Many Farangs Laughing At Thai'S Overreaction To Floods

[drronnie]

I witnessed that many of my Farang friends are humorously surprised by the panic mode of many Bangkokians who have within days emptied the shelves of food supplies water and are building sand bag fortresses. The media is not helping much to boost credibility among expats because they cause alarms and then nothing happens.

Are the Farangs right in their recation, are Thai panicking without reason? Or is the situation more critical than we thought and the Thais are making the correct preventative measures?

[jimbeam1]

That is the $64,000 question. One thing for sure it is generating much needed revenue?

jb1

[jayboy]

Personally I have been very impressed by the Thai peoples behaviour during this flooding crisis, showing good humour, resilience and neighbourliness on the whole.I'm also dubious about the extent of panic buying - obviously there has been some among foreigners as well as Thais - but suspect the empty shelves are as much the effect of retailers' distribution chains being impacted.

[h90]

I saw it complete different. The Farangs like me stocking water and pumps and the Thais laughing. Now when the water comes the Thais went into panic mode as they don't have as much at home.

It seems the Chinese ethnic is a bit better prepared.

[h90]

Personally I have been very impressed by the Thai peoples behaviour during this flooding crisis, showing good humour, resilience and neighbourliness on the whole.I'm also dubious about the extent of panic buying - obviously there has been some among foreigners as well as Thais - but suspect the empty shelves are as much the effect of retailers' distribution chains being impacted.

They told us we might be submerged for 4-6 weeks, so I bought things that allow to let my wife and me live comfortable for 2-3 weeks and uncomfortable for 6 weeks.

I don't know is that panic buying or is this just reasonable buying?

[leo12345]

Some are overpanicking and some are not. Depands on the area they are in.

In Nonthaburi I had to flee with my wife and 2 young boys when water suddenly innundated our area.

Then we got a condo in Bangkok and trying to get all the necessities has been a nightmare.

All the time I told my wife's family to calm down, but everytime they told me about moving earlier, moving furniture up and stocking up they were right.

Some people do not have a safe place to park their cars and they don't have insurance so they parked wherever they can.

A huge part of this comes from the misinformation from the government and bad handling of the situatuion.

Not trying to change this into another political topic, but things would have been very different and less panic if the situation was dealt with better.

[wintermute]

Bangkok is criss crossed with canals that can overflow at any point if the government screws up or a levee collapses. The floods that happened in Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, etc. occurred quickly. If you look at old pics it's possible to get knee deep water all the way at Victory monument and beyond. Bangkok's canals have gotten worse because they filled up roadways.

Plus there are other reasons to hoard food supplies. A lot of BKK products are manufactured up country or in the flooded outskirts. Who knows when production will be able to start up again.

Imported goods aren't really affected so you can easily get farang food items.

[jayboy]

I saw it complete different. The Farangs like me stocking water and pumps and the Thais laughing. Now when the water comes the Thais went into panic mode as they don't have as much at home.

It seems the Chinese ethnic is a bit better prepared.

Yes that's the relatively polite version of the racist bilge we heard at the PAD rallies which you attended and reported on.

[bkkjames]

A week before the real panic buying started I sent the mrs out to stock up (father knows best) .

I always prefer to prehoarder in advance.

[zorro1]

Kind of surreal down in lower sukhumvit and you wouldn't know there was flooding anywhere unless you reading TV. To ad to this the local supermarket has just about everything and really apart from being low on water the shelves are full including plenty of eggs last night at 10 pm.

Ive stopped hoarding since the shelves are being restocked quickly around here anyway. There is definatley no panic amongst the locals in the Nana area

[Ulysses G.]

Personally I have been very impressed by the Thai peoples behaviour during this flooding crisis, showing good humour, resilience and neighbourliness on the whole.

On the whole I agree. The "laughing farangs" mostly have enough money that they do not have to worry too much.

[robblok]

Some are overpanicking and some are not. Depands on the area they are in.

In Nonthaburi I had to flee with my wife and 2 young boys when water suddenly innundated our area.

Then we got a condo in Bangkok and trying to get all the necessities has been a nightmare.

All the time I told my wife's family to calm down, but everytime they told me about moving earlier, moving furniture up and stocking up they were right.

Some people do not have a safe place to park their cars and they don't have insurance so they parked wherever they can.

A huge part of this comes from the misinformation from the government and bad handling of the situatuion.

Not trying to change this into another political topic, but things would have been very different and less panic if the situation was dealt with better.

Totally agree im flooded in nothaburi and if that idiot government had given better information id be better prepared. (maybe even set up base somewhere else. I got enough water and food, but for my nerves it would have been better if my bikes were gone (not anymore because the water does not rise as much anymore).

[wintermute]

Totally agree im flooded in nothaburi and if that idiot government had given better information id be better prepared. (maybe even set up base somewhere else. I got enough water and food, but for my nerves it would have been better if my bikes were gone (not anymore because the water does not rise as much anymore).

Which side of the river are you on? If you were on the left side then it shouldn't have been a surprise at all. That area is entirely lowland and has been on emergency watch since the beginning.

[catmac]

I saw it complete different. The Farangs like me stocking water and pumps and the Thais laughing. Now when the water comes the Thais went into panic mode as they don't have as much at home.

It seems the Chinese ethnic is a bit better prepared.

Yes that's the relatively polite version of the racist bilge we heard at the PAD rallies which you attended and reported on.

Spot on, Jayboy!

If I remember rightly, that was where all the supporters were "good people" because they drove Benzes!

[theblether]

Many of these Thais have been flooded before and they have a long collective memory........any farang laughing at them would be wise to remember that.

[qualtrough]

You need to hang out with a better crowd. There is nothing to laugh at, and they are complete idiots. I don't know any of my farang friends who thing this is a over-reaction. My family is now living off of food and beverages we stocked up on. Why? Because we are surrounded by 1.5m of water here off of Phahonyothin. Something like 400 people have died and thousands have lost everything. Sounds pretty serious to me.

Edited October 29, 2011 by qualtrough

[theblether]

You need to hang out with a better crowd. There is nothing to laugh at, and they are complete idiots. I don't know any of my farang friends who thing this is a over-reaction. My family is now living off of food and beverages we stocked up on. Why? Because we are surrounded by 1.5m of water here off of Phahonyothin. Something like 400 people have died and thousands have lost everything. Sounds pretty serious to me.

Correct, some Farangs are too smart for their own good.

[phutoie2]

Many of these Thais have been flooded before and they have a long collective memory........any farang laughing at them would be wise to remember that.

Long collective memories?, pity they could not remember to maintain a few pumps, dredge some canals, fix sluice gates, empty some dams, build bigger dykes. They certainly seem to have forgotten it started raining in July.

Edited October 29, 2011 by phutoie2

[wintermute]

build bigger dykes.

The dykes may not have gotten bigger but there are certainly many more dykes in BKK than there were 5 years ago.

[Jingthing]

I'm not laughing. I wish I had read the signs earlier. Hoarding within reason is a basic survival tactic.

[h90]

I saw it complete different. The Farangs like me stocking water and pumps and the Thais laughing. Now when the water comes the Thais went into panic mode as they don't have as much at home.

It seems the Chinese ethnic is a bit better prepared.

Yes that's the relatively polite version of the racist bilge we heard at the PAD rallies which you attended and reported on.

I did not hear that from PAD, yet. But looking at my village it is 90 % true. Today we had 5 cm and the Thais went into panic mode and the supermarkets were empty....Here the small mum and paps shops (Chinese) still have everything and most probably overcharge now.

It might be racist, but here in my village it fully passes the reality check.

Approx. 1 week (or 10 day) ago my wife gave everyone of the staff 3.000 Baht (as gift!) and told them to buy water and food for their homes and families. On Friday we gave the salary and my wife asked them if they stocked up and EVERYONE told "no".

I would fully understand if you wouldn't believe it. I wouldn't believe it if I wouldn't have seen it myself.

[DP25]

Most foreigners I know are very concerned and some have completely fled the city. A few are pretty out of it and didn't realize anything was going on until it became impossible to buy stuff at 7-11.

[h90]

I'm not laughing. I wish I had read the signs earlier. Hoarding within reason is a basic survival tactic.

There is an Austrian rule, but most probably it applies to everywhere:

If the government tells "Don't panic, no hoarding necessary", go into panic mode and buy as much as you can carry.

[wintermute]

I'm not laughing. I wish I had read the signs earlier. Hoarding within reason is a basic survival tactic.

There is an Austrian rule, but most probably it applies to everywhere:

If the government tells "Don't panic, no hoarding necessary", go into panic mode and buy as much as you can carry.

If there's any group of people that understand hoarding (especially other people's land) it would be the Austrians.

[h90]

I'm not laughing. I wish I had read the signs earlier. Hoarding within reason is a basic survival tactic.

There is an Austrian rule, but most probably it applies to everywhere:

If the government tells "Don't panic, no hoarding necessary", go into panic mode and buy as much as you can carry.

If there's any group of people that understand hoarding (especially other people's land) it would be the Austrians.

???? I don't know of any Austrian with unusual large foreign ownership. If you know tell me.

[hhgz]

I feel differently. After reading the flood-related postings on Thai Visa, I laughed at the farang's over-reaction to the situation. If you've read the postings over the past week, it's hilarious. "Why doesn't the government tell us what to do?" Incredible.

[OZEMADE]

I dont think the Thai's over reacted at all. They have lost a lot of property, water over the roof of hundreads of homes, 360 people dead to date. A lot of Thais in the flooded provences have no food or clean water to drink, no medication. If your friends think they over reacted, then your friends are fools.

[Thongkorn]

Its OK if you have the money to stock up , what about the poor Thais who live from hand to mouth, and cannot go to work to get money. And also have to find somewhere to sleep.

[bino]

I've had it the other way around- Ms. bino the Thai laughing at me for my over-preparedness.

We have a filter machine in our condo complex, so I have been refilling waterbottles with it for a couple of baht each for some time now, storing them in the bathroom, the balcony,etc. Got a big stash of filtered water if it ends up being needed.

What pushed Ms. bino over the top with hysterics- caught me taking the empty water bottles that people leave in the trash room (to fill with above mentioned machine).She called me a Farang Khee Nok- digging / scrounging in the trash!

[h90]

I've had it the other way around- Ms. bino the Thai laughing at me for my over-preparedness.

We have a filter machine in our condo complex, so I have been refilling waterbottles with it for a couple of baht each for some time now, storing them in the bathroom, the balcony,etc. Got a big stash of filtered water if it ends up being needed.

What pushed Ms. bino over the top with hysterics- caught me taking the empty water bottles that people leave in the trash room (to fill with above mentioned machine).She called me a Farang Khee Nok- digging / scrounging in the trash!

The lot water we bought, and all the food in cans....It isn't lost money, you can eat and drink it later even without being flood.

Edited October 29, 2011 by h90