Thai Govt 'Losing Race' To Prevent Floods

[webfact]

INUNDATIONS

Govt 'losing race' to prevent floods

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Following news that many projects had been delayed, the Federation of Thai Industries yesterday urged the government to speed up construction to prevent a repeat of last year's flood.

Environment experts said ongoing construction projects, including dykes to protect industrial areas from overflowing waterways, would not be sufficient to prevent floods.

The federation also asked the government to hasten efforts towards rehabilitation and compensation payments for businesses affected by last year's flood.

"We have doubts about the government's measures to prevent flooding this year as many construction works still face delays, especially the dykes to prevent flood water inundating industrial parks," said the Federation's vice president, Tanit Sorat.

He was speaking at a seminar titled "Flood, Earthquake and Drought: Will Thailand overcome disasters?" organised by Bangchak Petroleum and Krungthep Turakij newspaper.

"I am not sure the ongoing dyke construction will protect us from flooding this year," he said.

He added that government efforts to aid industry's recovery from damage caused by last year's flood were also too slow.

"The government's bank set up measures to help us only four months ago and has not given us much money," he said.

"The government should be building infrastructure to create confidence among investors, who remain afraid of possible flooding and have little confidence in the government's measures," he said.

Auto and camera lens manufacturers were the industries most affected by last year's flood and the damage had knock-on effects for global production, Tanit said. Jeeraphan Assawathanakul, president of the General Insurance Association, said the insurance business and its consumers needed to rethink their strategies in the wake of the Bt400 billion to Bt500 billion in flood damage last year. The flood was listed among the globe's top 10 most costly disasters ever and prompted insurers to tighten their pay-out policies.

Some relief for victims came recently when the government set up a Bt50-billion disaster insurance fund.

Royol Chitdon, director of the Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute, said the government needed to spend more on construction to prevent future floods.

Over the past 12 months, water projects had seen only one-tenth of the investment put into road construction, he added.

"All roads in Thailand are maintained every seven years but there is no such maintenance regime for waterways," he said.

Meanwhile, Thanawat Jarupongsa-kul, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University's Unit for Disaster and Land Information Studies, said flood-prevention measures such as the dykes now being constructed around industrial parks and large rivers would not protect the areas from flooding.

These areas will be submerged by rainfall and then become huge sinks that will retain water.

Instead of attempting to block floods, he said the government should remove obstacles to the natural flow of flood water.

-- The Nation 2012-06-20

[Thailand]

Not that much rain year to date in comparison to last year and 2 weeks without any real heavy downpours up here in the north so I would think the chances of floods on anywhere near close to last years scale would be close to zero.

Still of course a good idea to have defenses and plans in place for the future. Proactive as opposed to reactive.

[Moruya]

Where are all the flood relief schemes that were promised?

I'm sure Japanese industry must be thinking that too.

[Thai at Heart]

Anyone got the links to the rainfall data for the North for this year?

It has either rained too much or not.

[Katipo]

Given all that I have experienced in Thailand, I still find it amazing that for a man made disaster such as this, no one, and I mean no one, has been held accountable. 10th most expensive disaster. 700 lives lost. 100s of 1,000s have lost jobs. The list goes on. Even the minister who ordered the water held in the dams hasn't faced any sort of charges, disciplinary or legal. What real hope is there for a nation that can sweep a scandal of this magnitude under the carpet?

[Katipo]

Where are all the flood relief schemes that were promised?

I'm sure Japanese industry must be thinking that too.

Hitech Industrial Estate, where I work, will have it's dyke 95% finished by late October according to the latest update from contractor Sinothai. I am not making this up 0_0

[inquisitive]

I can't comment on the overall situation with foreign companies and their Thai investments. I can, however, tell you for a fact that at east some condominium projects in Bangkok that have always been extensively rented out by Japanese junior executives have been sitting empty since their last leases expired. The Japanese placement firms that scout out condos for the Japanese workers have been reporting that far fewer businessmen are arriving to stay in Bangkok ever since the floods. I don't know what this portends for the future of the factories, but it sure doesn't sound like a resounding vote of confidence in the Thai flood defenses. Are the Japanese considering relocating? Are they already in the process? I can't say, but I don't think it's a good sign. Let's hope we're not too late to stop the trend,

[saltandpepper]

Govt 'losing race' to prevent floods

just one question: Are they aware that they are engaged in a race?

[lujanit]

Given all that I have experienced in Thailand, I still find it amazing that for a man made disaster such as this, no one, and I mean no one, has been held accountable. 10th most expensive disaster. 700 lives lost. 100s of 1,000s have lost jobs. The list goes on. Even the minister who ordered the water held in the dams hasn't faced any sort of charges, disciplinary or legal. What real hope is there for a nation that can sweep a scandal of this magnitude under the carpet?

What you say is true. A man made disaster. If you want proof just look at the flood in Queensland early last year. Blatant mismanagement of the water levels in the dam. Exactly the same here. As to the the so-called compensation I am sure that there is/was wide spread corruption on the part of politicians and public servants. As an example we were all told we would receive 20k baht in compensation but what did we actually receive? 6.7k. My guess is that the true figure in the books is 20k and the amount we didn't get is in some other person's pocket.

[Moruya]

Govt 'losing race' to prevent floods

just one question: Are they aware that they are engaged in a race?

Could be a typo - maybe they meant "face"

[Sydebolle]

Floods are definitely NOT possible. Remember the drum-up-the-support-and-confidence-tour to Japan, where the PM promised no floods in the next 70 years. Nobody asked what happens afterwards but how comforting to know that we still have 69 years to go.

So stop whining and be glad that we have such foresighted and able government ruling over us stupid infidel ignorants. After all, what do we non-Thais know about floods in the first place!

[Moruya]

Floods are definitely NOT possible. Remember the drum-up-the-support-and-confidence-tour to Japan, where the PM promised no floods in the next 70 years. Nobody asked what happens afterwards but how comforting to know that we still have 69 years to go.

So stop whining and be glad that we have such foresighted and able government ruling over us stupid infidel ignorants. After all, what do we non-Thais know about floods in the first place!

Indeed. FROC is omnipotent!

[Pib]

"All roads in Thailand are maintained every seven years but there is no such maintenance regime for waterways," he said.

Sure there is a maintenance regime for waterways: it occurs during the year following each flood.

[spirit47]

Maybe, it not rain so much this year and we lucky, but I will feel better, when I have food for 3 months in my shelf. It is only a question of time, we will have the next disaster.

[Pseudolus]

"The government's bank set up measures to help us only four months ago and has not given us much money," he said

Continues...

Meanwhile, addressing the journalists from his new Bugatti Veyron, the minister in charge of distributing the funds said "Everything so far is going very nicely, just as planned. Very nicely indeed"...stroking the side of his car before accelerating away quickly on his way to his estate in Chiang Mai before questions about the contents of the 2 large cardboard boxes in the passenger seat with the word "dowry" written on them were answered."

[steenasger]

Re: "Instead of attempting to block floods, he said the government should remove obstacles to the natural flow of flood water."

I fully agree, but maybe the government does'nt have to remove the many newly constructed obstacles, as the next major flood will probably do the job for them.

[MunterHunter]

But Yingluck promised...

[ResX]

Floods are definitely NOT possible. Remember the drum-up-the-support-and-confidence-tour to Japan, where the PM promised no floods in the next 70 years. Nobody asked what happens afterwards but how comforting to know that we still have 69 years to go.

So stop whining and be glad that we have such foresighted and able government ruling over us stupid infidel ignorants. After all, what do we non-Thais know about floods in the first place!

If she has mean to capture, keep and regulate at least 17 billion cubic meters of flood waters that might scatter along the Chao Pharaya river then she has all the right to say " We shall able to keep flood probabilty of occurence down to 1-in-70 years". Anything more than this, I'm afraid she was given the wrong advice. If she doesn't have that mean, she has to explain more how she could reach to that conclusion.

[SOTIRIOS]

...another empty promise....

[w11guy]

There won't be any flood so there isn't a race to stop something that isn't happening. Shoddy reporting. Takes more than a few months to plan and build proper flood defences. Must be a slow news day.

[animatic]

Given all that I have experienced in Thailand, I still find it amazing that for a man made disaster such as this, no one, and I mean no one, has been held accountable. 10th most expensive disaster. 700 lives lost. 100s of 1,000s have lost jobs. The list goes on. Even the minister who ordered the water held in the dams hasn't faced any sort of charges, disciplinary or legal. What real hope is there for a nation that can sweep a scandal of this magnitude under the carpet?

One has to imagine a coalition partner is being kept happy to make sure

the PTP 'save the master' plans can go through smoother. Sure they have a slim majority,

but the whips can't keep every one of them in their seats, and the insurance of the partners

is a sign of power also.

So let the brain dead minister off with political probation,

so his local overlord keeps happy, and doesn't think about pulling a Newin.

[Mosha]

Not that much rain year to date in comparison to last year and 2 weeks without any real heavy downpours up here in the north so I would think the chances of floods on anywhere near close to last years scale would be close to zero.

Still of course a good idea to have defenses and plans in place for the future. Proactive as opposed to reactive.

In Ranong we are well up on last year, and last year was 25% more than nomal

[Mosha]

Anyone got the links to the rainfall data for the North for this year?

It has either rained too much or not.

Google is your friend "Thailand weather" It'll be top of the list.

Edited June 20, 2012 by Mosha

[Mosha]

Given all that I have experienced in Thailand, I still find it amazing that for a man made disaster such as this, no one, and I mean no one, has been held accountable. 10th most expensive disaster. 700 lives lost. 100s of 1,000s have lost jobs. The list goes on. Even the minister who ordered the water held in the dams hasn't faced any sort of charges, disciplinary or legal. What real hope is there for a nation that can sweep a scandal of this magnitude under the carpet?

They did have a good party though.

[IsaanUSA]

"The government should be building infrastructure to create confidence among investors, who remain afraid of possible flooding and have little confidence in the government's measures," he said.

The above quote made me laugh.

"We want handouts from the government so we can regain confidence". So do Greece, Spain, etc. Everybody wants handouts from the government.

[ginjag]

isaanUSA, The government promissed handouts pre election, after forming a government, very few handouts, (to the population) many to their own kind.

[hellodolly]

Given all that I have experienced in Thailand, I still find it amazing that for a man made disaster such as this, no one, and I mean no one, has been held accountable. 10th most expensive disaster. 700 lives lost. 100s of 1,000s have lost jobs. The list goes on. Even the minister who ordered the water held in the dams hasn't faced any sort of charges, disciplinary or legal. What real hope is there for a nation that can sweep a scandal of this magnitude under the carpet?

They did have a good party though.

Yes lots of photo ops for Yingluck

[IsaanUSA]

isaanUSA, The government promissed handouts pre election, after forming a government, very few handouts, (to the population) many to their own kind.

Hmmmm, that explains all these threads on ThaiVisa talking about tablet computers, minimum wage increases, cabinet changes, and civil unrest.