Thai Air Force To Rescue Marooned Village

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LOP BURI

Air Force to rescue marooned village

By The Nation

Demand for boats rise/PM wades through knee-deep water as he gets firsthand view of situation

Two Air Force helicopters had to airdrop relief supplies for a marooned village in Lop Buri yesterday after searching in vain for a landing spot.

"It's difficult for even boats to go there," Governor Chatchai Promlert said.

Village 6 in Ban Mi district's Tambon Nong Sai Khao was under one to two metres of water.

A man identifying himself only as Jiam said his family had to turn to a loan shark for money to meet expenses incurred because of the floods.

"We need to buy a boat or else we can't get around at all," Jiam said. "Boats provided by the authorities are very limited in number."

A steel boat now sells for Bt3,500-Bt5,000 while a plastic boat fetches Bt7,000-Bt10,000. "Then, an oar costs us Bt200," he said. "These things are all expensive but we have no choice. We can't wade through floodwaters any longer. It's up to our neck now."

Chatchai said the downpours had stranded many locals in their villages.

"I have already instructed officials to reach out to them and arrange for evacuations, if needed. In many villages, all the residents are either children or old people," he said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva came to inspect the situation firsthand, striding through knee-deep water to climb onto a flat-bottomed boat that took him through chest-deep water to seriously flooded zones.

Earlier this week, Abhisit visited Nakhon Ratchasima, where flooding was severe.

Since October 10, floods have ravaged 21 provinces. Those like Lampang, Nakhon Ratchasima and Chaiyaphum have borne the brunt.

In Chaiyaphum, medical workers kept floodwaters out of the province's major hospital by piling up sandbags over two metres high.

"But doctors and nurses can't go back home because the water is really deep outside," nurse Pissawas Dernwong said. "It's not even convenient to go back to the dormitory in another building."

In Nakhon Ratchasima, more than 500,000 people and over 800,000 rai of farmland have been affected.

"Many flooded roads are already impassable," Governor Rapi Pongbuppakit said.

Anothai Thammakin, Phimai district chief, said the town was like an island now because it was surrounded by floodwaters. Like Pak Thong Chai and Pak Chong districts, Phimai was one the worst-hit locations in this northeastern province.

"All government agencies here have closed in the wake of the floods except medical facilities that are needed to tend to patients," Anothai said.

The flooding looked set to worsen because more storm waters were streaming down from the upper part of the country, he said.

According to the provincial irrigation office, the run-off will continue over the next week and floodwaters will rise by about one metre.

TRANSPORTATION

Best route to upper Northeast

Motorists can use Mitraphap Road to get to Nakhon Ratchasima, but should avoid the flooded downtown area by using the bypass. However, motorists should be careful because KM6 to KM10 of the bypass is still under 20 centimetres of water. The Mitraphap Road can be used to get to Nong Khai.

Best route to the North

Motorists can travel along Phaholyothin Road to Chiang Rai.

Areas that are impassable:

NAKHON RATCHASIMA (KORAT)

l Highway 205, KM387 to KM399 in Muang district

l Highway 2068, KM37 in Non Thai district

l Highway 201, KM37 to KM39 in Dan Khun Thot district

l Highway 224, KM2 to KM16 in Chok Chai district

l Highway 226, KM6 to KM35 in Chakkarat district

l Highway 2421, from KM44 to KM46 in Chok Chai district

SA KAEW

l Highway 3366, KM0 to KM7 in Aranyaprathet district

l Highway 3511, KM9 to KM14 in Aranyaprathet district

KHON KAEN

l Highway 2038, KM3 to KM5 in Nong Rua district

PRACHIN BURI

l Highway 319, KM152 to KM153 in Si Maha Pho district

LOP BURI

l Highway 311, KM9 to KM10 in Muang district

l Highway 3019, KM1 to KM2 in Muang district

l Highway 3024, KM6 to KM13 in Ban Mi district

l Highway 205, KM229 to KM242 in Khok Samrong district

l Highway 2275, KM0 to KM2 in Chai Badan district

AYUTTHAYA

l Highway 3467, KM15 to KM17 in Tha Rua district

Visit www.doh.go.th for more information.

Train services halted

Number 111 (BangkokDen Chai)

Number 9 (BangkokChiang Mai)

Number 201 (BangkokPhitsanulok)

Number 3 (BangkokSawankhalok)

Number 209 (BangkokTakhli)

Number 211 (BangkokTaphan Hin)

Number 75 (BangkokUdon Thani)

Numbers 2, 10, 14 and 52 (Chiang MaiBangkok)

Number 108 (Den ChaiBangkok)

Number 116 (PhitsanulokBangkok)

Number 4 (SawankhalokBangkok)

Call 1690 or visit www.railway.co.th for details.

-- The Nation 2010-10-22

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Young student paddles relief to victims in Lop Buri

By Somroutai Sapsomboon

The Nation

Lop Buri - "I was tried but when I saw other people get into trouble I could notstand still and do nothing. I had to go to help them," a 20 yearoldwoman known as Poi answered when asked how did she feel as she had to paddle a boat for several times to carry relief suppliesand food to help villagers who were affected by flood. Poi, a sophomore at Public University in Bangkok who wanted to beunnamed, was on the way to went back to her home town at Bankluayvillage in Loburi province's Banmee district where was severely affected by massive flashflood.

"I was tired but when I saw other people getting into trouble I couldn't stand by doing nothing. I had to go help them," said a 20-year-old woman known as Poi when asked how she felt as she had to paddle a boat several times to carry relief supplies and food to villagers affected by the flood.

Poi, a second-year student at a public university in Bangkok who wanted to remain unnamed, was on her way back home to Bankluay village in Lop Buri's Ban Mi district, which was severely affected by the massive deluge.

"On Friday morning, the local administration organisation urged villagers via a megaphone to protect themselves and their belongings as flood waters would be arriving in the evening.

"Finally, the flood came but it was only ankle-deep," she said.

Late on Saturday morning, the local administration organisation made the warning again after waters rose slightly to 2 metres in low areas and about 1.5-2 metres on average, she said.

Poi has two houses but the first one was submerged. Her parents had to move from this house to the new one, which was on higher ground out of reach by the flood.

Even though she did not suffer like the others, she did not let matters alone. She went out to assist the flood victims.

"I was paddling a boat to visit my house that was submerged by flood water but I found some people were stuck and couldn't escape from their house, as the water was too high. I felt bad when I saw them, so I looked for some food and other donated goods to take to them," she said.

Poi did not know the people she gave the food and relief items to and she did not tell them who she was.

"They must have thought that I came from some charity foundation or was a volunteer from Bangkok," she said with a smile.

Poi has used her Twitter account @zlpwhk to communicate with the outside world and ask for support in helping the flood victims stuck in the community near her house.

Patee Sarasin, the chief executive officer of Nok Air, whose Twitter account is @Patee122, has contacted her and promised to deliver some boats to help flood victims next Monday.

Not only Poi is helping the flood victims. She said her friends from Bangkok were also pitching in. They help villagers repair soaked electricity meters and move them higher, out of the water.

"I still don't know when the flood waters will recede, but I'll keep helping flood victims until they're safe," she said.

-- The Nation 2010-10-22

[chantorn]

Make sure the Air-Force send their men who can eject this time.

We don't need them to loose another this time.

[jaiyenyen]

Your feeble attempt at humor is in very poor taste.

Grow up.