Thai Govt Worried About Locals Destroying Flood Barriers

[Gary A]

I don't know what the solution is or even IF there is a solution. I do know that people who have never been flooded have no idea of how frustrating it is.

I lived for several years to the north and east of Bangkok and our small village got flooded every single year. Bangkok was NOT flooded while we suffered. There is a large canal near by and the locks were closed and that kept the village flooded for weeks at a time. Stinking stagnant water a foot or more deep on every street.

This may be the event that forces the government to finally work to eliminate the misery caused by years of poor planning and selfishness.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see this situation end up in bloodshed. I do blame Bangkok for the majority of the problems. MANY canals were filled in to provide new building space with no regard for where that water would go.

Bangkok created the problem and Bangkok is going to have to bite the bullet and solve THEIR problem.

[OzMick]

post a picture robbo if u can. it makes it more interesting. how r u doing for food and water?

Broke out the cuppoards under the sink to save them (wooden fronts) Put up the bikes on couch and other stuff. Put some stones under the washing machine.

Got plenty of water and food on the second floor, electricity is there too none on the first.

Keep in mind the water in the streets is wraist deep. I only got about 5 cm in the house its rising every night (not during the day strangely)

As long as my water pump does not submerge and short out i can survive.

I am not going to destroy any flood barriers, i wish BKK nothing ill just want this resolved.

Hi Rob,

Just a quick one; turn off your water supply, disconnect, raise & replumb your water pump if you have access to the fittings & piping. It would at least give you peace of mind; notice your electricity supply is high enough that it doesn't make that an issue. Make sure your filter stays clear as well!!

Best of luck, know how it feels!

Nobody EVER has all the fittings - 3 trips to the hardware store is the average.

[atlbravosfan]

This has happend everywhere over Thailand and it will happen in BKK too. By building dykes you flood other parts more. So i understand people breaking them down. Same here we have more water because BKK refused to open its floodgates more. So if one of those breaks down it could help me.

Once the water hits your house you think a lot differently about dykes that make the water enter your home.

The water does not belong to Bangkok and should not be allowed to flood the capital, which will cause an economic disaster for the whole country.

Bangkok has a flood protection to protect its citizens and values from being flooded, so why should Bangkok now be flooded, because other provinces didn´t do anything preventive, to protect their own homes from being flooded?

This entire post is moronic, but the water not belonging to Bangkok LOL. Bangkok is built on a flood plain, meaning that Buddah wants water from the north to travel through Bangkok to the sea so that the water can be re-used for future weather purposes (water cycle). Some people need an intelligence check up before making comment.

First of all, it's 'Buddha' not 'Buddah'. Second of all, to claim that the Buddha or that Buddha-nature 'wants' anything is to slander the Buddha. Maybe you should think twice before clicking respond and calling something someone else said 'moronic'.

[Just1Voice]

I told someone over a week ago that it would not surprise me in the least of people outside of the protected areas of BKK finally get fed up with them being constantly flooded and losing everything, while precious BKK is kept safe and dry, and do something about it, like tearing down flood walls and dykes.

I wish no bad luck on anyone, and it is the poor who live in BKK who would suffer the most from BKK flooding. But maybe, just maybe, if the BKK elite and snobs finally get an idea of what so many other Thai have to deal with on a nearly yearly basis, then something will finally be done to take the necessary steps to correct this situation.

Let's face it, the government, and not just this one, but just about any of them, really don't have a clue as to what to do. Governments for the past 20 years have ignored the warnings from the experts and now it's coming back to haunt them. And in reality, the Army is in no better position to do anything other than restrict movement and protect what's already been put into place.

Until the real experts are brought in - and Thailand has them - and then actually LISTENED TO, and their advice followed, things are not going to change. More than one has basically said, "Open the gates, take down the temporary barriers and Let The Water Flow!" Yes, it will flood BKK for a while, but it will be much less than what it will be if they continue to try and block/divert it, and it will be over with for everyone much quicker.

I've heard people say in the "other" paper things such as: "I don't care about what happens in the provinces, Bangkok must be saved at all costs! Bangkok IS Thailand!". These people really need to come down from their penthouse, or out of their mansion, and get a look at the real world. They fail to realize that without the provinces, without the food and work force that comes from those provinces, Bangkok could not survive. Bangkok is Bangkok, it is NOT Thailand.

Dear 1voice

I think I know you from "that other newspaper" and I recall amny very sensible posts there from your side.

This is why I am very surprised to read posts like this from you.

I am all on your side in the analysis of more than the current government making heaps of mistakes (adding to corruptiom, neglecting laws of nature and physics, "mai pen rai" etc), that were leading up to this point.

And NO, Bangkok is not Thailand.

But if I am not mistaken, 25% of the Thai population work here, 40% of the money in all of Thailand is accumulated here (industry, business).

I really have a problem seein, what a capitol, submerged in 1,5 meter of stinking contaminated water for 4 to 6 weeks, will actually gain for Thailand?!

If Bangkok comes to a standstill, it is "back to the stoneage" for Thailand. It will hurt EVERYBODY. The people who are suffering now, will suffer even more, because cleaning up a mess in Ayutthaya may take weeks...imagine devastation on a scale like that in Bangkok.

I am all for "Bangkok has to take one for the team", but tearing down floodwalls and allowing water to freely flow into the city? Submerging it for days or weeks? No way, that should be allowed. t would be a disaster of EPIC proportions and no SOE or Royal decree or whatever would help here.

I feel for eveyone, having lost homes or jobs and I think I have not even the slightest idea, how bad it is "out there"...but adding another few millions to that suffering? Doesn't make a lot of sense to me!

Mostly because you have the wrong picture.

I live in Chiang Mai, near the river, so my place was flooded with 1.5 m of water at most (my area is below street level and below river level - worst case scenario). It took 4 days for the water to disappear completely (the top meter of water disappeared by flowing, the rest mostly went into the ground).

Why only 4 days? simple: no dikes were built just below me, so water just flowed. It came in and it went out. Damage: computer, fridge, car and motorbike (All of which would have been prevented with a 1 day advance warning).

Some reflexions:

1. 4-6 weeks for the water to evacuate. This is a misrepresentation of the situation: if the water flows, each individual area would be flooded for 4 days at most, so we are not talking about "Bangkok under water for 4-6 weeks", we are talking about each area having to deal with a couple days of flooding. More for some areas, less for others. Concentrating the pumps to the non flowing areas would render

2. Depth: Most areas would suffer from a few cm of water, not 1.5 m. The main reason why the water is high above Bangkok is that it was prevented from flowing, forcing the water to accumulate. If it weren't for those stupid flood barriers the whole situation would have been over about a week ago.

Either way, allowing the water to flow through Bangkok would spread it on a much larger surface, meaning the depth of the water would be much lower. Probably knee deep at worst.

The government is worried about locals destroying the flood barriers, They should be worried about having those stupid flood barriers in the first place.

And for all the idiots clamoring for a state of emergency... Are you really that keen to have your freedoms removed? What would a state of emergency do that can't be done right now?

Hummm, just wondering why those of us who live in Chiang Mai seem to have, IMHO, a more rational grasp of things, and try to post comments that are somewhat informative and logical?

:jap:

[TAWP]

Hummm, just wondering why those of us who live in Chiang Mai seem to have, IMHO, a more rational grasp of things, and try to post comments that are somewhat informative and logical?

:jap:

Ironic - since his post has already been corrected for being wrong and lacking the basic knowledge about Bangkok's topology etc.

[DocN]

I told someone over a week ago that it would not surprise me in the least of people outside of the protected areas of BKK finally get fed up with them being constantly flooded and losing everything, while precious BKK is kept safe and dry, and do something about it, like tearing down flood walls and dykes.

I wish no bad luck on anyone, and it is the poor who live in BKK who would suffer the most from BKK flooding. But maybe, just maybe, if the BKK elite and snobs finally get an idea of what so many other Thai have to deal with on a nearly yearly basis, then something will finally be done to take the necessary steps to correct this situation.

Let's face it, the government, and not just this one, but just about any of them, really don't have a clue as to what to do. Governments for the past 20 years have ignored the warnings from the experts and now it's coming back to haunt them. And in reality, the Army is in no better position to do anything other than restrict movement and protect what's already been put into place.

Until the real experts are brought in - and Thailand has them - and then actually LISTENED TO, and their advice followed, things are not going to change. More than one has basically said, "Open the gates, take down the temporary barriers and Let The Water Flow!" Yes, it will flood BKK for a while, but it will be much less than what it will be if they continue to try and block/divert it, and it will be over with for everyone much quicker.

I've heard people say in the "other" paper things such as: "I don't care about what happens in the provinces, Bangkok must be saved at all costs! Bangkok IS Thailand!". These people really need to come down from their penthouse, or out of their mansion, and get a look at the real world. They fail to realize that without the provinces, without the food and work force that comes from those provinces, Bangkok could not survive. Bangkok is Bangkok, it is NOT Thailand.

Dear 1voice

I think I know you from "that other newspaper" and I recall amny very sensible posts there from your side.

This is why I am very surprised to read posts like this from you.

I am all on your side in the analysis of more than the current government making heaps of mistakes (adding to corruptiom, neglecting laws of nature and physics, "mai pen rai" etc), that were leading up to this point.

And NO, Bangkok is not Thailand.

But if I am not mistaken, 25% of the Thai population work here, 40% of the money in all of Thailand is accumulated here (industry, business).

I really have a problem seein, what a capitol, submerged in 1,5 meter of stinking contaminated water for 4 to 6 weeks, will actually gain for Thailand?!

If Bangkok comes to a standstill, it is "back to the stoneage" for Thailand. It will hurt EVERYBODY. The people who are suffering now, will suffer even more, because cleaning up a mess in Ayutthaya may take weeks...imagine devastation on a scale like that in Bangkok.

I am all for "Bangkok has to take one for the team", but tearing down floodwalls and allowing water to freely flow into the city? Submerging it for days or weeks? No way, that should be allowed. t would be a disaster of EPIC proportions and no SOE or Royal decree or whatever would help here.

I feel for eveyone, having lost homes or jobs and I think I have not even the slightest idea, how bad it is "out there"...but adding another few millions to that suffering? Doesn't make a lot of sense to me!

Mostly because you have the wrong picture.

I live in Chiang Mai, near the river, so my place was flooded with 1.5 m of water at most (my area is below street level and below river level - worst case scenario). It took 4 days for the water to disappear completely (the top meter of water disappeared by flowing, the rest mostly went into the ground).

Why only 4 days? simple: no dikes were built just below me, so water just flowed. It came in and it went out. Damage: computer, fridge, car and motorbike (All of which would have been prevented with a 1 day advance warning).

Some reflexions:

1. 4-6 weeks for the water to evacuate. This is a misrepresentation of the situation: if the water flows, each individual area would be flooded for 4 days at most, so we are not talking about "Bangkok under water for 4-6 weeks", we are talking about each area having to deal with a couple days of flooding. More for some areas, less for others. Concentrating the pumps to the non flowing areas would render

2. Depth: Most areas would suffer from a few cm of water, not 1.5 m. The main reason why the water is high above Bangkok is that it was prevented from flowing, forcing the water to accumulate. If it weren't for those stupid flood barriers the whole situation would have been over about a week ago.

Either way, allowing the water to flow through Bangkok would spread it on a much larger surface, meaning the depth of the water would be much lower. Probably knee deep at worst.

The government is worried about locals destroying the flood barriers, They should be worried about having those stupid flood barriers in the first place.

And for all the idiots clamoring for a state of emergency... Are you really that keen to have your freedoms removed? What would a state of emergency do that can't be done right now?

Hummm, just wondering why those of us who live in Chiang Mai seem to have, IMHO, a more rational grasp of things, and try to post comments that are somewhat informative and logical?

:jap:

Because you are living on top of a hill and water is flowing away quickly? Maybe?

[farang000999]

are there examples of other countries which have bested nature? is this a fixable problem? you get huge amounts of rain, you get floods.. no ?

[OzMick]

Mostly because you have the wrong picture.

I live in Chiang Mai, near the river, so my place was flooded with 1.5 m of water at most (my area is below street level and below river level - worst case scenario). It took 4 days for the water to disappear completely (the top meter of water disappeared by flowing, the rest mostly went into the ground).

Why only 4 days? simple: no dikes were built just below me, so water just flowed. It came in and it went out. Damage: computer, fridge, car and motorbike (All of which would have been prevented with a 1 day advance warning).

Some reflexions:

1. 4-6 weeks for the water to evacuate. This is a misrepresentation of the situation: if the water flows, each individual area would be flooded for 4 days at most, so we are not talking about "Bangkok under water for 4-6 weeks", we are talking about each area having to deal with a couple days of flooding. More for some areas, less for others. Concentrating the pumps to the non flowing areas would render

2. Depth: Most areas would suffer from a few cm of water, not 1.5 m. The main reason why the water is high above Bangkok is that it was prevented from flowing, forcing the water to accumulate. If it weren't for those stupid flood barriers the whole situation would have been over about a week ago.

Either way, allowing the water to flow through Bangkok would spread it on a much larger surface, meaning the depth of the water would be much lower. Probably knee deep at worst.

The government is worried about locals destroying the flood barriers, They should be worried about having those stupid flood barriers in the first place.

And for all the idiots clamoring for a state of emergency... Are you really that keen to have your freedoms removed? What would a state of emergency do that can't be done right now?

Hummm, just wondering why those of us who live in Chiang Mai seem to have, IMHO, a more rational grasp of things, and try to post comments that are somewhat informative and logical?

:jap:

Great minds think alike, and idiots often agree. At least 2 of you in CM are not among the former.

[hawksway]

True but the police want a quiet life. They are largely dysfunctional and will not actively get involved unless Surperiors crack the whip or if they receive ad hoc payments.

A State of Emergency would not have been required to stop people from destroying the wall.

A simple, police intervention would have done the trick to stop it.

Not having the SOE is no excuse.

One might rightly ask: where were the police when this was taking place?

They would not have to worry so much about people destroying dykes and levees and what not if they declared a state of emergency.

The state of emergency is all ready upon them now all they have to do is recognize it declare it and act on it.

Not going to happen big brother dosen't want it.

[Just1Voice]

Great minds think alike, and idiots often agree. At least 2 of you in CM are not among the former.

And which group do you claim membership to which promotes the use of name calling and insinuations in regards to the intelligence of others? And besides, you completely missed the point of my comment to begin with. First, it was made more "tongue in cheek" that in seriousness. I'm sorry you were not capable of deducing that. Second, most of the posts from those living in Chiang Mai are not emotion filled rants for/against the flooding of BKK, but of ways to try and help alleviate the situation for ALL of Thailand. People can be forgiven for some things - such as the elevation levels of CM vs BKK - as that may not have been considered, and perhaps should have been. It is the overall "tone" of things I was talking about. If THAT is beyond your comprehension, well, som nom na!

[hawksway]

The State of Emergency would essentially suspend all freedoms. It would enable the Armed Forces to forcibly remove civilians from the flood zone and into temporary facilities. The Army would then be assigned to property protection and looting by criminal gangs while water engineers freed from traffic obstructions and threats from mobs could get on with the job of managing the orderly process of drainage.

Not something to be taken likely and one hopes that The Army has a well rehersed plan for such actions.

Mostly because you have the wrong picture.

I live in Chiang Mai, near the river, so my place was flooded with 1.5 m of water at most (my area is below street level and below river level - worst case scenario). It took 4 days for the water to disappear completely (the top meter of water disappeared by flowing, the rest mostly went into the ground).

Why only 4 days? simple: no dikes were built just below me, so water just flowed. It came in and it went out. Damage: computer, fridge, car and motorbike (All of which would have been prevented with a 1 day advance warning).

Some reflexions:

1. 4-6 weeks for the water to evacuate. This is a misrepresentation of the situation: if the water flows, each individual area would be flooded for 4 days at most, so we are not talking about "Bangkok under water for 4-6 weeks", we are talking about each area having to deal with a couple days of flooding. More for some areas, less for others. Concentrating the pumps to the non flowing areas would render

2. Depth: Most areas would suffer from a few cm of water, not 1.5 m. The main reason why the water is high above Bangkok is that it was prevented from flowing, forcing the water to accumulate. If it weren't for those stupid flood barriers the whole situation would have been over about a week ago.

Either way, allowing the water to flow through Bangkok would spread it on a much larger surface, meaning the depth of the water would be much lower. Probably knee deep at worst.

The government is worried about locals destroying the flood barriers, They should be worried about having those stupid flood barriers in the first place.

And for all the idiots clamoring for a state of emergency... Are you really that keen to have your freedoms removed? What would a state of emergency do that can't be done right now?

Hummm, just wondering why those of us who live in Chiang Mai seem to have, IMHO, a more rational grasp of things, and try to post comments that are somewhat informative and logical?

:jap:

Great minds think alike, and idiots often agree. At least 2 of you in CM are not among the former.

[OzMick]

Great minds think alike, and idiots often agree. At least 2 of you in CM are not among the former.

And which group do you claim membership to which promotes the use of name calling and insinuations in regards to the intelligence of others? And besides, you completely missed the point of my comment to begin with. First, it was made more "tongue in cheek" that in seriousness. I'm sorry you were not capable of deducing that. Second, most of the posts from those living in Chiang Mai are not emotion filled rants for/against the flooding of BKK, but of ways to try and help alleviate the situation for ALL of Thailand. People can be forgiven for some things - such as the elevation levels of CM vs BKK - as that may not have been considered, and perhaps should have been. It is the overall "tone" of things I was talking about. If THAT is beyond your comprehension, well, som nom na!

I noticed that you removed the original post - which was far from informative, it was ridiculous. If you wish to support it, fine.

As for the "tone", does this ring a bell -

"And for all the idiots clamoring for a state of emergency..."

If you want to call people idiots while posting idiocy, or supporting it, don't be surprised if it comes to you. All my best to red-shirt city!

[hammered]

The State of Emergency would essentially suspend all freedoms. It would enable the Armed Forces to forcibly remove civilians from the flood zone and into temporary facilities. The Army would then be assigned to property protection and looting by criminal gangs while water engineers freed from traffic obstructions and threats from mobs could get on with the job of managing the orderly process of drainage.

Not something to be taken likely and one hopes that The Army has a well rehersed plan for such actions.

Mostly because you have the wrong picture.

I live in Chiang Mai, near the river, so my place was flooded with 1.5 m of water at most (my area is below street level and below river level - worst case scenario). It took 4 days for the water to disappear completely (the top meter of water disappeared by flowing, the rest mostly went into the ground).

Why only 4 days? simple: no dikes were built just below me, so water just flowed. It came in and it went out. Damage: computer, fridge, car and motorbike (All of which would have been prevented with a 1 day advance warning).

Some reflexions:

1. 4-6 weeks for the water to evacuate. This is a misrepresentation of the situation: if the water flows, each individual area would be flooded for 4 days at most, so we are not talking about "Bangkok under water for 4-6 weeks", we are talking about each area having to deal with a couple days of flooding. More for some areas, less for others. Concentrating the pumps to the non flowing areas would render

2. Depth: Most areas would suffer from a few cm of water, not 1.5 m. The main reason why the water is high above Bangkok is that it was prevented from flowing, forcing the water to accumulate. If it weren't for those stupid flood barriers the whole situation would have been over about a week ago.

Either way, allowing the water to flow through Bangkok would spread it on a much larger surface, meaning the depth of the water would be much lower. Probably knee deep at worst.

The government is worried about locals destroying the flood barriers, They should be worried about having those stupid flood barriers in the first place.

And for all the idiots clamoring for a state of emergency... Are you really that keen to have your freedoms removed? What would a state of emergency do that can't be done right now?

Hummm, just wondering why those of us who live in Chiang Mai seem to have, IMHO, a more rational grasp of things, and try to post comments that are somewhat informative and logical?

:jap:

Great minds think alike, and idiots often agree. At least 2 of you in CM are not among the former.

And Gen. Prayuth has just said a state of emergency law is not needed as the disaster law is enough. It is good to see the army and government on the same page

[whybother]

The State of Emergency would essentially suspend all freedoms. It would enable the Armed Forces to forcibly remove civilians from the flood zone and into temporary facilities. The Army would then be assigned to property protection and looting by criminal gangs while water engineers freed from traffic obstructions and threats from mobs could get on with the job of managing the orderly process of drainage.

Not something to be taken likely and one hopes that The Army has a well rehersed plan for such actions.

"The Army would then be assigned to property protection and looting by criminal gangs"

I think it's more likely that the police would be assigned to the looting as they already have their criminal gangs.

[toenail]

Can't Thaksin keep his mouth shut...ever? Did his "regime" do anything for flood prevention???????

[OzMick]

The State of Emergency would essentially suspend all freedoms. It would enable the Armed Forces to forcibly remove civilians from the flood zone and into temporary facilities. The Army would then be assigned to property protection and looting by criminal gangs while water engineers freed from traffic obstructions and threats from mobs could get on with the job of managing the orderly process of drainage.

Not something to be taken likely and one hopes that The Army has a well rehersed plan for such actions.

Mostly because you have the wrong picture.

I live in Chiang Mai, near the river, so my place was flooded with 1.5 m of water at most (my area is below street level and below river level - worst case scenario). It took 4 days for the water to disappear completely (the top meter of water disappeared by flowing, the rest mostly went into the ground).

Why only 4 days? simple: no dikes were built just below me, so water just flowed. It came in and it went out. Damage: computer, fridge, car and motorbike (All of which would have been prevented with a 1 day advance warning).

Some reflexions:

1. 4-6 weeks for the water to evacuate. This is a misrepresentation of the situation: if the water flows, each individual area would be flooded for 4 days at most, so we are not talking about "Bangkok under water for 4-6 weeks", we are talking about each area having to deal with a couple days of flooding. More for some areas, less for others. Concentrating the pumps to the non flowing areas would render

2. Depth: Most areas would suffer from a few cm of water, not 1.5 m. The main reason why the water is high above Bangkok is that it was prevented from flowing, forcing the water to accumulate. If it weren't for those stupid flood barriers the whole situation would have been over about a week ago.

Either way, allowing the water to flow through Bangkok would spread it on a much larger surface, meaning the depth of the water would be much lower. Probably knee deep at worst.

The government is worried about locals destroying the flood barriers, They should be worried about having those stupid flood barriers in the first place.

And for all the idiots clamoring for a state of emergency... Are you really that keen to have your freedoms removed? What would a state of emergency do that can't be done right now?

Hummm, just wondering why those of us who live in Chiang Mai seem to have, IMHO, a more rational grasp of things, and try to post comments that are somewhat informative and logical?

:jap:

Great minds think alike, and idiots often agree. At least 2 of you in CM are not among the former.

Agreed - I was referring to the hydrological claptrap contained in the post which somehow fails to see the difference between a city half-way up a mountain and one at sea level and facing seasonal high and spring tides.

[webfact]

Thai Floods Spill Into Northern Bangkok After Armed Men Prevent Levee Work

Follow this link:

[hyperdimension]

They fail to realize that without the provinces, without the food and work force that comes from those provinces, Bangkok could not survive. Bangkok is Bangkok, it is NOT Thailand.

Hypothetically, if the non-Bangkok population and infrastructure were eradicated, people from Bangkok could relocate and re-populate those areas and resume agricultural operations. Regarding the Bangkok jobs that were previously done by those who were from outside Bangkok, people in Bangkok could simply fill them.

What if, on the other hand, the population and infrastructure of Bangkok were eradicated? Could the non-Bangkok population rebuild the infrastructure and replace the skilled workforce currently in Bangkok?

Blimey. I thought Pol Pot was dead. But it seems he is alive and well and his name is .............................

I was not advocating genocide, but was suggesting that Bangkok's infrastructure and more educated and skilled workforce are more difficult to replace than the less-developed and less-educated workforce that are outside Bangkok. Bangkok could still survive "without the provinces, without the food and work force that comes from those provinces". It's the education of the people that is key.

Edited October 24, 2011 by hyperdimension

[dan1]

is the air port still open bec as i can remember thats built on marsh land ??

[freebyrd]

OMG are they serious, even suhumvit road and silom will be flooded for a month! that's hard to beleive!

This is nothing new.

SOAKED STREETS: Above, Sukhumvit Road in the 1983 flood. Below, passengers on the Vibhavadi Rangsit Highway had to lend a hand after the engine stalled, paralysing traffic.

FACTS AND FIGURES

HOW LONG WAS BANGKOK FLOODED?

1983: Four months, September to December.

1995: Two months, October to November.

NUMBER OF PEOPLE AFFECTED

1983: More than 400 dead, 55 in Bangkok, plus tens of thousands of familes displaced and more than 17,000 homes destroyed.

1995: More than 400 dead, 2.6 million people affected in Bangkok, a further 1.68 nationwide, 60,000 relocated.

DAMAGE TO INFRASTRUCTURE

1983: 400 million baht damage to farmlands and orchards in Bangkok, 200,000 houses in housing estates in Bangkok's eastern suburbs, 462 million baht in damage to roads in Bangkok.

1995: 26 major roads severely damaged, more than 70 rai of farmland was estimated to have been hit hard.

DAMAGE TO THE ECONOMY

1983: 6.6 billion baht.

1995: Tens of billions of baht.

HOW MANY LOST THEIR JOBS OVER HANDLING OF THE FLOODS?

1983: None.

1995: None.

[whybother]

is the air port still open bec as i can remember thats built on marsh land ??

Yes. It's still open.

[hellodolly]

A State of Emergency would not have been required to stop people from destroying the wall.

A simple, police intervention would have done the trick to stop it.

Not having the SOE is no excuse.

One might rightly ask: where were the police when this was taking place?

They would not have to worry so much about people destroying dykes and levees and what not if they declared a state of emergency.

The state of emergency is all ready upon them now all they have to do is recognize it declare it and act on it.

Not going to happen big brother dosen't want it.

The same place they went when the red shirts armed themselves and took over down town Bangkok and refused to leave or let honest citizens earn a living.

The question is where were you?

[hyperdimension]

From PM and the BMA prepare to protect inner Bangkok:

Over a thousand of soldiers have been instructed to protect the barriers 24 hours a day while the Bangkok Governor has attended the meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss emergency plans should the situation get out of hand.

Are the soldiers armed? If not, then what's the point of having them to guard the barriers?

If they are armed, then will they actually use them if faced with violence? Will the red shirts protest about it if that happened? (Maybe only if those who were shot are red shirts). Maybe Amsterdam will finally have something juicy to write about on his web site - he hasn't published anything since 2011-10-13, neither anything about the floods despite red shirts' accusations against the Democrat party.

[Arkady]

If she is worried about people destroying levees, she should declare a state of emergency and not worry about political concerns. They are only ones that can prevent this sort of thing and they are extremely unlikely to use the floods as a platform to mount a coup and have to deal with the flooding chaos by themselves. All along her main concerns must be the phone calls from Dubai constantly reminding her of what she has to do for him and the people play second fiddle.

[philw]

If she is worried about people destroying levees, she should declare a state of emergency and not worry about political concerns. They are only ones that can prevent this sort of thing and they are extremely unlikely to use the floods as a platform to mount a coup and have to deal with the flooding chaos by themselves. All along her main concerns must be the phone calls from Dubai constantly reminding her of what she has to do for him and the people play second fiddle.

Nonsense.

Even the army do not see the need for a formal SOE.

They are already fully engaged and have been for weeks.

Your constant repetition of the Dubai bullshit is an insult to Thai people.

[djlest]

So now its the disgruntled reds versus the red leaders army - Lol

The gods of Karma are having a great time with this one... everyone reaps what they sow

[verywierd]

If she is worried about people destroying levees, she should declare a state of emergency and not worry about political concerns. They are only ones that can prevent this sort of thing and they are extremely unlikely to use the floods as a platform to mount a coup and have to deal with the flooding chaos by themselves.  All along her main concerns must be the phone calls from Dubai constantly reminding her of what she has to do for him and the people play second fiddle.

The head of the Thai army has just said he does not see a need for a declaration of an SOE at the moment.

As for protecting levees, what will the critics of the government say if the army is forced to machine-gun a bunch of people, and their families scream for blood? Remember, the group who prevented to closing of the gate earlier were armed. It doesn't matter if it was one old man with a starting pistol or a dozen with AK-47s. The troops will respond in the same way under an SOE. They will have no choice. That's why the military has not been eager to be placed in charge. Using the army as a source of strong backs doesn't need an SOE.

[bumpkin]

Dear Prime Minister

2 points emerge. from this current crisis

1) town planning must undergo serious and careful new consideration. There is no excuse for sacrificing one part of a city to save another, in the 21st Century.

2) There are other countries in the world which deal with life at or below sea level - successfully

And. .... NO .... Thailand is not different . . . The same Laws of Hydraulics apply in Thailand as in the rest of the world !

Action on these 2 matters must be initiated immediately, not wait ' 'until things get better ''.

Seek out and Appoint world experts in these areas to advise the way forward. Dont rely on mere politicians.

The solution is Technical not Political !!!!!!!!!

[plumeria]

They would not have to worry so much about people destroying dykes and levees and what not if they declared a state of emergency.

The state of emergency is all ready upon them now all they have to do is recognize it declare it and act on it.

Not going to happen big brother dosen't want it.

This IS the crux of the matter - Thaksin losing all he has to gain through a (phantom imaginary coup) has instructed the red shirt MP's to resist the Democrats calls for a state of emergency.

Through not involving the army to maintain civilian unrest and stop things from getting out of hand he has exacerbated the problems. He is nothing but an "agent of despair" for the Thai people if the truth be known but will the people keep on listening to and blindly follow this "self claimed messiah's" every word, of course they will!!! Their blind faith in this corrupt individual beggars belief, and he will continue to hold Thailand back and create misery for the people whilst he remains involved in Thai politics and running the show for his own benefit!!!.

Sad of course, but they only have themselves to blame and are suffering more than need be as a consequence of this foolish belief that he cares about them when he clearly doesn't!!

Another thing, does anyone think he cares about baby Yingluck who is experiencing her "personal hell"?? I for one don't, and cannot feel sorry for her as she was stupid to have listened to her brother by signing up to all of this - with his simple agenda of getting his passport back and smooth the way for his return to Thailand!!! It was doomed for the start - it is like putting someone into a grand prix car who hasn't learned to drive and expect them to compete. She hit the wall on the first corner after taking three other cars out in the process because nobody explained to her what the steering wheel was for!!!:jap:.

More or less a fair assessment. Let's hope some good people with the needed abilities will stand up and take the reins.

I suspect the PM and her gang expect to talk and spin their way out of the mess when the waters are gone. Lie big and lie often on all channels and all stations and people will believe it eventually.

I continue to believe this is primarily a man-made disaster.

[metisdead]

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