Deputy PM Anutin Makes Urgent Trip to Nong Khai, Apologises for Flooding Difficulties

[Georgealbert]

 

 

Picture courtesy of ThaiRath

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Anutin Charnvirakul, along with key officials on September 14, made an emergency trip to Nong Khai Province to address the severe flooding situation.
 

Accompanied by senior officials, including Arssit Sapphantharat, Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration, and Pornpot Pennpas, Director-General of the Department of Lands, Anutin met with affected residents, offering apologies for the hardships caused by the flooding. He assured the public that the government is not neglecting the situation and is working swiftly to provide relief.

 

 

During the visit, the delegation received a briefing on the water levels at the Nong Khai Irrigation Project and later traveled to Wiang Khuk Subdistrict in Mueang District, where they delivered 350 relief packages. Anutin also toured flood-affected areas by boat, before stopping at Wat Phra That Klang Nam Temple to meet more residents and distribute aid.

 

Speaking to locals, Anutin expressed his sincere apologies, saying, "I want to apologise to every citizen affected by this disaster. The government has not ignored this situation, and we are mobilising resources to provide relief and assistance. Supplies and tools for daily needs are on their way, both for immediate relief and for post-flood recovery."

 

Anutin further announced that the government has already started allocating emergency funds for flood relief. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who visited Chiang Rai yesterday, has directed that the same relief measures applied there be extended to all flood-affected areas.

 

"The government will also implement measures to reduce water and electricity bills for flood victims as part of the relief efforts," Anutin added. He also addressed concerns about looting in flood-hit areas, stating that authorities will increase security patrols to ensure that residents feel safe when they are forced to evacuate their homes.

 

-- 2024-09-15

 

 

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[JimHuaHin]

Too little. too late.

 

Any knowledge of the concept - forward planning?

[sidneybear]

I was there yesterday. My guest house by the river flooded overnight.

[Tropicalevo]

There has been flooding there for at least the last three weeks.   

 

https://reliefweb.int/report/lao-peoples-democratic-republic/lao-pdr-and-thailand-flash-update-1-transboundary-flooding-landslides-24-august-2024

 

Only now  does Mr Photo Op make

 

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

 

an emergency trip to Nong Khai Province to address the severe flooding situation.

 

A tad late sunbeam. 

[Will B Good]

 

 

Get one of me looking really serious and concerned..........and don't forget to photoshop the watch out.

[hotchilli]

On 9/15/2024 at 4:18 AM, Georgealbert said:

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Anutin Charnvirakul, along with key officials on September 14, made an emergency trip to Nong Khai Province to address the severe flooding situation.

If I was a local I'd sink his boat.

[Classic Ray]

I am surprised (not really) at the lack of implementation of flood prevention schemes in Thailand.

 

This is a country with an annual rainy season and many talented civil engineers.

 

The Asian Development Bank offers funds at low rates of interest for worthwhile projects like these.

 

Instead of platitudes and relief packages, time to stimulate employment and construct proper diversionary measures to prevent further disasters.

 

They could also make sure current drains are properly maintained and kept free flowing.

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, Classic Ray said:

I am surprised (not really) at the lack of implementation of flood prevention schemes in Thailand.

 

This is a country with an annual rainy season and many talented civil engineers.

 

The Asian Development Bank offers funds at low rates of interest for worthwhile projects like these.

Unfortunately, in Thailand, lots of those funds end up being diverted.

[Sydebolle]

Nobody mentions the real reasons for the yearly repeating floods (albeit this year a tad more than usual) .

The officially supervising body, the Mekong River Commission (MRC), is an UN-entity with its head office far away from any action - in Geneva/Switzerland Regretfully the MRC is an absolute waste of money and a toothless tiger more. The MRC was created to serve as a platform for all countries, through which the Mekong flows or borders the river. Unfortunately the most important partner, China, remains absent and is not a member of the MRC.

The Chinese do not even know the Mekong, they call it "Lancang Jiang". So, whatever those overpaid incompetent diplomats say, write or think - it is nothing but hot air, if the proverbial manure hits the fan. 

The main reason for the floods are the dams and their management. Thailand has had local disasters due to incompetent dam managements some 10+ years ago - more than once. The Chinese are much worse as they have more dams and those dams are much bigger. 
 

To operate a dam is actually quite simple; let me share the following example:
100 units = total capacity of the dam
  20 units = remaining water volume at the end of April (shortly before the rainy seasons start)
  80 units = required water to be stored in the dam - in line with the end of the second rainy season

Thailand has fantastic historical data dating back to 1865 and hence can pretty much forecast the water to be expected in an upcoming rainy season. 

To stay with the above example, lets assume the following:
  80 units = required water to be stored in the dam - in line with the end of the second rainy season
120 units = expected water volume - or 40 units more than needed

So they get 120/80 of what they actually need and have to release 40 - over a time span of six months. The formula hence is, that you release 40/120 (or one third) TODAY of the rainfall of YESTERDAY. If you release 1/3 of yesterday's rain - on a daily basis - you reach your target for sure, by the end of the rainy season you can even fine tune the release and achieve a water level of 98%.

The present modus operandi is, that at the beginning of the rainy season they close the valves to fill up the dams as fast as possible (one never knows, right?). Given the fact, that 1/3 of the rain will fall in the last quarter of the rainy season, you will get most water towards the end. Now, if you fill up dams as soon as possible, they will be full once the last third of the rain falls in the last quarter of the rainy season. This forces the dam operators to release LOTS of water during the heaviest rain falls. Result is .... floods everywhere. The Lao dams reported 98% - 100% levels of water since July 2024! 

This explains most of the yearly mess along the Mekong and this concern is being shared with the Chinese for the last +/- 15 years. But, as all the countries in this part of the world are hand fed in one or the other way by China or being enslaved by China (Laos and Cambodia spring to mind and they work on Myanmar while we speak), nobody dares to address the issue in such a way, that the Chinese would listen or even feel the pain.

The world's bodies - like the MRC - remain irrelevant clubs of fancy cocktails and diplomatic privileges and the rest is nature's choice - at least that is, what they tell all those farmers and fisher along the Mekong who have no voice, no say and - in most cases - cannot understand what really happens. So they see monks and fortune tellers, who make the misery go away ........ until next year. 
 

Get professionals to manage the dams and step properly onto Chinese toes until they get the message - everything else will change nothing and is a waste of time, resources and human tragedies - me thinks! 

[damian]

1 hour ago, Classic Ray said:

I am surprised (not really) at the lack of implementation of flood prevention schemes in Thailand.

 

This is a country with an annual rainy season and many talented civil engineers.

 

The Asian Development Bank offers funds at low rates of interest for worthwhile projects like these.

 

Instead of platitudes and relief packages, time to stimulate employment and construct proper diversionary measures to prevent further disasters.

 

They could also make sure current drains are properly maintained and kept free flowing.

It's the same with the smokey season. Lots of site visits and stern faced photo ops but once its over its 'ok guys back to the trough' without another thought of the crisis or doing anything tangible about it. 

[Blueman1]

11 hours ago, hotchilli said:

If I was a local I'd sink his boat.

I Am a Local,But I Didn't get my Aid Package from the Food Bank,So Come On just who has " Nicked " it ??