THAI TALK

FROC: How not to run a crisis operations centre

Suthichai Yoon

The Nation

Premier Yingluck has insisted that her approach to the ongoing severe flood disaster is "politics-free". But there are no genuine signs of any non-partisan efforts to overcome the country's worst natural disaster so far.

Besides, the government's style of crisis (mis)management has alienated most flood victims, who have not been able to rely on timely information and guidance from the Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC) since Day One of the inundation.

FROC has failed miserably in crisis communications. The right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. The central government authorities, represented by FROC and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), have been at loggerheads despite their repeated public statements to the contrary.

Politicians have been rubbing shoulders and shouting orders at the FROC headquarters. They all have their underlings (mostly bureaucrats) lobbying for their own priorities, which are to do everything possible to prevent their own constituencies from getting wet.

FROC's director, Police General Pracha Promnok, is the justice minister, who belongs to a small political party in the coalition. Most of the Pheu Thai Cabinet members, MPs and their advisers do not feel obliged to follow his instructions. Pracha himself isn't known to have managed any previous crisis, big or small. And he can hardly expect Premier Yingluck Shinawatra to be by his side, making sure everybody follows the director's orders. She has her own problems exercising control over her own party.

If things get messy at times, an efficient PR operation that communicates with the public in a timely and convincing manner might have saved the day. That wasn't to be the case. Two spokesmen - also totally unprepared for such a critical campaign where credibility is the key - were put in charge of telling the people what was happening.

They could have managed to muddle through had the decision-makers been clear and professional about what they wanted to tell an anxious, sceptical and sometimes scared public. That again was sorely missing. Nobody was sure who was in charge of FROC, but it was clear from accounts leaked by insiders that the management structure was, to say the least, chaotic.

To be sure, there was no lack of experts on floods and water at the operations centre. But their analyses and proposals were sidelined by politicians who couldn't agree on the course of action and were shouting conflicting instructions to officials who were supposed to be responding to a rapidly worsening flooding situation in provinces north of Bangkok.

There was little doubt therefore that the two spokesmen, whose junior ranks carried no weight whatsoever in the government's hierarchy, were making fools of themselves on television many times a day. They were saying the situation "is well under control" when in fact they didn't really know what was happening behind the scenes.

One day, FROC Director Pracha read out a long report and ended by declaring that the flood situation was under the full control of the government, adding somewhat wistfully: "But we do need lots of large water pumps and I hereby ask the private sector to donate them to help in draining water."

Things should have been the other way round, of course. One would have thought that if you were short of flood-fighting equipment, the first place to seek help would be the government. Now, the senior-most guy in the country's flood-relief agency was asking you to help provide them with pumps. And we are in the midst of a real crisis.

The gravest failure in crisis communications was probably the inability to help residents on different sides of the embankments avoid clashes, resulting in barriers being torn down by angry people who felt they were at the wrong end of the problem. FROC was supposed to be the agency to mediate between the conflicting parties. Instead, some of the government MPs have been engineering the confrontations themselves.

FROC has replaced its spokesman. Premier Yingluck says she is inviting opposition leader Abhisit to join her in the flood fight. Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand is still giving his press conferences in parallel with FROC's. Confusion grows.

As I write this, the FROC spokesman was saying that government officials are to return to work on Tuesday after a five-day holiday to cope with the rising floods. But the Bangkok governor just announced that Bangkok's Taling Chan and Laksi districts were now designated danger zones and everybody had to be evacuated.

One university lecturer just tweeted: "The central government wants us to go back to work. The Bangkok governor tells us to evacuate. Can't they discuss it and agree on something and tell us what it's all about?"

Situation normal, all fouled up.

-- The Nation 2011-11-03

"As I write this, the FROC spokesman was saying that government officials are to return to work on Tuesday after a five-day holiday to cope with the rising floods. But the Bangkok governor just announced that Bangkok's Taling Chan and Laksi districts were now designated danger zones and everybody had to be evacuated."

as for the current situation commentary, 3 days delay (from monday till today, thursday) is quite a lot of time. The situation changes from day to day

This has been nothing BUT politics free!

I returned to the office in time to get evacuated.

Bkk governor is right about the local evacuations.

Whether the million or so bangkokians should return yet I'm not sure. Water is hard to get and so are things like eggs. Makes me laugh when I see 100,000 bottles of water per day being distributed - that's a spoonful each. Same with 3 million eggs - a quarter of an egg for everyone then finished.

Whether the million or so bangkokians should return yet I'm not sure. Water is hard to get and so are things like eggs. Makes me laugh when I see 100,000 bottles of water per day being distributed - that's a spoonful each. Same with 3 million eggs - a quarter of an egg for everyone then finished.

And imposing price controls exactly the kind of way to deny free enterprising traders to supply the situation.

One can see the futility of Thaksin trying to rule the country from the Dubai desert. Inevitably, it has become a mess.

We have a government that is full of Thaksin's cronies, family members, and friends, who have their own money-making agendas, and who do as their boss does ... lie ("Thaksin thinks, PT does.").

Whether the million or so bangkokians should return yet I'm not sure. Water is hard to get and so are things like eggs. Makes me laugh when I see 100,000 bottles of water per day being distributed - that's a spoonful each. Same with 3 million eggs - a quarter of an egg for everyone then finished.

And imposing price controls exactly the kind of way to deny free enterprising traders to supply the situation.

Might I assume you wanted to write "BLACK MARKET PROFITERS" but because you are a good heart man you choosed a less blunt wording??????????????/ Or are you supporting those vile creatures who take advantage of the misery of others???????????

YS has been proven ineffective.

Please put AV back in power and control.

Whether the million or so bangkokians should return yet I'm not sure. Water is hard to get and so are things like eggs. Makes me laugh when I see 100,000 bottles of water per day being distributed - that's a spoonful each. Same with 3 million eggs - a quarter of an egg for everyone then finished.

And imposing price controls exactly the kind of way to deny free enterprising traders to supply the situation.

Might I assume you wanted to write "BLACK MARKET PROFITERS" but because you are a good heart man you choosed a less blunt wording??????????????/ Or are you supporting those vile creatures who take advantage of the misery of others???????????

OVERPRICED WATER IS BETTER THAN NO WATER.

I returned to the office in time to get evacuated.

Bkk governor is right about the local evacuations.

Whether the million or so bangkokians should return yet I'm not sure. Water is hard to get and so are things like eggs. Makes me laugh when I see 100,000 bottles of water per day being distributed - that's a spoonful each. Same with 3 million eggs - a quarter of an egg for everyone then finished.

The only person that seems to have his finger on the pulse is the Bangkok Governor - and what party is he from???

This farce should be turned over to a temporary Democrat administration until things improve - hand over the reins Yingluck and let "the professionals" call the shots, in a unified and tight-knit disaster committee that can keep the people updated on matters and be given non-conflicting information on the real situation as things evolve.

Bring in the army to restore order (they should leave their tanks back in the barracks) and normality, as much as can be hoped for will be restored!!!!

Now who's going to ask Thaksin?????:jap:.

YS has been proven ineffective.

Please put AV back in power and control.

No, give CK the job!

One can see the futility of Thaksin trying to rule the country from the Dubai desert. Inevitably, it has become a mess.

We have a government that is full of Thaksin's cronies, family members, and friends, who have their own money-making agendas, and who do as their boss does ... lie

................

i know you was a worker your entire life and never traded even sticker books as a teenager, otherways you would have undertstanding for supply and demand rules..............you are christian ? or whay your brain creates theorys for the badness of someone ?

Although the buck stops at her desk, Yingluck can't be blamed for everything that has happened.

She's no water management expert. She's no crowd control expert. She's no health or disease control expert.

But people around her should be. And that's the problem.

Appointments were done to thank certain groups for the support in the elections, hence experts in water management who's experience amounts to stopping the flood out of their toilet sink were tasked to fix unprecedented flood situation, which they had no expertise in, so they simply miscalculated the situation badly, feeding wrong information, which resulted in wrong decisions, resulting in wrong, misleading and conflicting information released to the public.

Her tears on TV, no matter how much she denies it, were a sign of helplessness. She has no authority, partly also because her team has done such a lousy job. Then there is political part, where her government is supposed to now show that it is on the side of the upcountry people, not "hi-so", and finally the rule of mob, first demonstrated by yellow shirts, perfected by red shirts, and now used by people living next to barriers - get enough people with sticks to yell your message and you'll get what you want.

So she's really between a rock and a hard place.

I'm no fan of Yingluck, and all but of her brother, however I think people should not personally attack her for all this. The real culprits are actually people hiding behind her, the "seasoned politicians" with years of experience in pocket money management.

"I'm no fan of Yingluck, and all but of her brother, however I think people should not personally attack her for all this"

Nonsense! She wanted the job (for whatever reasons), she has the job, she can't do the job.

Although the buck stops at her desk, Yingluck can't be blamed for everything that has happened.

She's no water management expert. She's no crowd control expert. She's no health or disease control expert.

But people around her should be. And that's the problem.

Appointments were done to thank certain groups for the support in the elections, hence experts in water management who's experience amounts to stopping the flood out of their toilet sink were tasked to fix unprecedented flood situation, which they had no expertise in, so they simply miscalculated the situation badly, feeding wrong information, which resulted in wrong decisions, resulting in wrong, misleading and conflicting information released to the public.

Her tears on TV, no matter how much she denies it, were a sign of helplessness. She has no authority, partly also because her team has done such a lousy job. Then there is political part, where her government is supposed to now show that it is on the side of the upcountry people, not "hi-so", and finally the rule of mob, first demonstrated by yellow shirts, perfected by red shirts, and now used by people living next to barriers - get enough people with sticks to yell your message and you'll get what you want.

So she's really between a rock and a hard place.

I'm no fan of Yingluck, and all but of her brother, however I think people should not personally attack her for all this. The real culprits are actually people hiding behind her, the "seasoned politicians" with years of experience in pocket money management.

"She's no water management expert. She's no crowd control expert. She's no health or disease control expert".

She's NO politician either!!!!!.

Do you consider it wise to have a government leader "with no authority" as you succinctly put it!!!

She shouldn't be there, she is not capable, she is weak, she is useless and YES it is her fault!!! She chose (I'll correct that - she let Thaksin choose) her cabinet and government officers so she has abandoned her right to lead the government from the off simply through this negligent and irresponsible act.

Just why do you think that there are no experts there!!! I'll tell you, its because they are farmers out to make some "tidy money" out of their short pseudo-political careers whilst the opportunity is there.

If these imbeciles get voted in again when the next election is held then those voters deserve ALL THEY GET for being plain stupid!!!! If they cannot bring themselves to realise that these "fake MP's" are in it for their OWN benefit and couldn't care a toss about them, then if their farms collapse and they lose their meagre homes and livelihoods then tough s*** is all I've got to say on that, cookie!!!!

Harsh words maybe, but fully deserved in my opinion!!!:jap:.

YS has been proven ineffective.

Please put AV back in power and control.

No, give CK the job!

Couldn't do much better than Korn

most jaw dropping blunder .....setting up the flood crisis mangment HQ at DM airport, on a flood plain.

She shouldn't be there, she is not capable, she is weak, she is useless and YES it is her fault!!! She chose (I'll correct that - she let Thaksin choose) her cabinet and government officers so she has abandoned her right to lead the government from the off simply through this negligent and irresponsible act.

Just why do you think that there are no experts there!!! I'll tell you, its because they are farmers out to make some "tidy money" out of their short pseudo-political careers whilst the opportunity is there.

If these imbeciles get voted in again when the next election is held then those voters deserve ALL THEY GET for being plain stupid!!!! If they cannot bring themselves to realise that these "fake MP's" are in it for their OWN benefit and couldn't care a toss about them, then if their farms collapse and they lose their meagre homes and livelihoods then tough s*** is all I've got to say on that, cookie!!!!

Harsh words maybe, but fully deserved in my opinion!!!:jap:.

+1

YS has been proven ineffective.

Please put AV back in power and control.

...because.....?!

I returned to the office in time to get evacuated.

Bkk governor is right about the local evacuations.

Whether the million or so bangkokians should return yet I'm not sure. Water is hard to get and so are things like eggs. Makes me laugh when I see 100,000 bottles of water per day being distributed - that's a spoonful each. Same with 3 million eggs - a quarter of an egg for everyone then finished.

The only person that seems to have his finger on the pulse is the Bangkok Governor - and what party is he from???

This farce should be turned over to a temporary Democrat administration until things improve - hand over the reins Yingluck and let "the professionals" call the shots, in a unified and tight-knit disaster committee that can keep the people updated on matters and be given non-conflicting information on the real situation as things evolve.

Bring in the army to restore order (they should leave their tanks back in the barracks) and normality, as much as can be hoped for will be restored!!!!

Now who's going to ask Thaksin?????:jap:.

Everyone who even remotely uses his head to "think", knows that this baboon is no better than YS and her team.

She has her agenda (keep the reds happy) he has his agenda (keep the Bangkokians happy) and because both are not willing to let go a bit and have more problems with making each other look bad, is exactly why we are where we are.

And again (for the 1000s time): what in the name of the WWF do you want with the state of emergency. If everybody would be doing their job (the BIB for example) nothing of this crap is needed.

Looks like Yingluck has taken Thaksin's word's "turn this crisis into an opportunity" to heart. I see she's already picked up PTT as a sponsor. Nice.

"She's no water management expert. She's no crowd control expert. She's no health or disease control expert".

She's NO politician either!!!!!.

Do you consider it wise to have a government leader "with no authority" as you succinctly put it!!!

She shouldn't be there, she is not capable, she is weak, she is useless and YES it is her fault!!! She chose (I'll correct that - she let Thaksin choose) her cabinet and government officers so she has abandoned her right to lead the government from the off simply through this negligent and irresponsible act.

Just why do you think that there are no experts there!!! I'll tell you, its because they are farmers out to make some "tidy money" out of their short pseudo-political careers whilst the opportunity is there.

If these imbeciles get voted in again when the next election is held then those voters deserve ALL THEY GET for being plain stupid!!!! If they cannot bring themselves to realise that these "fake MP's" are in it for their OWN benefit and couldn't care a toss about them, then if their farms collapse and they lose their meagre homes and livelihoods then tough s*** is all I've got to say on that, cookie!!!!

Harsh words maybe, but fully deserved in my opinion!!!:jap:.

I don't consider it wise, but that's what the situation is right now.

What I was trying to write is that the government is more than just Yingluck, so blame should not only be directed at her but also at the rest of the incompetent people in her government.

Whom she appointed. Isn't that correct? Notwithstanding the fact that Potjaman and Yaowapa and Thaksin really appointed them. The term "CEO" mean anything to you. They certainly put great stock in it. When it suits them anyway.

Looks like Yingluck has taken Thaksin's word's "turn this crisis into an opportunity" to heart. I see she's already picked up PTT as a sponsor. Nice.

That appears to be the PTT Board Room in the Energy Complex, which is now FROC HQ.

TH

Looks like Yingluck has taken Thaksin's word's "turn this crisis into an opportunity" to heart. I see she's already picked up PTT as a sponsor. Nice.

That appears to be the PTT Board Room in the Energy Complex, which is now FROC HQ.

TH

Indeed. I wonder how much rental the government is paying to use PTT's space?

The Army offered them a turn-key command post for free.

I returned to the office in time to get evacuated.

Bkk governor is right about the local evacuations.

Whether the million or so bangkokians should return yet I'm not sure. Water is hard to get and so are things like eggs. Makes me laugh when I see 100,000 bottles of water per day being distributed - that's a spoonful each. Same with 3 million eggs - a quarter of an egg for everyone then finished.

The only person that seems to have his finger on the pulse is the Bangkok Governor - and what party is he from???

This farce should be turned over to a temporary Democrat administration until things improve - hand over the reins Yingluck and let "the professionals" call the shots, in a unified and tight-knit disaster committee that can keep the people updated on matters and be given non-conflicting information on the real situation as things evolve.

Bring in the army to restore order (they should leave their tanks back in the barracks) and normality, as much as can be hoped for will be restored!!!!

Now who's going to ask Thaksin?????:jap:.

Everyone who even remotely uses his head to "think", knows that this baboon is no better than YS and her team.

She has her agenda (keep the reds happy) he has his agenda (keep the Bangkokians happy) and because both are not willing to let go a bit and have more problems with making each other look bad, is exactly why we are where we are.

And again (for the 1000s time): what in the name of the WWF do you want with the state of emergency. If everybody would be doing their job (the BIB for example) nothing of this crap is needed.

"She has her agenda (keep the reds happy) he has his agenda (keep the Bangkokians happy)"

Answer me this - Just which of the two is of the most pressing urgency at this particular moment in time, whilst Bangkok sinks beneath the water????? - I think the baboon wins this one in the "battle of priorities!!

How come "this baboon" seems to know what is going on and people listen to what he say's, and then importantly, take heed of what he say's!!!!

Just whitch option is the better of these two - standing inside your house in 1 metre of water because Yingluck's ignorant "jokers" (all fighting to be the king-pin saviour) had told them "don't worry, Bangkok will not flood" OR a baboon saying the water will reach your area/province in the next 8 hours so gather as many of your valuable possessions together and evacuate thereafter????

So you think that this government is cocking up just to make the opposition look bad!!!! - please enlighten me on how you have come to this absurd and baseless conclusion!!!.

Why bring the World Wrestling Federation into the fray???? I fail to see where they fit into the equation here .

" If everybody would be doing their job (the BIB for example) nothing of this crap is needed"

Thats the ENTIRE point!! they cannot do their jobs because they are incapable of doing so. They are totally out of their depth, inept and completely irresponsible with all that squabbling going on whilst people are losing their property, livelihoods and even lives!!

Your example of the police "not doing their job" is a bit of an own goal as far as this argument goes as they are none other than Thaksin's mates and relations" - put in place as his "enforcers" to counteract the army!!!! Ha Ha Ha Ha .

If all these "crappy people" weren't there and Abhisit was - THEN you would see how much better things COULD have been!!!!!!!:jap:.

YS has been proven ineffective.

Please put AV back in power and control.

...because.....?!

Because he is likeable, capable, able, polite, clever, experienced, educated, "cool and calculated", decisive, caring and doesn't cry when things get "a little bit sticky".

A briefer version would be to say " everything that Yingluck ISN'T".

Does that answer your question?????

YS has been proven ineffective.

Please put AV back in power and control.

...because.....?!

Because he is likeable, capable, able, polite, clever, experienced, educated, "cool and calculated", decisive, caring and doesn't cry when things get "a little bit sticky".

A briefer version would be to say " everything that Yingluck ISN'T".

Does that answer your question?????

No it doesn't! Not even a percentage of it! He is "likeable"? So this flood is a popularity contest? "Capable"? How do you know? Did you see him tackle a natural disaster, like ...let's say....a flood? Oh yeah, right! You have! last year! 200 dead! Not reaching as far as Bangkok because...ahm...ah...less rain! Experienced? As what? I give you educated. Caring? Doesn't cry? No, he rather goes on important meetings with President of the Maledives to discuss "flood issues"! Yeah the Maledives, as we know them! All these big cities, that are threatened by flood every year. Who better to talk to about that subject!

Do you actually believe what you are saying or are you just trolling?

Looks like Yingluck has taken Thaksin's word's "turn this crisis into an opportunity" to heart. I see she's already picked up PTT as a sponsor. Nice.

THE NATION August 17, 2011 12:00 pm

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will visit Cambodia late this week to meet with leaders and investors in Phnom Penh, notably on an oil-and-gas concession in the Gulf of Thailand where claims overlap, a Pheu Thai Party source said yesterday.

Thaksin, who is expected to be in the country for two days from August 19 on Friday and Saturday, will take some foreign investors to meet and play golf with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Defence Minister Tea Banh to make the business deal, the source said. Many Pheu Thai MPs are preparing to greet Thaksin while he is in Cambodia, the source said.

Thaksin will help negotiate with Cambodia on a plan for joint development of a petroleum venture in the Gulf of Thailand where both countries claim the rights. He wants state-run PTT to have a stake in the oil-and-gas concession or enter a joint venture with Cambodia, the source said.

Thaksin has asked Energy Minister Pichai Naripthaphan to cooperate with Cambodia on the energy deal, the source said.

I wonder whether this helped Yingluck!!!!!!.

Another thing, what is a fugitive doing instructing members of the Thai Parliament (sorry, asking them to obey him)?????.

Out of order!!!!!!!

I returned to the office in time to get evacuated.

Bkk governor is right about the local evacuations.

Whether the million or so bangkokians should return yet I'm not sure. Water is hard to get and so are things like eggs. Makes me laugh when I see 100,000 bottles of water per day being distributed - that's a spoonful each. Same with 3 million eggs - a quarter of an egg for everyone then finished.

The only person that seems to have his finger on the pulse is the Bangkok Governor - and what party is he from???

This farce should be turned over to a temporary Democrat administration until things improve - hand over the reins Yingluck and let "the professionals" call the shots, in a unified and tight-knit disaster committee that can keep the people updated on matters and be given non-conflicting information on the real situation as things evolve.

Bring in the army to restore order (they should leave their tanks back in the barracks) and normality, as much as can be hoped for will be restored!!!!

Now who's going to ask Thaksin?????:jap:.

Everyone who even remotely uses his head to "think", knows that this baboon is no better than YS and her team.

She has her agenda (keep the reds happy) he has his agenda (keep the Bangkokians happy) and because both are not willing to let go a bit and have more problems with making each other look bad, is exactly why we are where we are.

And again (for the 1000s time): what in the name of the WWF do you want with the state of emergency. If everybody would be doing their job (the BIB for example) nothing of this crap is needed.

"She has her agenda (keep the reds happy) he has his agenda (keep the Bangkokians happy)"

Answer me this - Just which of the two is of the most pressing urgency at this particular moment in time, whilst Bangkok sinks beneath the water????? - I think the baboon wins this one in the "battle of priorities!!

How come "this baboon" seems to know what is going on and people listen to what he say's, and then importantly, take heed of what he say's!!!!

Just whitch option is the better of these two - standing inside your house in 1 metre of water because Yingluck's ignorant "jokers" (all fighting to be the king-pin saviour) had told them "don't worry, Bangkok will not flood" OR a baboon saying the water will reach your area/province in the next 8 hours so gather as many of your valuable possessions together and evacuate thereafter????

So you think that this government is cocking up just to make the opposition look bad!!!! - please enlighten me on how you have come to this absurd and baseless conclusion!!!.

Why bring the World Wrestling Federation into the fray???? I fail to see where they fit into the equation here .

" If everybody would be doing their job (the BIB for example) nothing of this crap is needed"

Thats the ENTIRE point!! they cannot do their jobs because they are incapable of doing so. They are totally out of their depth, inept and completely irresponsible with all that squabbling going on whilst people are losing their property, livelihoods and even lives!!

Your example of the police "not doing their job" is a bit of an own goal as far as this argument goes as they are none other than Thaksin's mates and relations" - put in place as his "enforcers" to counteract the army!!!! Ha Ha Ha Ha .

If all these "crappy people" weren't there and Abhisit was - THEN you would see how much better things COULD have been!!!!!!!:jap:.

If HE would have not followed his agenda so overthoroughly, and would have opened some of the canals when Chao Phraya wasnt at 2,60 meters...well, I am not an expert, but there are some who say: chance lost!

And WHO is thinking, that what he says is worth more than flycrap? You? That makes him a reliable source for sure. First he is contradicting the government for everything they say (which I would understand in a "normal" situation- but not now!) and then he is contradicting himself. They say Bangkok is safe, he says, he is not so sure! They say Bangkok will flood, he says, they are overdoing it. Whatever they say, he counters.

Sorry, but no...that guy is by not a iota better than the rest of the morons.

And WWF is World Wildlife Fund...speaks millions, that you only know World Wrestling Federation!

YS has been proven ineffective.

Please put AV back in power and control.

...because.....?!

Because he is likeable, capable, able, polite, clever, experienced, educated, "cool and calculated", decisive, caring and doesn't cry when things get "a little bit sticky".

A briefer version would be to say " everything that Yingluck ISN'T".

Does that answer your question?????

No it doesn't! Not even a percentage of it! He is "likeable"? So this flood is a popularity contest? "Capable"? How do you know? Did you see him tackle a natural disaster, like ...let's say....a flood? Oh yeah, right! You have! last year! 200 dead! Not reaching as far as Bangkok because...ahm...ah...less rain! Experienced? As what? I give you educated. Caring? Doesn't cry? No, he rather goes on important meetings with President of the Maledives to discuss "flood issues"! Yeah the Maledives, as we know them! All these big cities, that are threatened by flood every year. Who better to talk to about that subject!

Do you actually believe what you are saying or are you just trolling?

Being likeable - in countries such as America is an extremely important attribute (most countries for that matter). The way they hold themselves, how much hair they have etc: are crucial towards their electability, ludicrously so perhaps, but true all the same!!!

I went to see him once in person on the two times that he came down to see and meet the people in Khanom to console them and keep their spirits up. Not a hint of the "photo opportunity seeking" behaviour of Yingluck or the blatant and disgusting printing of names and photo's by PT MP's on the relief supplies that came from from donor's kindness and generosity.

The reason that the waters didn't reach Bangkok in this case is because water finds it immensely difficult to travel up hill and always travels down hill when there are no other external forces involved!!!!

Don't worry my friend you are not alone - you're mate Yingluck also appears not to understand physics: just look at her brain-wave!!!

Yingluck placed hundreds of boats in the Chao Phraya River to churn the waters with their propellers to increase the flow of water down to the sea. Yingluck was criticized for this by Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, who called the operation a "waste of time" as there were high sea tide at the time. Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!!!.

There is no question that he is more intelligent and articulate than Yingluck (and the entire contingent of "red MP's" put together).

I would say that 2 years exemplary service (especially with respect to the handling the economy) commands more respect than 2 months of cock-up after cock-up by this novice (now tell me what experience in politics Yingluck has)!!.

So what if he went to the Maldives - he is not the premier (rumoured to be in charge of the Government) and supposedly dealing with this crisis, is he. She pleaded with others (including Abhisit) to help and his suggestion of an emergency decree to bring in the army and restore order kinda fell on deaf ears didn't it!! Why?? because a certain paranoid khun Thaksin thought that they might stage a coup!!! Ha Ha Ha - is he for real??.

On that, do they only allow males to go diving there??? I know that the capital is Male but always thought that it was known as "The Maldives"

"Being likeable - in countries such as America is an extremely important attribute (most countries for that matter). The way they hold themselves, how much hair they have etc: are crucial towards their electability, ludicrously so perhaps, but true all the same!!!"

TIT! Not America! And I guess, Yingluck is not that ugly herself! Next point!

"I went to see him once in person on the two times that he came down to see and meet the people in Khanom to console them and keep their spirits up. Not a hint of the "photo opportunity seeking" behaviour of Yingluck or the blatant and disgusting printing of names and photo's by PT MP's on the relief supplies that came from from donor's kindness and generosity." Strange, but I don't recall her name on any of the donations. Why should she be held responsible, when some weirdo of the UDD or whoever re- labels packages? And you want to see him "in person"?! Wow...did he turn water into wine? No? Too bad...because that would help, right now!

The reason that the waters didn't reach Bangkok in this case is because water finds it immensely difficult to travel up hill and always travels down hill when there are no other external forces involved!!!!

Don't worry my friend you are not alone - you're mate Yingluck also appears not to understand physics: just look at her brain-wave!!!

I said the water didn't reach Bangkok, meaning that it didn't get anywhere near the proportions we see now. My "mate" Yingluck? Here we go again "You are not with us, so you are against us" If you read my post: where did I mention, that she did anything right or better? All I claimed was that Wombat didn't do anything better for sure! Step out of you black and white/ read and yellow -scheme for a second. I know: hard to do, when you so blinded by the excellency of your poster- boy AV!

Yingluck placed hundreds of boats in the Chao Phraya River to churn the waters with their propellers to increase the flow of water down to the sea. Yingluck was criticized for this by Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, who called the operation a "waste of time" as there were high sea tide at the time. Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!!!. It wasn't only a waste of time....it was ridiculous and you will not see me arguing about that! Next!

There is no question that he is more intelligent and articulate than Yingluck (and the entire contingent of "red MP's" put together).

I would say that 2 years exemplary service (especially with respect to the handling the economy) commands more respect than 2 months of cock-up after cock-up by this novice (now tell me what experience in politics Yingluck has)!!.

"Exemplary service"? Oh you are talking of the higest number of lest majest cases ever or the censorship on the internet or on TV and radio...especially of his ploitical opponents!? Yes....exemplary as examplary can be! Cock up after cock up? In 2 months? Not handling the flood of the century extremely well and making some mistakes, is not exactly what you can call cock up after cock up.

So what if he went to the Maldives - he is not the premier (rumoured to be in charge of the Government) and supposedly dealing with this crisis, is he.So why did the not admit it was a holiday and came up with this ridiculous "meeting the president on flood matters"- excuse? Maybe because it was morally wrong??

She pleaded with others (including Abhisit) to help and his suggestion of an emergency decree to bring in the army and restore order kinda fell on deaf ears didn't it!! Why?? because a certain paranoid khun Thaksin thought that they might stage a coup!!! Ha Ha Ha - is he for real??. And that was exactly ALL they came up with (except for contradicting anything the government said)! What a masterplan: put the Army in charge and everything will be great! Correct me, if I am wrong: isn't the Army (generally speaking) under the control of the government? And please tell me EXACTLY (and not in the usual wishiwashi like "they could have organized it better") what would have been the advantage of SOE and what would the Army have done, that the SHOULDN'T do in a non-SOE- situation?

On that, do they only allow males to go diving there??? I know that the capital is Male but always thought that it was known as "The Maldives"

Wow...that was hillarious...wait...no it wasn't!