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Thailand Live Friday 11 Nov 2011


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Residents Rebuild Lives after Floods Subside

Residents in many provinces are beginning to rebuild their lives as the floods recede.

Officials from the Nakhon Sawan municipality are scrambling to clean up the municipal market to allow traders to resume business.

Earlier, severe flooding forced traders to relocate from the fresh market to the roadside for more than a month.

At Sawan Park, government officials, traders, and the general public came together to make merit by offering alms to monks to symbolically mark the beginning of a new life for the province and restore morale among residents following the unprecedented floods.

After the merit-making ceremony, members of the public queued up to receive medical services, repair services for electrical appliances and car engines, and get haircuts from mobile medical units.

A wide range of products were also sold at affordable prices.

However, torrential downpour raged through the province yesterday, causing flooding of the main roads, especially Paholyothin Road.

Many areas that had dried a few days ago are reeling under flooding again.

In Phitsanulok Province, many residents have begun to return to their homes as the floodwater has continuously subsided, and only a small amount of water remains.

Communities along the Yom River are still under 50 centimeters of floodwater, forcing residents to continue traveling by boat.

The level of the Yom River behind the Bang Rakam District Office remains unchanged at 8.6 meters, due to rain in the province and neighboring provinces.

Meanwhile, more than 500 residents in Angthong Province have been rushing to clean the Satree Angthong School, which was under 2-meters of floodwater with hopes of resuming the next academic term on November 15.

Angthong's Pong Peng and other sub-districts have been inundated under 2 meters of water for over three months, while the water level of the Chao Phraya River has gradually dropped.

Elsewhere, the flood level in Nonthaburi's Tha It Community reduced by 70 centimeters.

At the Bang Plu junction in Bang Bua Thong District, the water is continuously receding.

The water level in Bang Yai District remains high, and small vehicles are still unable to pass through the area.

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-- Tan Network 2011-11-11

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Posted

No Bustle at Loy Krathong Festival in Bangkok

The Loy Kratong festival in Bangkok last night lacked the bustle of past years, due to the severe flooding.

Owing to the flood crisis, a number of residents were unable to travel, making the atmosphere of the Loy Krathong festival in Bangkok very quiet, especially at Santi Chaiprakan Park where a large number of residents usually celebrate the Loy Krathong festival.

Only nearby residents participated in the Loy Krathong festival and prayed to the Ganges River to wash away the sadness and the previous year’s misfortunes of Thailand.

Market vendors selling candle-lit floats or krathong at Santi Chaiprakan Park were disappointed with the number of visitors, which was halved compared to previous years, leading them to fail in achieving their target sales.

Krathongs were made with natural biodegradable materials and sold at 10 baht to 100 baht.

Prices depend on the maker's skill and the materials used.

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-- Tan Network 2011-11-11

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Posted

Flood-ravaged Thailand prays to water goddess

Focus - by Amelie Bottollier-Depois

BANGKOK, November 11, 2011 (AFP) - Each year as the monsoon draws to an end, Thais thank the water goddess for sustaining life. But with deadly floods now plaguing the kingdom, many feel she has been a little too generous of late.

The centuries-old Loi Krathong festival is usually an occasion for celebration with ornately-decorated traditional banana-leaf lanterns set adrift in rivers, canals and lakes under the night sky.

This year it is a reminder of the kingdom's bitter-sweet relationship with water, which has left more than 500 people dead and wreaked havoc in the worst flooding to befall the nation in half a century.

The festival, which also aims to seek forgiveness for polluting the precious resource, comes as questions mount over successive governments' management of water development and urban planning.

"I apologised to the goddess of water, thanked her for giving us water to use and wished all the bad luck to go away," said Usanee Krapukthong, who launched her lantern on a lake in a Bangkok park on Thursday.

"I wished my house and also the whole country would be dry," said the 37-year-old expectant mother. "Normally I do it at a river, but this year I escaped the floods to come here."

Her home has been submerged by more than one metre (three feet) of water for the past two weeks, like many others in badly-hit districts in the north and west of the Thai capital.

Unlike Usanee, however, many residents have refused to evacuate despite the risk of disease associated with the polluted floodwater.

The authorities in the capital city of 12 million asked people not to launch their lanterns in canals and streets that have been transformed into rivers, to avoid blocking drains and adding to the rubbish problem.

Many -- though not all -- heeded their call.

"This year, I'm not floating my krathongs on the rivers or canals because I don't want to block them up. It's better to do it on ponds or lakes like here," said Teerapong Meeiam, 33.

Some Thais chose to write their wish on a virtual lantern on the Internet.

Others opted for lakes in the city's parks, which stayed open late for the occasion, "to preserve beautiful Thai tradition ... and float away our suffering," according to Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra.

Despite the brave faces, it was a much more subdued affair this year.

"The atmosphere is kind of downbeat -- people seem to be focused on the floods. But we have to understand the victims too," said Bangkok resident Sittipan Ampan, 19.

Luxury hotels along the city's swollen main Chao Phraya cancelled their gala dinners and firework displays for the festival, traditionally held under the full moon of the 12th lunar month.

"People are worried about whether their homes will be flooded or when the floods will recede, and what's next," said a worker at one of the city's hotels, which have seen a slump in tourist arrivals.

Vendors of the lanterns, typically made from hard bread, wood or plastic, decorated with candles and flowers, are also having a bad year.

"This year is not very good. They aren't many people here," said Lamai Kiewsa-Ard. "I lost my job because of the floods so I'm trying to earn some money."

According to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, spending on the Loi Krathong festival was expected to fall by about one-sixth this year to 8.1 billion baht ($270 million), the lowest in four years.

"In recent years it has become a hugely commercial festival," said Olivier Evrard, an anthropologist at the French public research institute IRD in Bangkok.

But Loi Krathong, which fuses animist, Hindu and Buddhist tradition, is about more than just money.

"According to popular belief, the krathong is also a way to wash away all wrongs, to purify oneself," Evrard added.

Loi Krathong is almost as important to Thai culture as the Songkran water festival which marks the start of the Buddhist new year in April, when people call for the onset of the rains after the dry season.

"This year, Thais find it impossible to celebrate, which risks adding to the trauma they are enduring," said Evrard.

On the tranquil lake in Lumphini Park, located in the heart of Bangkok, still untouched by the slowly advancing floodwaters, hundreds of Thais looked on with an air of disappointment as many of the lanterns drifted back to shore.

"It's OK, we still have next year," said Sittipan.

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

Posted

SET index midday flat

Thai composite stocks index (SET) was flat at midday Friday at 968.31, up 0.01 points, or 0.00 per cent amid Bt9.37 billion turnover.

Blue chip SET-50 index was at 680.79, up 1.24 point, or 0.18 per cent.

Top five active (value) stocks: JAS, JTTGC, PTT, SCC, KBANK.

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-- The Nation 2011-11-11

Posted

Bangkok inundation lessening: Yongyuth

The Bangkok inundation has improved as several areas saw floodwater receding, Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit said on Friday.

Yongyuth said he expected the city administration to speed up the drainage by pumping floodwater from submerged areas.

The Royal Irrigation Department would handle the overland flow preventing it from entering the capital, he added.

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-- The Nation 2011-11-11

Posted

Govt commends Abhisit for relief efforts

Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit Friday praised Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva for cooperating in the drainage and relief efforts.

"Abhisit has called to alert the government for flood-related problems he encountered on his inspection trips," he said, commending Abhisit for acting as a good citizen rather than the opposition leader.

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-- The Nation 2011-11-11

Posted

THAI offers special fares for southern routes

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) has reduced is fares for southern routes following the threat of flooding of the main gateway road to the South.

THAI President Piyasvati Amranand said the fare have been reduced in accordance with the request made by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the Transport Ministry.

THAI will offer "Southern Thailand Flood Relief" special fare tickets, which are 47-58% from regular ticket prices.

This special fare is effective from Friday to December 10.

THAI will operate flights from Suvarnabhumi Airport to southern provinces with a total capacity of 5,039 seats per day and will add more flights and changing the aircrafts if needed for accommodating passengers and cargo services.

The following are special prices:

Bangkok-Surat Thani: from regular fare of Bt4,290, reduced to Bt1,820

Bangkok-Krabi: from regular fare of Bt4,490, reduced to Bt1,920

Bangkok-Phuket: from regular fare of Bt4,675, reduced to Bt2,015

Bangkok-Hat Yai: from regular fare of Bt5,155, reduced to Bt2,255

Bangkok-Samui: from regular fare of Bt6,360, reduce to Bt2,930

(The ticket fare includes fuel surcharge, but excludes airport tax)

For more information, please call the THAI Contact Center at Tel. 02-356-1111 or THAI's ticketing office or www.thaiairways.com.

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-- The Nation 2011-11-11

Posted

Thais fear post-flood economy to worsen: Survey

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BANGKOK, Nov 11 - A recent survey conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) released on Friday found that more than half of those polled fear that the Thai economy will deteriorate in the aftermath of the country's worst flooding.

The NIDA survey on Thailand’s direction and post-flood assistance was conducted last week, Nov 3-5, with 1,288 respondents nationwide aged over 15.

Slightly more than half -- 51.63 per cent -- said they believe the economy will decline, while 41 per cent think that political stability will remain intact with about one quarter -- 26 per cent -- believe otherwise.

The most pressing issue after the flood recedes, the respondents said, will be inflation – especially the rising prices of consumer products -- followed by unemployment, a shortage of goods, and a lack of funds to make a living.

Among the priorities the government should implement after the flood eases, the respondents said, are rehabilitation of infrastructure and restoration of the environment as the top priority, followed by compensation for flood victims, new job placements for the unemployed, and spirit-boosting measures for the flood-stricken residents.

The government’s Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC) reported, as of Thursday, that nationwide flooding has claimed 533 lives and that two persons remain missing.

Twenty-four provinces in the North, Northeast, and Central region, including Bangkok, remain under floodwater with about 2.8 million people affected, while 11 million rai of farmland and 260 roads are damaged. (MCOT online news)

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-- TNA 2011-11-11

Posted

RT @KristieKenney:Pres Obama writes PM Yingluck: US "stands by the Thai people during this difficult period,our hearts go out to the Thai people; USA "remains confident in the resilience and strength of the Thai people." /via@tukky_nt

Posted

FAO forecasts record rice harvests in 2011, rice trade increasing

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BANGKOK, Nov 11 - Despite extensive floods in Asia since August, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has raised its July forecast for global paddy production this year by 2.4 million tonnes to 721 million tonnes.

The agency said the revision reflects expected improved rice harvests in Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India and Viet Nam which more than outweighed a worsening of prospects in Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Madagascar, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand.

At the current forecast of 721 million tonnes (481 million tonnes, milled basis), world paddy production would be 3 per cent larger than in 2010 and surpass last year’s record.

Much of the growth mirrors progress in Asia, in spite of consecutive storms in the Philippines and severe floods in Cambodia, the Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand, which marred crop prospects in those countries. The region is now anticipated to produce 651 million tonnes (435 million tonnes, milled basis), 3 per cent above the already good 2010 outcome.

Forecasts of strong gains in both China and India are behind much of the expected growth, with Bangladesh, Pakistan and Viet Nam also expected to make sizeable contributions. On the other hand, Afghanistan, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea and Japan all achieved smaller crops this season.

FAO has raised its production forecast in Africa to 26.0 million tonnes (3 per cent more than in 2010) – largely based on improved prospects in Egypt and Western African countries. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the production outlook remains unchanged at 29.6 million tonnes. In the other regions, abundant water boosted output in Australia and the Russian Federation harvested a bumper crop. By contrast, output in the United States looks set to fall to its lowest level since 1998, due to unfavourable weather.

The international rice trade in 2011 is forecast to increase by about 1 million tonnes to 34.3 million tonnes (on a milled basis), 9 per cent more than in 2010 and an all time high.

The rice trade expansion is fuelled by strong import demand from Asia (Bangladesh, China, Indonesia and Iran) and Africa (Cote d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal).

Much of the increased demand was expected to be met by larger exports by Thailand and India. Abundant supplies also enabled Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Myanmar, Uruguay and Viet Nam to boost deliveries, while China, Egypt, Pakistan and the United States curbed theirs.

The outlook for the international rice trade in 2012 points to a small decline in volume to 33.8 million tonnes, driven by an expected weakening of demand next year.

As for 2012 exports, the drop would principally stem from lower deliveries by Thailand.

Much of the shortfall in Thai deliveries is likely to be met by larger shipments from India. Australia, China, Pakistan and Viet Nam are also foreseen to raise exports next year, while Argentina, Brazil, Myanmar, the United States and Uruguay may witness a contraction.

Between June and September, international rice export prices continued to manifest strength on most market segments, influenced by reports of flood-related crop losses and, especially, by the announced high price policy in Thailand.

Prospects for prices in the coming months remain highly uncertain, although they will be very much influenced by the unfolding of crops to be harvested in the second quarter next year. However, policy developments, especially in Thailand and India, will continue to weigh heavily on the market.

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-- TNA 2011-11-11

Posted

Thailand, Laos eye closer ties with new bridge

BANGKOK, November 11, 2011 (AFP) - Thailand and Laos on Friday officially opened a new 1.4-kilometre (0.9 miles) long bridge across the Mekong River as part of a regional highway project.

Follow this link:

Posted

Flood Warnins Out for Additional Areas of Bkk

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has issued additional warnings for 22 communities in the Saphan Soong sub-district of the Saphan Soong District. Navamin Road sois 42 and 68 in Klong Khum Sub-district of Buerng Khum District. Seri Thai Road soi 57 in Nuanchan Sub-district and Navamin Road soi 163.

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-- Tan Network 2011-11-11

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