Flood Victims Chide Thai PM Over Lack Of Aid

[webfact]

Flood victims chide Thai PM over lack of aid

BANGKOK, November 3, 2011 (AFP) - Frustrated flood victims berated Thailand's under-pressure prime minister on Thursday during a visit to inundated areas of the capital Bangkok, one-fifth of which is now under water.

The authorities have advised more than one million people to evacuate but many have chosen to stay despite risks including electrocution, disease and lack of food and drinking water, complicating relief efforts.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, facing the first major test of her fledgling leadership, visited flood victims in hard-hit Don Mueang district in northern Bangkok where she was rebuked by disgruntled residents.

"I don't know if you've come here to help or make the situation worse," shouted a woman who missed out on an aid package because supplies ran out.

During a boat tour of areas submerged by polluted floodwaters an elderly man told Yingluck: "You're here just for fun, not really to help, so don't come back!"

The sister of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra has been under intense pressure since taking office less than three months ago and has shown signs of emotional strain.

"I have a heavy heart seeing people suffer, while I have to coordinate with many people in my work, so it's stressful," she told reporters at the government's flood relief centre later in the day.

"Anyway I will work to the best of my ability and please be assured that all officials will comply," she added.

While the centre of the capital remains dry, some northern and western parts have been submerged in dirty water that is waist-deep or higher in places.

"In terms of area about 20 percent of the capital is under flood water but nobody knows the exact population affected," said a spokesman for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Jate Sopitpongstorn.

"There are 11,000 evacuees living in temporary shelters across the city."

Nationwide, 437 people have been killed in the disaster, though so far there have been no official reports of deaths in Bangkok.

The authorities have issued an evacuation order for eight Bangkok districts out of a total of 50 in the capital, and for certain areas in four others.

The 12 districts have a combined official population of 1.7 million people -- far more than government shelters can accommodate.

Worst-hit residents have complained that their homes are being sacrificed to save downtown Bangkok's shopping malls, luxury hotels and the houses of the wealthy elite, triggering protests and the destruction of some dykes.

The authorities are attempting to drain the floods through waterways in the east and west of the sprawling metropolis, which is home to 12 million people.

Officials have vowed to do their utmost to protect the centre of Bangkok from inundation, but have been criticised for giving confusing information about the threat level for inner parts of the capital.

The floods -- caused by three months of unusually heavy rains and failure to release enough water from dams in the early part of the monsoon -- have damaged the homes and livelihoods of millions of people around the country.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-11-03

[webfact]

Mixed reception in Don Mueang for PM

The Nation

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Thursday received mixed greetings from people affected by serious flooding during an inspection trip to Bangkok's Don Mueang District.

Yingluck spent two hours on a boat inspection and dropped EM balls in the floodwaters, which are starting to show signs of pollution. She also distributed relief supplies to flood victims.

More than 400 Burapa community residents cheered as they welcomed the PM, saying they would survive now that the PM had come to visit them.

However, at the Kosum Ruamjai market, 500 people converged to wait for the relief supplies. Many shouted angrily after receiving nothing. "We were told to come out for the supplies but there is not enough for everyone,'' one man said.

At Don Mueang Technical College, which serves as an evacuation centre but has been flooded, 200 evacuees who have had to move up to the second floor, shouted for help as Yingluck passed by. They told her they were facing difficulties as no officials had turned up to help them. They could not go anywhere because the boat trips were very costly.

Yingluck later said that although the public had shown both support and anger, she would not be disheartened because she understood the public's plight. She admitted that she was stressed sometimes but said she would be patient.

She said she had done nothing to prevent water from flooding her house, which is on a road parallel to RamIntra expressway. Her house is one metre higher than the road and if the water rises to higher than that level, she would let the water in.

-- The Nation 2011-11-03

[alexakap]

Yingluck spent two hours on a boat inspection and dropped EM balls in the floodwaters, which are starting to show signs of pollution. She also distributed relief supplies to flood victims.

Im really, REALLY impressed for this "help". Just look at the illustration. Yeah...These 2hrs was spent for The Good for The Country!!!

She better stay home, indeed. Or keep crying in her helicopter - this way ppl not see this FARCE and upset even more.

PS: did she donate that nice rubber boat to those who really NEED it? Just jump to the water, make your nice boots wet - but HELP SOME children/elder/sick ones!!!

dam_n, I am losing my temper reading such of "news"...:annoyed:

Edited November 3, 2011 by alexakap

[Gippy]

Makes me wish I hadn't evacuated so I could of swam over there to give her some abuse myself

[KKvampire]

Folks need to be careful giving the verbal truth to Yingluck, her Red Bodyguards will be taking notes I;m sure

[Gweiloman]

I must say that it's gutsy of her to go into the lion's den and face up to the people. It gives moral support to those that are in favour of her, and allows her opponents to vent some anger and frustration.

Well done YL!

[zydeco]

Mixed reception in Don Mueang for PM

The Nation

Ship of Fools

Edited November 3, 2011 by zydeco

[bkkjames]

Maybe the crowd's expectations were set about 500 notches too high seeing it's not election time? Lol

[SunDaRi]

if only i had something to throw at her

[alexakap]

I must say that it's gutsy of her to go into the lion's den and face up to the people. It gives moral support to those that are in favour of her, and allows her opponents to vent some anger and frustration.

Well done YL!

Don't you notice the "mixed reception" to the leader of the nation - just within a few months after the election, in the very "reddish" district?? Geez, these red supporters again....

Just wait till the water gone (thus the WHOLE CROWD of DonMuang locals can run to her to beat and kick), and let her try this visit again...I bet the "welcome" will be much emmm...colder.

Ohh, there will be "no any necessarity to visit" at that time, Im sure :jap:

Edited November 3, 2011 by alexakap

[ratcatcher]

Yingluck spent two hours on a boat inspection and dropped EM balls in the floodwaters, which are starting to show signs of pollution. She also distributed relief supplies to flood victims.

Im really, REALLY impressed for this "help". Just look at the illustration. Yeah...These 2hrs was spent for The Good for The Country!!!

She better stay home, indeed. Or keep crying in her helicopter - this way ppl not see this FARCE and upset even more.

PS: did she donate that nice rubber boat to those who really NEED it? Just jump to the water, make your nice boots wet - but HELP SOME children/elder/sick ones!!!

dam_n, I am losing my temper reading such of "news"...:annoyed:

Well, at least she had the balls to drop. Another photo op and a few "reds" on display too , oh right Man. U and Coca Cola fans.

The water "starting" to show signs of pollution. That's a good one, most of this water is badly polluted already.

[Netfan]

I must say that it's gutsy of her to go into the lion's den and face up to the people. It gives moral support to those that are in favour of her, and allows her opponents to vent some anger and frustration.

Well done YL!

Dude, give it up - you don't have a chance of gettin there no matter what you post on TV

[Gweiloman]

I must say that it's gutsy of her to go into the lion's den and face up to the people. It gives moral support to those that are in favour of her, and allows her opponents to vent some anger and frustration.

Well done YL!

Don't you notice the "mixed reception" to the leader of the nation - just within a few months after the election, in the very "reddish" district?? Geez, these red supporters again....

Just wait till the water gone (thus the WHOLE CROWD of DonMuang locals can run to her to beat and kick), and let her try this visit again...I bet the "welcome" will be much emmm...colder.

Ohh, there will be "no any necessarity to visit" at that time, Im sure :jap:

Yes, I noticed the mixed reception. You would have realised this if you had read my post a little more carefully than immediately springing to the attack.

Since when has a reddish district equalled a 100% red vote? It merely means that the majority of eligible voters voted for their preferred candidate.

"Geez, these red supporters again...". I wonder what you mean by that. You do realise that the so called red shirts constitute more of the population of Thailand than any other singularly coloured shirts don't you?

You do understand if I don't return your wai.

[cup-O-coffee]

Well. let's see. A tit for a tat, right.

How many of those people have cha notes for their dwelling places? Should they be thankful that they have not been rounded up and evicted

How many are squatters? Should they be grateful they are not rounded up and relocated into camps?

Where were they last year when it flooded? Should they be shaking their heads at their own dam_n fault for setting up shop or home in a known flood plane?

This entire issue and all the issues tangled up into it are so mundane and irrelevant. The fact is, a flood is a discriminator of no one, and the preexisting conditions that brought this on cannot be connected to any one person for the last 50 years.

Knock any one person or persons all you want, but when I look at the television, I see water in such quantities where it should not be, and equally understand that there is no person or persons alive who can make that water relocate right this instant, nor tomorrow, nor in the next 10 years if nothing is done by then.

What is happening now is triage. The ludicrous mention of it all is that before the flood, as it approached, during it rising, and until now, everyone still has been playing paddy fingers and expecting someone to divert nature and make the water go away; something that has not been accomplished in the memory of the Thailand's history.

These people are not victims. They are idiots if they blame any one person or persons and exclude themselves from that blame. Let's blame Ying Luk's great great great grandfather as well.

Describing a victim is to describe not knowing. What's not to know that every year in Thailand it floods; sometimes heavy and sometimes not.

This is about as stupid as the Japanese people blaming their PM for earthquakes and tsunamis. No. They do not. They understand the situation and they all pull together when it happens. Japan has embraced earthquake proof and tsunami early warning technology in engineering and other fields.

In over 2554. what has Thailand done to divert known flood waters?

Each year it's going to be the same thing here; cleaning up a huge mess left from the floods. Another ludicrous thing is that nothing will be done, and the news may as well run old film bits from past years of reporters shouting in mics and gesticulating the arms at the water. Much ado about nothing.

Dear Thailand, nature has been reminding you year after year for 2554 years that you will be flooded annually. Get it? If you are looking for a reason to do something about it, then it really does not get any simpler than that one fact.

[WAERTH]

I was in a taxi yesterday to the flooded area with a friend. The taxi had the red stickers on etc.

As soon as I told the driver where to go he started shouting ai Hia (insult in Thai) ...... I was like whom me??? and he said, no Yingluck and the rest of the government. They are worthless. I used to support them, but now .....

According to him after everything is dry there will be a popular uprising against the government ......

Personally I cannot wait untill that happens Karma is a bitch and people finally have opened their eyes.

[Payboy]

Mixed reception in Don Mueang for PM

The Nation

Ship of Fools

Hey, it's spelt with a capital "T", if you get my drift.

[alexakap]

Since when has a reddish district equalled a 100% red vote?

Pathum/DonMuang is the "reddish" tambol, the citadel of reds headed to Bangkok. You go and ask locals to educate yourself.

She decided to dress her clowns to those coca-cola t-shirts...but even there the welcome was "mixed" (yet few months ago it was different)...now think yourself.

I don't care the exact red percentage now (however it is going down anyway). I don't even care to spell her name - Im too busy with sandbags, sorry.

You do realise that the so called red shirts constitute more of the population of Thailand than any other singularly coloured shirts don't you?

The true majority of Thailand is colorless. They use their daily t-shirts regardles the colors. Go educate yourself.

You do understand if I don't return your wai.

I don't care about wai'ing trolls - Im out from this discussion to save my time. Too wet here in Pathumthani nowadays, you know....Tooo manything to watch on....and that girl has brought her common cries and tears to increase the flooding, geeezzzz....

Edited November 3, 2011 by alexakap

[wintermute]

Maybe relieving people wouldn't be so difficult if they had a nuclear super carrier to help out.

[wackysleet]

Well. let's see. A tit for a tat, right.

How many of those people have cha notes for their dwelling places? Should they be thankful that they have not been rounded up and evicted

How many are squatters? Should they be grateful they are not rounded up and relocated into camps?

Where were they last year when it flooded? Should they be shaking their heads at their own dam_n fault for setting up shop or home in a known flood plane?

This entire issue and all the issues tangled up into it are so mundane and irrelevant. The fact is, a flood is a discriminator of no one, and the preexisting conditions that brought this on cannot be connected to any one person for the last 50 years.

Knock any one person or persons all you want, but when I look at the television, I see water in such quantities where it should not be, and equally understand that there is no person or persons alive who can make that water relocate right this instant, nor tomorrow, nor in the next 10 years if nothing is done by then.

What is happening now is triage. The ludicrous mention of it all is that before the flood, as it approached, during it rising, and until now, everyone still has been playing paddy fingers and expecting someone to divert nature and make the water go away; something that has not been accomplished in the memory of the Thailand's history.

These people are not victims. They are idiots if they blame any one person or persons and exclude themselves from that blame. Let's blame Ying Luk's great great great grandfather as well.

Describing a victim is to describe not knowing. What's not to know that every year in Thailand it floods; sometimes heavy and sometimes not.

This is about as stupid as the Japanese people blaming their PM for earthquakes and tsunamis. No. They do not. They understand the situation and they all pull together when it happens. Japan has embraced earthquake proof and tsunami early warning technology in engineering and other fields.

In over 2554. what has Thailand done to divert known flood waters?

Each year it's going to be the same thing here; cleaning up a huge mess left from the floods. Another ludicrous thing is that nothing will be done, and the news may as well run old film bits from past years of reporters shouting in mics and gesticulating the arms at the water. Much ado about nothing.

Dear Thailand, nature has been reminding you year after year for 2554 years that you will be flooded annually. Get it? If you are looking for a reason to do something about it, then it really does not get any simpler than that one fact.

At last someone speaking using his brain rather than his a--e which is very refreshing from the usual non helpful crap the know alls on here use, while castigating this government they of course cannot offer any helpful advice whatsoever and what advice have the Democrats offered ia all of this, jack schitt of course any anyone on here who thinks the last lot of incompetents could have prevented the problem then do please go and whistle Dixie.

The Thais are hardly helping themselves either with the destruction of sandbag banks with their thought of why should it only be us, someone try to get it through their heads that it is the way to help people that some places have to be kept dry to allow for the rescue operations and employment. The news today of Honda stopping production for 6 months should tell the people the need to keep industrial parks dry.

[Mosha]

Last year when it flooded, the government gave the victims 5000 Baht. My wife's cousin, who lives in a town house was one of those victims then and now.

[DocN]

Well. let's see. A tit for a tat, right.

How many of those people have cha notes for their dwelling places? Should they be thankful that they have not been rounded up and evicted

How many are squatters? Should they be grateful they are not rounded up and relocated into camps?

Where were they last year when it flooded? Should they be shaking their heads at their own dam_n fault for setting up shop or home in a known flood plane?

This entire issue and all the issues tangled up into it are so mundane and irrelevant. The fact is, a flood is a discriminator of no one, and the preexisting conditions that brought this on cannot be connected to any one person for the last 50 years.

Knock any one person or persons all you want, but when I look at the television, I see water in such quantities where it should not be, and equally understand that there is no person or persons alive who can make that water relocate right this instant, nor tomorrow, nor in the next 10 years if nothing is done by then.

What is happening now is triage. The ludicrous mention of it all is that before the flood, as it approached, during it rising, and until now, everyone still has been playing paddy fingers and expecting someone to divert nature and make the water go away; something that has not been accomplished in the memory of the Thailand's history.

These people are not victims. They are idiots if they blame any one person or persons and exclude themselves from that blame. Let's blame Ying Luk's great great great grandfather as well.

Describing a victim is to describe not knowing. What's not to know that every year in Thailand it floods; sometimes heavy and sometimes not.

This is about as stupid as the Japanese people blaming their PM for earthquakes and tsunamis. No. They do not. They understand the situation and they all pull together when it happens. Japan has embraced earthquake proof and tsunami early warning technology in engineering and other fields.

In over 2554. what has Thailand done to divert known flood waters?

Each year it's going to be the same thing here; cleaning up a huge mess left from the floods. Another ludicrous thing is that nothing will be done, and the news may as well run old film bits from past years of reporters shouting in mics and gesticulating the arms at the water. Much ado about nothing.

Dear Thailand, nature has been reminding you year after year for 2554 years that you will be flooded annually. Get it? If you are looking for a reason to do something about it, then it really does not get any simpler than that one fact.

+1 well said

[DocN]

Since when has a reddish district equalled a 100% red vote?

Pathum/DonMuang is the "reddish" tambol, the citadel of reds headed to Bangkok. You go and ask locals to educate yourself.

She decided to dress her clowns to those coca-cola t-shirts...but even there the welcome was "mixed" (yet few months ago it was different)...now think yourself.

I don't care the exact red percentage now (however it is going down anyway). I don't even care to spell her name - Im too busy with sandbags, sorry.

You do realise that the so called red shirts constitute more of the population of Thailand than any other singularly coloured shirts don't you?

The true majority of Thailand is colorless. They use their daily t-shirts regardles the colors. Go educate yourself.

You do understand if I don't return your wai.

I don't care about wai'ing trolls - Im out from this discussion to save my time. Too wet here in Pathumthani nowadays, you know....Tooo manything to watch on....and that girl has brought her common cries and tears to increase the flooding, geeezzzz....

@gweiloman: give it up! These moro&s will never listen to reason. They are too bitter, that their beloved poster-boy AV is not in charge.

Oh my...how he would have done so much better.

What would he have done?

Declare SOE and sit back and let the Army do HIS job!

I am never in a million years a red supporter.

But the hatred and the senseless ranting of the yellow and dems- fans are beginning to make me think, that I should be...just for the fun of it!

[Payboy]

beloved poster-boy AV

How very appropriate, considering he is mostly Audio and Visual only.

[JohnBliss]

Gimme gimme gimme. Gimme those relief packages with Mama noodles; never mind I've got a house full because we've all been stockpiling and raiding supermarket shelves. I want that FREE handout.

OMG have these people no dignity at all? It's not as if this is Ethiopia and people are starving. Or Bangladesh where this happens every year. These people should learn to take care of themselves instead of always relying on others and blaming others and the government for their plight.

How many of them built their houses illegally as a previous poster pointed put?

Why are they so selfish that they'd rather destroy dykes and see their neighbors flood instead of toughing it out?

How on earth can they even believe that any one person - even be it PM Yingluck - can magically solve this mess?

Would others - e.g. her predecessor Mark - have been any better? I highly doubt it.

In a nutshell, these people deserve the government they elected and the situation they are in. They shouldn't start whining about all of it now.

And to the many trolls - mainly foreign - on this forum: shove your politics, whinging and name-calling up your a--e!

oh and, cup-O-coffee, well said! +1

Edited November 3, 2011 by JohnBliss

[Joop50]

In every huge disaster the victims blame the gouvernement for lack of help.

It's very easy, you can never do enough to help people who live in a shit situation.

It is this pedastrian newspaper to blame (and this forum also) to come with so many negative stories. It's so easy to score this way.

As what I see on television, there are also many positive facts to tell about the help which is given.

I would say, put more optimism in your stories and cut this sloppy political feeded view where no one gets better from.

You forget, as newspaper you can also provide people support an not only bullshit.

[DP25]

Since when has a reddish district equalled a 100% red vote? It merely means that the majority of eligible voters voted for their preferred candidate.

The majority of eligible voters in Don Muang district did not vote for PTP, even though they won. PTP recieved 39% of the vote (people who voted not those eligible to vote) in Don Muang. Similar situation in many of the flooded 'red' districts, it's not like it is in parts of the north east where they have a comfortable majority of the vote.

PTP is going to have a hard time completing their most important policy goals, Thaksin's pardon and return of his confiscated billions. Their attempt to gain political traction and support for their goals isn't working. It will be interesting to see what happens once they get down to accomplishing their real goals.

Edited November 3, 2011 by DP25

[DocN]

Gimme gimme gimme. Gimme those relief packages with Mama noodles; never mind I've got a house full because we've all been stockpiling and raiding supermarket shelves. I want that FREE handout.

OMG have these people no dignity at all? It's not as if this is Ethiopia and people are starving. Or Bangladesh where this happens every year. These people should learn to take care of themselves instead of always relying on others and blaming others and the government for their plight.

How many of them built their houses illegally as a previous poster pointed put?

Why are they so selfish that they'd rather destroy dykes and see their neighbors flood instead of toughing it out?

How on earth can they even believe that any one person - even be it PM Yingluck - can magically solve this mess?

Would others - e.g. her predecessor Mark - have been any better? I highly doubt it.

In a nutshell, these people deserve the government they elected and the situation they are in. They shouldn't start whining about all of it now.

And to the many trolls - mainly foreign - on this forum: shove your politics, whinging and name-calling up your a--e!

oh and, cup-O-coffee, well said! +1

good one!

[noitom]

Ineptocracy (in-ep-toc’-ra-cy) - a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

Sound familiar?

[whybother]

beloved poster-boy AV

How very appropriate, considering he is mostly Audio and Visual only.

Whereas Yingluck is only visual.

[Payboy]

beloved poster-boy AV

How very appropriate, considering he is mostly Audio and Visual only.

Whereas Yingluck is only visual.

See, already an improvement.