PM Enlists More Army Help: Thailand Flood

[webfact]

PM enlists more Army help

The Nation

Military will take up flood fight in 5 worst-hit provinces : FROC allays concerns Bangkok would be overwhelmed

As the flood threat appears to ease in Bangkok, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has assigned the Royal Thai Army to oversee centres tackling major problems in five provinces, according to the Flood Relief Operations Centre.

The centre's spokesperson, Pol General Pongsapat Pongchareon, said at a press conference at Don Mueang airport, that the PM had ordered the Army to handle the flood crisis, including air operations and life search missions - in Nakhon Sawan, Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi, Lop Buri and Pathum Thani.

The Flood Relief Operations Centre's General Palanggoor Klaharn said the United States would also send helicopters to help search for and rescue flood victims marooned in their homes.

To save Pathum Thani province's Nava Nakorn Industrial Park from flooding, Gen Palanggoor said the centre had instructed officials to drain water and strengthen the sandbag barricades.

"We ask people not to drag sandbags from the barricades. They should listen to their governors as they know how to control the flood," he said.

Meanwhile, the critical mass of runoff had already passed the capital on its way to the sea, easing fears of Bangkok's inundation, Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut said yesterday.

"Since June, the country has faced a huge amount of water, but the situation is improving as run-off from the North has stopped," he said.

Theera said the water released by all major dams, including Bhumibol, Sirikit and Pasak, has returned to normal levels.

Over the past few days, the rate at which water flows through the Chao Phraya River at Nakhon Sawan has stabilised at 4,630 cubic metres per second, he said, confirming no additional run-off from the North.

The water in the Central region, including Ayutthaya, Sing Buri and Angthong, had not increased and some areas saw the inundation dropping slightly, he said. Occasional swollen waterways were due to high tides and not additional water.

DRAINING EXCESS WATER INTO SEA

Authorities were trying to drain 400-500 million cubic meters per day of excess water into the sea.

In Bangkok, the rising Chao Phraya River reached a record peak on Saturday morning at 2.29 metres, about one centimetre below the forecast level.

The inundation at Rojana Industrial Park in Ayutthaya would not impact the capital because the water would be diverted and drained via a system of 10 canals in Rangsit. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Royal Irrigation Department constructed two dykes to rein in excess water.

The Flood Relief Operations Centre said water drainage into the sea had proven effective, allaying concern that Bangkok would be overwhelmed.

Chalit Damrongsak, director-general of the Irrigation Department, said the water level had stabilised after the country saw run-off draining into the sea.

Water in low-lying land is expected to flow slowly into the Chao Phraya River. Rangsit residents should be commended for their cooperation in allowing the water to drain via Khlong Rangsit 8 to 10, a crucial move to save the capital from the floods, Chalit said.

Flash flooding in parts of Bangkok over the weekend was attributed to heavy rain and not run-off.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra chaired a ceremony to start the operation to speed up the drainage by mobilising boats to propel water into the sea.

Some 500 boats joined together at Phra Nang Klao Bridge, Nonthaburi, to boost the downstream flow. More than 1,000 boats were mobilised for the lower portion of the river.

Yingluck said the government was committed to the three-pronged strategy for drainage. Water would be drained via the East, the West and the Chao Phraya River.

The government was intensifying the dredging of the eastern and western waterways to speed up the water flow. Boats and pumps would be deployed for drainage.

-- The Nation 2011-10-17

[webfact]

Military called in for flood rescue and coordination with foreign counterparts on use of aircraft

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has entrusted the Ministry of Defence to set up a coordinating center on use of aircraft for flood relief operations and has also ordered the Thai Armed Forces Headquarters to act as the center for search & rescue operations.

According to the Flood Relief Operations Center (FROC), the Use of Aircraft Coordinating Center of the Ministry of Defence will coordinate with foreign countries which have offered to send airplanes and disaster experts to help flood-affected people in Thailand. The new center will also take care of air traffic arrangement for the visiting planes.

Prime Minister Yingluck earlier announced that the United States promised to send 28 Hawk Eye aircraft to Thailand to help in the survey and evacuation of flood-hit people and in the removal of affected industrial equipment. The Royal Thai Air Force and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been assigned to work together to facilitate foreign aircraft and experts sent in to help Thai flood victims.

Meanwhile, the Search & Rescue center of the Thai Armed Forces Headquarters will act as the center of cooperation in searching for flood victims in various parts of the country. The center will integrate its operations with both government and private sector units to ensure efficiency.

-- NNT 2011-10-17

[OzMick]

Is this OP saying that there are extra military resources that have been sitting unused, or is it simply appointing military oversight of the 5 worst provinces?

[Buchholz]

Prime Minister Yingluck earlier announced that the United States promised to send 28 Hawk Eye aircraft to Thailand to help in the survey and evacuation of flood-hit people and in the removal of affected industrial equipment. The Royal Thai Air Force and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been assigned to work together to facilitate foreign aircraft and experts sent in to help Thai flood victims.

Twenty-eight E-2 Hawkeye aircraft represents a huge portion of the U.S. military inventory, so huge, in fact, that it seems highly doubtful this is the case.

Contributing to that doubt is that apparently Yingluck is the only person saying that the U.S. will send all those aircraft.

There is, however, confirmation that a solitary C-130 Hercules aircraft is being sent:

http://www.dvidshub.net/image/474246/iii-mef-hast-prepares-assess-ha-dr-thailand#.TpuStFs7uSo

Edited October 17, 2011 by Buchholz

[RichinThailand]

I can see no use for 28 airborne radar platforms in flood control????

If they are expecting a large number of aircraft working the flood zone, then one or two to do air traffic control might be helpful.

Maybe she is planing on having them fly up the rivers so the turboprop wash moves more water to the sea! Makes as much sense as the boats

[Buchholz]

I can see no use for 28 airborne radar platforms in flood control????

If they are expecting a large number of aircraft working the flood zone, then one or two to do air traffic control might be helpful.

Maybe she is planing on having them fly up the rivers so the turboprop wash moves more water to the sea! Makes as much sense as the boats

Seems this is just another situation in which Yingluck has misspoken. She does have a past proclivity for getting the basics of military hardware mixed up.

Rather than E-2 Hawkeye aircraft (which are tactical early warning airplanes), she really meant to say SH-60 Seahawk aircraft (which are multi-purpose helicopters).

Rather than 28, she really meant to say 6.

VOA News

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/Thailand-Floods-Foster-Unity-in-Divided-Country-131943153.html

.

Edited October 17, 2011 by Buchholz

[Robby nz]

There is little doubt that the armed forces should have been the first to be called in to respond to what was obviously going to be a dire situation after all they exist for the protection of the country whether it be from external or internal problems but......The Army are the enemy as they were the ones to kick out Thaksin so they should never be given the opportunity to be seen as heroes.

However the situation has now got so out of control that there is no choice but to call them in, the great man can only hope they fail and that somehow his Govt can be the ones to get any praise, a slender hope.

[h90]

Is this OP saying that there are extra military resources that have been sitting unused, or is it simply appointing military oversight of the 5 worst provinces?

Or Yingluck is just saying something that sounds good "I order the military to do more" without any substance.

[jayboy]

Six posts so far in response to the useful article on the army's assistance - all of them childishly and pointlessly trying to make political capital of the current flooding disaster.

[OzMick]

I can see no use for 28 airborne radar platforms in flood control????

If they are expecting a large number of aircraft working the flood zone, then one or two to do air traffic control might be helpful.

Maybe she is planing on having them fly up the rivers so the turboprop wash moves more water to the sea! Makes as much sense as the boats

Seems this is just another situation in which Yingluck has misspoken. She does have a past proclivity for getting the basics of military hardware mixed up.

Rather than E-2 Hawkeye aircraft (which are tactical early warning airplanes), she really meant to say SH-60 Seahawk aircraft (which are multi-purpose helicopters).

Rather than 28, she really meant to say 6.

VOA News

http://www.voanews.c...-131943153.html

.

I wonder what she meant to say when she said " I will govern for all the people." ?

[hanuman1]

Six posts so far in response to the useful article on the army's assistance - all of them childishly and pointlessly trying to make political capital of the current flooding disaster.

Agreed. Even a Dem party spokesperson could do a better job of criticizing the government than this lot. Although even a Dem party spokesperson would show some restraint given the serious nature of this natural disaster.

[DP25]

US aircraft carrier on it's way as well

SINAPORE - The USS George Washington Strike Group departed early from a port visit in Singapore Oct. 16 to be better postured to provide humanitarian aid if needed in the wake of the worst flooding in many years in Thailand.

http://www.c7f.navy.mil/news/2011/10-october/019.htm

[h90]

Six posts so far in response to the useful article on the army's assistance - all of them childishly and pointlessly trying to make political capital of the current flooding disaster.

What do you expect? Yingluck messed it up by not being allowed to activate the Emergency laws. Causing more damage than necessary.

Now when everything is almost over she makes some smart speeches about more military.

Even a Thaksin supporter must agree that this is ridiculous

[OzMick]

Six posts so far in response to the useful article on the army's assistance - all of them childishly and pointlessly trying to make political capital of the current flooding disaster.

Agreed. Even a Dem party spokesperson could do a better job of criticizing the government than this lot. Although even a Dem party spokesperson would show some restraint given the serious nature of this natural disaster.

As you agree, can you point out the posts not directly on the topic as contained on in Posts #1 &2 ? Yingluk obviously mis-spoke, which is worthy of some comment IMHO. In fact, the first off-topic post was the one you agree with.

I make no attempt to be a spokesman for the Democrats, I am a critic of PTP. Mishandling of a disaster is worthy of criticism.

[thaicbr]

Six posts so far in response to the useful article on the army's assistance - all of them childishly and pointlessly trying to make political capital of the current flooding disaster.

Ok then Redboy.. the article states that Yingluck said 28 hawkeye aircraft are coming.. really ? or did she misspeak again.

The fact is this is a serious situation which requires (or required) serious things done.. many were not until the last moment due to dithering and a turf war.

[ginjag]

Six posts so far in response to the useful article on the army's assistance - all of them childishly and pointlessly trying to make political capital of the current flooding disaster.

Agreed. Even a Dem party spokesperson could do a better job of criticizing the government than this lot. Although even a Dem party spokesperson would show some restraint given the serious nature of this natural disaster.

Apart from your childish response about 6 childish responses, and your completely one sided unreal stance in favour of the new government and it's handling of everything, including the P.M.s lack of experience needed in times like this, WHAT would you Both have done yourselves in this situation, Given out condoms and wellingtons and 1000 boats ignored the army until the last minute, not mobilised and utilised the police to more effect, please don't defend the authorities, be a critic when needed, would improve your image on forum. Go on attack me now for giving out some truths :jap:

[animatic]

Realities force strange bedfellows.

[philw]

Six posts so far in response to the useful article on the army's assistance - all of them childishly and pointlessly trying to make political capital of the current flooding disaster.

Ok then Redboy.. the article states that Yingluck said 28 hawkeye aircraft are coming.. really ? or did she misspeak again.

The fact is this is a serious situation which requires (or required) serious things done.. many were not until the last moment due to dithering and a turf war.

Just possibly she was misquoted or it's a typo error originating on the newspaper side.

Only a possibility of course..................

[MaxYakov]

Six posts so far in response to the useful article on the army's assistance - all of them childishly and pointlessly trying to make political capital of the current flooding disaster.

What do you expect? Yingluck messed it up by not being allowed to activate the Emergency laws. Causing more damage than necessary.

Now when everything is almost over she makes some smart speeches about more military.

Even a Thaksin supporter must agree that this is ridiculous

Let's see ... would that be 7 or 8 make-political-capital posts? I counted only 2 or 3 (1 fuzzy) at the time of jayboy's original gripe of 6. We've got to do better, than this!

Edited October 17, 2011 by MaxYakov

[Cayenne]

Seems this is just another situation in which Yingluck has misspoken. She does have a past proclivity for getting the basics of military hardware mixed up.

Rather than E-2 Hawkeye aircraft (which are tactical early warning airplanes), she really meant to say SH-60 Seahawk aircraft (which are multi-purpose helicopters).

Rather than 28, she really meant to say 6.

VOA News

http://www.voanews.c...-131943153.html

.

Seahawks would make more sense as they also have FLIR for search and rescue missions. Since she was reading from a script, maybe the script writer was thinking of the Hawkeye technology for goal line detection?

[animatic]

Knee jerk clicque-sh responses to the issues of the day,

deserve valid critique as do any other comments.

[philw]

Knee jerk clicque-sh responses to the issues of the day,

deserve valid critique as do any other comments.

No doubt your apology will be fulsome when it turns out that she was misquoted or it was Nation typographical error.

Hardly an "issue of the day " given the current mess.

[hanuman1]

Six posts so far in response to the useful article on the army's assistance - all of them childishly and pointlessly trying to make political capital of the current flooding disaster.

Agreed. Even a Dem party spokesperson could do a better job of criticizing the government than this lot. Although even a Dem party spokesperson would show some restraint given the serious nature of this natural disaster.

Apart from your childish response about 6 childish responses, and your completely one sided unreal stance in favour of the new government and it's handling of everything, including the P.M.s lack of experience needed in times like this, WHAT would you Both have done yourselves in this situation, Given out condoms and wellingtons and 1000 boats ignored the army until the last minute, not mobilised and utilised the police to more effect, please don't defend the authorities, be a critic when needed, would improve your image on forum. Go on attack me now for giving out some truths :jap:

I don't criticize because I cannot come up with a better way of handling the floods based on the information we are fed through the media. Decisions are based on information. Do you think you are privy to more than a fraction of the information pertaining to the flood situation that the government has access to? I'm not saying that the government is taking all the right decisions, I'm saying that their decisions are considerably better informed than the ones you and your nay-saying friends on this forum would take.

Of course everyone would want this to be better handled. That is a given, and not the basis of any coherent criticism of any government that finds itself having to deal with this kind of thing. But the outcome of what you would do to improve the situation can never be known and is only the opinion of someone with a track record of knocking the government at every available opportunity, no matter how inappropriate.

I really can't fathom why it is impossible for some people to understand that dismissing some criticism as being childish/inappropriate is not the same thing as agreeing with everything about the person/group being criticized. This is the kind of shallow thinking that you and your gov/red hating friends frequently attribute to your favorite targets (what, no freedom of thought?), and yet dogmatically pursue the same MO day in day out.

Edited October 17, 2011 by hanuman1

[phiphidon]

Knee jerk clicque-sh responses to the issues of the day,

deserve valid critique as do any other comments.

"Valid critique" does not have to be expressed in a rude fashion, especially when it may not even be valid.

The facts are the USA will send over at least 6 Sea Hawk helicopters for use in heavy lifting initially. They stated that should the waters not recede in the the next 3-5 days they are prepared to send another 20 sea hawk helicopters. That makes at least 26 in total sea hawks. http://pattayatoday.net/news/thailand-news/us-sends-disaster-experts-to-assess-help/

Buchholz in a moment of glee points out that 28 HawkEyes is a large part of the USA's fleet and therefore silly old Yingluck has effed up again and confused 6 sea hawk helicopters with 28 Hawk Eye planes!

Now consider The Nations track record of reporting. Yingluck, in Thai, says that 26 sea hawks have been promised by the USA and thanks very much. Somchai from The Nation writes this down in his notebook and rushes back to file copy (or maybe even sends it from his I phone if the Nation has technically advanced from the dark ages of press, judging from the standard of reporting, I wouldn't bet on this having happened.....)

Transliterated and and as efficiently edited as the usual Nation artickes are, 26 becomes 28, Sea Hawk, becomes Hawk Eye.

Why is that so hard to believe, Animatic? Knee jerk response anybody?

Edited October 17, 2011 by phiphidon

[JAG]

Phipidon, its a knee jerk response driven by bigotry.

[Buchholz]

^^ It would help if you could at least identify the correct media outlet.

It would also help your justification that it was all the media's outlet fault IF Yingluck didn't already have a history of misspeaking when it comes to military hardware... or other items like the proper grass species to help control flooding.

.

Edited October 17, 2011 by Buchholz

[NCFC]

Six posts so far in response to the useful article on the army's assistance - all of them childishly and pointlessly trying to make political capital of the current flooding disaster.

What do you expect? Yingluck messed it up by not being allowed to activate the Emergency laws. Causing more damage than necessary.

Now when everything is almost over she makes some smart speeches about more military.

Even a Thaksin supporter must agree that this is ridiculous

At last we have a Prime Minister giving orders to the Army, and not like the previous incumbent who had to go to army barracks to receive his orders. Good for Yingluck.

[serenitynow]

Six posts so far in response to the useful article on the army's assistance - all of them childishly and pointlessly trying to make political capital of the current flooding disaster.

What do you expect? Yingluck messed it up by not being allowed to activate the Emergency laws. Causing more damage than necessary.

Now when everything is almost over she makes some smart speeches about more military.

Even a Thaksin supporter must agree that this is ridiculous

At last we have a Prime Minister giving orders to the Army, and not like the previous incumbent who had to go to army barracks to receive his orders. Good for Yingluck.

It;s a shame she wasn't doing it 1-2 months ago, wouldn't you agree?

[OzMick]

^^ It would help if you could at least identify the correct media outlet.

It would also help your justification that it was all the media's outlet fault IF Yingluck didn't already have a history of misspeaking when it comes to military hardware... or other items like the proper grass species to help control flooding.

.

I for one find it quite likely that it was a mistake by the reporter, as it was the government's own news bureau, which in all likelihood just been forced to take on a number of new staff members whose only qualification is a red shirt.

Odds about 60/40, with the smart money on a Yingluk <deleted>-up.

[asuwin]

what a load of idiots you lot really are , all you can do is criticize each other or don't you know your country is in the worst state for more than 50 years, stop bickering amongst yourselves pull your finger out of your ears and get out there and help with the dams and the rescue operations, my God it takes a farang to pull you lot together, i really sympathize with PM Yingluck having to run the country for idiots like you