Thai PM Appeals For Unity Amid Flood Crisis

[Crushdepth]

I am trained to rescue people and deliver first aid. I would like so much to help. Sadly, my visa dont give me the right to work. Sad but even with tears in her eyes, i can not do something else than watching those people.

Yes I remember all the Farangs who were helping after the Tsunami were told that they had to apply for work permits or stop helping. This was despite the fact that people were dying and the Farangs were volunteering and didn't receive any money for their work. I was just speechless at the time but nothing has changed since then..

i truly wish people like you would get over themselves and add something creative to the debate.

I seek real information not smug finger pointing and half-assed work permit jokes

What he said about foreigners doing volunteer tsunami relief work is actually true.

[harryn]

I am trained to rescue people and deliver first aid. I would like so much to help. Sadly, my visa dont give me the right to work. Sad but even with tears in her eyes, i can not do something else than watching those people.

Yes I remember all the Farangs who were helping after the Tsunami were told that they had to apply for work permits or stop helping. This was despite the fact that people were dying and the Farangs were volunteering and didn't receive any money for their work. I was just speechless at the time but nothing has changed since then..

i truly wish people like you would get over themselves and add something creative to the debate.

I seek real information not smug finger pointing and half-assed work permit jokes

I see you are a senior member and as such would have realised that we are all entitled to our points of view, whether you agree or not. I was not finger pointing but letting the person who was a paramedic know that he/she was correct in their thoughts. I am deeply saddened by what is and will be happening to the people of Thailand. I hope that clears up my intentions.

[BlackJack]

maybe there is a GOD afterall

[bangon04]

"She also faces a dilemma over whether to block the floods to protect Bangkok, the country's economic and political heartland, or release more water upriver to ease the burden on hard-hit central areas."

Not much of a dilemma really is it.......

[ramrod711]

Translation: "I give up."

correction; i never wanted this job in the first place, i only wanted to get my brother back....HELP!!!! is the correct translation

[hansnl]

She is teary-eyed?

Oh dear, how sad!

Never mind.

SHUT UP!

(With thanks to it ain't half as hot mum)

It is already a few days ago a Dutch reporter on Dutch TV said that she was panicking.

And now she is in tears?

Yes, Thaksin Ltd gets a beating, maybe even deserved!

[vediovis]

open the rivers, help the water to go, don't block the water but make it leave, ask the army to use bombs and explosives to open ways in the ground if necessary and MOVE !!!!!!!

[friendphil]

PM Yingluck has hardly had time to assimilate AND address this natural catastrophe---- which has been made worse by years of poor planning, of which she inherits the consequences. Not that Thailand is the ONLY place with such indifference to nature-- it's been the modern way, hasn't it? Why do we build cities near rivers to begin with, knowing they will sooner or later flood? So, I'd say (being admittedly rather uneducated about the details) the responsibility must be shared among many.

Anyone using the forum who IS actually well educated about this situation, please raise their hand, stand up, or post a sensible post that is not the typical, cynical view that we see so much of here.

[KhunVee]

NOT!

During the Tsunami relief efforts (Only days after the event), the foreigners (volunteers: e.g.: EMT's on holiday here) where ordered to get a work permit or to stop "working" = "helping" people in distress or facing extradition + a fine.

Thai Logics!!!

I'm also qualified to do boot trips and house calls as a Paramedic,.... but I'm worried to do so outside my mooban.

i was living in Phuket at the time of the tsunami, and i was talking to one of the people that got caught, they were taken directly to the labour office, where the work permits were issued in around an hour, then they were taken back to where they were picked up... nobody was arrested and nobody even saw a jail cell (never mind get locked up)

The Thai's love their red tape, but they are not the monsters some people paint them as .

Where did I say they're monsters?

I simply said what happened with friend's & work college's of me at the time.

To paint the picture: They we're in a hospital doing what they we're trained for and do on a full-time basis in their home country.

A uniformed (dunno police or Immigration) man walked in and said to stop doing whatever they we're doing because they where breaking the law for 2 reason given as an argument:

1. They we're not qualified to work as paramedic in THailand.

2. They had no WP.

No directions or information where given to how to obtain a WP at that time/location (Ao Nang).

Nor where they taken to any office to get things straightened out.

As their return flight was only 2 days later they went back to the hotel, start packing and left the country.

One of them was later sent back as a member of a group of "Paramedic Volunteers" they were appointed to a Hi-So Private clinic!

[angeledge]

I am trained to rescue people and deliver first aid. I would like so much to help. Sadly, my visa dont give me the right to work. Sad but even with tears in her eyes, i can not do something else than watching those people.

Pretty sure if you turn up and offer to help, you will be welcomed with open arms...

Cant promise anything however, but lets be honest here... they need all the people they can get

I already know the answer. They are going to say that if we want to help, we have to enroll in Red Cross in our country, the UN or give money. I asked the same thing for Tsunami in Japan. I told them that I could give them great help on delivering first aid, rescue missions or securising the nuclear reactors. After 2 weeks, the minister finally replied to me that I could not because it was illegal work in their country. I just decided to stay in my hometown and respond to regular emergency calls as I usually did.

I am sure if they would let us help them, they would have an hundred more foreigners hands to give the first aid, the rescue missions or placing sand bags. Fact is that most of us want to help, but we dont want to have any problems. How many retired policemen, millitaries or firemen live here and could be very useful for them?

I dont know... maybe the founder of thai visa can do something. He must have some secret friends who can say okay.... we accept any help we can have.

[bkkjames]

I am sitting down mate. I guess a lot of frustration on this and many other places has to do with piss poor planning and band-aid solutions that is the norm in Asia as a whole, and accutely on display here now.

For weeks we have known the water was coming and what did we do? Issue statements about 'no worries' while contradicting one another.

You want the truth-you can't handle the truth, as jack would say .

Edited October 19, 2011 by bkkjames

[animatic]

You got the first half right but not your conclusion. The Army was begging the PM to declare a SOE so they might more widely deploy their assets to mitigate the flood and provide relief to those afeected. The PM demurred and instead used smaller units and put them under the comtrol of incompetent politicians, with the result being what you see now.

soe is not necessary, if there is no destroying barriers or looting of abandoned properties. It should not be used as a condition to engage army in the preventative and rescue help.

it should be the governmental departments (irrigation, health) telling the army where the help, and not the army running their own actions, which might be contradictory to what the grand plan is.

Thing is some interests have been breaking dykes flooding their lands and this is throwing any kind plan off the rails. I am for the SOPE so that

on top command can look at a map an know these dikles will remain where they were placed because their troupes say so.

If random people change the game without notice then one large scale work will be for naught and must be restarted at another place and of course spreads the damage to BOTH places in the end.

[animatic]

I am trained to rescue people and deliver first aid. I would like so much to help. Sadly, my visa dont give me the right to work. Sad but even with tears in her eyes, i can not do something else than watching those people.

Yes I remember all the Farangs who were helping after the Tsunami were told that they had to apply for work permits or stop helping. This was despite the fact that people were dying and the Farangs were volunteering and didn't receive any money for their work. I was just speechless at the time but nothing has changed since then..

i truly wish people like you would get over themselves and add something creative to the debate.

I seek real information not smug finger pointing and half-assed work permit jokes

What he said about foreigners doing volunteer tsunami relief work is actually true.

Yes, most sadly so....

BUt if you're a competent care give, and just start helping,

chances are someone will get you a work permit if some one deems it an issue.

[KhunVee]

I am trained to rescue people and deliver first aid. I would like so much to help. Sadly, my visa dont give me the right to work. Sad but even with tears in her eyes, i can not do something else than watching those people.

Yes I remember all the Farangs who were helping after the Tsunami were told that they had to apply for work permits or stop helping. This was despite the fact that people were dying and the Farangs were volunteering and didn't receive any money for their work. I was just speechless at the time but nothing has changed since then..

i truly wish people like you would get over themselves and add something creative to the debate.

I seek real information not smug finger pointing and half-assed work permit jokes

If you want, I could get you face to face with at least 3 people who actually happened this to.

Then you can tell them yourself they are making jokes.

2 of them are ER-Surgeons with a good reputation in their home country and the third is only a Class A - ER Nurse with 22 years of experience in International Volunteering.

Your bar not open yet?

[nocturn]

I am trained to rescue people and deliver first aid. I would like so much to help. Sadly, my visa dont give me the right to work. Sad but even with tears in her eyes, i can not do something else than watching those people.

Yes I remember all the Farangs who were helping after the Tsunami were told that they had to apply for work permits or stop helping. This was despite the fact that people were dying and the Farangs were volunteering and didn't receive any money for their work. I was just speechless at the time but nothing has changed since then..

i truly wish people like you would get over themselves and add something creative to the debate.

I seek real information not smug finger pointing and half-assed work permit jokes

What he said about foreigners doing volunteer tsunami relief work is actually true.

im well aware it happened in some cases, im also aware or far more cases releif workers were thanked.

oddly enough i am also aware that the tsunami happened a number of years ago under very different circumstances than today's flood situation.

I find the remark in bold particularly mean spirited.

[nocturn]

I am trained to rescue people and deliver first aid. I would like so much to help. Sadly, my visa dont give me the right to work. Sad but even with tears in her eyes, i can not do something else than watching those people.

Yes I remember all the Farangs who were helping after the Tsunami were told that they had to apply for work permits or stop helping. This was despite the fact that people were dying and the Farangs were volunteering and didn't receive any money for their work. I was just speechless at the time but nothing has changed since then..

i truly wish people like you would get over themselves and add something creative to the debate.

I seek real information not smug finger pointing and half-assed work permit jokes

If you want, I could get you face to face with at least 3 people who actually happened this to.

Then you can tell them yourself they are making jokes.

2 of them are ER-Surgeons with a good reputation in their home country and the third is only a Class A - ER Nurse with 22 years of experience in International Volunteering.

Your bar not open yet?

oh, an alcohol joke, how witty

[MrLaoKao]

There are truly a lot of whiny old men in this forum.

[kennalder]

open the rivers, help the water to go, don't block the water but make it leave, ask the army to use bombs and explosives to open ways in the ground if necessary and MOVE !!!!!!!

Well, now I know why it is impossible to get a WP to be in charge.

[animatic]

If you block a huge unstoppable force

from going where it naturally wants to go,

it will find whatever weakness in your blockage it finds

and make it wider because you have increased and focused it's force.

Via the venturi effect it will go much faster

and with more force once it finds or creates an outlet

If you give this force many smaller paths to go around

what you need to protect, it will go through the places

you give it first, at lower force and speed and venturi effects

because the load is lessened,before forcing through your

unintended weakest points.

Edited October 19, 2011 by animatic

[LomSak27]

There are truly a lot of whiny old men in this forum.

[finnomick1]

Seems like PM Yingluck was the only person not to realise the situation was already out of control. Typical female response when all else has failed, turn on the waterworks. That'll be MORE water to push out into the gulf ! Having said that, I do not envy her her position. I think ( and that means my thoughts ), that this government is sadly lacking in politicians and really need to address the situation after the flooding issue is resolved.....

[SICHONSTEVE]

The prime minister admits the flood situation has spun out of her government's control

So it's every man, woman, child and granny for themselves, eh? It seems the Thai people somehow already knew that. I'm guessing Yingluck has never read the biographies of any great leaders throughout history.

She shouldn't be there!!! She is not a politician!!!! and the people (in the North of the country are STUPID for putting her there in the first place I don't mind saying)!!! Please stop snivelling Yingluck and go back to the day job (whoops!!! I forgot, this IS her day job)!!

They should let the Governor of Bangkok (an educated Democrat) take over and co-ordinate the efforts properly instead of entrusting the handing of the disaster to a bunch of Pheu Thai imbeciles that haven't got a clue about what they are doing or needs to be done!!!!

Plain and simple - dissolve the government and have another election to see if PT supporters are happy about the 2 months effort that this government has put in. Its not for trying, granted, but TRYING is simply not good enough, is it!!!

When you have ministers coming out with statements like "they don't know what they are doing" - "Oh yes I do now", "I've just remembered", "get Thaksin back into Thailand and don't worry about the other foreign affairs as thats just a side show and a waste of my time and energy"!!!.

Any Thaksin/red brigade sympathisers should admit their stupidity in sticking up for this lost cause - don't try defending them to me as NOTHING you say will be registered by my brain as being believable or sensible - unless you have changed your tune, seen the light and come to your senses that is!!!:jap:

Interested to see your response to this - please keep it polite though!!

Edited October 19, 2011 by SICHONSTEVE

[trainman34014]

Seems like PM Yingluck was the only person not to realise the situation was already out of control. Typical female response when all else has failed, turn on the waterworks. That'll be MORE water to push out into the gulf ! Having said that, I do not envy her her position. I think ( and that means my thoughts ), that this government is sadly lacking in politicians and really need to address the situation after the flooding issue is resolved.....

No matter how many politicians there are in Thailand, or what colour flag they fly, when this is all over it will be 'mae pen rai' and carry on as usual. They will all go back to their Mansions on high ground and open another bottle of Cognac. If any thought whatsoever is given to future planning it will be steered by the elite who will want the highest possible walls built around their center's of self interest. The rest of Thailand can go to the dogs for all they care and the Thai people cannot do much about it because whoever they vote for..........they get the same result !

[serenitynow]

You got the first half right but not your conclusion. The Army was begging the PM to declare a SOE so they might more widely deploy their assets to mitigate the flood and provide relief to those afeected. The PM demurred and instead used smaller units and put them under the comtrol of incompetent politicians, with the result being what you see now.

soe is not necessary, if there is no destroying barriers or looting of abandoned properties. It should not be used as a condition to engage army in the preventative and rescue help.

it should be the governmental departments (irrigation, health) telling the army where the help, and not the army running their own actions, which might be contradictory to what the grand plan is.

SOE is not necessary if civilial chains of command were anywhere at all close to what the military enjoys. Not calling the SOE put the Army assets under the direction and control of incompetents. people who don't know what they're doing and are just as likely to make things worse rather than better. Get it?

[SICHONSTEVE]

If you block a huge unstoppable force

from going where it naturally wants to go,

it will find whatever weakness in your blockage it finds

and make it wider because you have increased and focused it's force.

Via the venturi effect it will go much faster

and with more force once it finds or creates an outlet

If you give this force many smaller paths to go around

what you need to protect, it will go through the places

you give it first, at lower force and speed and venturi effects

because the load is lessened,before forcing through your

unintended weakest points.

Please don't confuse them - this government has enough problems with numbers let alone physics for gods sake!!!.

Tell them this and they will probably ask you "where can they buy a couple dozen of these" and "do they work"??? .

[MaxYakov]

Today she is telling the "truth"....guess it's been nothing but lies for the past 3 weeks.

HoooRRRAAAYYYY -----At last we have an honest politician------------REALLY ?

More likely a desperate one.

[chmiroau]

Teary eyed? We need our leader to be strong or at least pretend to be strong. It's bad enough her government is incompetent but now we have to see her cry too. Way to reassure your frightened people.

What a silly reply, prime ministers tearing up in the face of adversity shows that they are people, and for one I am surprised as to why other people haven't had a few tears for what has happened. I sure have and I am a 44 year old man. Much to say that I have cried at the sheer loss of property, many of the peoples lives will have changed forever, and although not always much, many of these people have lost everything they have. Again, it is another show of the long term mismanagement of a country that can and used to be in a much better shape than it is now.

There is nothing wrong with feeling the way many people are feeling at the moment. If you need to have a cry, you can rest on my shoulder, I am right there with you.

Now, please excuse me I am fortifying our flood prevention at our home, all the while the neighbours are laughing at the foreigner and his actions around the house. Wonder if I will have the last laugh if and when the area floods.

[MaxYakov]

Seems like PM Yingluck was the only person not to realise the situation was already out of control. Typical female response when all else has failed, turn on the waterworks. That'll be MORE water to push out into the gulf ! Having said that, I do not envy her her position. I think ( and that means my thoughts ), that this government is sadly lacking in politicians and really need to address the situation after the flooding issue is resolved.....

Sadly lacking in politicians? They have plenty, it seems to me. Address something after the flooding is resolved? When will that be? They have only a year before the next one ... and the next ... and the next.

[MaxYakov]

There are truly a lot of whiny old men in this forum.

How does (whomever) know they're old? Is it OK if I whine about your uncommented quote box? Or is that your own quote?

[softgeorge]

'"Today I will frankly tell you the truth. I have left no stone unturned in this crisis but I cannot solve it alone. I need cooperation from all sides," a teary-eyed Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra told reporters.'

---------

As of today, perhaps. But she should have started turning them over weeks ago.

oih give them woman a bloody break if the opposition would get of thier lazy fat behinds and help instead of trying to shift blame onto the p.m. things might get done. The last lazy incompetent government had years to put measures in place to prevent this. This lady was dumped with thier mess and has had no time or support to clean it up.