangkok. Different state agencies under her command have made conflicting assessments and predictions about the intensity and direction of the water runoff, which local and international news reports have estimated to represent the worst flooding in Thailand in more than five decades.

A response to this from TPP.....

CPJ observes censorship on floods

CPJ observes censorship on floods

October 26, 2011

by thaipoliticalprisoners

PPT is a big supporter of the Committee to Protect Journalists and we instinctively reject censorship. Hence we are reluctant to criticize the CPJ’s latest statement on Thailand, where it states:

The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports that Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s government has tried to censor the citizen-journalist website Thaiflood, which has provided crucial news and information about massive flooding….

However, we feel that the statement of “concern” about “reports” suggests less than appropriate fact-checking. Yes, there are such reports, but these are hotly disputed by others.

The CPJ’s report includes just three “reports” in its account, and each is to the Bangkok Post (another to the Wall Street Journal is irrelevant to the CPJ claims). That hardly amounts to a cascade of reports.

Of course, there are other reports such as this in The Nation, but they all have the same source. This is Thaiflood’s Poramate Minsiri, who is said in The Nation to head this “large civic network.” For a start, this is a “network” of unknown size put together specifically for this event. It is essentially a website and Twitter account. On that basis alone, its expertise on floods is to be questioned and there are several other groups at work on social media.

Thaiflood has also been portrayed as an anti-red shirt group. For example, in The Nation report Poramote is cited as saying that:

ThaiFlood was being discriminated against when it came to distributing supplies. He said that his group of volunteers did their best to hand out flood relief items to victims, they had to queue up for a long time, while the red-shirt groups were able to get their supplies much faster.

That sounds more like political scrapping, not censorship.

In addition, in that report, Poramate says “his group had pulled out because FROC was refusing to tell the truth about the situation.” That claim may or may not be true, but it was only a few days ago that the media was baying for blood because ministers were being “alarmist.” Since then, it has been the media and especially the social media that has been alarmist. It seems that if Poramate is claiming censorship, it is by a government that is trying to reclaim credibility after being beaten from pillar to post for its allegedly poor communications. This seems like a Catch-22.

Just a day ago in the Bangkok Post, Poramate was described as a “website operator,” and Thaiflood was said to have “no real office, no employees of note.” Poramate is said to have claimed “that Froc was trying to assimilate Thaiflood.” In fact, initially Thaiflood’s complaint was “the government limited the group’s access to vital information.” That’s the claim of “not telling the truth.” At the same time, Thaiflood had “proposed a group representative to help the government map out its flood response operation, but Froc rejected the offer.”

That allegation of what might be considered sour grapes morphed into a claim of censorship when the government said it did want to control the release of flood information (for which it has been criticized for its failure to do so in previous days. Yep, full circle.

As a footnote, it is ironic that Poramate is claiming censorship when it was he who once advised the military-backed royalist government in 2007 on how to block YouTube postings considered “offensive” to the monarchy.

Back to the CPJ and Shawn Crispin, its senior Southeast Asia representative, a journalist who we argued was highly politicized in his recent reporting on the floods.

Crispin seems just a tad too politically biased to be making this claim. Maybe Sombat Boonngamanong had it right when he stated that his Mirror Foundation would “continue helping people regardless of their political affiliation, adding that the blame game should be set aside until the crisis has passed.”

But that doesn’t mean that the government shouldn’t be criticized for failures and for censorship. We’re just not convinced that the CPJ has done its due diligence on this one.
If readers think we’ve gotthis terribly wrong, let us know by email.

Spat over flood relief supplies - The Nation

Spat over flood relief supplies

October 26, 2011 4:05 am

Pheu Thai MP Natthawut Saikua on Wednesday denied the allegation that the red shirts had control over the distribution of relief supplies for flood victims.

"It is not true that flood relief supplies are destined for flood areas dominated by the red shirts," he said.

Natthawut said the red shirts were among the early volunteers to help flood victims.

The red shirts made contributions on relief supplies which were made available to all victims and not just the reds, he said.


The Nation

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

However, it isn't the red heart symbol that is the issue...it is the white sticker to the left of the red symbol. It reads...

"Chai nai ratsadorn (kon Sua daeng thao nan)"

Or "for the people (red shirt only)"

Yep, I kept quiet, waiting for the red morons to dig their own graves with their comments.

More disgusting evidence of reds blatently using the crisis for their own ends.

Video this time, cant wait for the shrill cries of 'fake'!

I thought that boat sticker was too obnoxious to be real.

The truck, well, standard Thaksin MO, he is such a c**t..

I know many of you would like this to be a fight between devils and flawed angles. I just get too much exposure to them when they are in power and their appointees run the civil service, its left me with the sense that they are all devils, just with different views on how to get what they want.

When it comes to this photo and video stuff, I've given up; I have little knowledge or background in image processing. Its highly irresponsible to fake this kind of stuff, as it is to actually do it; and I have no difficulty in believing that they are both sides are upto it.

Yingluck treads water amid rising tensions

Yingluck treads water amid rising tensions

Bruce Gale
The Straits Times
Publication Date : 26-10-2011

When Thailand's recently elected Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra made her first official visit to Cambodia last month, political commentators were quick to hail the development as marking a new start in bilateral ties.

But while diplomatic relations have improved since, a series of missteps, particularly the alleged tardiness of the new government in dealing with the current floods, has seriously eroded the Prime Minister's domestic standing. As a result, making the tough decisions necessary to forge a lasting peace may not be possible.

Officials in Phnom Penh could hardly contain their joy in July when Ms Yingluck's Pheu Thai party won the Thai general election, replacing the government of former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The Pheu Thai party supports Ms Yingluck's brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister and an ally of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Relations between Thailand and Cambodia during Mr Abhisit's tenure as prime minister were marked by escalating tensions. Large-scale border clashes in February and April near the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple left at least 28 people dead. With a new and more friendly government in power in Bangkok, the hope was that this dispute could be quickly resolved.

Yet another dispute awaiting resolution involves the ownership of undersea gas in the Gulf of Thailand. According to Thai Energy Minister Pichai Naripthaphan, waters claimed by both countries contain enough gas to supply Thailand's needs for the next 50 years. Bangkok has become increasingly reliant on natural gas for power generation, and will have to import large amounts of LNG in the coming years if it is unable to develop the disputed area.

But while the economic argument in favour of reconciliation is strong, the political imperative to do nothing is even stronger. This is because any move Ms Yingluck makes to resolve outstanding issues with Cambodia will inevitably involve making the sort of compromises that her political opponents in Bangkok will denounce as a sellout of Thai interests.

Since the military coup that ousted Ms Yingluck's brother in 2006, tensions between Thaksin's supporters and conservative factions associated with the military have intensified. A populist government sympathetic to Thaksin was elected in December 2007, but lost power several months later as a result of various political and legal manoeuverings.

Political tensions since then have remained high. Thousands of Thaksin's supporters occupied a central Bangkok district last year, prompting a military crackdown. Ms Yingluck's rise to power could set the stage for yet more confrontations, possibly leading to the removal of her government in yet another coup. The military certainly views her with deep suspicion.

The new government was stumbling along even before the floods. Foreign Minister Surapong Towijakchaikul, who is related by marriage to the Shinawatra family, triggered an uproar last month when he made a personal request through the Japanese Embassy for Thaksin to be issued a special entry permit to visit Japan. Thaksin, who has been sentenced in absentia to two years in prison in Thailand on corruption charges, has avoided returning to the country. He travels on passports issued by Montenegro and Nicaragua.

Thaksin's presence at a conference in Cambodia not long after Ms Yingluck's visit was cited by critics as yet more evidence that it is the former prime minister and not Ms Yingluck who is running the Thai government.

Like the controversy over Thaksin and the conflict with Cambodia, the floods have given opposition groups yet more opportunities to question Ms Yingluck's capabilities. Tellingly, there is little coordinated response to the crisis, with both the Bangkok governor and the military operating flood control measures independently of the government.

The political constraints facing Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen may be less serious. But they are significant nonetheless. Fuelled by perceived Thai commercial and cultural domination, anti-Thai sentiment has never been very far below the surface in Cambodia. There were major anti-Thai riots in 2003.

Border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have declined since Ms Yingluck took power, with both sides making symbolic gestures of peace. Trade and investment ties are likely to rebound, and progress can also be expected regarding the fate of two Thai nationalists jailed by Cambodia in January after being convicted of crossing into the country illegally.

But the floods have also demonstrated Ms Yingluck's vulnerability. Thailand does not have a government strong enough to make the sort of potentially controversial compromises that would be necessary to produce an agreement on the exploitation of the natural gas in the Gulf of Thailand, or even an end to the long-running dispute involving the Preah Vihear temple.

The resolution of these issues awaits a resolution of the ongoing political impasse within Thailand itself.

gulfnews : Floods delay Yingluck's rice economics Worldly Wise

Floods delay Yingluck's rice economics Worldly Wise

Yingluck's promise to pay Thailand's rice farmers

• Clyde Russell, Special to Gulf News
• Published: 00:00 October 26, 2011

• Image Credit: EPA
• Many varieties of rice are available in Bangkok. The Thai government this month ordered thousands of rice mills nationwide to purchase rice from farmers at fixed prices as part of its efforts to boost rural incomes.

The severe flooding in Southeast Asia has had the unintended consequence of delaying the economic day of reckoning for the rice policies of new Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

While the loss of rice output across the region and the subsequent jump in prices is bad news for virtually everybody, it does mean that Thailand's treasury will be spared, for now anyway, much of the cost of the new government's generous subsidy policy.

Yingluck's promise to pay Thailand's rice farmers 15,000 baht (Dh1,785) a tonne for rice helped her secure victory in the July general election.

But this was a promise that was ultimately going to cost her government dearly, as it was clearly unrealistic to expect that the higher price could simply be passed onto the buyers of Thailand's exports.

Since Thailand is the world's largest shipper of rice, the staple food of more than half the world's population, it was always likely that prices would rise as buyers would have no choice but to continue purchasing rice from Bangkok.

But they also would have made Thailand the supplier of last resort, as they first bought rice from other, cheaper, producers.

Unbearable cost

Ultimately, Thailand's ten million tonnes of annual rice exports would have slumped, forcing Yingluck's government to buy and store more and more rice, before the cost of this became unbearable and eventually Thailand would have to sell at international market prices.

At that point the Thai government would have to pay for the difference between its 15,000 baht subsidised price and the export price out of its budget, or lower the subsidy.

But for now all this is a moot point as the floods have intervened and driven rice prices to the point where those Thai farmers still with crops will probably be getting around 15,000 baht anyway.

The price of 100 per cent B grade Thai white rice stood at $615 (Dh2,258) a tonne at its last fixing on October 19, not far off the year high of $650 a tonne reached on October 5 when the threat of the flooding became clearer.

Thai rice prices surged 38 per cent since the year's low of $470 a tonne in April, the gains starting as Yingluck became favourite to win the election and accelerating after her victory. The price increase has been largely matched by rice traded on the Chicago Board of Trade, where the grain has jumped 35 per cent since its year low in March to $17.165 per hundred weight yesterday.

Slip threat

This is because Asian buyers, like the Chinese, are turning towards US rice to replace crops damaged by floods in Southeast Asia. Thailand's rice exporters association believes the nation's exports could slip 30 per cent this year to between seven and 7.5 million tonnes, partly because of the flooding and partly because the subsidy scheme has made exports pricier than competitors such as Vietnam and India.

But the question remains as to how long rice buyers can stay away from Thailand as the market tightens.

Vietnam expects slightly lower exports of about seven million tonnes in 2011, down from 7.5 million tonnes, and it's also likely that exports from South America will drop in coming months as plantings there have been lowered.

Sustaining levels

Despite India returning to the rice export markets, it's likely that over the next 12 months potential demand for rice will run ahead of supplies, especially if the floods across Southeast Asia take longer to clear and affect the next planting season.

This means rice prices are likely to sustain current elevated levels into 2012, awaiting a return to normal production in Southeast Asia.

When this happens, Thailand will once again have the ability to ramp up exports to as much as 12 million tonnes a year.

But the question will then be whether the new government will continue its subsidies at the cost of reduced exports, or modify the programme at the risk of some of its popularity.

Clyde Russell is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own.

Thai Immigration Officials Exploit Flood Victims

Thai Immigration Officials Exploit Flood Victims

By KO HTWE
Wednesday, October 26, 2011


Burmese women are transported to Mae Sot Immigration office before being deported.

Hundreds of Burmese migrant workers fleeing a flood disaster in Bangkok have been detained or forced to pay bribes to Thai immigration officials in Mae Sot or on their way to the Burmese border.

Those detained or arrested included not only illegal migrants, but also many who have registered with the Thai government and those who hold work permits.

Several of the victims who spoke to The Irrawaddy this week said they were detained on the basis that their registration papers do not permit them to leave the area of Bangkok or the town where they otherwise work.

According to Thai government regulations, foreign migrant workers who have temporary migrant registration papers—but who do not have temporary passports—are restricted in their movement to the area in which they are registered.

Most Burmese migrants are also limited to what jobs they can perform in Thailand: generally manual labor, manufacturing, construction and domestic work.

But this month has seen some of the worst floods ever recorded in the Thai capital and its surrounding provinces, forcing many residents and migrant workers to abandon their homes or shelters and leave the city. Many workplaces, including factories, have been closed in Bangkok.

On Tuesday, between 1 and 4 pm, Mae Sot immigration picked up several hundred migrant workers and transported them in 13 crowded trucks and two mini-vans to Gate 10 on the Thai side of the border where they were deported by being ferried across the Moei River to Myawaddy.A Burmese worker who was detained at Mae Sot checkpoint said, “I paid 2,800 baht [US $95] at Mae Sot immigration for my release and told I could go anywhere I wanted.”

Another victim who was deported to Myawaddy said, “I paid 2,500 baht to the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army [rebel militia] at the gate in Myawaddy. Once I was through, I just had to pay 20 baht [$0.66] for each bag I was carrying, 20 baht for the ferry and 70-80 baht to get a motorcycle taxi back to Mae Sot.”

Among the deported and detained migrants were workers who said they had already made arrangement with agents in Bangkok, presumably in cooperation with Thai immigration officers, to transport them to final destinations in Burma.

The Irrawaddy contacted the Mae Sot immigration office, but staff refused to make any comment.

Andy Hall, a consultant to the Thailand-based Human Rights and Development Foundation, said the immigration officers' behavior was unacceptable and a violation of human rights. He said that both the Thai and Burmese governments should address the issue urgently.

“They need to be solving these problems,” he said. “It is unacceptable that people who are fleeing from flooded homes are being exploited by officials.”

Hall said he met with the Thai deputy prime minister and labor minister when they visited the Wat Rai Khing migrant emergency shelter in Nakorn Pathom on Wednesday. He said the ministers listened to the migrants' concerns and that he himself rose the issue of exploitation.

Surapong Kongchantuk, the chairperson of the Human Rights Subcommittee on Ethnic Minorities, Stateless, Migrant Workers and Displaced Persons told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that the Thai authorities should do more to help people who are in trouble.

“I think they should not add more problems to migrants who are already trying to flee,” he said.

Sai Soe Win Latt, a Canadian researcher from Simon Fraser University who is currently observing the deportation in Mae Sot, said that on the crowded trucks, he saw newborn babies, sick mothers and pregnant women.

“People working at the gate were crowding them onto the ferry as if they were animals,” he said.

He added that Thai immigration officers frequently violate human rights by treating potential victims of disaster as criminals, putting them in overcrowded trucks and deporting them, instead of making alternative disaster relief arrangements.

Since Thailand began its National Verification system for migrant workers from Burma in 2009, nearly 655,868 Burmese have registered. There are estimated to be at least two million Burmese migrants living in Thailand.


Photo: THE IRRAWADDY
Burmese workers are deported by being ferried across the Moei River.


Photo: THE IRRAWADDY
Burmese migrants are herded onto a boat to be deported to Myawaddy.


Photo: THE IRRAWADDY
Burmese migrants, who fled the flooding in Bangkok, are picked up by Thai authorities, transported to Mae Sot Immigration office, then many are forced to pay fines before being deported.

Thai police nab migrant flood victims | Democratic Voice of Burma

Thai police nab migrant flood victims

By MAHN SAIMON
Published: 26 October 2011

Workers from Burma wade through floodwaters during an evacuation from a flooded market in Bangkok (Reuters)

Burmese migrants escaping flood-hit areas of Thailand are being arrested by Thai police as they near the Burmese border on charges of travelling outside of their permitted zones, several have reported.

Nearly 115,000 people have already been made homeless by Thailand’s worst flooding in half a century, which coincides with flash floods in Burma that have taken more than 200 lives. Bangkok residents are fleeing in droves as the government warns that the city’s defences cannot cope with the encroaching waters.

One Arakanese migrant worker who escaped from Bangkok to the border town of Mae Sot told DVB that following the closure of factories in affected areas around the capital, thousands of Burmese headed north in a bid to cross back into Burma. Upon arrival in Mae Sot, a number were arrested.

“Migrant workers were getting arrested by the police in Mae Sot and fined money for not having the full paperwork [certifying their legal status inThailand],” he said.

Even those who managed to avoid arrest have reported problems upon entering Burma. Several government-backed militia groups operate unofficial checkpoints close to the border that many returning migrants chose to pass through, rather than risking harassment and possible arrest at the official ones.

The man said that some were forced to pay an “entrance fee” of up to 1,500THB ($US50) at a checkpoint run by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army’s (DKBA) Brigade 999, which is still allied to the government, close to the Burmese town of Myawaddy. A DKBA official told DVB however that they were only fining people without documents.

Andy Hall, from the Thailand-based Human Rights Development Foundation, said that the group is preparing to raise the issue with authorities in both Thailand and Burma.

Up to three million Burmese migrants live in Thailand, making up 80 percent of the country’s total migrant population, which accounts for five percent of its total workforce and seven percent of the country’s GDP.

The majority work in low-skilled factory jobs and without the legal safety net enjoyed by Thai nationals, resulting in lengthy struggles to access compensation for injuries and lay-offs.

The Thai government’s deputy spokesperson, Chalitrat Chandrubeksa, told Bloomberg News yesterday that around 9,850 factories have been inundated with water, putting some 660,000 jobs at risk. As of Tuesday the death toll in Thailand stood at more than 360.

Governor collapses after unexplained firing - The Nation

Governor collapses after unexplained firing

The Nation October 27, 2011 12:45 pm


Former Pathum Thani Governor Pheerasak Hinmuangkao collapsed under the weight of stress a few days after being transferred to the post of the Interior Ministry's inspectorgeneral.

His sudden transfer order was issued on Monday evening.

Colleagues said Pheerasak had been working very hard to ease flooding in Pathum Thani since August 28, and had hardly any rest.

The transfer order, an informed source said yesterday, came out of the blue and did not give him any time to clear pending work.

"Stress has hit him," the source said.

Pheerasak is now being treated at the Pathum Thani Hospital. No visiting was allowed so as to ensure he has enough rest.

According to the Cabinet's resolution, Deputy Pathum Thani Governor Khajornsak Singtokul has replaced Pheerasak as the Pathum Thani governor.

Deputy government spokesman Anusorn Iamsaard did not give details behind the reason for the transfer.

While the flood crisis continues to wreak havoc in many parts of the country, Thailand has received an unexpected gift.

In a statement dated October 25, the embassy of Bangladesh- a country hit by regular disastrous flooding - said its government would provide US$1million (Bt in humanitarian relief assistance to floodhit Thais.

Yingluck is playing a blinder and toughing this out like a true battler and fighter.

She has sought and implemented the best advice and practice available in the country in dealing with this momentous magnitude natural phenonema, that could have struck at ant time.

Thats why the US authorities were so glowing in their praise of Yinglucks performance, steel, and leadership in the exceptional circumstances.

You can't argue with that

Real heroes at work: ยลà¸[at]าพสู้วิà¸�ฤติน้ำท่ภ§à¸¡ 'ทหารไทย หัวใจหล่à¸[at]มาà¸�' - ข่าวไทยรัà¸�à¸[at]à¸[at]นไลน์

http://www.thairath.co.th/content/oversea/212212

Bangkok Post : Irrigation dept defends role in crisis

Irrigation dept defends role in crisis

• Published: 27/10/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

The Royal Irrigation Department says it is doing all it can to prevent flooding in the capital.

RID chief Chalit Damrongsak said officials have been under pressure from local people who do not want their areas to be flooded.

"Now, we are working at more more than 50% of our capacity for draining overflow on the eastern side of the Chao Phraya River," he said.

He admitted the situation might not have been this critical if sluice gates at Khlong Raphipat in Pathum Thani, the catchment area for northern runoff, had been opened sooner.

Under the flood plan, on the eastern side, runoff from Khlong Raphipat will be diverted into a branch of canals before it goes to the sea. On the western side, runoff will be diverted into a network of canals and sent to the Tha Chin River.

Mr Chalit said diverting the floodwater to Khlong Chai Thalay in Samut Prakan was slow because the floodway is blocked by roadworks. Drilling the road to allow the floodwaters to flow better is being considered, he said.

City Hall has called on the department to open the floodgates. Mr Chalit said it should be considered by the Flood Relief Operation Command's water management committee.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has accused the RID of failing to manage the runoff. Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra has urged the department to open all floodgates under its jurisdiction especially the floodgates at Khlong Nok Chok and Khlong Prawet.

Opening these sluice gates would increase drainage capacity by another 10 million cubic metres a day.

Bangkok deputy governor Teerachon Manomaiphibul said the RID had failed to respond to City Hall's call to open all floodgates under its jurisdiction.

"If the department remains adamant, Bangkok will go under for sure. In fact, I don't want to blame the RID officials. Politics is at play here," he said.

Mr Teerachon said the BMA asked the RID almost a month ago to open the floodgates to divert northern runoff to the east and west of the capital.

"Why are Bang Nam Prieo and Nong Chok still dry when they are designated as water catchment areas?" he said.

The Engineering Institute of Thailand said the drainage system was not being used to its fullest capacity, which had worsened the flooding in the capital.

The RID said the floodgates in Khlong Nong Chok and Khlong Prawet cannot be opened because the water level in the canals connecting Bang Prakong River is higher. Opening the floodgates would cause overflow back to Bangkok and worsen the situation, so the department was using water pumps to divert the water instead.

The department also claimed its efforts to divert water to Bang Nam Prieo was being hampered by frustrated villagers.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said both the BMA and the RID are doing their best to speed up drainage. She said management of the sluice gates requires technical knowledge.

The RID has begun opening more water pumps at Khlong Nong Chok, which will increase the drainage capacity of at least 7 million cubic metres a day.

Bangkok Post : Water management a fiscal fiasco, says OAG

Water management a fiscal fiasco, says OAG

4-year study finds flaws in govt fund allocations

• Published: 27/10/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

The Office of the Auditor General has found government agencies' efforts to manage water in the country's 25 river basins lacked unified direction.

The agency also found that the allocated budget of 160 billion baht for water management over the river basins was badly handled. Pisit Leelavachiropas, acting auditor-general, said the office had scrutinised the government's water management in the country from 2005 to the 2009 fiscal year.

During those five fiscal years, the government had allocated more than 160 billion baht to water management projects.

The OAG has randomly looked into 171 water management projects in 35 provinces that are located in 14 major river basins and 68 tributary basins.

It found some of the agencies had implemented 96 projects that could not appropriately and effectively solve water management problems.

Among the 96 projects, 30 of them solved problems for select groups of people only, while 47 projects had not correlated with other projects.

Nineteen more projects were implemented in areas where problems were not critical, or where problems in the project sites did not need urgent attention, Mr Pisit said.

About 764 million baht had been spent on projects which had little effect on problem solving and on those that did not address the root causes of problems or the actual needs of the project sites.

"The budget allocation for water management in the past did not have direction, lacked efficiency and was not worthwhile," Mr Pisit said.

In the meantime, the ongoing flood crisis is a warning sign from nature that we must make the effort to manage water crisis a national agenda, he said.

"Then, in the future, we will no longer experience severe drought and a fresh water tsunami. We might not be able to complete it during the tenure of a certain government, but we have to do it."

The OAG has sent a letter to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, recommending the PM push for the issuing of a law for integrated water management in the country.

The letter said management should be focused on the river basin system. It said the law should authorise certain agencies to be the focal points of the integrated management effort, as well as state clear responsibilities of each agency which is required to get involved in the water management process. The law should focus on the coordination between relevant agencies on planning and budgeting.

Agencies should be required to continuously monitor and report the progress of their water management effort as well.

This would help prevent each agency from spending the government's budget on projects that have not been streamlined in the same direction like the way they have spent the budget earlier, Mr Pisit said.

An interesting report from the National News Bureau of Thailand, about royal rain-making in the Chao Phraya catchment area. Doesn’t look like the royal rain-makers had received forecasts that 2011 was going to be an exceptionally wet year!



The Royal Rainmaking Operation Unit for the Lower Northern Region started to make royal rain from April until October 2011

The Royal Rainmaking Operation Unit for the Lower Northern Region has started to make the royal rain from April until October 2011 to increase the water level in the Sirikit Dam and the Kaew Noi Bamrung Daen Dam, including the drought area.

Mr Anuphap Phawawattananuson, Chief of the Operation Unit, Phitsanulok Province, stated that the Operation Unit for the Lower Northern Region, Bureau of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, bases its operation at Wing 46, Phitsanulok Province. It is responsible for the Royal Rainmaking Operation in 8 areas covering Nan, Phrae, Uttaradit, Kamphaengphet, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Phichit and Phetchabun. The operation begins in April and lasts until October 2011 focusing on adding water into the Sirikit Dam in Uttaradit Province and the Khaew Noi Bamrung Daen Dam in Phitsanulok Province. This also includes the agricultural areas that experience drought in Phitsanulok, Phrae, Uttaradit and Phetchabun.

Chief of the Operation Unit for the Lower Northern Region, Phitsanulok also added that for this year operation the unit has already prepared 3 agricultural aeroplanes to operate three times a day everyday starting from April until October 2011. It is expected that the Royal Rainmaking Operation will successfully reach the target of the rain level this year.

How long did their operations last? What was their target level of rain? Did they have any effect?

How much of this years’ rain was royal?



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Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

(Funny how DrBob couldn't read the Thai on the white sticker....)

It's more funny that you claim you can!