At least 136 dead in Thai flooding

[News_Editor]

At least 136 dead in Thai flooding

2011-09-23 09:27:01 GMT+7 (ICT)

BANGKOK, THAILAND (BNO NEWS) -- At least 136 people have been confirmed dead as flooding from unusual heavy rainfall throughout Thailand continues to affect several parts of the country, officials said Thursday.

According to Thailand's Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, flooding is affecting 23 different provinces around the country, as more than 400,000 homes have been affected following the Nock Ten tropical storm, the Bangkok Post reported. Flooding in Thailand has been ongoing since July 25.

Northern Thailand has been hit by unusually heavy monsoon rains in the past months, killing dozens in flood-related incidents. Scores of people in several central and northeastern provinces are still affected by flooding, which has so far affected some 1.5 million people in thousands of villages.

The estimated costs of the flooding has been placed at 32.41 billion bacht ($1.05 billion), dropping Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP) down by 0.3-0.4 percent, according to Thanawat Phonvichai, director of the Business and Economic Forecast Center at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

However, in April and May, Thailand was also hit by flooding in the country's southern region, causing billions of bacht in damages to their fishing industry, industrial sector, tourism, and business and trade, among other areas.

Adding these two months of flooding, Thawat said damage in flooding have resulted the country in losses of up to 59.49 billion bacht ($1.9 billion), dragging Thailand's GDP down by 0.5-0-7 percent. In addition, the center's director said damages would likely reach up to 100 billion bacht ($3.25 billion) in the future.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-09-23

[soylentgreen]

This is a sad and difficult time for those affected, especially farmers and rural communities, yet the main focus of the article is typically on Thailand's GDP and how many billions of Baht were lost. There should be more news about people's struggles, lives and communities and how they are overcoming these problems.

[tomross46]

While Thai people die in the floods, politiciand and Red Guard go to Cambodia to play football, party, eat and drink, with the Kamer Rouge.

[arnoldjr]

While Thai people die in the floods, politiciand and Red Guard go to Cambodia to play football, party, eat and drink, with the Kamer Rouge.

Ya but its just the poor people that are affected, and everyone knows they don't really matter.

[Maestro]

A nonsensical post has been deleted.