Flood-Hit Thailand Declines Offer Of Help: US Navy

[rametindallas]

As one is aware, the United States and Thailand have been "friends" through out the Vietnam War era and afterwards. Annually there is military training done with the Thai army and navy from the US forces. The Thai government accepts this with no problem. It is a "shocker" for the Thai goverrnment NOT to accept help from the American military that has the resources of helicopters and men to assist in this massive, MASSIVE tragedy. I suppose "saving face" has something to do with it???? - Who knows.

If I remember correctly, the USA accepted foreign assistance with the Katrina flooding. All civilized countries accept help (such as Japan this year) when they need to save lives during a tragedy. (ok, Burma does not-- is Thailand wabt to be likeBurma?)

The US and Thailand have been friends since 1945 when the US prevented Great Brittain from classifying Thailand as the enemy and occupying it.

[philw]

...today the US help you, tomorrow they'll be ready to reclaim the favor and put it in your a**...

and don't tell me it never happened before

Yeah..........yippie. Finally someone who hits the nail on the head.

US starts moving 3 battle ships into the Thai Gulf.......offer their help which is declined and then they start to moan that their help is declined.

Please US, stay out of this and solve your own shit first. (Oh and please do not refer to the Marshall plan, that was more than 60 years ago and Europe is still suffering.)

Help should come from UN and Red Cross. US is represented in both organisation and that should do it.

Just so I get it right: HERE we are, facing a crisis in drinking water ( i assume) like never before in the history of Thailand. And THERE is a nuclear powered battle-ship, that can produce hundreds of thousands of liters EVERY <deleted> SINGLE DAY and you send them away , because you don't like them? Nobody asked you to hang out with them on Nana! No one asked you to make a pilgrimage to the harbour every evening and praise them! They offered help and I am afraid, we will need all the help we can get! Soon! So put your sentiments behind you for who-ever-you-pray-to's sake!

So far there is no indication as to who exactly refused USA naval help.

There are 6 pages of assumption here that it was the Prime minister or her team.

Given that she has already invited U.S.relief efforts and previously asked for, and accepted U.S. helicopter support it might be unlikely that it was her personal refusal of help from the U.S. Navy.

So, exactly who turned down this offer of assistance ??

Any ideas ???

The Navy are saying there was one channel of acceptance and one of " no thanks".

Be nice to know who said no and why.

[rametindallas]

We should send over some FEMA guys to help out....

LOL.

Is that after the US Army Corps of Engineers have blown up all the Chao Phaya levee's NOLA-style?

I'm from New Orleans. Do you just lie for fun, Troll

[BrigidGriggEyley]

Hello didn't anyone see what happened in Katrina? Not sure why you think US help is superior...

In any case American assistance is never 'free' they will turn around and ask for in return such as tax wavers on their wheat products or such like..

[Tanaka]

According to wiki,

"A typical aircraft carrier in the U.S. military uses nuclear power to desalinate 400,000 US gallons (1,500,000 lt; 330,000 imp gal) of water per day"

But there's loads of water here already. That's the main problem. Why on earth would Thailand want more?

Is the "loads of water" of which you speak of drinkable and proximate?

That's usually a problem during a flood.

" A Thai company that distributes drinking water across the city sent out an SMS to customers announcing deliveries had been halted because of the crisis."

http://www.huffingto..._n_1026351.html

That's what I thought.

Sorry.... I didn't use an emoticon and make it easy for you.

Yes there's flooding.

No, there's no disaster.

You are not in Thailand, are you? Or anywhere near Bangkok? "There is no disaster". Did you hear that from the minister who declined assistance from the US Navy?

[gl555]

...today the US help you, tomorrow they'll be ready to reclaim the favor and put it in your a**...

and don't tell me it never happened before

Yeah..........yippie. Finally someone who hits the nail on the head.

US starts moving 3 battle ships into the Thai Gulf.......offer their help which is declined and then they start to moan that their help is declined.

Please US, stay out of this and solve your own shit first. (Oh and please do not refer to the Marshall plan, that was more than 60 years ago and Europe is still suffering.)

Help should come from UN and Red Cross. US is represented in both organisation and that should do it.

Perhaps if through some unfortuately twist of fate, your house sinks and someone you love drowns, you wouldn't be talking shit like that. People are suffering here and this government is doing nothing to alleviate that suffering. If accepting help from a friend can save lives, we should be accepting it.

[NCFC]

So Cambodia and Vietnam also turned down offers of assistance, did they? Why would the Americans turn tail and head off to Japan without offering help to other flood-hit countries in the region. Could it be that this assistance is not gratis, but has to be paid for? Why not wait a couple more days until they got a definite decision from the Thai government? I don't know but I think there's more to this story than just the American version.

[ronz28]

Top priority for US is to get our troops and equipment out of Iraq and back home so Navy has other things to do and perhaps Thailand is being sensitive to those commitments but we would help anyway.

I hope Thailand gets through this OK. Its just a lot of polluted water. However, the solution to pollution is dilution so it won't be as bad as it otherwise would be without the massive rains.

First paragraph is quite telling I must say. Yes I am sure Thailand declined the offer because of the sensitivities of Iraq troop withdrawl.

Your second paragraph is just ignorant.

Well you can always boil your water or put a little bleach in it before drinking it. You don't have to always drink water from a bottle. It could be worse. There is a lot less to fear in a flood than wars, fires or a nuclear disaster.

[Skywalker69]

"There were two channels (in the Thai government)," the defense official told AFP. "One was saying 'Yes' and one was saying 'No.'"

I wonder which channel of the Thai government said no? I sure hope this fact is revealed.

Mabye the channel from Dubai.

[cbc]

...today the US help you, tomorrow they'll be ready to reclaim the favor and put it in your a**...

and don't tell me it never happened before

Very stupid comment mezcal.It's people like you who make this world a harder place to live.Shame on you for making such a stupid and biased comment.

[atyclb]

Letting in military from other countries is just not an easy decision to make, and US forces are not popular everywhere, ask Japan.

If there was a problem in Texas or California, and the Mexican Armed Forces offered to help it would not just be welcomed with open arms.

I am not saying they should not do it, only that it is understandable if they hesitate.

Actually, in the aftermath of Katrina, with Louisianans being relocated all over Texas, especially in Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and San Antonio, the Mexican army did organize a food relief convoy to San Antonio, which was graciously accepted, even though they insisted on painting large mexican flags on the entire sides of the trucks, something which American forces usually downplay when they go into a disaster zone.

I have lived in Latin America and understand latin culture quite well. Mexicans would be proud and delighted in helping a superpower and the flags painted on the trucks reflects and shows that pride so everyone will know clearly they are Mexicans helping. It is not for ego. A natural disaster is a natural disaster, any country can be affected and need assistance.

I have a Thai friend that retired here(thailand) after working as an engineer in a G7 country for many years. He approached a Thai university and offered to teach without salary. The universities response was that os caution, distrust, if not paranoia.He stopped pursuing such teaching because of their "bizarre attitude" as he put it.

[timberboy]

Thailand accepts help from other countries ,why cant it accept from America?

Earlier Saturday, a 10-man team of U.S. Marines arrived on a survey mission to determine how Washington can offer help, U.S. Embassy spokesman Walter M. Braunohler said. The Marines were traveling aboard an American military cargo jet full of bottled water and sandbags needed to reinforce flood barriers.

Singapore sent aid. see the article at the link below

http://www.asiaone.c...022-306530.html

Edited October 25, 2011 by timberboy

[gohmer]

Given how much the government has used the Thai military, is it any surprise that they refused the US military help?

Explain this comment, I don't get it. The US military is here on training missions every year as well as regular regional military exercieses. Most all the military equipment is US and if the US didn't come here, the Thai military wouldn't know which end of the barrel to point with.

Why would the Thai government avoid using the Thai military and then invite the US military to help?

Still don't understand, the Thai government IS using the Thai military around the clock

[chuang]

Foolish Pride..????

[gl555]

I disagree somewhat.

I read some of his comments as ;

Why is it a disaster just now ( like why it wasn't a disaster 2-3 months ago, as truthfully it was, also why is it a disaster only now, when Bangkok is on the verge of drowning, and not before. )

You're really comparing the floods then to the floods now? Are you serious?

[JRinger]

As one is aware, the United States and Thailand have been "friends" through out the Vietnam War era and afterwards. Annually there is military training done with the Thai army and navy from the US forces. The Thai government accepts this with no problem. It is a "shocker" for the Thai goverrnment NOT to accept help from the American military that has the resources of helicopters and men to assist in this massive, MASSIVE tragedy. I suppose "saving face" has something to do with it???? - Who knows.

If I remember correctly, the USA accepted foreign assistance with the Katrina flooding. All civilized countries accept help (such as Japan this year) when they need to save lives during a tragedy. (ok, Burma does not-- is Thailand wabt to be likeBurma?)

The US and Thailand have been friends since 1945 when the US prevented Great Brittain from classifying Thailand as the enemy and occupying it.

I think you may want to go back a few more years to Lincoln's time when he (the U.S.) gave horses to Thailand.

Edited October 25, 2011 by JRinger

[Buchholz]

It was never specified clearly what the US navy would be doing. I like the idea of US naval power getting involved, they have the ability to generate tremendous volumes of potable water from seawater on the nuclear powered ship. I would assume they know a think or two about fluid engineering. But what exactly was it they offered and who refused it?

what is offered:

Water, food, shelter, electricity, medical, evacuation capabilities, meteorological expertise, mechanical and engineering assistance, manpower, etc.

as for who refused it... ?

.

Edited October 25, 2011 by Buchholz

[cloudhopper]

It could be worse. There is a lot less to fear in a flood than wars, fires or a nuclear disaster.

I imagine that's got to be at least some consolation to those facing the loss of their homes, crops, businesses, pets, possessions, disease of all types, electrocution, drowning or being crime victims.

[DocN]

...today the US help you, tomorrow they'll be ready to reclaim the favor and put it in your a**...

and don't tell me it never happened before

Yeah..........yippie. Finally someone who hits the nail on the head.

US starts moving 3 battle ships into the Thai Gulf.......offer their help which is declined and then they start to moan that their help is declined.

Please US, stay out of this and solve your own shit first. (Oh and please do not refer to the Marshall plan, that was more than 60 years ago and Europe is still suffering.)

Help should come from UN and Red Cross. US is represented in both organisation and that should do it.

Just so I get it right: HERE we are, facing a crisis in drinking water ( i assume) like never before in the history of Thailand. And THERE is a nuclear powered battle-ship, that can produce hundreds of thousands of liters EVERY <deleted> SINGLE DAY and you send them away , because you don't like them? Nobody asked you to hang out with them on Nana! No one asked you to make a pilgrimage to the harbour every evening and praise them! They offered help and I am afraid, we will need all the help we can get! Soon! So put your sentiments behind you for who-ever-you-pray-to's sake!

So far there is no indication as to who exactly refused USA naval help.

There are 6 pages of assumption here that it was the Prime minister or her team.

Given that she has already invited U.S.relief efforts and previously asked for, and accepted U.S. helicopter support it might be unlikely that it was her personal refusal of help from the U.S. Navy.

So, exactly who turned down this offer of assistance ??

Any ideas ???

The Navy are saying there was one channel of acceptance and one of " no thanks".

Be nice to know who said no and why.

I was talking to saengsureeya; not the PM!

[scotbeve]

...today the US help you, tomorrow they'll be ready to reclaim the favor and put it in your a**...

and don't tell me it never happened before

Very stupid comment mezcal.It's people like you who make this world a harder place to live.Shame on you for making such a stupid and biased comment.

Indeed, very immature as well..... what the Thais should REALLY worry about is all this fast money in form of assistance from their northern neighbor - China. If one thinks there are no strings attached, one has another think coming....

[passon]

Two traveling cities pull within speaking distance of your country to offer an avalanche of help: supplies, manpower, aircraft, medical personnel and medical pharmaceuticals, food, emergency equipment and you decide not to speak to them. I guess if they were tied to the train tracks with an advancing train in their path and someone from another country offered to cut the rope, they'd turn it down just to save face. I simply do not have the words to describe my disbelief. Instead of one disaster, the government just keeps creating more, and more, and...Wow!

[rametindallas]

US help never comes for free and the hidden payback is always much bigger than the actual help.

One example, please?

[zydeco]

According to wiki,

"A typical aircraft carrier in the U.S. military uses nuclear power to desalinate 400,000 US gallons (1,500,000 lt; 330,000 imp gal) of water per day"

But there's loads of water here already. That's the main problem. Why on earth would Thailand want more?

Is the "loads of water" of which you speak of drinkable and proximate?

That's usually a problem during a flood.

" A Thai company that distributes drinking water across the city sent out an SMS to customers announcing deliveries had been halted because of the crisis."

http://www.huffingto..._n_1026351.html

That's what I thought.

Every comment that NanLaew has made in this topic has made him sound like a Troll

He did say his family's farm is underwater in Isaan. He's no doubt bitter and angry at having lost a lot. I would be too. No use arguing with him, he's been hurt. Maybe we all will be soon, too, to a greater or lesser degree. BTW, not all Isaan is under water either. In fact, a week or so ago, I sent my wife back to her family home about an hour out of Khon Kaen because I thought it would be safer. She has some health problems and needs to be able to get to a decent hospital and already two weeks ago I was fearing what might happen to medical facilities here in Bangkok. Anyway, NanLaew is just the tip of the iceberg of what is going to be a mass of angry folks soon.

[SICHONSTEVE]

If this isn't absolute proof of their bona fide stupidity, nothing is. It's as if they want people to die.

It's starting to look that way...

It's the same old "loss of Face" stupidity. When was the last time a Thai Government

accepted the offer of help from foreign government? If they had called in people from

foreign countries with experience in water management in low lying areas (Netherlands

to name one) many, many years ago, then perhaps this flood may have been less of a

disaster than it is now. The least that could have been done was to make a study of

other countries defenses against flooding and adapted them to suit Thailand.

Perhaps Thaksin (YES I'm afraid his name must be mentioned again and NO I'm not obsessed by him) has ordered the "red shirt" MP's to instruct Yingluck, or whoever is in control of the government in Thailand (other than himself of course) to refuse help from the US as they might see it as an opportunity to invade Thailand at this juncture of seemingly permanent government weakness in everything it does and it's dismal and abject performance (in both responding to the floods and the ever confused state of the government)!!!

What was the US navy to do when Thailand was offered its much needed help and responded with YES and NO??? I'm sure there was a few maybe's, perhaps, I doubt it and not at this point of time mixed in with the 2 definitive replies, from other sources!!!!

Confused and confusing Thailand - why it will never function properly - until the Democrats are restored to power. For the sake of Thailand and it's people this cannot come soon enough :jap:.

[KeyserSoze01]

Top priority for US is to get our troops and equipment out of Iraq and back home so Navy has other things to do and perhaps Thailand is being sensitive to those commitments but we would help anyway.

I hope Thailand gets through this OK. Its just a lot of polluted water. However, the solution to pollution is dilution so it won't be as bad as it otherwise would be without the massive rains.

First paragraph is quite telling I must say. Yes I am sure Thailand declined the offer because of the sensitivities of Iraq troop withdrawl.

Your second paragraph is just ignorant.

Thank you. I was trying to craft a response to this post and couldn't without being banned.

Every comment that NanLaew has made in this topic has made him sound like a Troll

Sounds like? He would have to shout it from the rooftops to be any more convincing.

A nuclear aircraft carrier - think how much water that sucker could push out of the river. Now all we have to find is something to tie it to.......................

Brilliant.

If the situation in Thailand were not so dire, the efforts of the government to manage this event would be laughable.

[FOODLOVER]

Hello didn't anyone see what happened in Katrina? Not sure why you think US help is superior...

In any case American assistance is never 'free' they will turn around and ask for in return such as tax wavers on their wheat products or such like..

Please point out where we have demanded tax wavers on wheat products or the such when supplying humanitarian aid to victims of a disaster. I will contact my, senator, and local congressman with this information and will do my part in stopping this dastardly act as a citizen of the USA. This should never have happened and apologize profusely.

[DocN]

Hello didn't anyone see what happened in Katrina? Not sure why you think US help is superior...

In any case American assistance is never 'free' they will turn around and ask for in return such as tax wavers on their wheat products or such like..

I am by far NO friends of the US, but...

NOW: no drinking water in stores, possible flooding of Bangkok ahead, thousands already homeless, thousands more expected to be, diseases, Thai- Army Helicopters falling from the sky due to bad maintainance...

THAN: a ship that has the ability to process 100.000 of liters of sea- into drinking water, medical staff, 100 helicopters (or more), space to house hundreds (on the flight deck f.e.)...

HOW ON EARTH can that NOT be superior help?

[slapout]

I am a US citizen and you are right. Sad to say we do nothing for free. There is always some catch to it.

...today the US help you, tomorrow they'll be ready to reclaim the favor and put it in your a**...

and don't tell me it never happened before

Both of these posts and similar, could come from those who believe that they better themselves in some spiritual/financial way by helping those in need. This type of thinking results in the present condition/situation that Thailand and many other countries find themselves.

[Garry]

If this isn't absolute proof of their bona fide stupidity, nothing is. It's as if they want people to die.

It's starting to look that way...

It's the same old "loss of Face" stupidity. When was the last time a Thai Government

accepted the offer of help from foreign government? If they had called in people from

foreign countries with experience in water management in low lying areas (Netherlands

to name one) many, many years ago, then perhaps this flood may have been less of a

disaster than it is now. The least that could have been done was to make a study of

other countries defenses against flooding and adapted them to suit Thailand.

Nicely said lensta

[Samuian]

very simple answer = TiT!