Bangkok Must Share Flooding, Adviser Tells PM Yingluck

[webfact]

Bangkok must share flooding, adviser tells PM

The Nation

A close aide to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday suggested that the government immediately revise its flood-prevention plan to protect the inner city areas from severe flooding.

Sudarat Keyuraphan, in her capacity as an adviser to the government's Flood Relief Operation Centre

(FROC), said her plan calls for releasing floodwater from upstream provinces into Nakhon Nayok and Chachoengsao to the east of Bangkok, and allowing some areas of the city to be flooded.

"Bangkok has to accept part of the water in order to help reduce the burden," Sudarat said. She added that FROC chief Pracha Promnok has agreed to her idea and that she would later raise the matter with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

She warned that the government's current plan of blocking the floodwater in upstream provinces would only help increase the water pressure. Any leak in the temporary flood walls could lead to severe flooding in Bangkok's central areas, including the Victory Monument, she said.

"The situation is critical and I think this is time for me to help," Sudarat said.

She denied that she was acting on someone's command. "I have not got been ordered by anyone, although I get advice from many sources. We now need to brainstorm to release the 10,000-plus million cubic metres of water into the sea as soon as possible. We can't allow the water to mass up and attack Bangkok," the banned politician said.

Sudarat is one of the 111 former executives of the disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party who have been banned from politics for five years after the party was dissolved by court order for electoral fraud.

Meanwhile, Kohlak Charoenruk, deputy chairman of the National Disaster Warning Committee, yesterday called on the prime minister to decide whether to allow floodwaters from upstream provinces to naturally pass Bangkok's Chao Phraya River and canals into the sea.

He said that the government's attempt to keep the massive floodwater in provinces north of Bangkok would only help increase the water pressure.

"It's the nature of water to flow downstream into the sea. When you block a lot of water, it will mass up to become a tsunami and could finally hit Bangkok," he said. He added that Bangkok is on a natural channel for the water from upstream to flow into the sea.

Yingluck yesterday appeared awkward in defending the Flood Relief Operations Centre from a crisis of confidence.

"I concede that many don't believe in FROC," she said.

FROC's work would be fine-tuned and its dissemination of flood warnings improved in order to avoid confusion and panic, she said.

However, the government was not trying to withhold certain facts about the flood, she said.

Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawade has predicted that Don Muang would be submerged in one metre of water, but she said she would rather wait for an expert's opinion than speculate on the matter.

The government was doing its best to tackle the flood, so people should not get petrified by drawing a hasty conclusion on the inevitability of inundation, she said, urging for calm.

After reasoning with residents, authorities could now open key sluice gates on six Rangsit canals to divert water from the northern to eastern parts of the city before shunting the water out to sea via the Bang Pakong River.

The move would slow down the approaching deluge and minimise the flooding, if any, in Sai Mai and Don Muang districts.

FROC would not be relocated from Don Mueang Airport at this juncture.

FROC's flood announcements were not unreliable. Officials from various agencies were working there, so each one might assess the situation and make comments from a narrow perspective without forming an overall picture.

She said she would try to ensure that FROC issued comprehensive updates instead of making pot-shot comments.

She pleaded for cooperation from all sides to overcome the disaster, as she alone could not rescue the city.

"It's time to stop playing political games," she said.

The problem was especially difficult to solve this year due to one unknown variable - the amount of rainfall.

She could not estimate the amount of water that might flood Bangkok because the country might still be hit by more storms.

Reporters should not pester her with questions that were beyond her, as only specialists should comment on water and weather forecasts.

International assistance continued with Liu Ning, the Chinese vice minister for water resources, visiting Thailand from Monday to yesterday to advise FROC on flood control.

China has dispatched a team of hydrologists to assist in drainage efforts.

In a related development, Prime Minister Yingluck yesterday dismissed a rumour that she watched a concert on Tuesday night while much of the country was facing severe floods.

"I didn't go to any concert. Now my daily life involves travelling from home to the FROC at Don Mueang Airport and my office at Government House. I have attended no entertainment function and I do not dine out now," she said.

-- The Nation 2011-10-20

[SunDaRi]

"The situation is critical and I think this is time for me to help," Sudarat said.

Wonder woman?

[zydeco]

Great, the Chinese are here. They've made an even bigger mess of their own country than Thailand has with this disaster.

[robblok]

People here are complaining that Bangkok has shut all the floodgates making it worse here. I hope that the water wont rise too much we are already slowly flooding now.

[Buchholz]

"The situation is critical and I think this is time for me to help," Sudarat said.

Wonder woman?

The sad thing is that her efforts as Thaksin's Public Health Minister to cover-up the bird flu crisis cost people lives. Will the same occur with the latest crisis?

Despite her pointing at a map in a helicopter, AFAIK, there is absolutely zilch in her background to qualify her as an "adviser" in the flood response.

The government was doing its best to tackle the flood

They could start by getting actual experts instead of clueless Thaksin cronies to "tackle the flood"

.

Edited October 20, 2011 by Buchholz

[Gippy]

It looks like we are about to share, Chaengwattana Soi 14 near Klong Prapa. Canal has burst it's banks in places and a couple of streets are flooded. The drains are keeping the water away 200m from my house but that won't last long. Good luck everybody.

Edited October 20, 2011 by Gippy

[alexakap]

Great, the Chinese are here. They've made an even bigger mess of their own country than Thailand has with this disaster.

The Chinese also said "NO woman ever can run the Empire - it is the duty for a Man"....they said it long ago, somewhere in the time of Confucius or something...

Edited October 20, 2011 by alexakap

[Crushdepth]

The last thing we need is retired political advisers trying to provide technical advice on flood management. Get out of the way and let officials do their jobs unhindered.

[zydeco]

It looks like we are about to share, Chaengwattana Soi 14 near Klong Prapa. Canal has burst it's banks in places and a couple of streets are flooded. The drains are keeping the water away 200m from my house but that won't last long. Good luck everybody.

I think everybody living below 3rd floor level is about to share.

[Buchholz]

The last thing we need is retired political advisers trying to provide technical advice on flood management. Get out of the way and let officials do their jobs unhindered.

Sudarat is an MBA graduate. She can advise on how best to get the ensuing flood of money directed into the proper channel.

.

Edited October 20, 2011 by Buchholz

[OZEMADE]

It looks like we are about to share, Chaengwattana Soi 14 near Klong Prapa. Canal has burst it's banks in places and a couple of streets are flooded. The drains are keeping the water away 200m from my house but that won't last long. Good luck everybody.

I think everybody living below 3rd floor level is about to share.

Heavy rain up north again, another breach of the rivers in the north again causing more flooding. It seems Bangkok is going to get flooded what ever they do. Open the gates let the place flood get it out of the way. Holding the water back with more floods coming on top of it is like picking a pimple, it is just gonna flare up. If they keep bottleing up the water with all these dams and sandbag blocades, the water will stay there for months. After all Bangkok is known as the Venice of the Asia as it is built on rivers and canals.

[OzMick]

""It's time to stop playing political games," she said."

Who is playing political gains, other than a political "adviser" with no experience in flood management. Perhaps her job is to deflect the blame elsewhere.

[SAffer]

Great, the Chinese are here. They've made an even bigger mess of their own country than Thailand has with this disaster.

The Chinese also said "NO woman ever can run the Empire - it is the duty for a Man"....they said it long ago, somewhere in the time of Confucius or something...

The Brits seem to have a different opinion; Queen Victoria, Thatcher...

[rogerdee123]

Sudarat wants to be mayor of Bangkok ... she was the front-runner in that election for a while ... when was it? 2000 ???

Keep this in mind as you watch her shenanigans.

[Rosco911]

Amazing Thailand. Anyone who has flown or been inside a helicopter will know that the guy wearing the headset cannot hear one word that the so called government adviser is saying based on the fact that she is not wearing a head set. Therefore the best advise to date.

[bigbamboo]

Great, the Chinese are here. They've made an even bigger mess of their own country than Thailand has with this disaster.

The Chinese also said "NO woman ever can run the Empire - it is the duty for a Man"....they said it long ago, somewhere in the time of Confucius or something...

The Brits seem to have a different opinion; Queen Victoria, Thatcher...

I don't remember Thatcher running an Empire?

[h90]

Amazing Thailand. Anyone who has flown or been inside a helicopter will know that the guy wearing the headset cannot hear one word that the so called government adviser is saying based on the fact that she is not wearing a head set. Therefore the best advise to date.

maybe he decided better wear the headset and say "krap" every 30 seconds.

[wintermute]

The Brits seem to have a different opinion; Queen Victoria, Thatcher...

Thatcher (and Ronald Reagan) were the predecessors for western neo-con conservatism. She was not a good leader by any stretch of the imagination.

[animatic]

The last thing we need is retired political advisers trying to provide technical advice on flood management. Get out of the way and let officials do their jobs unhindered.

Yes indeed!

This is the rise of thew 111 from purgatory

and they are making sure they get seen and heard as active rescuers of the nation.

Never mind what they say is complete gibberish.

To be seen being active is just as good as being effective.

We now witness the 'Doyen of Image Before Substance' in action.

Edited October 20, 2011 by animatic

[ratcatcher]

Great, the Chinese are here. They've made an even bigger mess of their own country than Thailand has with this disaster.

The Chinese also said "NO woman ever can run the Empire - it is the duty for a Man"....they said it long ago, somewhere in the time of Confucius or something...

The Brits seem to have a different opinion; Queen Victoria, Thatcher...

I don't remember Thatcher running an Empire?

Maybe not running an Empire, but she was instrumental along with Ronnie & Mikhail in bringing one to its knees.

[ratcatcher]

Amazing Thailand. Anyone who has flown or been inside a helicopter will know that the guy wearing the headset cannot hear one word that the so called government adviser is saying based on the fact that she is not wearing a head set. Therefore the best advise to date.

Quite so, but I imagine she's mouthing to the pilot something along the lines of "Is this where all the water is supposed to be ?"

[ballpoint]

Great, the Chinese are here. They've made an even bigger mess of their own country than Thailand has with this disaster.

The Chinese also said "NO woman ever can run the Empire - it is the duty for a Man"....they said it long ago, somewhere in the time of Confucius or something...

The Brits seem to have a different opinion; Queen Victoria, Thatcher...

I don't remember Thatcher running an Empire?

No, an emporer runs an empire, a king runs a kingdom. She ran a country.

[Buchholz]

Amazing Thailand. Anyone who has flown or been inside a helicopter will know that the guy wearing the headset cannot hear one word that the so called government adviser is saying based on the fact that she is not wearing a head set. Therefore the best advise to date.

thanks for pointing that out, I hadn't noticed earlier.

Still, the guy with the headset no doubt prefers not being able to hear her and absolutely won't inform her, preferring to just nod in agreement periodically and smile.

"Adviser"...

[whybother]

No, an emporer runs an empire, a king runs a kingdom. She ran a country.

[moe666]

Run in circles scream and shout HELP These flood gates should have been open months ago to facilitate the flow of water.

all of this water flowing into Bangkok down the river is like trying to stuff a noodle up a wildcats a--

Edited October 20, 2011 by moe666

[phiphidon]

I don't remember Thatcher running an Empire?

No, an emporer runs an empire, a king runs a kingdom. She ran a country.

Into the ground, but we're steering off topic.