Thailand Live Thursday 27 Oct 2011

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Thailand Live Thursday 27 October 2011

News, Bits and Tweets

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Keep up to date with live updates from the news, hour by hour.

For breaking news,national, regional and international news updates on a daily basis only, this thread is closed to commentary so that those who wish to follow the news can find it here...

Commentary is still open for Thailand news in the relevant thread posted in News Clippings.

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Related topic: Thailand Live Wednesday 26 Oct 2011

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BREAKING: -- Bangkok in for 1-metre flooding, says expert

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All eyes on Bangkok's flood barriers as new wave arrives today

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Bangkok luxury hotels well prepared for impending floods

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AFP: Residents in flood-prone Bangkok urged to leave

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AFP: Britain warns against travel to flood-threatened Bangkok

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Irrigation dept defends closure of sluice gates

The Nation

The Royal Irrigation Department yesterday defended its closing of two key eastern drainage gates, saying it was preventing water from entering the city, not keeping flood water from leaving it.

Even though the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has the capacity to dispose of 10 million cubic metres per day, it is currently operating at less than that because of the closure of two sluice gates under the RID's control at Nong Chok and Prawet Burirom canals.

The two canals are Bangkok's eastern floodways to detour runoff from the north into the sea via the Bang Pakong River in Chachoengsao.

The RID's Hydrology and Water Management Office said the level of the Bang Pakong River was currently higher than the two canals. If the gates were lifted, water would rush into the capital, exacerbating the inundation, so the department was pumping the water from the Bangkok side across the two gates and into the Bang Pakong River.

In northern Bangkok, the department has mobilised 12 pumps to send water from the Bang Kanak and Nakhon Nuang Khet canals to the Bang Pakong River.

Pramote Maiklad, a former directorgeneral of the RID, said the BMA might be confused about how water flows and urged the Bangkok administration to work closely with the department, which knows which gates should be opened or closed.

Chachoengsao's elevation is higher than Bangkok and the ocean's tide has risen higher than the canals linking to the sea, so the gates from the east to the west were shut.

"For Bangkok's innercity canals, we use pumps to drain water out while the gates for canals linking to the sea will be closed. Water should be drained through the Saen Saeb, Prawet Burirom and Samrong canals before it is pumped out into the sea," he said.

The Democrat Party's shadow government urged the government to drain the runoff through eastern Bangkok more effectively within five to seven days. The claim that the Bang Pakong was higher so opening the gates would cause water to pour into Bangkok was doubtful, party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said, citing the example that Canal 2's level dropped after its sliding gate was opened.

The imbalance in water evacuation could lead to the paralysis of the central administration, which would become a nationwide problem, the Democrats warned. They also questioned whether the government's decision until recently not to open the eastern gates was because it wanted to protect a specific area.

Seri Supparathit, director of the Sirindhorn International Environmental Park's Energy for Environment Centre, said eastern Bangkok was equipped with many pumps to remove flood water quickly.

The government should send agencies to check each location and see whether the plan was actually implemented and if there was any obstruction.

Bangkok would be under only 2030 centimetres of flood water if the plan went well. There was still time to open all gates and use pumps to expel the water into the sea, Seri said.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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TCC

Thai Chamber urges Govt to protect Bangkok at any cost

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation

The Thai Chamber of Commerce yesterday urged the government to do its utmost to protect Bangkok, give accurate and up-to-date information, and forge closer cooperation with private sector to manage the logistics system and ensure minimum impact on the economy.

The chamber also urged the government to ensure adequate supply of essential goods.

After a meeting with the chamber's working committee for managing the impact of the flooding, chairman Phongsak Assakul said the TCC would make four proposals to the government to accelerate relief and minimise the impact after flood water spreads to Bangkok.

First, the government should protect the capital as much as possible and urgently relieve the impact from the flooding, as Bangkok is not only a centre of trading, but also a travelling and logistics and distribution centre to other provinces nationwide. The government should urgently release water from internal to external areas as soon as possible, otherwise business transactions and foreign-investor confidence will be severely hit.

Second, it called on the government to continue giving accurate information to the public so that they can put together plans to save their homes and businesses in time. An official website should be launched, providing information in Thai and English, for the public and foreign traders and visitors.

Third, the government should forge closer cooperation with private enterprises and facilitate shipping of goods, as many factories that have not flooded are facing difficulties in distributing their goods.

Last, the TCC and the provincial chambers have set up their own information centre to give information to businesspeople nationwide so that they can operate with efficiency, and access government information.

The proposals will be discussed with Commerce Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong soon, Phongsak said.

In addition, during a separate meeting between Kittiratt and the Federation of Thai Industries at Government House, the minister reaffirmed that the government would continue to provide relief measures for affected enterprises, after announcing a Bt15-billion soft-loan package to help flooded industrial estates.

FTI chairman Payungsak Chartsuthipol said the government should continue to provide soft loans to private enterprises

The Industrial Estates Association said it planned to resume operation of the plants in the estates within 45 days after the water recedes lower than the clay barriers.

The water level in many industrial estates in Ayutthaya has been gradually dropping. Rojana Industrial Estate is preparing to borrow Bt1.9 billion from the government to make repairs soon.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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FLOOD-RELATED DISEASES

The perils in the water

Dr Gerard Lalande

Special to The Nation

Amid the flood's destruction and disruptions, stay mindful of the less visible dangers

Major flooding brings serious, immediate and longterm health issues, even with the most effective healthcare system. The initial disruption of medical services aggravates the plight of those affected.

According to the Health Ministry, the current flooding has affected the health of more than 700,000 people - and the disaster appears to be far from over.

Below we examine the key health risks stemming from the unusual sanitary con¬ditions, along with some preventive measures.

INFECTION

People spending a lot of time in the water are at risk not just of drowning and electrocution but also several other dangers.

They could face severe skin infection from the multiple toxins that escape from inundated factories and farms and the sewage of housing estates. Scratches and other injuries are unavoidable, worsening the risk.

Leptospirosis - also called haemorrhagic jaundice and, in Thailand, roke chi noo - is a disease directly linked to contact with polluted water. Its source, as the Thai name indicates, is rat urine.

Outbreaks have been common in the Northeast amid flooding, with cases num¬bering as many as a few thousand each year. People contract leptospirosis directly from drinking contaminated water, but also through lesions on the skin or via the mucous membrane.

Long exposure into the water often leads to fungal infections on the legs and feet. Intense fullbody cleansing is required when exposed. Any damaged skin must be extremely well disinfected, and if the wound is severe, see a medical practitioner for a possible immunisation booster.

BITES

Bites from insects, particularly centipedes, or reptiles can occur as flooded urban areas bring wild animals into contact with people.

DISEASES

Water contaminated by microorganisms is a major concern. Lots of waterborne communicable diseases can spread, such as Hepatitis A, E coli bacteria, staphylococcal endotoxins and enterovirus (which infects the gastrointestinal tract and can spread to other parts of the body), and to a lesser extent typhoid fever and poliomyelitis.

Acute diarrhoea and food poisoning can result from ingesting contaminated water, even in small amounts.

Cholera, usually a major flood concern in tropical countries, is fortunately very rare in Thailand. However, since minor cholera outbreaks occurred from 2007 to 2009, it's wise to be on guard.

To protect against these waterborne diseases, obey the rules of basic hygiene, especially drinking safe water and proper hand washing prior to eating.

Flooding often increases the risks of "vector-borne" diseases, namely malaria, dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis, all of which are transmitted by mosquitoes.

In fact, the initial flood surge can wash away insect breeding sites, so the number of cases might not increase at the flood's outset. However, once the waters recede, all the puddles and ponds that remain become breeding places, and after about two months, mosquitoborne diseases usually appear.

In the flooded North and Central regions, an outbreak of dengue fever is more likely afterward than malaria or encephalitis.

This vast crisis has also displaced many people, forcing thousands into confined improvised shelters. The high density in such places can spur communicable diseases such as influenza, meningitis and measles. It's wise to make sure everyone's immunisation is up to date, especially children.

STRESS

Natural disasters induce high levels of stress, both emotionally and physically - from the extra effort expended to move personal belongings.

Flooding brings unprecedented stress when home and property are destroyed or even simply at risk of damage. In the flooding that inundated western Queensland in Australia earlier this year, the main complaint at hospitals was stressrelated chest pain.

Stress affects adults and children in different ways and, even if severe, it is too often neglected or underestimated. Stress lowers our ability to fight the very infectious diseases that become more common during these times. High and continuous stress can lead to dangerous depression. It's best to get a medical opinion.

IN GENERAL

Every cloud has a silver lining, as they say, and it's just a matter of time before things return to normal. Meanwhile, amid the dreadful current hardships, it is essential to stay focused on healthy living.

Do your best to maintain a proper diet, to take special care of the skin if exposed to floodwater, and - in the interest of managing your stress as much as possible - to maintain your compassion. It is by no means inappropriate to engage family and neighbours in some fun pastimes to keep their spirits up.

Dr Lalande, The Nation's Health Matters columnist, is managing director of CEO-Health, which provides medical referrals for expatriates in Thailand. He can be contacted at [email protected].

Flood hotlines

1669 - Ambulance and medical assistance from the Public Health Ministry’s Emergency Medical Services.

1111 press 5, 1131 - Flood Help Centre at the Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC). Or call (02) 241 1749, (02) 504 3569 and (02) 534 1911.

(02) 504 3027 - For English at FROC.

(090) 418 052529 - The Mirror Foundation, an NGO coordinating floodrelief with FROC.

4567892: Free emergency SMS provided by the ICT Ministry.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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PROPERTY

Demand for low-rise homes expected to drop

The Nation

Housing demand is expected to plunge in the near term, particularly for low-rise projects in flood-stricken areas such as Chaiyaphruek, Ratchaphruek, Bang Bua Thong, and Rangsit in Pathum Thani.

DBS Vickers Securities (Thailand) said the flood crisis would chiefly affect Property Perfect, Land & Houses, Quality Houses and Pruksa Real Estate, which have low-rise developments in those areas. Meanwhile, LPN Development could benefit the most, given that fears of severe floods recurring in Bangkok in the future could sway demand towards condominiums in the city.

"And the problem could be compounded by the fact that the fourth quarter normally sees the most new launches" of housing developments, the securities house said.

After the floods in the outskirts of Bangkok affected a large number of low-rise housing projects, DBS expects presales and transfers to tumble in the current fourth quarter as the floods show no signs of subsiding.

Pruksa Real Estate director and chief business officer Prasert Taedullayasatit accepted that the company had to revise its presale and revenue target in the current final quarter of the year.

"It is too early to estimate the losses from the flood but we are monitoring this event and will revise our business plan," he said.

Somsakul Limsuttaphan, assistant managing director of Plus Property Co, the property-management arm of Sansiri, said flooding in Bangkok would also encourage many to look for a second home in resort cities such as Hua Hin and Pattaya.

During Oct 21-25 Between last Friday and this Tuesday, as the floods reached Bangkok, the company was approached by more than 150 clients demanding short rental contracts in Hua Hin. For a short stay of less than three months, they were looking for units with monthly rents of Bt25,000-Bt55,000.

Plus Property has also witnessed increasing demand for rental units in Pattaya.

"The floods in Bangkok and peripheral provinces should spur residential demand in Hua Hin and other resort destinations, now that they realise the necessity of a second home for refuge. We believe that more projects in the cities will be launched and projects with systematic management and permission for pets will be in high demand," Somsakul said.

The Agency for Real Estate Affairs estimated residential damage at Bt74 billion, or 25 per cent of the value of flooded properties. So far, 329,569 houses are flooded and another 166,225 are at risk.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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King worried about people, not palaces, Army chief says

The Nation

His Majesty the King does not want the government to be overly concerned about the Royal Palace because he believes the water should flow "naturally", according to Army chief Prayuth Chanocha.

Prayuth, who has been in liaison with palace authorities on how to defend royal residence which is high on the government's antiflood plan, said the message from His Majesty was that the monarch did not want "anything special" to be done regarding the palace.

"His Majesty is very worried about the Thai people. He always has been and always will be. That's him. He doesn't want anything special, and he said the water must be allowed to flow naturally," the Army chief said.

Having been given the responsibility to protect the royal residence by the government, however, the Army would do "whatever we can and are allowed to do" to defend the palace against the flood, he said.

"The most important thing that I want the public to realise is that His Majesty and all Royal Family members are very concerned about all Thai people in this situation," Prayuth said.

Apart from the Chitralada Palace, "royal residence" also covers places like Suan Kularb Palace, Suan Tewase Palace, Sra Prathum Palace, Sukhothai Palace, the Thaweewattana Palace, the Siriraj Hospital and the Bang Pain Palace. Plans have been mapped out to protect the places according to levels of possible flooding. worstcase plans involved evacuation.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was accompanied by Prayuth and senior defence officials including Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha to receive briefing from palace authorities yesterday.

Flooding on Sanam Luang has caused concern over the nearby Grand Palace although senior officials were confident the area remained wellprotected.

Concerning the Siriraj Hospital, where His Majesty has been staying for over a year, measures have been taken and the monarch was constantly briefed on the situation. He was said to be pleased by action taken by the government and the hospital to cope with floods. One key issue of preparation had to do with stock of medicine to serve the public, which currently can last about a month.

Meanwhile, Yingluck yesterday tried to allay fears about widespread capital flooding, saying the authorities were simply warning the public about worstcase scenario. She was confident that the key business area of Silom remained under strict protection, although she admitted that the eastern part of Bangkok could be substantially hit. She also recommended people living in onestorey houses to consider moving out if they were in highrisk areas.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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FROC complaints bring shakeup of handout system

The Nation

From now on, only government officials at provincial or district level will be issued donated supplies at the government's Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC) for local distribution.

Volunteers wishing to help flood victims must request and collect the supplies from provincial offices, PM's Office inspector Chamroen Yuttithamsakul said.

Chamroen was assigned to be in charge of the FROC-donated supply distribution after heavy criticism of the agency's management.

The donation centre has been moved from FROC headquarters at Don Mueang Airport to the national stadium. The FROC venue was too small to deal with the large amount of donations and visitors.

The media over the past week published pictures of large amounts of donated supplies retained at the FROC depot while flood victims were crying for essentials.

The media also criticised Pheu Thai MP Karun Hosakul who was in charge of releasing the FROC's donated supplies. FROC spokesman Wim Roongwattanajinda said later Karun was no longer in charge and the operation was under PM's Office Inspector Chamroen.

The FROC had been accused of selective donation management that favoured the pro-government red shirts and allowed Pheu Thai MPs to promote themselves through the people-donated supplies.

Pheu Thai MP Chalong Riewrang on Tuesday said he wanted to deliver the supplies to troubled people in his constituency but the donated items were reserved for the red shirts, resulting in a shortage of donated goods.

Earlier, Thai Flood, a major civic group of volunteers withdrew from FROC's operations, citing such discrimination and a lack of information released to the people.

Pheu Thai MP and red shirt leader Natthawut Saikua - speaking at the FROC office at Don Mueng Airport - denied yesterday the red shirts had received privileges with donated flood relief items.

Natthawut said some red shirts had raised funds and donations as well as delivered the kits to the victims themselves and had not collected supplies from the FROC centre. Others had distributed needed items by truck. Chalong might not have clearly understood the red-shirt's actions.

"Some donated packs were labelled with the name of (Pheu Thai MP) Jatuporn Promphan as the red shirts wanted donations to be made through their leader Jatuporn. We passed on the packs and there was no need to declare for them for political popularity," he said. His group never thought of labelling MPs’ names to make people feel like they owed them something.

Natthawut also denied reports that another red-shirt leader Yoswarit Chooklom, assistant to the secretary of the deputy interior minister, abused his power by saying he wanted to get two donated boats and told reporters to carry the boats for him. Natthawut said it must have been a misunderstanding.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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No colour rifts at ground level,say volunteers

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

Volunteers helping out with the flood-relief efforts say that at the ground level political differences is not something they think about, though some are urging the government to try and mend the rift by forming a committee that includes well-known faces from all camps.

"We should talk and, if possible, a committee involving both state and civic sectors could help," Pichate Yingkiattikun, a volunteer and project manager at Siam Intelligence Unit, said.

The suggestion came after ThaiFlood, a prominent civic network, pulled out of the relief operations during the weekend. The reasons cited were the attempts made to censor the network's reports and the Flood Relief Operations Centre's unwillingness to share vital information.

Pichate also said that the relief-and-rescue effort should not be swayed by the media's short attention span, adding that with the media concentrating on Pathum Thani province now, Ayutthaya and other affected provinces were being ignored. He suggested that perhaps there should be a clear division of labour as to which volunteer group should be responsible for which province, and this decision could be made by a "multi-colour" committee.

Panya Suarkumjorng, a red-shirt volunteer, said it might be a good idea if the Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship Volunteers banners were taken down in order to reduce the political tension. He said the rift was real, but volunteers on the ground were not really paying attention to it.

Two yellow-shirt volunteers helping out at Don Mueang Airport, where FROC is based, told The Nation that they had encountered no problems.

"I just rode on a truck full of red shirts and there was nothing," Buri Ram native Ladarat Thorpoon, who was sporting a yellow blouse with black polka dots, said.

"No problem," Chiang Mai native Kanisorn Nitisuphanan, also in yellow, said.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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Migrant workers can seek visa extension in nonflooded areas

The immigration police is instructed migrant workers, whose visa is close to expiring, to contact immigration offices in nonflooded provinces for visa renewal until the situation is back to normal.

Immigration Bureau Commissioner Pol LtGeneral Wibul Bangthamai issued a memo on Tuesday notifying immigration offices in flooded provinces such as Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Sawan, Lop Buri, Uthai Thani, Tak, Kamphaeng Phet and Phitsanulok to allow migrant workers in their jurisdiction to seek visa renewal elsewhere. Those seeking more information can call the 24hour 1111 hotline.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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Developments blocking the flow

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

Drainage slows down because estates, roads in Min Buri, Nong Chok act as obstacles

The attempt to drain massive amounts of flood water into the sea via eastern Bangkok has slowed down because roads and housing estates in Min Buri and Nong Chok districts, as well as those near the Saen Saeb canal, are blocking the way.

"The flood water is being blocked by roads and housing estates that were constructed on waterways," Chote Trachoo, permanent secretary of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, said, citing a report from the Water Resources Department.

"Flood water in some area such as Min Buri district's Nimitr Mai Road cannot be drained because there's nowhere for the water to go," he added.

He said the Interior Ministry had also been asked to send water pumps to help drain the area as soon as possible.

"If we are unable to drain the floods, it means the level of water in Don Muang, Lak Si and Vibhavadi Road will rise," he said.

So far, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has received 20 pumps from Loei province and 15 from Buri Ram.

"We are only able to drain 40 million cubic metres a day, but have more than 6 billion cubic metres of water to deal with," he said. He added that the current of Chao Phraya River, as measured at the Bang Sai station, was moving at the rate of 3,500 cubic metres per second.

Natural Resources and Environment Ministry yesterday also asked the Royal Irrigation Department to direct water at the rate of at least 1,000 cubic metres per second into fields in Kamphaeng Phet province.

"If we can stop the flood water from flowing into the Chao Phraya River for a few days, then the flooding in Bangkok can also recede," he added.

Meanwhile, the Royal Irrigation Department is discharging water from Bhumibhol Dam at the rate of 59.25 million cubic metres per day and from Sirikit Dam at 11 million cubic metres.

"The dams will break if the water is not discharged," he said.

Chote advised the BMA to use the VibhavadiRangsit Road as a waterway to drain floods from the Don Muang area.

"We wanted to use VibhavadiRangsit Road at night to drain water from Don Muang to the big tunnel in the Din Daeng area, but the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration refused to cooperate," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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Evacuees to be relocated

The Nation

The first 1,200 flood evacuees are set to be relocated from the government Flood Relief Operations Centre in the Don Mueang airport compound to a centre in Chon Buri, among four shelters or back to their home provinces, out of a total of 4,225 evacuees.

The other destination shelters are in Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon and the Ratchamangala stadium in Hua Mark area. Around 100 registered to be relocated to Nakhon Pathom and Samut Sakhon. The rest of them are given the next few days to decide where to go, said Ratchanee Sudjit, a senior relief official.

The relocation of relief supplies in Terminal 1 to the National Stadium is beyond schedule after there are fewer volunteers turning up to help transport them, while Terminal 2 and a Vibhavadi Rangsit highway section in front of the airport are under high floodwater.

More than 11,000 inmates from two prisons located near Chao Phaya river, Bang Khwang maximum security prison and Nonthaburi prison, are set to be relocated to three prison outside Bangkok, said Corrections Department director-general Suchart Wonganantchai.

Of all, 4,567 are detained at the Bang Khwang prison and other 6,500 at the Nonthaburi prison. All of them are those imprisoned following final verdicts and time-consuming relocation of prisoners is ordered, because they must be shackled during travel under prison regulations while security must be tight, Suchart said.

A large number of them, mostly those serving lengthy terms, were taken yesterday from the Bang Khwang prison on 17 buses to the Khao Bin prison in Ratchaburi, amidst heavy security. The two other prisons are in Nakhon Ratchasima and Phitsanulok.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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Siriraj to move very ill patients

The Nation

A large number of seriouslyill patients at Siriraj Hospital, which is being threatened by brimming Chao Phraya, will be soon evacuated by marine transport to four hospitals outside Bangkok, dean of Mahidol University's Siriraj Medical School, Prof Dr Theerawat Kulthanan said yesterday.

The doctor did not give details about the number of those set for evacuation, but separate news reports said there were 2,300 on beds, including 500 in serious conditions, 127 of whom are under lift support system. The destination hospitals are in Chon Buri, Ratchaburi, Prachaup Khiri Khan and Kanchanaburi.

A long ArunAmmarin Road section connecting the hospital to the exit of elevated ramp from Rama VIII Bridge has been flooded, after the Chao Phaya swelling yesterday morning, prompting motorists to park vehicles on it, before they and hospital staff were further transported by large buses.

Patients at government hospitals in flooded areas in Bangkok, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi are set to evacuated to those outside the capital, the Public Health Ministry said yesterday.

An initial plan is to move around 50 to 100 seriouslyill patients while preventive measures are being adopted at government hospitals not yet flooded, said minister Wittaya Buranasiri and permanent secreatary Phajit Warachit yesterday at a press conference.

The further plans are relocation of stable patients, setups of hygience surveillance teams and assigning them around shelters, assigning visits of public heath volunteers at field hospitals, setups of new field hospitals in areas at risk of coming floods in Chachoengsao, Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram, checkups of communications and vehicles in the ministry’s motorpools and adequacy of medical supplies.

Patients are catogorised into three groups: The Red for seriouslyill patients for immediate evacuation to destination hospitals in Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi, while hospitals no longer under floodwater will retrieve their seriouslyill patients.

The Green are patients not under life support system who will be further treated at hospitals they are now, until further notice for their future evaucation. The Yellow are those requiring minimal attention, and will later be transferred to lessequipped community hospitals. The evacuation of the first batch of the Red began yesterday and the first Yellow batch will begin today, Phaijit said.

A field Nonthavej hospital was inaugurated, with free service provided, on Tuesday near Central Rattanathibet branch off Ngamwongwan Road, with the support of privatelyrun Nonthavej hospital. Phaijit said it would provide free general medical service around the clock until further notice. Patients in serious conditions will be transferred to others better equipped. Contact 025262160.

Free counselling for those with stress or mental illness by psychologist with Sri Thanya mental hospital is provided at 1667 and 1323 around the clock.

Privatelyrun Yanhee Hospital, located along a heavilyflooded Charansanitwong Road section, said it was still opened, with 1.5metres walls and 10 water pumps working, said director Suphoj Samritthiwanichha.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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Confidence in Thailand 'has not waned'

The Nation

US Ambassador Kristie Kenney yesterday confirmed that investors from the United States were still confident about Thailand.

Kenney, accompanied by some American businesspeople, met with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at the Flood Relief Operations Centre in Don Mueang Airport to ask about the situation and express their confidence in the country. Kenney also said that the US would provide boats, life vests and water filters. The ambassador was scheduled to visit the Thai Red Cross Society later yesterday to get an idea of what was needed.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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Governor collapses after unexplained firing

The Nation

Former Pathum Thani Governor Pheerasak Hinmuangkao collapsed under the weight of stress a few days after being transferred to the post of the Interior Ministry's inspectorgeneral.

His sudden transfer order was issued on Monday evening.

Colleagues said Pheerasak had been working very hard to ease flooding in Pathum Thani since August 28, and had hardly any rest.

The transfer order, an informed source said yesterday, came out of the blue and did not give him any time to clear pending work.

"Stress has hit him," the source said.

Pheerasak is now being treated at the Pathum Thani Hospital. No visiting was allowed so as to ensure he has enough rest.

According to the Cabinet's resolution, Deputy Pathum Thani Governor Khajornsak Singtokul has replaced Pheerasak as the Pathum Thani governor.

Deputy government spokesman Anusorn Iamsaard did not give details behind the reason for the transfer.

While the flood crisis continues to wreak havoc in many parts of the country, Thailand has received an unexpected gift.

In a statement dated October 25, the embassy of Bangladesh- a country hit by regular disastrous flooding - said its government would provide US$1million (Bt in humanitarian relief assistance to floodhit Thais.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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FLOOD

Help to govt workers, retirees

Wichit Chaitrong

The Nation

The Finance Ministry has allowed flood victims who work for or are retired from the government to go to private hospitals for medical services, as many state hospitals have been closed by the flooding.

"We want to assist those in flood-affected areas who may face difficulty in accessing services at state-run hospitals," Deputy Finance Minister Viroon Tejapaibul said yesterday.

The Comptroller-General's Department has agreed to let state officials and their families visit 57 private hospitals nationwide for treatment of any disease, he said.

This applies to civil servants, state officials, permanent employees of state agencies and pensioners.

About 20 provinces have been hit hard by floods.

The ministry has asked for cooperation from the National Health Security Office and networks of private hospitals with 57 members.

The ministry will pay the hospital bills according its rules for medical-expense reimbursement, he said.

Patients can get more details by calling 02-127-7143.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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Floods fail to deter world forum for educators

Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

Severe flooding in the Central region of the country has forced many activities to be cancelled or postponed-but it could not stop the Worlddidac Asia 2011 and Asia Education Leaders Forum (AELF) 2011 - two events involving leading educators from many countries.

Guests are working to inspire teachers and introduce educational technologies and media to educators to be ready for teaching in a changing world.

Both educational events kicked off yesterday at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre and will end tomorrow.

Chainarong Limpkittisin, managing director of Reed Tradex, who organised the events, said visitors to the events dropped slightly in the first day compared to previous events in 2009, but were higher than expected.

More than 10,000 people visited the events in 2009, 10 per cent of them foreigners.

Worlddidac is an international exhibition for educational material and professional training. It is showcasing about 1,000 items of educational media and technology created by 120 brand items from 25 countries with thousands of educators, purchasing executives and academics from across Asean.

Chainarong said exhibitors from Germany were showcasing educational technology and instructional items related to advanced science and engineering. Those from Britain were presenting new educational technology and toys that aroused children's learning. Korea was also showcasing equipment to help science teaching. China had toys and educational models.

Apart from hardware, there was also software to encourage students' learning from kindergarten to higher education levels - including renewable energy education sets, film making programmes, science engineering and vocational learning equipment, medical models and playground equipment.

Meanwhile, fifteen leading educators from 10 countries are sharing ideas under the theme "Educational Excellence for All" at AELF. The forum outlined preparations for the upcoming Asean Economic Community and urged the use of technology and innovation to help teaching in the changing world.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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People urged not to block traffic

The Nation

The Metropolitan Police yesterday urged people to stop leaving their cars parked at the mouths of expressways, intersection overpasses and Uturn bridges because this can cause traffic jams, block the way for ambulances and even result in accidents.

Deputy Commissioner MajGeneral Panu Kerdlarpphol said people were allowed to park their cars in some spots, but they should not block the flow of traffic. Saying it would be better to park at friends' homes in nonflooded areas rather than on the streets, he said people who had no other choice should keep checking their cars and put their contact information on the windscreen for officials to contact in case of emergency.

He added that anybody caught stealing or tearing down flood embankments would face harsh punishment, such as up to five years in jail and Bt10,000 in fines for one count, and up to seven years' imprisonment and fines of Bt20,000Bt24,000 for two counts.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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Seoul sends instant noodles, drinking water

The Nation

South Korea gave 9 tonnes of instant noodles and drinking water to Thailand yesterday. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra also accepted donations - both in the form of cash and relief supplies - yesterday from other countries and business organisations.

The South Korean ambassador presented the noodles and drinking water to Yingluck, while the Indian charge d'affaires handed her Bt6 million, Nikon Corp handed over Bt12 million, the Royal Thai Honorary Consulate Association presented Bt200,000, the ThaiIndian Chamber of Commerce gave Bt1 million, the Yunnan Association of Thailand presented Bt288,000, PTT Group presented 100,000 cans of food and the Land Department chief handed over 1 million litres of biofermented water.

Actor Pete Thongchua donated Bt900,000 that he raised in a concert, while the Thaicom Foundation presented 20 floating toilets and 1,000 emergency toilet sets through Thaksin Shinawatra's three children.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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Yala blasts kill 3, injure 20

The Nation

Three people were killed and some 20 injured, with three in critical condition, by a series of bomb blasts that rocked the city of Yala on Tuesday evening - the seventh anniversary of the Tak Bai massacre.

Of the dead, two are believed to have been insurgents, both residents of Pattani's Yarang district, who died from a bomb that went off prematurely. The pair was allegedly carrying the bomb through the Old Market section of Yala's Muang district and appeared to be heading toward the commercial centre of the city.

An eyewitness said the blast had severed the limbs of the two suspects and ripped through their torsos.

There were eight more blasts, with the last one going off at around 10pm in the New Market area of the city.

Authorities were able to defuse ten bombs and are on the search for more.

The bombs were mostly targeted at restaurants and karaoke bars in a predominantly Buddhist section of the city, which was plunged in darkness for about an hour.

The Yala blasts came about 24 hours after two bombs exploded following a shooting attack in Narathiwat's Muang district.

The first bomb was set off inside a convenience store in Narathiwat municipality at around 7pm, killing three people, including a pregnant woman and her threeyearold son.

The second bomb went off about hour an hour later outside a twostorey shophouse, about 400 metres away from the site of the first attack. The blast, which killed a shopkeeper and a teacher, also set other buildings in the area on fire. The explosion injured seven people, five of whom are Muslim.

A senior government officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said authorities believe that the attacks in Yala and Narathiwat had been carried out to mark the anniversary of the Tak Bai.

Of the 86 who died during the Tak Bai incident, 78 suffocated to death from being packed into military trucks after being arrested for demonstrating in front of the Tak Bai police station on October 25, 2004.

The incident is believed to have driven a big wedge between the state and the southernmost provinces, where about 90 per cent of the residents are Muslims, and also radicalised a generation of MalayMuslim insurgents bent on carving out a separate homeland.

-- The Nation 2011-10-27

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We lived with floods before; why can't we do so again?

Follow this link:

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TIDE PREDICTION BANGKOK - LOW-HIGH

Thursday/Friday

Follow this link: http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk/EasyTide/EasyTide/ShowPrediction.aspx?PortID=6882A&PredictionLength=7

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Deluge can't cover up government's press clampdown: Thai talk

Follow this link:

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Suvarnabhumi Airport is open as normal & no flooding reported on roads to Bangkok, Pattaya & Hua Hin

/via@RichardBarrow

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Hotel list with discount prices for flood victims [Thai citizens only] http://is.gd/o7oeSJ /via@RichardBarrow