All Of Bangkok Dry By Dec 31: Sukhumbhand

[webfact]

FLOOD CRISIS

Gates widened; big bags coming down

The Nation

Sukhumbhand promises to have all of Bangkok dry by December 31

In a move to make all of Bangkok dry by December 31, Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra ordered officials yesterday to open sluice gates wider and employ more pumps to drain the flood waters, while the government continued dismantling its "Big Bag" embankments.

After agreeing to open the Phraya Suren sluice gate by 1.3 metres to calm down angry Pathum Thani residents as well as opening two downstream gates by nearly a metre, Sukhumbhand instructed officials to widen the openings to 1.4m because canal levels are dropping and high tides are not expected. The city will consider widening the gate openings to 1.5m if the situation remains stable today, he added.

Sukhumbhand said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) would start collecting as much garbage as possible so the city looks clean in time for His Majesty's birthday celebrations on Monday.

On Tuesday, up to 11,610 tonnes of garbage was collected, compared to the usual 8,500-8,700 tonnes collected daily, he said. Currently, Thawee Wattana, Taling Chan, Nong Khaem, Bang Khae and Phasi Charoen districts on the Thon Buri side are still flooded, as are Don Muang, Lak Si, Sai Mai, Bang Khen, Lat Phrao, Khan Na Yow, Min Buri and Khlong Sam Wa districts.

Sukhumbhand said the 36 pumps given to him by private firms will be used along with the existing 21 pumps to help drain water from Kosum Niwet Estate in Don Muang, Soi Chaeng Wattana 14 in Lak Si, Thung Song Hong Housing Estate in Lak Si and Ram Inthra Soi 1-39 in Bang Khen.

He added that as soon as the level of Khlong Thawee Wattana has lowered, the BMA would use pumps to drain water from Bang Khae district's Setthakit Housing Estate and other flooded areas. Therefore, he said, the entire city should be dry in time for New Year.

Billions needed for Don Mueang

Meanwhile, Air Force commander-in-chief Air Chief Marshal Itthiporn Supawong said a panel had been given the job of rehabilitating the Don Mueang Airport, which could cost up to Bt10.5 billion.

Science and Technology Minister Plodprasob Surassawadi, who was also assistant to the director of the Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC), said dismantling of the "Big Bag" embankments began Wednesday, and if people volunteered to help out, then the job could be completed in two weeks.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will visit Songkhla's Hat Yai district today to inspect the flooding there, before she heads for Ubon Ratchathani tomorrow to preside over the flood rehabilitation plans for the Northeast. Water levels in Narathiwat's Tak Bai, Waeng and Sungai Kolok districts have subsided after weeklong flooding, and 26 schools are preparing for the new term on Tuesday.

Disaster expert Dr Arnon Sanidwong na Ayudhaya revealed that the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River would be ready for rehabilitation by Monday, but the western bank still had problematic areas such as Nonthaburi's Bang Bua Thong and Bang Yai districts, which would take 10 days to drain.

Arnon has also received complaints from residents in Pathum Thani's Chuan Cheun Golf Avenue Housing Estate, which has been flooded since October 15.

The residents are want the government to supply fuel for the 12 water pumps donated to them by private firms.

Meanwhile, the Office of Basic Education Commission yesterday announced 19 more schools would not be ready to reopen on Tuesday, bring the total number of schools in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Samut Sakhon that will remain closed for now to 178. Most of the schools are expected to open by December 17, and those that cannot will have to relocate temporarily. Meanwhile, the National Institute of Educational Testing Service is trying to get the Ordinary National Educational Test (O-Net) exams for Prathom 6 and Mathayom 3 postponed.

A government source said that since the flood crisis was starting to ease, agencies under FROC would start moving out of the head office from today. The source added that in order to stop the opposition from politicising the issue, FROC would not be officially dissolved, though it would halt operations by yearend.

However, during a visit to Nakhon Si Thammarat, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said that FROC should continue operations since it was responsible for people suffering from floods in the South. FROC spokesperson Thongthong Chantarangsu also said that FROC would not close down completely because it still had several jobs to do, but that it would downsize because the situation had become less severe.

-- The Nation 2011-12-02

[BKKdreaming]

and if not we will just re-name the flooded areas something else and say they are not really a part of Bangkok !

BK

[DocN]

Gates widened; big bags coming down

The Nation

Sukhumbhand promises to have all of Bangkok dry by December 31

Can anyone tell me, what the headline, the picture and the line beneath the picture, have to do with each other???????

[pisico]

Two days ago I went to visit a friend in Taling Chan. This is how it went:

Park and get out of the car. Wait on the road side for whenever an army truck comes along and goes to the soi you want to go. The other option is to wade in knee high putrid flood waters. I chose to wade. Not even my nylon waders protected me from the splashing of wakes of boats passing by.

My Thai friend tells me that his family in Salaya has water a meter high inside their homes.

The flood started in and around October 21 in the BKK area. But, good news from our capable and caring leaders: Bangkok will be dry by December 31!

People in government (regardless of the color of their shirts) have no shame. All the care about is saving face, score political points and keep the masses at their mercy. The bigger the government, the bigger the bureaucracy and inefficiency.

I was here in 1995. I checked into the Royal Hotel in Sanam Luang. It was late at night and I saw water about 5 cm high on the streets. The following morning, Sanam Luang was a lake.

Has anything been done to effectively change or control that? Obviously not.

[nowork114]

1 Week old videos - don't think they can drain water from all parts by end of this month

[phiphidon]

Sukhumbhand said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) would start collecting as much garbage as possible so the city looks clean in time for His Majesty's birthday celebrations on Monday.

It's a shame he and his cleansing department didn't think of doing this in the normal run of things..

[rkidlad]

December the 31st? Wow! What time exactly on the the 31st?

[benbear]

December the 31st? Wow! What time exactly on the the 31st?

12 O.clock midnight

[tomross46]

What about the barbarians north of the wall. The chinees built a wall to keep out the Mongolians. The Romans built the Hardrian wall to keep out the Barbarian Highlanders. The Thai Government built tha Big Bag wall to keep out the water, and make the people suffer. All these great plans failed. The Mongoliand invaded China, the Highlanders defeated the Romans and Bangkok fllooded, but Thai prople north of the big bags are still suffering and have suffered for more than two months..

Tom

[rotary]

Gosh I thought DRY was meaning no booze. I was shocked at first.

[pisico]

What about the barbarians north of the wall. The chinees built a wall to keep out the Mongolians. The Romans built the Hardrian wall to keep out the Barbarian Highlanders. The Thai Government built tha Big Bag wall to keep out the water, and make the people suffer. All these great plans failed. The Mongoliand invaded China, the Highlanders defeated the Romans and Bangkok fllooded, but Thai prople north of the big bags are still suffering and have suffered for more than two months..

Tom

Not only North of the Big Bag Wall. Taliing Chan and Salaya are in the South Western part of Bangkok Metropolis .

[DaiHard]

December the 31st? Wow! What time exactly on the the 31st?

More to the point - what year?

[Payboy]

Gates widened; big bags coming down

The Nation

Sukhumbhand promises to have all of Bangkok dry by December 31

Can anyone tell me, what the headline, the picture and the line beneath the picture, have to do with each other???????

It's just another day at the zoo.

[Chang_paarp]

A brave statement.

I wonder if he has heard of king Kanoot? (sp??)

[JAG]

Canute. Was a Viking who ended up as King of (part of) England, because he was better at battering his rivals than any of the other Vikings around at the time. Interestingly (at least I think so), he was fed up with his courtiers (if you can apply so genteel a term to a chap in rabbitskin underpants and a big battleaxe)claiming he was so great he could even control the sea, that he had his throne installed on the beach. He duly ordered the tide to turn, and when his feet got wet observed that he wasn't really all that great after all. Sycophantic courtiers silenced. Bit of a high risk political strategy given the way they arranged things in those days, but as he was a mighty batterer of rivals he got away with it.

Bit off topic really, but I suppose someone will be along in due course to connect it with the Shinewatra clan.

I'm off for a beer....

[DocN]

Gates widened; big bags coming down

The Nation

Sukhumbhand promises to have all of Bangkok dry by December 31

Can anyone tell me, what the headline, the picture and the line beneath the picture, have to do with each other???????

It's just another day at the zoo.

Gooooood one!

[JulesMad]

December the 31st? Wow! What time exactly on the the 31st?

12 O.clock midnight

....Happy NewYear!!! .....and if it is 1 minute late, everybody (farang too!) in Thailand gets 1 Million Baht...

THAT would have been a good promise.

Now it is just more words with no consequence or repercussion of not keeping his promise. Who is still believing whatever this guy says or promises???

May Buddha help Thailand. Maybe it is Karma :jap: