Sukhumbhand Finds Predictions Of Bangkok Flooding 'Inconceivable'

[newermonkey]

The gov are damned if they do damned if they don't.

I think the BK governor is probably now saying too much which always leads to contradictions and misconceptions.

Incidentally I can remember wading through 1m floodwater in Ploen Chit lower Sukhumvit back in the late 80's so nothing new and obviously little done since then by successive governments.

Yes I remember catching a boat from the center of Sukhumvit to go up to Rampangheng, that was 30 years ago, sucessive (Local) governments have since installed some really massive flood drains with humungous pumps attached, these have worked well over the years.

but no one expects the unexpected and the amount of water in the region was never predicted by anyone. (anywhere) :jap:

[Xonax]

mistakes with dams some few months ago were made and now bangkok has to pay the price.

.

What on earth kind of statement was that, did you just waken from a long sleep or something, "Bangkok has to Pay the Price" ???????

Well let me bring you up to date my long sleepy friend, the people that have already paid the price are almost 400 dead and several million people

in an area 1/3 the size of the whole of Thailand who have been displaced and had their lives totally destroyed over the last 5 weeks

Bangkok has paid nothing so far and if it does - by comparison will be very little.

I understand your inconvenience, but why can´t you see, that is is better to flood some ricefields and a farmers,who will receive compensation from the government, than to flood the countrys capital and financial center?

Everything will have to be rebuild and restored after the flood, so why not choose to protect the most valuable assets?

[bigbamboo]

Skuhumbhand: [...] only fortune-tellers can know for certain

No they can't.

Dumbass.

I think that was ironically meant.

Thais don't do irony! Now fortune tellers they do take seriously.

[geriatrickid]

The reality is Thailand has always had floods and Thai people are used to it. In more modern times inner city Thais have lost this connection to the past and have not made enough privisions for flooding. A good example of this was filling in the area traditionally used for diverting water round Bangkok for the new airport, which was designated a flood diversion zone by one of the Thai kings. Taksin was warned about this when building the airport, but chose to ignore the traditional wisdom.

This is reminder that as Thailand modernises it still needs to make provisions for flooding.

Why are you mentioning Thaksin? The land purchases started in the early 1970's. The decision to go ahead was in 1973, but a coup delayed the project. In 1996 the new airport project got underway. Heavy construction started while Thaksin was PM, however, all of the site assessment, engineering and soil analysis work was done long before he was elected.There was alot of pressure on the Thaksin government to build the airport.

[Justaword]

"only fortune-tellers can know for certain."

Perhaps the most intelligent thing uttered by Bangkok Dancing Bear. I loved his comment regarding the huge drain that was dug under BKK - you remember: a Japanese company reported that it had to bribe several BKK officials to get the contract, and that BKK investigated and didn't find anything wrong. Regardless, he mentioned that the drain does not work, and will never work. However, he continued, there are 3 more drains that are being dug right now, and all of them will work properly. I'm sure he misspoke. What he intended to say was "the 3 new drains will work as good as the first one".

Correct about the first drain and the bribes allegations. The whole project, started in 2003, included FIVE drains (as mentioned), but only one has been completed for sure, in 2007.

End of last year he said than the first of FOUR drains of his project (sic) will open in January 2011, don't know if it's actually in service. Which leaves THREE more drains to complete. The idea that they are being dug now is extremely misleading, it will not change anything to the current situation as it takes YEARS to build them....And the whole thing, even finished, will probably not work as expected because it's based on a1995 study and therefore already obsolete.

[siampolee]

T

There was alot of pressure on the Thaksin government to build the airport.

Correction.

There was a lot of pressure from Thaksin to build the airport

[rogerdee123]

"only fortune-tellers can know for certain."

Perhaps the most intelligent thing uttered by Bangkok Dancing Bear. I loved his comment regarding the huge drain that was dug under BKK - you remember: a Japanese company reported that it had to bribe several BKK officials to get the contract, and that BKK investigated and didn't find anything wrong. Regardless, he mentioned that the drain does not work, and will never work. However, he continued, there are 3 more drains that are being dug right now, and all of them will work properly. I'm sure he misspoke. What he intended to say was "the 3 new drains will work as good as the first one".

which one of these drains is the MRT ?

[Lopburi99]

Perhaps a poor choice of words now and then, but at least Sukhumbhand has shown some semblance of competence. More than anybody else IMO.

Edited October 28, 2011 by Lopburi99

[SteeleJoe]

The gov are damned if they do damned if they don't.

I think the BK governor is probably now saying too much which always leads to contradictions and misconceptions.

Incidentally I can remember wading through 1m floodwater in Ploen Chit lower Sukhumvit back in the late 80's so nothing new and obviously little done since then by successive governments.

I'm the least likely person to speak well of any Thai government that I've seen over the last 30 years (or any before, really) but I think you are mistaken and more to the point your reasoning is faulty; I believe a great deal has been done since then and if you think that the current situations suggests otherwise, I wager you'd be wrong. (If nothing had been done, we would have seen more floods on Sukhumvit since then, yes? Perhaps even now.).

I too remember wading through he floods of Sukhumvit in the 80's. But this is a scenario never faced before in Thailand for well over 30 years. It seems obvious to me that mistakes have been made by this government and previous governments. But to say 'obviously little was done since then' because there were floods then and there are now, is kind of simplistic and incorrect methinks

[toenail]

Last summer when New York City was in the direction of the hurricane, the mayor warned its citizens about the dangers and flooding that could occur. The hurricane's impact was not as strong , destructive as predicted; thus, he was in trouble with the public for this. Next, the hurricane dumped too much rain in the states of Vermont and New Hampshire causing severe flooding and destruction...the "experts" got in trouble for not warning its people. LESSON: you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. True, parts of BKK may be bone dry... but one can still be "trapped" because of the water in other parts of the city which could mean a block from your high rise apartment...

[Bakseedaa]

mistakes with dams some few months ago were made and now bangkok has to pay the price.

.

What on earth kind of statement was that, did you just waken from a long sleep or something, "Bangkok has to Pay the Price" ???????

Well let me bring you up to date my long sleepy friend, the people that have already paid the price are almost 400 dead and several million people

in an area 1/3 the size of the whole of Thailand who have been displaced and had their lives totally destroyed over the last 5 weeks

Bangkok has paid nothing so far and if it does - by comparison will be very little.

The 400 dead, would have died anyways, flood or no flood... part of life...

[Arkady]

The reality is Thailand has always had floods and Thai people are used to it. In more modern times inner city Thais have lost this connection to the past and have not made enough privisions for flooding. A good example of this was filling in the area traditionally used for diverting water round Bangkok for the new airport, which was designated a flood diversion zone by one of the Thai kings. Taksin was warned about this when building the airport, but chose to ignore the traditional wisdom.

This is reminder that as Thailand modernises it still needs to make provisions for flooding.

It is true that Thaksin ignored the advice against building on the swamp, although most of the advice was focused on dangers for the airport rather than for the city. Anyway the kickbacks to his trouble and strife for all requisitions to do with the airport were said to be up 30% and must amount to billions nestling in offshore accounts. There was also a grand plan to make a new province out of Swampy and the surrounding area which would have resulted in more lucrative works to construct a provincial hall and complete provincial administrative apparatus. Unfortunately for them the new province project was interrupted by the coup but no wonder he poo pooed all frivolous environmental objections. He was even in such a rush to open it that he did it without an international safety certificate. I think it still has no grooved runways to protect against rain.

[Bagwan]

"Sometimes water just disappears, but then it can also reappear. I'm not trying to be provocative, but only fortune-tellers can know for certain. Will the water reach central Bangkok? I don't know."

How leaders can inspire confidence in their electorate! People voted for him?????

Obviously not a Physics student then. Maybe he hasn't been taking his medication recently.

[Thailand]

[

Yes I remember catching a boat from the center of Sukhumvit to go up to Rampangheng, that was 30 years ago, sucessive (Local) governments have since installed some really massive flood drains with humungous pumps attached, these have worked well over the years.

but no one expects the unexpected and the amount of water in the region was never predicted by anyone. (anywhere) :jap:

Glad to hear improvements have been made, and rightly said, the massive amount of flood water totally unexpected.

We were lucky in CH,the floods came and went fairly quickly and because of the work done since 2005/2006 areas that flooded then were dry this time but still a lot to do.

[Gary A]

There are always translation errors and those are used to make the politicians look stupid. Our resident political experts who think they know everything remind me of a pack of dogs. Blaming any of the recent governments shows ignorance and actually stupidity. Bangkok has neglected the drainage system for many years because it is easier to close the flood gates and flood everything outside of Bangkok.

The Thai people outside of Bangkok are sick and tired of getting flooded nearly every year while Bangkok remains dry. Hopefully this disaster will force both the local and national governments to upgrade the canals and other drainage systems which have been blocked and basically unused because it is easier to close flood locks and allow Bangkok to act like a huge dam.

[IAMSOBAD]

I asked a Thai girl who was talking to a B Statue was she asking for safety and wellbeing for her family and Thailand and she said..."I ask for big money farang customer!"

That says it all. They do not care about tomorrow or next week or anyone...just themselves and now.

[Bagwan]

How about those "smarties knowing everything" here in the farang community coming up with a proper drainage and emergency plan, so far I have mostly read heaps of BS of blown up egos!

Agree.

So according to you football fans on the terraces should remain stoically silent? They should suffer in without comment when one of their players habitually gives the ball away to an opponent? Are you saying that critics of the Arts should not comment just because they do not possess the talent to write something to compete with any of Shakespeare's great works, compose anything to compare to Beethoven's 9th Symphony, paint something more mystical than da Vinci's La Gioconda?

People are angry and rightly so. The response to a natural disaster has itself been a disaster. Maybe you are more Thai than the Thais but none of my Thai friends and associates are at this moment muttering mai pen rai. Nobody has yet to disagree with me that there has been a total lack of contingency planning going back several years. You might care to consider that progress is brought about by those who are not satisfied - and complain long and loud until improvements are made. The clever ones keep on complaining because things usually could be even more improved.

Posters here do not form any part of Government. What passes for the past Thai Governments should have met their responsibility to draw up and implement a suitable and effective drainage system and to draw up contingency plans. This incompetent shower have by virtue of their calumny have exacerbated the effects of this disaster. The posters have every right and a just cause to complain and bitch long and loud. I hope that they have the good sense to relay and explain to their Thai friends and neighbours why the effects of an untoward situation have been so severe. In the end, only the Thai people can bring about change.

[SABloke]

How about those "smarties knowing everything" here in the farang community coming up with a proper drainage and emergency plan, so far I have mostly read heaps of BS of blown up egos!

Agree.

So according to you football fans on the terraces should remain stoically silent? They should suffer in without comment when one of their players habitually gives the ball away to an opponent? Are you saying that critics of the Arts should not comment just because they do not possess the talent to write something to compete with any of Shakespeare's great works, compose anything to compare to Beethoven's 9th Symphony, paint something more mystical than da Vinci's La Gioconda?

People are angry and rightly so. The response to a natural disaster has itself been a disaster. Maybe you are more Thai than the Thais but none of my Thai friends and associates are at this moment muttering mai pen rai. Nobody has yet to disagree with me that there has been a total lack of contingency planning going back several years. You might care to consider that progress is brought about by those who are not satisfied - and complain long and loud until improvements are made. The clever ones keep on complaining because things usually could be even more improved.

Posters here do not form any part of Government. What passes for the past Thai Governments should have met their responsibility to draw up and implement a suitable and effective drainage system and to draw up contingency plans. This incompetent shower have by virtue of their calumny have exacerbated the effects of this disaster. The posters have every right and a just cause to complain and bitch long and loud. I hope that they have the good sense to relay and explain to their Thai friends and neighbours why the effects of an untoward situation have been so severe. In the end, only the Thai people can bring about change.

:clap2:

Edited October 28, 2011 by SABloke

[newermonkey]

He's doing a great job.

I think he's doing a better job than any of us would...

What is his job?

Edited October 28, 2011 by newermonkey

[alstaxi]

"not longer than 2 days ago the governor predicted all 50 bangkok's districts will be flooded, now he changes his tune. "

2 days is a LONG TIME in a flood situation like this. And most Thais believe in fortune tellers so i would not worry to much about that.Very often in the English reporting things are lost in translation.

If it wasn't for the work the he and the BMA have done then BKK would be underwater already.

[alstaxi]

How about those "smarties knowing everything" here in the farang community coming up with a proper drainage and emergency plan, so far I have mostly read heaps of BS of blown up egos!

Well said. Most farangs on here are only capable of making stupid comments. That is the sum of their life.

One does not need to have a proper drainage plan in order to recognize bumbling, stumbling, lying, contradicting,useless, face saving, pure horse shit.

[animatic]

1319761549[/url]' post='4801154']

"Sometimes water just disappears, but then it can also reappear. I'm not trying to be provocative, but only fortune-tellers can know for certain. Will the water reach central Bangkok? I don't know."

How leaders can inspire confidence in their electorate! People voted for him?????

Except he is telling the logical truth. No sugar coating besides nervous attemots at humor.

[Crushdepth]

1319761549[/url]' post='4801154']

"Sometimes water just disappears, but then it can also reappear. I'm not trying to be provocative, but only fortune-tellers can know for certain. Will the water reach central Bangkok? I don't know."

How leaders can inspire confidence in their electorate! People voted for him?????

Except he is telling the logical truth. No sugar coating besides nervous attemots at humor.

Some people are happier with useful statements like "I'm 50% confident that Bangkok won't totally flood".

[featography]

"Sukhumbhand jokingly said that water was unpredictable, like a "lady".

Bet the PM loved to hear that!

[msg362]

"Sometimes water just disappears, but then it can also reappear. I'm not trying to be provocative, but only fortune-tellers can know for certain. Will the water reach central Bangkok? I don't know."

How leaders can inspire confidence in their electorate! People voted for him?????

Except he is telling the logical truth. No sugar coating besides nervous attemots at humor.

Only fortune tellers can know for certain? Logical truth? Most Thais believe in fortune tellers and it looks like he does too ( Remember the coup generals who would travel to Chiang Mai to consult a well known fortune teller on how to run the government? My guess he actually believes it!