PM concedes severe floods likely this year

BANGKOK, 11 February 2012 (NNT) - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has conceded Thai people may have to face a new round of floods this year but confirmed the government would try its best to handle the problem.

In her Saturday talk show, PM Yingluck has admitted that severe flooding may recur and participation from all related bodies is crucial to ease the situation.

As part of the flood-prevention plan, the government has prepared two million rai of vacant land as the water retention zone. At the same time, it will help locals in flood-prone areas to adapt themselves to a new lifestyle, for example, by introducing them to jobs in water-related fields.

To boost the capacity of the water release, state officials will survey flood-prone areas to designate locations for water diversion, check dam construction. Reforestation will also be the government’s priority as there is now more than 10 million rai of deteriorated forest out of the existing 20 million rai of forest areas.

As for the dam management this year, water release has already begun to prevent the comeback of severe flooding. PM Yingluck also apologized to people in Sena District in Ayutthaya Province for failing to inform them of floods in time.

Yingluck is scheduled to visit the flood-hit provinces during February 13-17 to plan a further assistance package other than the THB 5,000 compensation and the debt suspension and restructuring schemes undertaken by the Government Savings Bank, the Government Housing Bank, the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives and the SME Bank.

-- NNT 2012-02-11

help locals in flood-prone areas to adapt themselves to a new lifestyle, for example, by introducing them to jobs in water-related fields.

what floating markets, boat making and teaching swimming?

I'm sure this is reassuring to the Japanese and others who have invested millions of dollars in their factories here. Especially Yingluck's statement "the government would try its best to handle the problem". We saw what "its best" was last year.

In her Saturday talk show, PM Yingluck has admitted that severe flooding may recur and participation from all related bodies is crucial to ease the situation.

And this after their Bt10 Million, pat on the back garden party yesterday. Plus clandestine meetings in Hotels. She sure is a busy lady.

jb1

PM to start 'flood trail' on Monday to follow up water management in provinces

BANGKOK, Feb 11 -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday said that she would begin a 'flood trail' on Monday to follow up on water management plans and to make sure the residents in flood affected areas (from the North down to the capital) are well-informed of the situation, as well as progress related to flood recovery.

In her weekly TV programme on National Broadcasting Television (NBT) channel 11, the "Yingluck Government Meets the People," Ms Yingluck said that from Feb 13-17, she would visit upstream, midstream and downstream areas to review flood solving progress and go over the plan, budget, problems and solutions of projects implemented under the Flood Recovery and Restoration Committee and the Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management to help flood victims.

The upstream areas would include Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Tak, Nan, Prae, Lampang, Lamphun and Phayao; midstream are Phitsanulok, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thaini, Pichit, Kamphaeng Phet and Chai Nat, while downstream areas include Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya, Prachin Buri, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Nakhon Nayok, Nonthaburi, Samut Sakorn, Samut Prakarn, Chachoengsao, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani and Bangkok.

During the visits, the premier would listen to first-hand information, problems and solutions from local offices and related parties. This will enhance understanding between policymaking and implementation levels and will result in concrete solutions. The premier will also visit projects in operating areas.

Ms Yingluck said the water volume in 2001 was 20 billion cubic metres and it was forecast that in 2012 there would be at least three storms leading to a similar high volume of water.

The upstream area could delay water by planting forests, building dykes and discharging water from dams to spare room for rainwater.

At the midstream area, she said, the government was looking for 2 million rai of land (800,000 acres) for water retention areas and the locations picked would have to minimize effects to communities while natural reservoirs would be improved to increase their capacity for water storage.

The premier said she would inspect the strength of the water sluice gates in Chai Nat and Nakhon Sawan and CCTV would be installed to drain water in accordance with the water discharged from dams.

Downstream, she said 48 canals in Bangkok would be dredged within three months to facilitate the drainage of water. Authorities would ensure that the Chao Phraya River was in good condition to drain water into the sea with no blockage.

Ms Yingluck said she was confident that a newly established agency - the National Water Resources and Flood Policy Committee chaired by herself - could manage water resources effectively and handle the flood problems better than the previous year. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-02-11

If I were a factory owner I'd already be ripping down all that was useful and moving on, because the next statement that will be made will be 'It will help local foreign investors in flood-prone area's to adapt to a new style of business management....how to build things under water ' !

Water has apparently been released from northern Dams in what seems an unregulated way. Water levels have risen here in Nakhon Sawan and there is flooding reported to the east and north of here. It seems like no lessons have been learnt and no plans are place for the forthcoming rainy season so its not a surprise then that dispite all the waffle and committees nothing has changed and the PM has realized the same.

To much talk and not enough do!

"PM Yingluck also apologized to people in Sena District in Ayutthaya Province for failing to inform them of floods in time."

You have GOT to be joking. Utter incompetence.

"..... jobs in water-related fields." shouldn't that be water-covered fields?

"... the government has prepared two million rai of vacant land as the water retention zone." Now all they have to do is convince the water to run uphill and "Stay!" or is this land that was going to flood anyway, but now that it's a flood retention zone, it won't be called a flood.

I'm sure this is reassuring to the Japanese and others who have invested millions of dollars in their factories here. Especially Yingluck's statement "the government would try its best to handle the problem". We saw what "its best" was last year.

and what about japanese factory inside their own country ???

To be fair to the government up where I live in Khampaeng Phet province they have notified villagers that they will construct a small dam to hold the water back for farming.

The guys have been out surveying for the past couple of weeks and the villagers who will be affected have been told that they will be compensated but no amount has been announced yet.

How much it will be will be an awkward question as most of the land has no chanote though many farmers have been on the land for many years.

It will take up to 2 years to build and fill.

Good that she take care about the flood finally... punching drug customers again and again is populist and have no effect on the country wealth apart from making the police busy, closing bars and anoing customer with pee checks... next year millions of people will be without jobs, and billions will vanished because of the flood. They have tow work on that matter very seriously otherwise, bye bye Toshiba, Western Digital etc... they will move in Malaisia.

Maybe they should just dig a big hole 10Km deep. That should do it.

jb1

Maybe they should just dig a big hole 10Km deep. That should do it.

jb1

Careful, Jimbeam1... you just might get elected soon with that sensible thinking!

Maybe they should just dig a big hole 10Km deep. That should do it.

jb1

The current govt is already digging itself into a hole...it's probably a couple Km deep already.

"adapt themselves to a new lifestyle, for example, by introducing them to jobs in water-related fields."

I suppose hi-tech and car manufacturing don't fit this category.

Maybe Thais can all become world class swimmers borne out necessity (the same way the Jamaicans are world class bobsledders!)

help locals in flood-prone areas to adapt themselves to a new lifestyle, for example, by introducing them to jobs in water-related fields.

what floating markets, boat making and teaching swimming?

LOL

Could be.

Wot about a scuba diving school!

It seems like no lessons have been learnt and no plans are place for the forthcoming rainy season

(Nong38)

The above two articles suggest otherwise.

I wonder what Ms. Y. pronouncements would need to be, to satisfy the naysayers.

Something like, "we are building a water-retention ceiling over Thailand, releasing water as we need it"?

You have GOT to be joking. Utter incompetence (

EvilDrSomkid

)

Would never have happened under saintly Abhi.

If only those dam_n voters would realize that.

"PM Yingluck also apologized to people in Sena District in Ayutthaya Province for failing to inform them of floods in time."

You have GOT to be joking. Utter incompetence.

How does she cope with the "idiots" that work(sic)Excuse the misnomer "work" for her?Bring out the axe.

Ok the buck stops with her but there is a difference between accountability and responsibility there needs to be a clean up in many of these departments where the incumbents are there due to long service not highest efficiency the sooner they come to grips with this fact and start promoting on merit not for merit the better off they ( the government/country) will be.

Maybe they should just dig a big hole 10Km deep. That should do it.

jb1

The current govt is already digging itself into a hole...it's probably a couple Km deep already.

Which could be put down as the first steps towards the 100km two tier underground dual water/vehicle highway that has been put forward by some university qualified "idiot".

Great news and still nothing done about clearing the rubbish out of the Rangsit canals and dredging them before the anticipated flood, Khlong 3 is still a disgrace; thankfully we have not rebuilt our kitchen, replaced much furniture or repainted with the generous 5000 baht we got after last years ki tuerm!

In her Saturday talk show, PM Yingluck has admitted that severe flooding may recur and participation from all related bodies is crucial to ease the situation.

And this after their Bt10 Million, pat on the back garden party yesterday. Plus clandestine meetings in Hotels. She sure is a busy lady.

jb1

Yes being PM is a lot harder than it looks, ask my brother!

At least she won't have the excuse of not having enough time to prepare.

"PM Yingluck also apologized to people in Sena District in Ayutthaya Province for failing to inform them of floods in time."

You have GOT to be joking. Utter incompetence.

If you apologize it makes everything ok. This year she will try and give people a 4 minutes early warning blast on the loudspeakers!

"PM Yingluck also apologized to people in Sena District in Ayutthaya Province for failing to inform them of floods in time."

You have GOT to be joking. Utter incompetence.

If you apologize it makes everything ok. This year she will try and give people a 4 minutes early warning blast on the loudspeakers!

And handout free Burberrys to all flood wictims.

Of course if the floods aren't bad next season, she can take credit. Smart political move.

I am leaving ayutthaya city and Thailand by April, it;s clear that flooding will occur on a major scale again this year, whether it'll be on a similar scale to last year remains to be seen but i have absolutely no confidence at all in the management of any flood situation and neither do the Thais, Foreign investment will be "dead in the water" (pardon the pun)

BANGKOK, 11 February 2012 (NNT) - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has conceded Thai people may have to face a new round of floods this year but confirmed the government would try its best to handle the problem.

Is the date for the next 'Thank you for helping with the flood' party already tentatively planned ?

Yingluck needs to make sure to save B10m from the debt transfer for the next gala flood party.