Bangkok Warned Of High Tide On Nov 8

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FLOOD CRISIS

Bangkok warned of high tide on Nov 8

By The Nation

Labour Ministry to seek funding to provide temporary jobs to people left unemployed

The coordination center for flood relief yesterday warned that Bangkok and vicinity areas to brace for flooding conditions during the high tide peak on November 8, while Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi continued to severely suffer from floodwater.

While Labour Ministry will propose to the November 2 Cabinet meeting for additional budget to implement an urgent employment project after flood receded to support floodaffected public members and farmers.

Labour Minister Chalermchai Srion said the project would hire people at Bt150 plus Bt30 meal allowance per day for 20 days to repaired damaged items or do other works. The ministry also reported that 1,218 business establishments covering 76,340 workers in 16 provinces were affected by flood, while 375 other establishments, covering 25,670 workers, weren't damaged by flood but many of their workers weren't able to go to work.

PM's advisor Apirak Kosayodhin, in his capacity of the center's director, said 3.2 million people in 27 provinces continued to be floodaffected and the central provinces of Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi were severely affected, mostly from the seawater inflows. In the Northeastregion, Mul River water now reached Buri Ram's Sateuk district and would reach Ubon Ratchathani on Tuesday (Nov 2) at 3,200 cubic meters/second, whilst Chi River water will reach there on November 9, he said.

Phitsanulok and Phichit were warned of heavy rains while the South of heavy rains and flash floods.

Apirak and PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey were scheduled to visit Lop Buri today (Oct 29) to give assistance money - at up to Bt100,000 for a breadwinner death - to the families of 15 dead victims and 700 relief bags to floodaffected residents.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, Chote Trachu, commented after visiting the flooded Ayutthaya and Sing Buri that some 2,000 underground water wells were damaged/contaminated by floodwater hence the ministry would ask for Bt12 million budget from the cabinet to clean these wells. The cleaning cost for each well was Bt6,000 and the ministry planed to finish all in one month after flood receded, he added.

The 30 years' largest amounts of rainfall were detected in Lop Buri and Nakhon Ratchasima in October at 396.6 millilitres and 390.3 millilitres respectively.

Meanwhile, the business area of Uthai Thani's Muang district was flooded while the outerring tambon of Sakaekrang, Hat Thanong, Tha Sung, and Koh Thepho remained submerged for five consecutive days now while Tambon Nam Seum was hit by flood yesterday.

In Phitsanulok, officials hurriedly repaired a large hole from erosion by downpourtriggered forest flood on a road to the Kwaenoi Dam in Wat Bot district. Phrompiram district's Tambon Dongprakham and Bang Rakham district continued to suffer from extensive flood thus were expected to return to normal in late November. Phitsanulok reported that 3,113 homes, 263,657 rai of farmland, 1,171 fishponds, 99 roads were damaged while 17,983 families were affected.

In Phang Nga which was warmed of heavy rainfalls, the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office yesterday said the Wednesday forest flood had damaged 141 homes and affected 400 residents in five tambons of Thap Pud, Takua Thung, and Thai Muang districts.

In related news, Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya graciously took into her patronage a 67yearold Narathiwat resident Aree Chaisongkhram - who lost her left leg after stepping on a land mine while tapping rubber on October 25. Aree who had intended to donate her Bt500 elderly allowance through the princess's Miracle of Life Foundation to help flood victims prior to her attack - urged her son to fulfil her wish despite what happened to her. Upon hearing that the princess took her under her patronage, Aree said that she was so happy and proud and wish the princess longevity and prosperity and that she wanted to go sign a wellwish book for Their Majesties the King and Queen at Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital. Despite her injury, she said she would remain in the restive region because it was her home.

-- The Nation 2010-10-29

[BwindiBoy]

Does the headline EVER represent the true underlying content of the story?! What a mixed bag this one is.

Anyway, great that I fly in to BKK on November 7th...not! Maybe I should go straight to Cambodia; "do not go to Bangkok, do not collect 200 baht... " Mmmmm...

[BigBikeBKK]

Just stay away from the river and connecting canals. No worries.

[slapout]

Just to pull one item out of the budget. 12,000,000 baht to clean 2,000 water wells which have been contaminated by flood waters. This will be done over a 30 day time frame. Turn the electric power back to the 1500/2000 baht pump and put the well water back on line after pumping for total displacement of fluid. This is a legal license??? to feather someones bank account at taxpayer expense. Unbelievable

[tomyummer]

Imagine if the BMA scraps the 30 billion baht Bangkok Eye Ferris Wheel? That's a lot of money for clearing drains and building flood barriers!