Thailand Live Saturday 12 Nov 2011

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Thailand Live Saturday 12 November 2011

News, Bits and Tweets

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Keep up to date with live updates from the news, hour by hour.

For breaking news,national, regional and international news updates on a daily basis only, this thread is closed to commentary so that those who wish to follow the news can find it here...

Commentary is still open for Thailand news in the relevant thread posted in News Clippings.

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Related topic: Thailand Live Friday 11 Nov 2011

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Today's Thailand weather and forecasts:

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Abhisit backs group set to sue the govt

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Water receding in 11 Bangkok districts

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Thai crisis to be factor in 2012 drop in rice-trade : FAO

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AFP: UN chief Ban Ki-moon to see Bangkok flood zones on Asia tour

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More areas in city's east on alert

The Nation

Bueng Kum, Bang Bon districts to be added to list of 30 disaster zones

More areas in the east of Bangkok are being monitored for flash floods, especially those located in the Saphan Sung district, Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday.

Bueng Kum and Bang Bon districts will soon be added to the list of 30 disaster zones in the capital.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) said yesterday that the Maha Sawas Canal in the west of Bangkok was brimming over, which kept floods at a high level in many areas to its south. It was the same with Lat Phrao Canal in central Bangkok and Prem Prachakorn Canal in the north.

Meanwhile, frustrated residents tore down 5 metres of the bigbag barrier near Don Muang police station, causing flood water to leak into Prem Prachakorn Canal.

The level of water along the Saen Saeb Canal, including Lat Phrao Soi 130, 136 and 138, is up to 20 centimetres high, while the Sena Niwet housing estate and bylanes in Soi Chok Chai IV have at least kneehigh floods.

The volume of water heading south toward Bangchan Industrial Estate has risen, but factory owners inside the compound are doing their best to fight it off. However, their efforts are reportedly facing a setback due to budgetary constraints resulting in the lack of petrol to power up the pumps.

The Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC) has been slow in providing cash to power up the water pumps, though the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand has agreed to fund the operations initially.

Thanes Weerasiri, chief of the Engineering Institute of Thailand, who led the floodprevention operation at the estate, said the flood level had dropped by 9cm after 22 boats were used to propel water into the Saen Saeb Canal.

In addition, the King Mongkut Institute of Technology in Lat Krabang is also fighting off floods, with rector Khomsan Maleesee saying he was confident the campus would be safe thanks to the 1.5metrehigh barrier around it.

The level of flood water has risen in some sections of Rama II Road due to runoffs from the sewage, though it was at a low level and traffic could still go through the road, which links the rest of the country with the South.

In Bangkok, inundation has forced the closure of the Seri Thai Road from Min Buri to the Bangchan estate; Krungthon Bridge to Bang Phlat intersection; and Charan Sanitwong from Rama VII Bridge to Yanhi hospital.

-- The Nation 2011-11-12

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Chula team proposes super-express floodways

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FLOOD RELIEF

Food that floats

Kupluthai Pungkanon

The Nation

Volunteers and generous corporate sponsors keep the Red Cross' mobile kitchens cooking in a crisis

Sticky rice, fried meat and chilli dip make a decent meal when you're sitting in the big puddle, as 5,000 Bangkok citizens a day are finding out thanks to the Thai Red Cross Society's mobile kitchens.

The Red Cross' Relief and Community Health Bureau started delivering meals in emergencies like this in 2006, when floodwaters engulfed Chantaburi.

The idea came from Her Majesty the Queen, and from the beginning it relied on volunteers. It still does - in a big way.

"We have only 10 staff members and we have to prepare about 5,000 boxes of fresh-cooked food a day for flood victims in Bangkok and the surrounding area. Without the volunteers, the mobile kitchen simply wouldn't happen," says Wallapa Suksirimuch.

The assistant head nurse, a 26-year veteran who's in charge of the kitchen operations, is bowled over that there are always more volunteers than they need.

The country has five mobile kitchens, one for each region and the fifth at the Health Bureau on Bangkok's Henry Dunant Road.

At each location and in every crisis, Wallapa says, the priorities, in order, are good-quality and nutritious ingredients, hygiene in the preparation, and keeping open the distribution channels.

"Our main concern is that the food reaches the flood victims as fast as possible after we finish cooking and packaging so that it doesn't go bad. We never send out food cooked the night before."

Before the flood began seeping into Bangkok, her team was feeding the folks in Nakhon Sawan and neighbouring provinces.

They get started every day at 5am and have 200 meal boxes ready to go at 6.30 with the squads of doctors and nurses dispatched to relief centres to conduct check-ups. By 9am there are at least another 500 meals ready to accompany shipments of relief packages.

At 10am the kitchen sends 500 more meals to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital. Officials in affected districts, such as Sai Mai, then begin arriving to collect food as requested in advance. That's at least another 500 boxes again.

On recent afternoons, still more meals have been going to the Red Cross in Thonburi for Bangplat residents, to Pasri Chareon district and, finally, at around 4pm, Red Cross staff who are themselves flood victims get a share.

Tally it up to 5,000 boxes, "but we're aiming for 6,000", Wallapa says. "Then at the end of every day we have a meeting to plan for the next day."

The kitchen steams 600 kilograms of rice and makes 200 to 250kg of sticky rice per day. Chicken and eggs round out the meal.

"We fry or boil the eggs to go with khao pad kaprao kai, and sometimes we cook pad chai peau [fried with salted turnip] or kai pa lo [boiled with Chinese herbs], but for that we need around 1,500 eggs!"

A Health Bureau manual lists a handful of menus and recipes along with nutrition tips provided by Chulalongkorn Hospital.

The ingredients are either donated by food suppliers or bought with money given to the Red Cross. "If we need something quick we just go to the Klong Toey fresh market," says Wallapa, adding that the staff is always aware if it's feeding a Muslim community, where there are dietary restrictions.

The Coca-Cola Foundation Thailand helps the mobile kitchens through a flood-relief programme called Reunited to Relieve and Rebuilt Thailand. It's already contributed Bt6 million, Namthip bottled water and volunteers.

Foundation director Jorge Garduno says the soft-drinks company plans to donate more money from its advertising budget and from the parent foundation in the US, for a total of Bt30 million. And it will partner with Habitat for Humanity Thailand to rebuild communities in Ayutthaya, Bangkok and elsewhere.

"Food and clean drinking water," says Health Bureau director Lt General Dr Amnat Barlee, "are vital for all flood victims in all affected areas, so support from Coca-Cola helps us complete our mission.

"That amount of money will keep us going into early December," he says. "The fresh-cooked meals cost about Bt30 each, so we need Bt100,000 to Bt150,000 per day."

Several celebrities turned out to help on Tuesday when the Coca-Cola Foundation presented part of its donation. Actor Charlie Trairat admitted he didn't know how to cook but was willing to try.

He'd already helped rescue dogs and cats that were abandoned in Rangsit and urged everyone who has to evacuate their home to take their pets with them. Also, he pleaded, don't keep wild or dangerous animals as pets - there's always a chance they'll get loose in such unforeseen circumstances.

Charlie's fellow actor Danai Charuchimta said he wished flood victims would be more united - and less selfish. He'd distributed meals and some people wanted more than their share.

"Maybe they were afraid they'd soon be starving," Danai said, "but this is fresh food and it would go bad quickly, so it's better to share it around to as many people as possible."

Amnat pointed out that the mobile kitchens have been effective from the outset five years ago.

"I think our country needs people to actually step in and act, not just blame each other. Too many people talk too much, whether it's politicians, academics or even the media."

The crisis isn't a TV soap opera, the bureau director said. "Putting out sensational news without taking its impact into account only creates more suffering. We need to really get at the trouble people are enduring and offer our help.

"In normal times, one of our duties ever since the tsunami has been to educate people about how to prevent, prepare for and cope with worst-case scenarios. I believe that's the way to help cut back on the losses."

YOU CAN HELP

Feel like sending some cash? Donate to the account "The Thai Red Cross Society", 023-6-06799-0 at the KTB's Surawongse branch.

Find out how you can help with Coca-Cola's Reunite to Relieve and Rebuild Thailand programme at (02) 576 5888, www.iCoke.co.|th or the "LivePositivelyThailand" page on Facebook.

-- The Nation 2011-11-12

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Cut in policy rate likely: Thailand

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Inundation leaves more than 1,000 suicidal: Centre

The Nation

More than 1,000 people whose lives have been disrupted by the floods are at risk of committing suicide, Disaster Mitigation Centre director Phanu Yaemsri said yesterday.

Of more than 1.3 million Thais affected by floods, 1,154 had been found to be suicide risks, he said.

The Public Health Ministry had conducted psychiatric checkups on 114,815 people. Apart from those deemed suicide risks, 7,308 reported feelings of depression and 6,170 said they were under stress. A total of 5,578 had been given medication while 1,786 were under special monitoring, Phanu said.

Nationwide, at least 533 people have died as a result of the floods and two people are missing. Some 7,210 villages in 129 districts of 23 provinces are still under water.

-- The Nation 2011-11-12

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Robbers, greedy boat operators prey on flood victims: Thailand

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Obama offers sympathy

The Nation

US Ambassador to Thailand Kristie Kenney yesterday relayed via Twitter (@KristieKenney) a message from President Barack Obama expressing sympathy for Thais suffering from the flood crisis.

The US "stands by the Thai people during this difficult period … our hearts go out to the Thai people", Obama was quoted as saying. The United States "remains confident in the resilience and strength of the Thai people", Obama said

Obama also reportedly said he was looking forward to meeting Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at the East Asia Summit and the US-Asean summit in Bali, Indonesia, next week.

-- The Nation 2011-11-12

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His Majesty aids Klong Sam Wa victims

The Nation

His Majesty the King yesterday allowed the Rajaprajanugroh Foundation to distribute on his behalf royal relief bags worth more than Bt300,000 to 765 families at a shelter in Bangkok's submerged Klong Sam Wa district.

The foundation said it would distribute more relief bags worth Bt111 million to 650,000 affected people from 150,000 families in 59 provinces.

-- The Nation 2011-11-12

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BMA hands out EM water, balls

The Nation

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) yesterday started handing out EM (Effective Microorganisms) water and balls to Bangkokians for use in treating polluted flood water.

Recipients must bring their own containers for the EM treatments to the Lumpini Park greenhouse from 9am3pm.

The BMA also requested donations of plastic bags and bottles in which to package EM water and balls before handing them out to more floodaffected people.

According to an unofficial BMA report, it collected 320,720 krathong vessels floated on Thursday night to celebrate the Loy Krathong festival; 236,407 were made of natural materials, 57,479 of foam and 26,834 from other materials.

-- The Nation 2011-11-12

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UN returns favour by donating cash, solar-powered lamps

The Nation

The United Nations' refugee agency is donating cash and solar lamps to flood victims as a gesture of gratitude for the country's hospitality in hosting refugees for nearly four decades.

"Even though the Thai government has not asked UNHCR for assistance, we wanted to offer our help as an acknowledgement of all Thailand has done to shelter and protect more than a million refugees over the years," said James Lynch, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' representative in Thailand.

UNHCR donated 5,000 solarpowered lamps worth a total of US$250,000 (Bt7.5 million) to the Interior Ministry's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation to distribute in remote areas where electricity has been cut. UNHCR distributed similar lanterns to the area of Japan hit by an earthquake and tsunami in March. UNHCR will also donate $50,000 cash.

The agency said it had mobilised its team of fundraisers, who normally meet Thai people in shopping malls and offices, to raise money for disaster relief. In addition to raising money for UNHCR's operations in nine refugee camps in Thailand, they now are informing the Thai public that their first twomonth donation will go to floodrelief operations.

"The Thai people have proved very resilient in the face of these terrible floods," Lynch said. "We want to show we are also part of the community by providing emergency support."

Last month UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres wrote to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra expressing sympathy "for the loss of life and the devastating consequences being wrought by the floods".

He also offered "solidarity" and said the UNHCR office in Bangkok "stands ready to support the Thai authorities in any way possible".

-- The Nation 2011-11-12

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WHAT OTHERS SAY

Use of antibiotics prudently

Dr Gerard Lalande

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AFP: Dell says Thai floods will impact disk drive supply

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Saen Saeb boat service remains operating on normal schedule from Sri Bunruang to Pratunam. As do BTS and MRT /TANN

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Flood approaching Rama 2 Road, main route to southern provinces; Phahonyothin, Vibhavadee roads see lower water levels /MCOT

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RT @tukky_nt: 9.20am:Wat Sri Boonrueng, Ramkhamhaeng Rd sees floodwatet at 20cm high #TNN

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Bang Chan industrial zone remains under close watch for flooding as water in surrounding canals is close to reaching ground level. /TANN

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RT @Tulip_Oum: 9.25am Water level at LadPrao intersection is 50-60cm. ~@fm91trafficpro

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RT @Tulip_Oum: 9:30am water mark at Charansanitwong 83, showing the water level is receding.~@sresuda http://lockerz.com/s/155364466

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RT @RichardBarrow: Looking down from the tollway at Rangsit. Judging by water marks, flood has gone down 30cm http://bit.ly/sQBCiB

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CNN: Flooding, unclear government policies scare away international tourists from Thailand. /TANN

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9:59am Small cars still impassable in front of Sun Tower due to high flood http://yfrog.com/nzbnompj ~ @Angie_VoiceTV

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10:00am In front of Thairath Office still flooded about 1m http://yfrog.com/o0q5okhj ~ @Angie_VoiceTV

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10:01am Around Ladprao 5-way junction area deserted after flood http://yfrog.com/h37xpofnj ~ @Angie_VoiceTV

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9.41am: Pier at Ramkhamhaeng 65 flooded coz high water level in Klong Saen Saeb;an elevated walking path installed 4 passengers TR @ThaiPBS /via@tukky_nt