Yingluck Calls For New Approach In Tackling Thailand's Water Woes

[webfact]

Yingluck calls for new approach

Anapat Deechuay,

Nantida Puangthong

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra called yesterday for a new approach in tackling the country’s water woes, highlighting the need for regional centres to monitor the flood situation.

Speaking to provincial governors, the premier said that local flood centres must be up and running to coordinate efficiently with the central Water and Flood Management Committee (WFMC).

"WFMC is the single command but it will engage with forward centres in all situations," Yingluck said.

The "forward centres" are expected to present updated information on the water situation to the WFMC and relevant authorities.

"Work implementation is based on the information we receive. The information from the forward centres is very important. Make sure it is accurate," the PM said.

She added that the WFMC would analyse information from local centres and then present it to the public.

"That way, people can scrutinise our work," she said.

Yingluck said flood centres should be established at not just the provincial level but also district and local levels. In normal situations, these forward centres would gather information, but they would also take charge of disaster situations at severity levels 1 to 4.

Disasters at severity levels 5 and higher would be handled by the central centre.

Yingluck told the governors to start the area-based approach.

"People are watching us. We have to work actively," she said.

The country's water woes were not just about flooding, but also drought. She urged the governors to plan for their areas but also to think about the whole country.

The PM said the government was managing the water situation in line with His Majesty's initiatives and would respect the rule of nature.

Later yesterday, Yingluck said she welcomed inquiries by the Office of the Public-Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) into allegations that most of the government's flood-relief projects were mired with corruption.

"The government is against corruption. Relevant authorities should dig deep into the allegations and find clear-cut answers," she said.

In a related development, Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha, Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul, Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk met to discuss Thailand's plan to host the second Asia-Pacific Water Summit. This was set back from February because Thailand was still dealing with last year's flood crisis.

"We plan to include water management as a topic for the summit too," Surapong said. The summit would take place next May. Leaders of relevant organisations and academics from 50 countries are expected to take part, he said.

"We plan to share Thailand's experiences with others. They can be useful."

He added that the initial budget for hosting this summit would be around Bt150 million.

-- The Nation 2012-09-04

[Thait Spot]

One year into her own 5 year flood management plan she wants a new approach?

Gonna return the 350B to the treasury? Do a detailed plan? Have transparency?

[sirchai]

"The government is against corruption. Relevant authorities should dig deep into the allegations and find clear-cut answers," she said

Haven't seen anything in this country that works without it. ( Excluding my wife, should she read that)--------

[Ricardo]

Worried about floods or droughts ? Quick, open some more nice offices, with sleepy bureaucrats inside, so that we seem to be doing something about the problem ! Send for DPM Super-Chalerm !

Dust off plans for more dams & irrigation-canals, to move water from where it rains, to where it no-longer rains, because we've chopped-down most of the forests decades ago !

Oh, and offer to host an Asia-Pacific Water Summit, so the visiting bureaucrats can make speeches congratulating my brother government, about having achieved something ! Brave Red New World !

They can all use our new high-speed railway network to get here !

Time for Shopping Lunch !

Edited September 4, 2012 by Ricardo

[asiawatcher]

Funny how now there is an admission the water problem may not have been solved and mixed in with a denial of corruption. Never ceases to amaze me how she keeps opening her mouth to change feet.

[jerrysteve]

WHOOA WHOOA will she be wearing a Bikini paddling in a Canoe...

I have a squirt gun she can borrow!

[angsta]

The PM said the government was managing the water situation in line with His Majesty's initiatives and would respect the rule of nature.

Could someone explain what the above actually means? The rule of nature?? Flood prevention?? <deleted>??

[GentlemanJim]

"The government is against corruption. Relevant authorities should dig deep into the allegations and find clear-cut answers," she said

Haven't seen anything in this country that works without it. ( Excluding my wife, should she read that)--------

psssst! Shhhhh! remember that they tell white lies here to make everyone feel good!

[OzMick]

A politician's response to something they can't handle is to form a committee or sub-groups to spread the blame.

An earlier effort was to identify areas subject to flooding, designate them as floodwater retention areas (monkey's cheeks), and change what previously was a minor/local disaster into part of the integrated floodwater management plan.

BTW Rule of nature - water flows downhill. This, possibly, was news to her.

[Pseudolus]

Unless there is a free press, not scared of prosecution for defamation for reporting facts or questioning things that seem iffy, things will never change. The governments can do and say what ever they like because they hold all the cards.

[trainman34014]

'Yingluck calls for'....Pah ! Sick of reading those words. Just another Photo' call for the Bangkok Bimbo.

[MaxLee]

The prime ministers of Thailand are just mindless puppets that "only look powerful and competent from outer appearance" and only serves for the purpose of "covering up the mess of the people who REALLY run the country behind closed doors…

On other words our clueless puupet of Thaksin doesn't really know nor care what her "subordinates" in her Pheu Thai party are really doing behind closed doors under the table, which is corruption!!!!

[peterdk]

"We plan to share Thailand's experiences with others. They can be useful."

Right.. By doing nothing we had a flood.

Now we are thinking about how to prevent it happening again, but still we have done nothing and we are actually clueless.

We heard weird stories from a place called Dutchland about how they have about 1/3 of their country below sea-level.

Our scientists are making a model from dust and clay to help us better understand how this is possible.

We are scared we might have another flood.

We are also scared that someone might find out how clueless we really are.

[Robby nz]

A new approach.

Glass of water anyone?

[MaxLee]

"We plan to share Thailand's experiences with others. They can be useful."

Right.. By doing nothing we had a flood.

Now we are thinking about how to prevent it happening again, but still we have done nothing and we are actually clueless.

We heard weird stories from a place called Dutchland about how they have about 1/3 of their country below sea-level.

Our scientists are making a model from dust and clay to help us better understand how this is possible.

We are scared we might have another flood.

We are also scared that someone might find out how clueless we really are.

I have a better version of the governments' words, fellow, so listen carefully:

"We, the government of Thailand, are so clueless for political generations, so what??! We don't really care. We are sponsored and prestiged by our strong, corrupt family ties that came to power by cheating, instead of honest hard work. We don't give a freaking dam_n about our country, we're just making empty promises to the majority of this country, who are stupid enough to actually buy into our policies and fall for it…, in orher words, we rip you off with our empty promises. Due to our strong, political family ties, we don't need to send our political sons and daughters through that tiring, retarded education system of which the rest of the poor nation suffers. We just buy our political sons and daughters "their degrees with blood money, that we collect from the poor nation's and clueless Farang's tax money." Our political sons and daughters don't have to think or join "critical thinking debates, where they and we, the parents and relative circle clans, would be at risk of actually lose face. With their graduation papers bought without any effort, our political sons and daughters enjoy a high status and pass on our white lie brainwashing culture and preserve the top to bottom 'Pu Yai' approach that covers up our 'cluelessness'… we are clueless, so What??? We can just shoot people dead without getting charged because we have enough money under the table to bribe our helpless Thai judgment system… compensation for the victim? Don't even think about it!!!! We even play around with guns in unprotected public places, and take a gamble with innocent people's lives…

You get it folks? We the government of Thailand were too busy collecting poor people's and clueless Farang's and business people's tax money, ripping off Reforestation environment groups, collecting blood tax money from our empty promise mega flood plans, which will never happen. We were too busy playing and adjusting around with reconciliation plans, with soaring cost of living that makes life more difficult for you, the nifty farangs and clueless international business entrepreneurs, just in order to reap more benefits with YOUR AND THEIR tax money… and the cycle goes on and on and on, and god forbid, that you complain about us, the ruling Thai government family clan,… we just shoot you to death and we don't even get punished…

In the end, we the government are just clueless, and you the people, the farangs and the confused business entrepreneurs who are foolish enough to invest in Thailand to support our corruption schemes…

Our flood plan is just for show, the prevention measurements are just cheap raw material gimmicks, that can be used "to fake a real time situation, of what we think the public sector wants to hear." not more than that… and now screw you, we're too busy to get Thaksin back to start a civil war among you, the Thai people. We don't actually want you to be smart…"

Okay guys, now that's the REAL me, MaxLee talking, how about that for a quoted story of the day, folks

[rubl]

"WFMC is the single command but it will engage with forward centres in all situations," Yingluck said.

The "forward centres" are expected to present updated information on the water situation to the WFMC and relevant authorities.

"Work implementation is based on the information we receive. The information from the forward centres is very important. Make sure it is accurate," the PM said.

She added that the WFMC would analyse information from local centres and then present it to the public.

"That way, people can scrutinise our work," she said.

In other words it might be safer to trust your local news network than what Witless Forum of MPs and Co. presents to you. IMHO of course.

Also the WFMC will present your data so the people can appreciate our work.

[timewilltell]

'The government is against corruption'

Well and the government is doing exactly WHAT about that problem? More hot air and nonsense from skulls bursting with egotistical ignorance.

[khunken]

'In a related development, Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha, Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul, Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk met to discuss Thailand's plan to host the second Asia-Pacific Water Summit.'

Well, that's a great group of worthies to organise a water summit. Let's see:

Yuthasak - supposedly in charge of the FROC which was totally out of its depth (sic).

Surapong - expert at delivering a passport to a criminal; other expertise is drinking water.

Preecha - mostly keeps his mouth shut - probably the only wise one.

Plodprasop - What can one say about Mr propellor- head; good at crying 'wolf'.

Edited September 4, 2012 by khunken