Bangkok Governor Ends Quarrel By Meeting Minister Plodprasob

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SANDBAGS IN DRAINS

Sukhumbhand ends quarrel by meeting minister

Pimnara Pradubwit

The Nation

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra, left, and Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee are all smiles after emerging from their meeting yesterday.

Governor says reasons for blocking pipes explained to Plodprasob

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra met Water and Flood Management Commission (WFMC) chairman and Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee yesterday to put an end to the row between the city administration and the government over sandbags placed in the capital's drainage system.

"I would like to thank him for agreeing to meet me," Sukhumbhand said with a smile.

He was speaking to the media after holding a one-on-one meeting with Plodprasob for about 10 minutes at the Office of the National Water and Flood Management Policy.

The WFMC and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) have been attacking each other over sandbags that were recently found inside drainage pipes on Bangkok's Srinakarin Road. Both sides also threatened to take legal action against each other after a Pheu Thai MP removed the sandbags.

While the BMA insisted that the sandbags had been put there to prevent flooding in low-lying portions of the road, Plodprasob voiced suspicion that the BMA was trying to ruin the central government's flood-prevention efforts.

However, Sukhumbhand said yesterday the misunderstanding had been cleared up.

"I have already explained the water-drainage techniques [to Plodprasob]," the governor said. He added that the BMA would remove the sandbags when the wet season ends.

He added that he did not have any conflicts with his long-time acquaintance, Plodprasob.

He added that the BMA was not locking horns with the government because many BMA representatives also sat on the WFMC board.

"It's just that we fight sometimes when we work together. That's quite common, but we need to clear any misunderstandings and work together for the benefit of people," Sukhumbhand said.

Speaking separately, Plodprasob said the WFMC was not politicking when it criticised the BMA for stuffing drainage pipes with sandbags.

"I have now told the BMA to explain its water-management plan to the WFMC," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-10-13

[sjjmmi]

Don't you just love this only in Thailand could this happen

[FOODLOVER]

Who won the measurement?

[Bagwan]

Peace beaks out - until the next time. As for working together for the benefit of the common people

[EarthAlien]

Saving face,... meanwhile Bangkokians suffer under the esteemed Science ministers brilliance in flood management control!

[tragickingdom]

It will be the first governor or hi-raki in Thailand who understands water management. Everybody seems to make weird decisions and when waterworks have to be undertaken they go for companies of countries who seem to be flooded themselves every year like Japan, Korea and China, most probably because the distinguished women and gentlemen get a nice kick-back.

Bangkok would be the only city in the entire world where people benefit from blocking the drainage. I suspect that they flood the poor neighborhoods in order to spare the business areas and the upscale housing estates who encroached on water retention areas anyhow.

[MaxLee]

..... Bangkok would be the only city in the entire world where people benefit from blocking the drainage. I suspect that they flood the poor neighborhoods in order to spare the business areas and the upscale housing estates who encroached on water retention areas anyhow.

That's what you call sh*******tloading on the rest of Thailand for the sake of Bangkok, ONLY BANGKOK.

The Bangkok governors cannot afford to "lose any citizens evacuating in the future, because Bangkok is the business center of Thailand, I mean just for now." But as scientific researches have already confirmed, Bangkok is going to sink deeper and deeper into ground in the distant future. But of course that doesn't mean crap to the stubborn government dogs of Thailand.

Losing citizens, and naive International business entrepreneurs that will unknowingly be ripped off by complicated business government rules, away from BANGKOK is, guess what,… LIKE LOSING FACE BIG TIME for the feudal government dogs.

So that's why they will continue to sh*****tload on other provinces just in order to protect Bangkok. But Mother Nature is gonna punish Bangkok very sooner.

[asiawatcher]

Fairly obvious - BMA agreed to remove bags end of season. So Constable Plod was/is basically in the wrong but will not admit it. So Sukhumbhand agrees to the saving grace/face compromise for BMA to remove bags at the end of the season - as if that is necessary in the first place.

[GeorgeO]

Did you ever see any more 'forced' smiles than on the faces of these adversaries...? I bet they made their faces hurt until they were finally able to drop the facade.

[Ricardo]

Kissy kissy !

Time to pucker-up, gentlemen !