Most People Believe Floods Will Return: Thailand Poll

[webfact]

Poll: Most people believe floods will come back

BANGKOK, 25 February 2012 (NNT) - A recent opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) has found that most people are of the opinion that flooding will return due mainly to deforestation and the government’s slow response to the crisis.

The poll, which covers 1,200 people throughout the country, disclosed that 62 percent of the respondents believe that floods will recur. Half of the respondents are fairly confident in the government’s flood solutions while 19 percent and 18 percent have a little or no confidence in the government respectively.

About 45 percent think that mismanagement of water resources is to blame for the flooding while 36 percent consider it as a natural disaster.

As for the flood prevention this year, nearly 40 percent choose to follow the news updates before deciding on the preventive plans, while 23 percent already have their flood prevention plans. Thirty-six percent have no plan to safeguard their property as their houses are on high ground.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Foundation of National Disaster Warning Council Smith Dhammasaroj disclosed that there was a chance that low-lying Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Pathom would be under water permanently.

The renowned scientist reiterated that a flood wall extending from Chachoengsao to Phetchaburi was necessary to prevent sea waters from entering the mainland which would lead to severe flooding. He has planned to submit the project to the government for consideration, adding the construction cost should be equal to that of an elevated train line.

-- NNT 2012-02-25

[webfact]

No repeat of last year's massive floods if all parties work closely together towards common goals, PM Yingluck said Sat /The Nation

[chainarong]

Very observant some people ,The floods , they will return next year ,the next year after that and so forth and so forth,depending on the amount of rain up in northern Thai and beyond. yawn ho humm...and once again the

[MEL1]

It's interesting me. This post has been active for almost 4 1/2 hours, and just one response.

I wonder if the content is just something we all have a fairly good idea about, and don't need half-baked statistics for it, yet again?

-mel.

[OZEMADE]

Well it's all a matter of time. The weather Bureau have stated that they do not expect the same rainfall as last year?

If the local governments follow the instructions of Yingluck and the King, it will take time but will definitely help in the long run.

[billd766]

Well it's all a matter of time. The weather Bureau have stated that they do not expect the same rainfall as last year?

If the local governments follow the instructions of Yingluck and the King, it will take time but will definitely help in the long run.

I agree with you 100% but would prefer it on the instructions of the King and PM Yingluck.

But it will only happen IF the local governments AND the pollies of all shades and persuasions keep their sticky hands away.

[oilreg]

am i the only one believing at all that the floods where caused by opening the dams?

seriously guys, i live in ChiangMai, a few days before we had the floods in CNX they opened the dam to release the water

a few days before the BKK flooding happened they opened the big dam_n down there,

anyone saying this is coinicidence has a slight tendency of being ignorance

[leanbiz]

oilreg, read up on it. The dams were full. They had to open the dams, that's what caused the flooding. But there was no way for them to deal with the water by the time it got full. It was too late.

[Nisa]

It's interesting me. This post has been active for almost 4 1/2 hours, and just one response.

I wonder if the content is just something we all have a fairly good idea about, and don't need half-baked statistics for it, yet again?

-mel.

Pick a reason ...

1) all these polls are BS

2) Thailand is prone to flooding, always has been and always will be

3) The odds are just as good there will be a drought and water shortages.

4) 50 year rain fall highs typically happen every 50 years ... not in consecutive years

5) People are just sick of listening people that have no more knowledge about what can happen than the palm reader many of these people surveyed visit to help make life decisions.

[skippie999]

Of course the floods repeat. Next to nothing is done to the management of the new flood waters when they come. they have to make new canals around the buildings on the wrong spot in Bangkok so they do not to keep all the water in the reservoirs which flood half Thailand except Bangkok. When too much water comes they have to let it go immediately and not built big dams because you never can get them emptied later without passing through Bangkok! In the world they can bring gas and oil thousands KM's over land to other countries (from Russia to Europe and from Greenland to Canada etcetera) So Thailand can solve the problem when they want but nobody is focused on the problem when the floods have been gone...... Only attention when it is too late again. and the poor people north of Bangkok can swim next time in their houses again because the elite in Bangkok do not want to get wet feet!

[lungmi]

oilreg, read up on it. The dams were full. They had to open the dams, that's what caused the flooding. But there was no way for them to deal with the water by the time it got full. It was too late.

In August the Bhumipon Dam was full and still two typhoons coming to Thailand. The Government prohibited the opening of the Dam. The staff of the Dam was upset about this mixture of incompetence and ignorance.

[travelmann]

Well it's all a matter of time. The weather Bureau have stated that they do not expect the same rainfall as last year?

If the local governments follow the instructions of Yingluck and the King, it will take time but will definitely help in the long run.

I agree with you 100% but would prefer it on the instructions of the King and PM Yingluck.

But it will only happen IF the local governments AND the pollies of all shades and persuasions keep their sticky hands away.

Id prefer neither and they get some "outside" experts in

[MEL1]

It's interesting me. This post has been active for almost 4 1/2 hours, and just one response.

I wonder if the content is just something we all have a fairly good idea about, and don't need half-baked statistics for it, yet again?

-mel.

Pick a reason ...

1) all these polls are BS

2) Thailand is prone to flooding, always has been and always will be

3) The odds are just as good there will be a drought and water shortages.

4) 50 year rain fall highs typically happen every 50 years ... not in consecutive years

5) People are just sick of listening people that have no more knowledge about what can happen than the palm reader many of these people surveyed visit to help make life decisions.

Can I have a 5 please Bob?

[thaibeachlovers]

Of course the floods repeat. Next to nothing is done to the management of the new flood waters when they come. they have to make new canals around the buildings on the wrong spot in Bangkok so they do not to keep all the water in the reservoirs which flood half Thailand except Bangkok. When too much water comes they have to let it go immediately and not built big dams because you never can get them emptied later without passing through Bangkok! In the world they can bring gas and oil thousands KM's over land to other countries (from Russia to Europe and from Greenland to Canada etcetera) So Thailand can solve the problem when they want but nobody is focused on the problem when the floods have been gone...... Only attention when it is too late again. and the poor people north of Bangkok can swim next time in their houses again because the elite in Bangkok do not want to get wet feet!

Don't know about down south, but up in Lamphun, NOTHING has been done to prepare for the rainy season. We had a small flood nearby last year, which inundated the nearby village, but none of the drains have been cleared, let alone improved, since. I guess that is what happens when you live in a quiet backwater and the only time the politicians are in evidence is when the votes are needed again.

[anterian]

It's interesting me. This post has been active for almost 4 1/2 hours, and just one response.

I wonder if the content is just something we all have a fairly good idea about, and don't need half-baked statistics for it, yet again?

-mel.

Pick a reason ...

1) all these polls are BS

2) Thailand is prone to flooding, always has been and always will be

3) The odds are just as good there will be a drought and water shortages.

4) 50 year rain fall highs typically happen every 50 years ... not in consecutive years

5) People are just sick of listening people that have no more knowledge about what can happen than the palm reader many of these people surveyed visit to help make life decisions.

6. "23 percent already have their flood prevention plans." which is probably most resident farangs, we are accustomed to forward planning.

[chainarong]

It's interesting me. This post has been active for almost 4 1/2 hours, and just one response.

I wonder if the content is just something we all have a fairly good idea about, and don't need half-baked statistics for it, yet again?

-mel.

I think you are right ,I thought maybe I was wasting my time, as it is the bleedin obvious to everyone, like most of the stuff outa Thailand , most of it is obvious except to the one's who run the place.

[blows]

"flood wall extending from Chachoengsao to Phetchaburi was necessary to prevent sea waters from entering the mainland"

Thailand needs a sea wall like Venice just built, and lots of pumps. Rising sea water and sinking Bangkok is the future.

[theblether]

I think we are all getting Flood Story Fatigue.

[Reasonableman]

Agreed. We seem to be knee-deep in them. I'm fed up to the gills, and its not fungus any more. Noah more stories about the Great Flood for the next 40 days would be truly oarsome.

[blows]

Agreed. We seem to be knee-deep in them. I'm fed up to the gills, and its not fungus any more. Noah more stories about the Great Flood for the next 40 days would be truly oarsome.

What the FROC are they going to do about it?

[Reasonableman]

I thought, due to it past poor performance, the Government was de-FROCed at the farewell party, and now we have SCREW'EM, instead. No?

Agreed. We seem to be knee-deep in them. I'm fed up to the gills, and its not fungus any more. Noah more stories about the Great Flood for the next 40 days would be truly oarsome.

What the FROC are they going to do about it?

[mijan24]

oilreg, read up on it. The dams were full. They had to open the dams, that's what caused the flooding. But there was no way for them to deal with the water by the time it got full. It was too late.

Its all about timing and management.

[spidermike007]

If the rains happen again like last year, and the promised flood management solutions are found to not be in place, resulting in massive flooding again, the multinational companies will start to relocate their factories in earnest. This will devastate the thai economy. These factories employ millions. With the thai GDP being 70% from exports, how much of that export figure is from multinationals manufacturing within thailand? It was reported recently that of 38 companies with plants here, 16 were searching for alternative locations due to the flooding. What if this happens again? Will any stay? Yinglucks ass is on the line here, and so is thailands.

[Nisa]

If the rains happen again like last year, and the promised flood management solutions are found to not be in place, resulting in massive flooding again, the multinational companies will start to relocate their factories in earnest. This will devastate the thai economy. These factories employ millions. With the thai GDP being 70% from exports, how much of that export figure is from multinationals manufacturing within thailand? It was reported recently that of 38 companies with plants here, 16 were searching for alternative locations due to the flooding. What if this happens again? Will any stay? Yinglucks ass is on the line here, and so is thailands.

Why would they need to relocate to another country? The work they put into being here and reasons for choosing Thailand has not changed. I doubt the vast majority (if any) companies you say have been reported as looking for another location are going to choose to move outside Thailand. They likely will be looking for site this time that is not located in a flood plain.

[belg]

thai logic : hey, this thing happens every 50 year, let's do nothing...

[blows]

oilreg, read up on it. The dams were full. They had to open the dams, that's what caused the flooding. But there was no way for them to deal with the water by the time it got full. It was too late.

They are not suppose to let them get full, but they want all that cheap electricity they create, so full they are and flooding there will be.

[chrisinth]

If the rainfall is the same as last year, and the management of the situation hasn't changed, then yes, you are going to have the same scenario.

A lot of people seem to forget that last year we were getting record rainfalls, building pressure behind the dams. The government, through reasons of their own, decided not to release the water until they were at a critical state. Meanwhile, again through reasons of their own, they thought they could defy the laws of physics by attempting to stop the natural flow of the rivers to the sea in the misbelief that they would protect the industrial and financial sectors of the country.

The proposed actions to prevent similar flooding will not be apparent this year as IMO 6 months is not long enough for them to be put in place, and if we don't see the same rain patterns this year, and there is no flooding, then the country will be lulled into a false sense of security.

In My Opinion.

[h90]

Well it's all a matter of time. The weather Bureau have stated that they do not expect the same rainfall as last year?

If the local governments follow the instructions of Yingluck and the King, it will take time but will definitely help in the long run.

I agree with you 100% but would prefer it on the instructions of the King and PM Yingluck.

But it will only happen IF the local governments AND the pollies of all shades and persuasions keep their sticky hands away.

Id prefer neither and they get some "outside" experts in

No experts needed, there are complete plans, they even started to build that. Than it was stopped as there wasn't enough tea money in it.

Just dig them out again and complete them.

[ResX]

am i the only one believing at all that the floods where caused by opening the dams?

seriously guys, i live in ChiangMai, a few days before we had the floods in CNX they opened the dam to release the water

a few days before the BKK flooding happened they opened the big dam_n down there,

anyone saying this is coinicidence has a slight tendency of being ignorance

No. You are not the only one. Let me in the team. Even the last year's floods. Uncoordinated dam water released was a part of the equation.

[ResX]

oilreg, read up on it. The dams were full. They had to open the dams, that's what caused the flooding. But there was no way for them to deal with the water by the time it got full. It was too late.

Or, they let the dams to be fully filled due to some reasons best known to them.