PM Yingluck Tries To Ease Concern Over 'Rift' With Bangkok Authorities

[webfact]

PM tries to ease concern over 'rift' with the BMA

The Nation

Embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday sought to ease concern over perceived conflicts between her flood operations centre and the Bangkok authorities, but said the government's fight against the natural disaster had been hampered by "new factors on a daily basis".

The collective presence of Yingluck, Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra, Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha, Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha and Opposition Leader Abhisit Vejjajiva at a pumping station in Phra Khanong followed a day of political tension.

Yingluck and Sukhumbhand both sounded in appeasing mode, with the latter vowing his agency would do its best to protect her Don Muang-based Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC), which is located in one of the Bangkok districts under threat of inundation.

"Let me assure the public that the government is always willing to work with the Bangkok Metropolitan Admin-istration [bMA] and provide the agency with any help it needs," Yingluck said.

Sukhumbhand's unilateral warning on Sunday that six Bangkok districts were under immediate threat of indundation, which could come within 24 hours, raised fresh doubts about working relations between the BMA and the FROC. Unlike the FROC's daily updates, the warning was not broadcast on state television, and it followed Yingluck's decision on Friday to invoke an Interior Ministry disaster regulation that toughened her legal leverage against the semi-independent BMA.

The premier yesterday said the government and the BMA were doing their best to enable Bangkok to survive the flood crisis with minimal damage, but efforts were being hindered by unexpected elements that presented themselves on a daily basis.

She said her meeting with Sukhumbhand had addressed emergency plans for the six districts under threat, as well as how the armed forces could help with possible evacuation.

She continued to resist growing calls for extra public holidays during the crisis, citing fears that there would not be enough state manpower to help people in distress.

However, the PM urged the private sector to be lenient toward employees by allowing those affected by the floods or facing threats to go on leave and take care of their homes.

She was non-committal toward a proposal that the Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road be used as a "flood highway" to speed up the push of flood water toward the sea.

"I would like to thank all officials, who I know are tired as a result of having to work overtime. This is no time for finger-pointing. This is a time for everyone to join hands," she said.

Asked what problems remained unsolved in the city, Yingluck said it had proved more difficult than expected to push flood water towards prepared canals, due to the level nature of the terrain in the targeted areas.

There are also growing worries about the Thon Buri side of the Chao Phraya River, she added.

-- The Nation 2011-10-25

[Bakseedaa]

Thailand surely has the most incompetent Prime Minister in the world, the people voted her in... and got what they deserve... she says natural disaster when we all know it was a human and political disaster.. she knew big rain was coming but other things were much more important... what an idiot..!!!

[carbine1125]

Thailand surely has the most incompetent Prime Minister in the world, the people voted her in... and got what they deserve... she says natural disaster when we all know it was a human and political disaster.. she knew big rain was coming but other things were much more important... what an idiot..!!!

I think the real idiot is her wonderful brother for putting a novice in such a high position and also her idiot cabinet members who will not work together and follow advice.

[scorecard]

Thailand surely has the most incompetent Prime Minister in the world, the people voted her in... and got what they deserve... she says natural disaster when we all know it was a human and political disaster.. she knew big rain was coming but other things were much more important... what an idiot..!!!

I think the real idiot is her wonderful brother for putting a novice in such a high position and also her idiot cabinet members who will not work together and follow advice.

The paymaster puppeteer abroad certainly has a lot to answer for:

- Appoints his totally inexperienced / totally unprepared sister (his clone - his words)to the job of PM.

- Appoints totally incompetent people as heads of ministries, 99% of they lacking in any knowledge /let alone deep insightful knowledge of their appointed areas. ALl of them just 'yes' men, none of them would dare speak up and say something that might be perhaps relevant. Plus appoints red thugs, who also have no knowledge or relevant valuable experience as advisors to the fools who we now call ministers.

The one thing that does surprise me is that he didn't try to take personal advantage of the situation by claiming he could magically fix everything in 5 minutes therefore he should be given an immediate pardon to be allowed to fly in and take over.

When will a mass group stand up and say 'enough'?

[SICHONSTEVE]

Thailand surely has the most incompetent Prime Minister in the world, the people voted her in... and got what they deserve... she says natural disaster when we all know it was a human and political disaster.. she knew big rain was coming but other things were much more important... what an idiot..!!!

Yingluck - "but said the government's fight against the natural disaster had been hampered by "new factors on a daily basis".

So Thaksin rings her "every day" then!!!!.

"Yingluck and Sukhumbhand both sounded in appeasing mode, with the latter vowing his agency would do its best to protect her Don Muang-based Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC), which is located in one of the Bangkok districts under threat of inundation".

Very interesting, when the waters reach their base they can all run around like "headless chickens" giving conflicting advice to each other - I would love to be "a fly on the wall"!!!! "Get out", no!! "stay here", "run", "walk", "sit", "stand", "cry", "look composed for the cameras" - "oh shi*, man the lifeboats", but we don't have any here inside the building", OK errrrm, let me think, "ring Thaksin" - "can't, its engaged, he's fixing the rest of the worlds problems this morning" - Europe today I believe. Keep trying!! In the mean time - are there any helicopters here to take us out of this hell as my expensive Italian shoes are going to be ruined if they get wet or maybe we will need submarines - whats the difference Sir??? Don't know so ask Yingluck, no don't bother as she doesn't know either!!!!!:jap:.

Think I'm joking???? then think again OR don't bother to OR.............someone please tell me what's happening and what I'm to do!!!!

Edited October 25, 2011 by SICHONSTEVE

[steveromagnino]

on some level I feel a little sorry for her; she's out of her depth and cannot hand over to the ppl who would be able to better manage things.

Unlike Chavalit, Samak and Somchai who were basically egos with no actual desire to do any work, she actually is willing to do some work, but is completely hamstrung by being part of PT and the baggage that goes along with it (the various factions, the various ministers, the agenda of constitutional reform and thus anti army feeling not helped by Jatuporn already tying her hands by mouthing off already, the egos of the 111 wanting to return, her brother, the red shirts, the inability to work with the Democrats and therefore with the BMA).

The lack of media coverage of the real story here (the humanitarian crisis is estimated by most insiders to be something like 3X larger than the official government estimates) and the inability to take help when offered (army, US Navy, NGOs) while ministers compete for airtime in media (knocking down barriers, jumping to run donation distribution media visits, etc) or compete away from the media for favours (trading deals to avoid their own personal areas from flooding or for minimising floods) or grandstand for their provincial supporters (Bangkok elites basically want all of you to suffer so they can keep shopping for LV handbags and using water to clean their cars etc) is the real tragedy here.

Freedom of information. A basic necessity of democracy. How ironic that THIS government (the self labelled saviours of democracy) should be the one to do such a half witted job of providing any information at all.

There's almost no new information that couldn't have been predicted 2 weeks ago; this is basic SCM and crisis management. <deleted> hand it over to someone who knows what these are. (Plodprasob probably thinks SCM is sucky cook mai? a commonly heard phrase in Nana area, where there are a lot of poor er....cooks, available for short term employment).

[Trouble]

In all honesty, I think trying to place blame on Yingluck for the uncoordinated response is a bit harsh. Is she a novice, yes. Are the ministers political appointees yes. The real problem is that each ministry, department, agency is a fiefdom each wanting to retain its piece of the pie. They do not work together well and with a disaster such as this they can't coordinate anything because they are not adept at working together. Regardless of who was in power the result probably would have been the same. Hell, look at the criticism for the US government response in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. Lots of blame there to go around for that mess. I really don't have much of an opinion on the current government as quiet honestly the former government was kind of a lackluster bunch too. Everyone just grabbing for power where they can get it on either side of the fence. That's the way it works in politics, in any country.

[EarthAlien]

Thailand surely has the most incompetent Prime Minister in the world, the people voted her in... and got what they deserve... she says natural disaster when we all know it was a human and political disaster.. she knew big rain was coming but other things were much more important... what an idiot..!!!

I think the real idiot is her wonderful brother for putting a novice in such a high position and also her idiot cabinet members who will not work together and follow advice.

Yes,.. the poor Thai people sure got what they deserved in voting her and the PTP in.

As for Big brother Thaksin,.... I think this will work entirely to his advantage in that the country will gradually sink deeper and deeper to into depression and disillusionment and then he'll be welcomed back with open arms as the Mr Fix It solution and all will be forgiven (and quickly forgotten). He will rewrite history the way he wants it to be remembered and the fact that his little sister ended up as cannon fodder matters little to him as long as it (and everything else) serves his higher purpose.

[EarthAlien]

In all honesty, I think trying to place blame on Yingluck for the uncoordinated response is a bit harsh. Is she a novice, yes. Are the ministers political appointees yes. The real problem is that each ministry, department, agency is a fiefdom each wanting to retain its piece of the pie. They do not work together well and with a disaster such as this they can't coordinate anything because they are not adept at working together. Regardless of who was in power the result probably would have been the same. Hell, look at the criticism for the US government response in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. Lots of blame there to go around for that mess. I really don't have much of an opinion on the current government as quiet honestly the former government was kind of a lackluster bunch too. Everyone just grabbing for power where they can get it on either side of the fence. That's the way it works in politics, in any country.

Very valid observations. I think you've made some very succinct points.

That said,... I think a government that had a longer tenure and wasn't in the throws of arranging its pecking order would have been much better positioned to deal with this. I also would say that Abhisit would most likely have not been indisposed to call a SOE and give the army power to control the disaster. That being so then many lives could have been saved.

The problem is that nobody in the present government is willing to lose face over this and thus when international help is offered from the UN and now from the US Navy it is turned down.

This kind of myopic and xenophobic mindset is the exact reason that thousands perished during the Burmese cyclone that hit a couple of years ago in which the poor victims were left to perish all because the government wouldn't let the aid in when offered. Yes they had solid political reasons (not wanting their junta overthrown) but what excuses can the Thai government offer? Lets place the focus on saving lives and not on saving face!

[hanuman1]

In all honesty, I think trying to place blame on Yingluck for the uncoordinated response is a bit harsh. Is she a novice, yes. Are the ministers political appointees yes. The real problem is that each ministry, department, agency is a fiefdom each wanting to retain its piece of the pie. They do not work together well and with a disaster such as this they can't coordinate anything because they are not adept at working together. Regardless of who was in power the result probably would have been the same. Hell, look at the criticism for the US government response in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. Lots of blame there to go around for that mess. I really don't have much of an opinion on the current government as quiet honestly the former government was kind of a lackluster bunch too. Everyone just grabbing for power where they can get it on either side of the fence. That's the way it works in politics, in any country.

Generally true. Good post.

[virtualtraveller]

What's unstated here is that all the areas being flooded voted for PTP and they can't understand why their govt is letting their neighbourhoods get flooded to protect inner Bangkok - which voted for the Dems. Hence the tension between BMA and Govt/FROC, it seems to me that flooding the less populated areas where overall damage is less is the sensible idea but in this politically charged country they don't see it that way. Of course, when it comes to disseminating information correctly BMA has shown up the govt.

[steveromagnino]

In all honesty, I think trying to place blame on Yingluck for the uncoordinated response is a bit harsh. Is she a novice, yes. Are the ministers political appointees yes. The real problem is that each ministry, department, agency is a fiefdom each wanting to retain its piece of the pie. They do not work together well and with a disaster such as this they can't coordinate anything because they are not adept at working together.

In answer

1. this is why you don't have PMs with no political experience

2. this is why you select cabinet ministers based on experience, not connections

3. this is why when you have problems, you use crisis management and hand over control to forces with the capability to manage things (e.g. the army)

4. this is where you do NOT let elected officials run things, because they don't know what they are doing and are publicity whores

5. this is where you do not allow connected individuals (dubai, banned 111) to offer 'advice', you appoint a spokesperson and you run a single communication channel with accurate information, as nowadays if you do not or you try to control the information to be misrepresentative....the public have other ways to get information.

6. in a big crisis, you take help where you can get it (e.g. US Navy); NZ, Japan...not too proud or developed to ask for help abroad

7. In a crisis like this, attempting to score political points by claiming that the Bangkok elite are behind all this flooding/BKK is being saved which is why upcountry is flooded/unnamed people WANT you to DROWN with FLOODs etc is self serving, non helpful and therefore exactly what we can expect people like Jatuporn to do; the government should have muzzled them weeks ago; again something easier to do in an SOE

Tsunami was not this much of a mess, despite Thaksin's ill thought out approach of turning down UN help.... chicken flu was not this much of a mess....despite the TRT government lies.

The mistruths and inability to present reality here show some creepy parallels.

This one has the appeal of a recipe of a big old cup of sick; you know you don't want to smell it, but you give in and take a short sniff to see if it is worse than you thought...and then you can actually taste it in the back of your throat, and feel yourself wanting to heave. It's also served in a hello kitty cup, so you think automatically that, well it's really bad, but the packaging is nice, so i will buy it for lunch.

Same old story that happens to me everyday, when I buy my lunch. I really should stop working in the Silom area. There's better cups of sick in Sukhumvit.

Edited October 25, 2011 by steveromagnino

[WhizBang]

The one thing that does surprise me is that he didn't try to take personal advantage of the situation by claiming he could magically fix everything in 5 minutes therefore he should be given an immediate pardon to be allowed to fly in and take over. 

Well, if I remember correctly, he did say give him 400 billion baht and he would solve the problem.

I also wonder about the timing of his most recent announcement that he was quiting politics forever (how many times has he said this?), and that his sister was in complete charge and he would not be offering any more advice.  Could he have forseen this fiasco and wanted to distance himself from it, AND leave Yunglick as the scapegoat when this mess goes totally south?

Once it's over, he will ride back in claiming Thailand needs him again.

When will a mass group stand up and say 'enough'?

One would hope now.  But Thai's do not seem to have any long term memory.

[SICHONSTEVE]

In all honesty, I think trying to place blame on Yingluck for the uncoordinated response is a bit harsh. Is she a novice, yes. Are the ministers political appointees yes. The real problem is that each ministry, department, agency is a fiefdom each wanting to retain its piece of the pie. They do not work together well and with a disaster such as this they can't coordinate anything because they are not adept at working together.

In answer

1. this is why you don't have PMs with no political experience

2. this is why you select cabinet ministers based on experience, not connections

3. this is why when you have problems, you use crisis management and hand over control to forces with the capability to manage things (e.g. the army)

4. this is where you do NOT let elected officials run things, because they don't know what they are doing and are publicity whores

5. this is where you do not allow connected individuals (dubai, banned 111) to offer 'advice', you appoint a spokesperson and you run a single communication channel with accurate information, as nowadays if you do not or you try to control the information to be misrepresentative....the public have other ways to get information.

6. in a big crisis, you take help where you can get it (e.g. US Navy); NZ, Japan...not too proud or developed to ask for help abroad

7. In a crisis like this, attempting to score political points by claiming that the Bangkok elite are behind all this flooding/BKK is being saved which is why upcountry is flooded/unnamed people WANT you to DROWN with FLOODs etc is self serving, non helpful and therefore exactly what we can expect people like Jatuporn to do; the government should have muzzled them weeks ago; again something easier to do in an SOE

Tsunami was not this much of a mess, despite Thaksin's ill thought out approach of turning down UN help.... chicken flu was not this much of a mess....despite the TRT government lies.

The mistruths and inability to present reality here show some creepy parallels.

This one has the appeal of a recipe of a big old cup of sick; you know you don't want to smell it, but you give in and take a short sniff to see if it is worse than you thought...and then you can actually taste it in the back of your throat, and feel yourself wanting to heave. It's also served in a hello kitty cup, so you think automatically that, well it's really bad, but the packaging is nice, so i will buy it for lunch.

Same old story that happens to me everyday, when I buy my lunch. I really should stop working in the Silom area. There's better cups of sick in Sukhumvit.

You have listed entirely whats wrong with this administration, highlighting the reasons as to why it should not be there in the process.

Apologisers cannot say "well she doesn't have any experience" and "her cabinet don't listen to her or do anything she say's" so what is she to do!!!! This is not good enough - predicting the inevitable turmoil that this leadership was going to have to battle was a foregone conclusion as they are basically not up to the job of running an economy or dealing with the problems that crop up from time to time

The whole ludicrous set-up of a novice leader with rabble ministers that have'nt the faintest idea of what they are doing is simply unacceptable for a modern government (any government for that fact).

The "fools from the North" who believed PT's lies and got sucked in by falsely believing that they would improve their impoverished lives put them there and it is kinda ironic that they have suffered the most at the hands of these floods. I won't go as far as to say they are deserving of their suffering but they MUST realise that trusting everything to idiots and and those bigoted "red shirts" was not a particularly clever thing to to have done!!!!

I rest my case!!.

[lounger]

"Yingluck said it had proved more difficult than expected to push flood water towards prepared canals, due to the level nature of the terrain in the targeted areas"

Erm, shouldnt the land be self draining? I suppose someone grabbed the land for some questionable building project leaving the canals isolated. Locally to me klongs have the ends sealed off for a bit of fish farming. Now thats putting them to a better use...........

Who is responsible for maintenance in this country?

[DocN]

Thailand surely has the most incompetent Prime Minister in the world, the people voted her in... and got what they deserve... she says natural disaster when we all know it was a human and political disaster.. she knew big rain was coming but other things were much more important... what an idiot..!!!

Yingluck - "but said the government's fight against the natural disaster had been hampered by "new factors on a daily basis".

So Thaksin rings her "every day" then!!!!.

"Yingluck and Sukhumbhand both sounded in appeasing mode, with the latter vowing his agency would do its best to protect her Don Muang-based Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC), which is located in one of the Bangkok districts under threat of inundation".

Very interesting, when the waters reach their base they can all run around like "headless chickens" giving conflicting advice to each other - I would love to be "a fly on the wall"!!!! "Get out", no!! "stay here", "run", "walk", "sit", "stand", "cry", "look composed for the cameras" - "oh shi*, man the lifeboats", but we don't have any here inside the building", OK errrrm, let me think, "ring Thaksin" - "can't, its engaged, he's fixing the rest of the worlds problems this morning" - Europe today I believe. Keep trying!! In the mean time - are there any helicopters here to take us out of this hell as my expensive Italian shoes are going to be ruined if they get wet or maybe we will need submarines - whats the difference Sir??? Don't know so ask Yingluck, no don't bother as she doesn't know either!!!!!:jap:.

Think I'm joking???? then think again OR don't bother to OR.............someone please tell me what's happening and what I'm to do!!!!

Actually: no I don't think you are joking! If you were, this post had to be at least a little bit funny!

But let me ask you another question...and don't worry, you don't have to answer, as the the question is rethorical:

do you get any kind of joy or satisfaction out of your constant re- runs of the same cynical remarks?

Not only you, but...all of you?

We got it now: the PM is stupid, incompetent and wears fancy boots (god forbid), her brother is the source of everything bad in the world (from famine in Africa over the EU crisis to the flood in Thailand) and the Dems would have done it a million times better. SOE was and always will be the only way to ever solve any problems and you above all are experts on flood, famine, toxic waste, molecular biology and hold the answers to all the questions in the universe (which 42 , by the way!).

It is soooooooooo boring!

Oh ...and guess what: it doesn't help!

If the estimations of the worst case scenario are correct, we are straight on our way into a human -disaster (we are halfway there) that will make the 2004 Tsunami look like a nice day on the beach and all you have to do is repeating the same unfunny remarks over and over again.

Could parts of it have been handled better? Sure! Is it always easy to say that, after someone effed up? Sure! Would the whole situation be much different than it is now? I don't think so, but than again I am not a divine being like you are and hold all the answers.

Seriously: look for a hobby or a girlfriend. Both might keep you occupied and get"s you away from the internet.

And it will prevent heart attacks or strokes, because if you don't read so much about all the stupid and incompetent people around you and especially Thaksin, you will be much more relaxed.

Take a break!

[serenitynow]

In all honesty, I think trying to place blame on Yingluck for the uncoordinated response is a bit harsh. Is she a novice, yes. Are the ministers political appointees yes. The real problem is that each ministry, department, agency is a fiefdom each wanting to retain its piece of the pie. They do not work together well and with a disaster such as this they can't coordinate anything because they are not adept at working together. Regardless of who was in power the result probably would have been the same. Hell, look at the criticism for the US government response in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. Lots of blame there to go around for that mess. I really don't have much of an opinion on the current government as quiet honestly the former government was kind of a lackluster bunch too. Everyone just grabbing for power where they can get it on either side of the fence. That's the way it works in politics, in any country.

You just made the case for why the Army should have been running the show from weeks ago. They can command these agencies to do what's necessary and discharge any persons who act as impediments. Now its too late.

[steveromagnino]

Actually: no I don't think you are joking! If you were, this post had to be at least a little bit funny!

But let me ask you another question...and don't worry, you don't have to answer, as the the question is rethorical:

do you get any kind of joy or satisfaction out of your constant re- runs of the same cynical remarks?

Not only you, but...all of you?

A close friend asked me to post this:

I can't speak for others, especially since the question wasn't directed at me, but I find that repeating myself many many many many many many times is a great income earner.

Now some people might say you cannot make money out of posting on internet boards and spamming Thailand's major newspapers with nonsensical news (I am am not going to return leave Thailand etc etc).

I have an answer for that.

It's called VOLUME. I am able to churn out infantile and ill thought out suggestions to the government on any number of subjects, ranging from cups of sick, to pen nice pumps, to advice for government toilet tsar "Sompoo Turddee".

You have no idea how many words I can write, claiming I could slit a cat's throat, screw a goat, or slice open a wild snake, and make a winter coat.

The volume of coverage covers my overhead, but the real profit is going to come from my lucrative new business of pen nice pumps. From Korea.

I demand to be heard, I demand you read my posts, and that volume, my friend, is where the big money is.

As Thailand's leading entrepreneur, most successful businessman ever, most wisest counsel and most definitely not involved with any of that red shirt group (I was just ringing in 3 times a week to check that someone was moving my car every 3 hours to avoid paying parking at Paragon), I demand that you read and listen to every thing I say.

If I don't say it myself, I will get my red shirt minions, er, people I don't know or support, to say it for me. My sister is a bit silly; she's what I like to call a 'silly clone' I can get her to say my wisest ideas. I have my A team; and my Mr T is Plodprasob, and just like the A team, my bunch of renegades like HP, which is where the idea of 1000 boats came from.

After all, the motor boat idea may be really really dumb when there is 1 boat....but as anyone knows, just because an idea is dumb, if you make it large enough, it will cease to be dumb. It will become really smart.

Which is why, as Thailand's richest man representing the poor, and as a super rich billionaire I am willing to donate exactly 3 (three) pen nice pumps from Korea. everyone says Korea is hot right now, and Rain is big; well I can tell you from my lair in Dubai, I can see that's lies; Korea is actually quite cold. But anyway the pen nice pumps are yours if you need them.

I must be heard, I must keep talking I must keep front of mind, as my friend Robert says, if I don't ohmigod my BFF Jatuporn and my former BFF Jakapop Penkair might actually start running stuff. And as anyone knows, I am the only one who knows how to 'soap the contree ploblem'

I am sending this via my close friend, him good man, Stevero because let's face it, you lot are lost without my wise counsel. And also, because I want to write a movie, and right now, I don't know how it will finish. I am thinking that it ends with me being very rich. And you being poor.

Bye.

Edited October 25, 2011 by steveromagnino

[Crushdepth]

In all honesty, I think trying to place blame on Yingluck for the uncoordinated response is a bit harsh. Is she a novice, yes. Are the ministers political appointees yes. The real problem is that each ministry, department, agency is a fiefdom each wanting to retain its piece of the pie. They do not work together well and with a disaster such as this they can't coordinate anything because they are not adept at working together. Regardless of who was in power the result probably would have been the same. Hell, look at the criticism for the US government response in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. Lots of blame there to go around for that mess. I really don't have much of an opinion on the current government as quiet honestly the former government was kind of a lackluster bunch too. Everyone just grabbing for power where they can get it on either side of the fence. That's the way it works in politics, in any country.

You just made the case for why the Army should have been running the show from weeks ago. They can command these agencies to do what's necessary and discharge any persons who act as impediments. Now its too late.

Sane countries do not put politicians in charge of disaster response. That task is handled by professional emergency services.

[DocN]

Actually: no I don't think you are joking! If you were, this post had to be at least a little bit funny!

But let me ask you another question...and don't worry, you don't have to answer, as the the question is rethorical:

do you get any kind of joy or satisfaction out of your constant re- runs of the same cynical remarks?

Not only you, but...all of you?

A close friend asked me to post this:

I can't speak for others, especially since the question wasn't directed at me, but I find that repeating myself many many many many many many times is a great income earner.

Now some people might say you cannot make money out of posting on internet boards and spamming Thailand's major newspapers with nonsensical news (I am am not going to return leave Thailand etc etc).

I have an answer for that.

It's called VOLUME. I am able to churn out infantile and ill thought out suggestions to the government on any number of subjects, ranging from cups of sick, to pen nice pumps, to advice for government toilet tsar "Sompoo Turddee".

You have no idea how many words I can write, claiming I could slit a cat's throat, screw a goat, or slice open a wild snake, and make a winter coat.

The volume of coverage covers my overhead, but the real profit is going to come from my lucrative new business of pen nice pumps. From Korea.

I demand to be heard, I demand you read my posts, and that volume, my friend, is where the big money is.

As Thailand's leading entrepreneur, most successful businessman ever, most wisest counsel and most definitely not involved with any of that red shirt group (I was just ringing in 3 times a week to check that someone was moving my car every 3 hours to avoid paying parking at Paragon), I demand that you read and listen to every thing I say.

If I don't say it myself, I will get my red shirt minions, er, people I don't know or support, to say it for me. My sister is a bit silly; she's what I like to call a 'silly clone' I can get her to say my wisest ideas. I have my A team; and my Mr T is Plodprasob, and just like the A team, my bunch of renegades like HP, which is where the idea of 1000 boats came from.

After all, the motor boat idea may be really really dumb when there is 1 boat....but as anyone knows, just because an idea is dumb, if you make it large enough, it will cease to be dumb. It will become really smart.

Which is why, as Thailand's richest man representing the poor, and as a super rich billionaire I am willing to donate exactly 3 (three) pen nice pumps from Korea. everyone says Korea is hot right now, and Rain is big; well I can tell you from my lair in Dubai, I can see that's lies; Korea is actually quite cold. But anyway the pen nice pumps are yours if you need them.

I must be heard, I must keep talking I must keep front of mind, as my friend Robert says, if I don't ohmigod my BFF Jatuporn and my former BFF Jakapop Penkair might actually start running stuff. And as anyone knows, I am the only one who knows how to 'soap the contree ploblem'

I am sending this via my close friend, him good man, Stevero because let's face it, you lot are lost without my wise counsel. And also, because I want to write a movie, and right now, I don't know how it will finish. I am thinking that it ends with me being very rich. And you being poor.

Bye.

Seriously: where do you get the stuff, you are taking?

[djlest]

Its not just her - she is just a puppet here remember. the US was turned away due to a conflict of 2 Gov Chanels

one said yes - the other said No

Hmmm - the only 2 Gov Channels i can think of is her and him.

[Djaotchou]

[steveromagnino]

Seriously: where do you get the stuff, you are taking?

Well I got a dose of the crabs in July, and since then I've been taking a steady diet of eggs, I like to cook them into what i describe as poultry produce na cheeks.

My sister runs around with egg on her face all the time, soon you will all be doing it, just like you will all be calling me when you have a ploblem with soap. You won't be calling Plobprasoap, you will call Plob-da-soap.

As my sister says she would 'soap the country ploblem' we are nothing it not consistent. i like to call it 'ratobahn saboo', because we are always very very clean. From washing. And also from visiting the medical operations and doctors in Ratchada.

Also, we are very clean, because we never walk in the actual water; we walk on catwalks. In burberry. Hell, I am in Dubai, I don't even walk on the ground, I walk on the air. Oh and and and the backs of 1 million people paid 300b per day. Oh yeah.

In case you didn't know, all donations being made come from PT. Not from the government coffers, from PT. I just want you to know that.

[SICHONSTEVE]

Thailand surely has the most incompetent Prime Minister in the world, the people voted her in... and got what they deserve... she says natural disaster when we all know it was a human and political disaster.. she knew big rain was coming but other things were much more important... what an idiot..!!!

Yingluck - "but said the government's fight against the natural disaster had been hampered by "new factors on a daily basis".

So Thaksin rings her "every day" then!!!!.

"Yingluck and Sukhumbhand both sounded in appeasing mode, with the latter vowing his agency would do its best to protect her Don Muang-based Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC), which is located in one of the Bangkok districts under threat of inundation".

Very interesting, when the waters reach their base they can all run around like "headless chickens" giving conflicting advice to each other - I would love to be "a fly on the wall"!!!! "Get out", no!! "stay here", "run", "walk", "sit", "stand", "cry", "look composed for the cameras" - "oh shi*, man the lifeboats", but we don't have any here inside the building", OK errrrm, let me think, "ring Thaksin" - "can't, its engaged, he's fixing the rest of the worlds problems this morning" - Europe today I believe. Keep trying!! In the mean time - are there any helicopters here to take us out of this hell as my expensive Italian shoes are going to be ruined if they get wet or maybe we will need submarines - whats the difference Sir??? Don't know so ask Yingluck, no don't bother as she doesn't know either!!!!!:jap:.

Think I'm joking???? then think again OR don't bother to OR.............someone please tell me what's happening and what I'm to do!!!!

Actually: no I don't think you are joking! If you were, this post had to be at least a little bit funny!

But let me ask you another question...and don't worry, you don't have to answer, as the the question is rethorical:

do you get any kind of joy or satisfaction out of your constant re- runs of the same cynical remarks?

Not only you, but...all of you?

We got it now: the PM is stupid, incompetent and wears fancy boots (god forbid), her brother is the source of everything bad in the world (from famine in Africa over the EU crisis to the flood in Thailand) and the Dems would have done it a million times better. SOE was and always will be the only way to ever solve any problems and you above all are experts on flood, famine, toxic waste, molecular biology and hold the answers to all the questions in the universe (which 42 , by the way!).

It is soooooooooo boring!

Oh ...and guess what: it doesn't help!

If the estimations of the worst case scenario are correct, we are straight on our way into a human -disaster (we are halfway there) that will make the 2004 Tsunami look like a nice day on the beach and all you have to do is repeating the same unfunny remarks over and over again.

Could parts of it have been handled better? Sure! Is it always easy to say that, after someone effed up? Sure! Would the whole situation be much different than it is now? I don't think so, but than again I am not a divine being like you are and hold all the answers.

Seriously: look for a hobby or a girlfriend. Both might keep you occupied and get"s you away from the internet.

And it will prevent heart attacks or strokes, because if you don't read so much about all the stupid and incompetent people around you and especially Thaksin, you will be much more relaxed.

Take a break!

How dare you try to ruin my fun!!!!.

I am merely observing whats going on and giving my views on it - you clearly don't have a sense of humour - I have many hobbies and I'm not sure about your suggestion of getting a girl friend as my wife won't take too kindly to that and besides, I don't need one and it is disgusting for you to suggest that I cheat on her!!! Next, you are going to claim that you didn't know that I was married.

I don't like Kit Kats by the way and will continue to air my views, to irk you primarily, I think I'll probably up my volume of posts and increase the humour until you ditch your internet connection out of disgust.

Git it ?????.

[SICHONSTEVE]

Nice one!!!!!.

[Ijustwannateach]

Actually: no I don't think you are joking! If you were, this post had to be at least a little bit funny!

But let me ask you another question...and don't worry, you don't have to answer, as the the question is rethorical:

do you get any kind of joy or satisfaction out of your constant re- runs of the same cynical remarks?

Not only you, but...all of you?

A close friend asked me to post this:

I can't speak for others, especially since the question wasn't directed at me, but I find that repeating myself many many many many many many times is a great income earner.

Now some people might say you cannot make money out of posting on internet boards and spamming Thailand's major newspapers with nonsensical news (I am am not going to return leave Thailand etc etc).

I have an answer for that.

It's called VOLUME. I am able to churn out infantile and ill thought out suggestions to the government on any number of subjects, ranging from cups of sick, to pen nice pumps, to advice for government toilet tsar "Sompoo Turddee".

You have no idea how many words I can write, claiming I could slit a cat's throat, screw a goat, or slice open a wild snake, and make a winter coat.

The volume of coverage covers my overhead, but the real profit is going to come from my lucrative new business of pen nice pumps. From Korea.

I demand to be heard, I demand you read my posts, and that volume, my friend, is where the big money is.

As Thailand's leading entrepreneur, most successful businessman ever, most wisest counsel and most definitely not involved with any of that red shirt group (I was just ringing in 3 times a week to check that someone was moving my car every 3 hours to avoid paying parking at Paragon), I demand that you read and listen to every thing I say.

If I don't say it myself, I will get my red shirt minions, er, people I don't know or support, to say it for me. My sister is a bit silly; she's what I like to call a 'silly clone' I can get her to say my wisest ideas. I have my A team; and my Mr T is Plodprasob, and just like the A team, my bunch of renegades like HP, which is where the idea of 1000 boats came from.

After all, the motor boat idea may be really really dumb when there is 1 boat....but as anyone knows, just because an idea is dumb, if you make it large enough, it will cease to be dumb. It will become really smart.

Which is why, as Thailand's richest man representing the poor, and as a super rich billionaire I am willing to donate exactly 3 (three) pen nice pumps from Korea. everyone says Korea is hot right now, and Rain is big; well I can tell you from my lair in Dubai, I can see that's lies; Korea is actually quite cold. But anyway the pen nice pumps are yours if you need them.

I must be heard, I must keep talking I must keep front of mind, as my friend Robert says, if I don't ohmigod my BFF Jatuporn and my former BFF Jakapop Penkair might actually start running stuff. And as anyone knows, I am the only one who knows how to 'soap the contree ploblem'

I am sending this via my close friend, him good man, Stevero because let's face it, you lot are lost without my wise counsel. And also, because I want to write a movie, and right now, I don't know how it will finish. I am thinking that it ends with me being very rich. And you being poor.

Bye.

God, how I've missed your posts here...

[whybother]

God, how I've missed your posts here...

God???? I thought it was Thaksin.

[serenitynow]

God, how I've missed your posts here...

God???? I thought it was Thaksin.

Thaksin thinks, God acts.

[Emptyset]

In all honesty, I think trying to place blame on Yingluck for the uncoordinated response is a bit harsh. Is she a novice, yes. Are the ministers political appointees yes. The real problem is that each ministry,

That said,... I think a government that had a longer tenure and wasn't in the throws of arranging its pecking order would have been much better positioned to deal with this. I also would say that Abhisit would most likely have not been indisposed to call a SOE and give the army power to control the disaster. That being so then many lives could have been saved.

The problem is that nobody in the present government is willing to lose face over this and thus when international help is offered from the UN and now from the US Navy it is turned down.

This kind of myopic and xenophobic mindset is the exact reason that thousands perished during the Burmese cyclone that hit a couple of years ago in which the poor victims were left to perish all because the government wouldn't let the aid in when offered. Yes they had solid political reasons (not wanting their junta overthrown) but what excuses can the Thai government offer? Lets place the focus on saving lives and not on saving face!

Why would an SOE necessarily save lives? What the hell does Prayuth know about floods? Haven't the army failed to save every area they've been assigned to save so far? Presumably Prayuth is free to give advice to the govt now, and the army can already arrest people trying to bring down the flood barriers, can't they? The only thing SOE gives them in that respect is being able to detain people for 30 days without charge. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong... Also the govt is only as good as its experts. Even a Dutch expert working with FROC said it was hard to 'guess' which parts of BKK would be flooded and how badly. Prayuth will be relying on the same experts, presumably. Anyway, FROC is a joke but it's not like Prayuth has given any signs of greater competence.

I'm pretty sure the govt is accepting help from foreign countries. They've got foreign flood experts at FROC and the US military is helping to some degree.

[whybother]

Why would an SOE necessarily save lives? What the hell does Prayuth know about floods? Haven't the army failed to save every area they've been assigned to save so far? Presumably Prayuth is free to give advice to the govt now, and the army can already arrest people trying to bring down the flood barriers, can't they? The only thing SOE gives them in that respect is being able to detain people for 30 days without charge. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong... Also the govt is only as good as its experts. Even a Dutch expert working with FROC said it was hard to 'guess' which parts of BKK would be flooded and how badly. Prayuth will be relying on the same experts, presumably. Anyway, FROC is a joke but it's not like Prayuth has given any signs of greater competence.

I'm pretty sure the govt is accepting help from foreign countries. They've got foreign flood experts at FROC and the US military is helping to some degree.

"the army can already arrest people trying to bring down the flood barriers, can't they?"

Why would the army be able to arrest people?