CNN Interview With PM Yingluck: We Must Protect Important Economic Centers

[webfact]

PM: Protect Bangkok Economic Areas

The prime minister interviewed with CNN about the flood situation and said that since Bangkok is an important area in Thailand, it will be protected as much as possible, and that she is greatly concerned about the distress among residents.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra gave CNN an interview on Sunday, saying officials from all related units are doing their best to manage the water-level of dams and the effectiveness of the dikes to handle the unusual torrential downpours of the rainy season.

She said her main concern is the people who are distressed by the flooding, adding that Bangkok will be protected as much as possible because it is an economic hub of Thailand.

CNN reported that the Thai government has decided to let the water flow through the canals in Bangkok and its suburbs, including Rangsit District, to prevent the water from flowing into the inner city.

The flooding in this year is said to be the worst flooding in over half a century, and some areas may continue to suffer from flooding for another month before the water levels decrease.

CNN further reported that the water is now flowing towards Don Muang Airport and Thammasat University Rangsit Campus, which are temporary shelters for the flood victims.

The government asked victims to evacuate from both Don Muang Airport and Thammasat University Rangsit Campus to other evacuation centers provided at government offices for safety reasons.

The Ratchamangkala Stadium was declared as a temporary shelter for flood victims evacuated from Don Muang Airport and Thammasat University Rangsit Campus.

The stadium can hold a large number of people while a number of volunteers assisted officials to accommodate victims.

-- Tan Network 2011-10-25

[givenall]

Her word is good enough for me when she says they willprotect Bangkok.

Oh well it is time to leave Bangkok

[macjin]

Eventually we'll be surrounded, with questionable tap, transports slows or stopps. then we we lack food and fuel. hope net and electricy are gonna be ok. but we are getting down to the wire soon where bkk could be choked or something.

There are areas that are like 4m above sea level or more, like Vadhana, Thonglor, Pethaburi, to Sukhumvit, last places to hold out I believe. PLAN for the worse and hope for the best people, not hope for the best and make little or no plans. the later will suffer one way or the other.

[GazR]

Where was all this water last year when PM Yingluck's brother Thaksin Shinawatra ordered his Red Shirt terrorists to start burning down Bangkok?

[beano2274]

Isn't the football stadium also in an area that gets constantly flooded?

[rubl]

She said her main concern is the people who are distressed by the flooding, adding that Bangkok will be protected as much as possible because it is an economic hub of Thailand.

Is this interview for foreign public only or will it be broadcasted & subtitled for local consumption ?

[thaikahuna]

How can you tell when a politician is lying? Their lips are moving......

[sunnysideup]

Do you trust her? 2 weeks ago, she said "Bangkok will definitely not be flooded". It had stopped raining for like 2 weeks already. So what is the factor that causes the situation to change? Couldn't be rain. Could it be her misreading the situation? Her mismanagement? She can't even get her FROC to get accurate info out to the residents. What she seems to be doing great is getting perfect makeup and perfect hair all day long.

[rogerdee123]

Isn't the football stadium also in an area that gets constantly flooded?

I was going to ask the question also ... "is it safe". But I think we can conclude that since it has been chosen to be an evac center, it probably is right in the path of the on-coming deluge.

[Arkady]

Eventually we'll be surrounded, with questionable tap, transports slows or stopps. then we we lack food and fuel. hope net and electricy are gonna be ok. but we are getting down to the wire soon where bkk could be choked or something.

There are areas that are like 4m above sea level or more, like Vadhana, Thonglor, Pethaburi, to Sukhumvit, last places to hold out I believe. PLAN for the worse and hope for the best people, not hope for the best and make little or no plans. the later will suffer one way or the other.

According to this map (sorry in Thai only), the authenticity of which I can't vouch for, Vadhana, Thonglor, Petchburi, Prakanong and Suan Luang all appear to be at 0 to 0.5 above sea level (the medium blue area in the right hand corner). Around there only Klongthoey and Yannawa are shown as higher at 2.5 to 3 metres above mean sea level, although Yannawa was flooded for days in the 1995 floods. Vadhana was also flooded.

Now to make matters worse I hear a thunder storm getting under way to break the sunny weather we've been having.

Edited October 25, 2011 by Arkady

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Did CNN think to ask her why she has refused assistance from the US navy? If she was that concerned about the people then why would she not take all the outside help she can get. Any other county that cares about their citizens would!!!

[Babcock]

Did CNN think to ask her why she has refused assistance from the US navy? If she was that concerned about the people then why would she not take all the outside help she can get. Any other county that cares about their citizens would!!!

Was it her or was it the army?

One said yes , the other said no. So the americans have gone to Japan instead. Joined up government I don't think so.

[Arkady]

Do you trust her? 2 weeks ago, she said "Bangkok will definitely not be flooded". It had stopped raining for like 2 weeks already. So what is the factor that causes the situation to change? Couldn't be rain. Could it be her misreading the situation? Her mismanagement? She can't even get her FROC to get accurate info out to the residents. What she seems to be doing great is getting perfect makeup and perfect hair all day long.

"Do you trust her?" No.

And now the rains have started again over Bangkok and are forecast to continue for the next few days.

[OzMick]

Isn't the football stadium also in an area that gets constantly flooded?

I was going to ask the question also ... "is it safe". But I think we can conclude that since it has been chosen to be an evac center, it probably is right in the path of the on-coming deluge.

"Is it safe?" You have just given me a flashback to a great novel "Marathon Man" (also a reasonable movie). A real horror story if you have dentist-phobia.

[zakk9]

It's nice of her to protect Bangkok, but wouldn't have been a good idea to protect the food supplies as well? And as for economic hub, the industrial estates that have now been flooded and will be out of production for months, probably represents a much bigger problem for Thailand than a few weeks of downtown flooding of the capital would have meant. This is all hot air and saving face.

[sausageandmash]

Instead of just telling us that she was interviewed, why not do something useful, like post a link to the interview.

[rogerdee123]

Instead of just telling us that she was interviewed, why not do something useful, like post a link to the interview.

try cnn.com

[rogerdee123]

Isn't the football stadium also in an area that gets constantly flooded?

I was going to ask the question also ... "is it safe". But I think we can conclude that since it has been chosen to be an evac center, it probably is right in the path of the on-coming deluge.

"Is it safe?" You have just given me a flashback to a great novel "Marathon Man" (also a reasonable movie). A real horror story if you have dentist-phobia.

I remember that ... hurts thinking about it .... I also remember the part about when he took refuge with that whore

[mrfarang]

Eventually we'll be surrounded, with questionable tap, transports slows or stopps. then we we lack food and fuel. hope net and electricy are gonna be ok. but we are getting down to the wire soon where bkk could be choked or something.

There are areas that are like 4m above sea level or more, like Vadhana, Thonglor, Pethaburi, to Sukhumvit, last places to hold out I believe. PLAN for the worse and hope for the best people, not hope for the best and make little or no plans. the later will suffer one way or the other.

Minburi is at 8m above sea level, and already at risk of severe flooding. What makes you thin Sukhumvit at 4m and near Chao Phraya will be safe?

[hyperdimension]

Instead of just telling us that she was interviewed, why not do something useful, like post a link to the interview.

I don't think there is a video of it (probably by her or her "minders'" request). She only does scripted interviews because she cannot answer even mildly difficult questions. If you see past interviews of her on YouTube you'd know what I mean - embarrassing.