Conflicting Updates Cause Flood Of Confusion: Bangkok

[webfact]

ANALYSIS

Conflicting updates cause flood of confusion

The Nation

Water can bring fire, or so Plodprasob Surassawadee has learned. The heat has been turned up on the science minister, who is charged with overseeing floodrelief operations, after his statement on TV on Thursday evening caused widespread panic among Bangkokians.

To be fair to Plodprasob, everyone was already jumpy. When he said flood water as high as one metre could be heading toward several northern Bangkok districts, all hell broke loose. It turned out to be a false alarm. The repair work on the Ban Prao floodgate in Pathum Thani's Sam Kok district was not going to be finished on time, and some gushing water apparently made him throw caution to the wind. His announcement that people in those districts should start moving their belongings was picked up immediately by social media networks and the rest is history.

Justice Minister Pracha Promnok, who is above Plodprasob in the floodfighting chain of command, had to come out to fix the damage, telling the media that no evacuation order had been issued, or even suggested. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday defended Plodprasob's "good intention", but the government conspicuously stated that public announcements concerning the flooding were to come from Pracha alone. To add to the tension between the government and the media, the Information and Communications Technology Ministry warned that rumourmongers could face a jail term, and there was talk of press releases having to have Pracha's signature on them.

So, in the space of two weeks, public communications responsibility has been shifted from Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit to Plodprasop, and then to Justice Minister Pracha. Yingluck herself did not look comfortable when she addressed the nation on the flood disaster on TV.

More trouble may lie ahead. Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra, who is from the Democrat Party, was apparently so upset by Plodprasob's action on Thursday evening that he told Bangkokians to listen to flood updates concerning the capital from him only. Whether the government's "Listen to Pracha only" policy will create jurisdictional or political problems remains to be seen, although, technically, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is supposed to be part of the government's antiflood command.

More confusion emerged yesterday following what appeared to be a statement from the command centre that 17 Bangkok districts are now classified as "disaster areas". Early in the evening, Pracha denied knowledge of the statement, which bore all the marks of the command centre. It could be yet another misunderstanding, but for Bangkokians, who are already on edge, it only meant continued anxiety and stress. Still, it could be a small price to pay considering what happened to people living around the capital.

-- The Nation 2011-10-15

[Buchholz]

Same sort of confusion harkens back to Samak's administration.

If things remain consistent with that incompetent set, cabinet ministers will start falling by the wayside on a weekly basis.

.

[OzMick]

"......... the Information and Communications Technology Ministry warned that rumourmongers could face a jail term.........."

I have a candidate for the first prosecution.............. Bugger, he's got immunity.

[Bakseedaa]

Same sort of confusion harkens back to Samak's administration.

If things remain consistent with that incompetent set, cabinet ministers will start falling by the wayside on a weekly basis.

.

Jutaporn has now cancelled future football matches and is looking for anyone to play water-polo....

[katana]

Picture of Science and Technology minister Plodprasob Surassawadee in Thairath today.

http://www.thairath.co.th/content/pol/209407

[Buchholz]

Picture of Science and Technology minister Plodprasob Surassawadee in Thairath today.

http://www.thairath.co.th/content/pol/209407

He's either looking at the results from his Ships' Propellers Are More Powerful Than A Swollen Flooded River science experiment

OR

his latest Rumor Mongering False Claim Waiting To Be Disavowed

[dtaanic]

Jutaporn has now cancelled future football matches and is looking for anyone to play water-polo....

[chmiroau]

It is so hard to tell what is happening right in front of us. The TV pictures are very alarming, even for me, a person of usually well measured action (if I say so myself hehe). I feel that the idea of panic is somewhat justified considering the amount and level of the lies that were told by the winning party. We should be very worried for another reason, it now seems that this situation, while not predictable in anyway, was given a helping hand at the hand of mismanagement within the government themselves. The very idea of holding the water so long in upcountry areas to save Bangkok from flooding is almost inhumane. The people that live there were very possibly the greatest supporters of the current administration and deserve to be very angry indeed.

So, the lies and miss-truths continue so much so that every learned Thai that I speak with about the situation simply shrugs their shoulders. They know what's happening, same as always, the government doesn't know what is happening, and that is what we should be most worried about. When the floods come and recede, the government will still be here.

Be afraid.

[khaowong1]

I think people in these positions, Science Minister, etc. should be held accountable for their actions, but you see the same thing in the US and the UK. And the President and the Prime Minister standing up for them. Politicians world around get away with things that the rest of us would be fired for.

[ETatBKK]

I could understand and could accept certain level of confusion in a disaster as such. yet this is an exceptional level that I could not even understand !

seeing is believing is too late ! every hour we have different sources with completely different focuses different statements, we have to apply our own filter and judgement and to protect ourselves and our family.

is it something new in a government operation to PRE-define the communication channels and the formats in any incident ? does the government need to learn the correct process of communication in each cast ?

yeah . . . flood of confusion !

[janverbeem]

This guy gone deserve a medal for the biggest fool for sure

[plumeria]

The flood my discredit the current government in a way no other party and no other interest group could.

[serenitynow]

The flood my discredit the current government in a way no other party and no other interest group could.

Seemingly, but let me tell you something about these people. You could tell them this government is coming to get their baby, chop it up and sell it for parts and they'd still defend it. God, I\d love to meet a girlfriend like that. Assuming my wife approves of course.

Edited October 16, 2011 by serenitynow