Dealing With Flooding In Thailand Versus Other Countries

[ajarnpot]

Having watched the fun and games last year, I found the locals the most innovative people when it came to flood defences and then living with all that water around, I even saw some people going to their local in waders to get a tipple.

I then watch the news and see someone wearing a plastic hat, a lifejacet, a survival suit, giving a very large woman a piggy back to cross some water that is oh about as deep as 2 inches.

This has inspired me to ask tv members how they think Thailand dealt with the flooding versus that occuring in the colonies at the moment. Do rules and regualtions help or hinder, I can't see rules and regulations allowing any old Thomas paddling up the street to offer rides without a license for ferrying and all the health and safety stuff

So I leave it to you dear trolls tv members?

[krisb]

Well it would be the same wouldnt it?

Flood water is flood water in any language. Australia had flood water I think 2 years back where more land area than the whole of Thailand flooded here and people deal with it the same way. Sandbag what they can, save what they can move to higher ground.

What are they meant to do?

[BigJohnnyBKK]

If you're trying to say that the bureaucrats and law enforcement agencies would prevent citizens from common-sense helping each other out in an emergency situation, I believe you're mistaken, at least with my experience in the US and Australia.

Perhaps in more highly regulated countries, given a situation where the authorities had things well in hand perhaps so, but generally speaking I doubt it.

I think the extra creativity you see here comes from need - back home more people are in a position to (can afford to) anticipate the problems and deal with them more proactively. People living hand-to-mouth don't spend any money on what-might-happen until/unless they have to.

[barefoot1988]

when one can't rely on clowns for aid in a disaster, they have to come out solutions on their own.

[David48]

There are a thousand more ...

But these images struck a cord with me how the Thai's coped

Business as usual

Pushing transport past limits we set in the West

Unique approach to the public information campaign.

Food as usual

Life goes on

How this happened I'll never understand

Adaptive

or Inventive?

.

[kevvy]

if there wasn't any corruption maybe there would be more money to fix the problem well at lease try to fix it .

[Semper]

Life goes on

I like this one. Have to play computer games, no matter what. Sad really.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

if there wasn't any corruption maybe there would be more money to fix the problem well at lease try to fix it .

If there wasn't any corruption then maybe proper city planning would prevent the idiotic building patterns that caused the problem in the first place.

[David48]

Life goes on

I like this one. Have to play computer games, no matter what. Sad really.

with photo ...

amazing, given the electrical risks

[ayayay]

Well it would be the same wouldnt it?

Flood water is flood water in any language. Australia had flood water I think 2 years back where more land area than the whole of Thailand flooded here and people deal with it the same way.

The difference is, when Thailand is flooded, many westerners blame the thai government and the thais

When Australia is flooded, it is flooded, and there was not much that could have been done in order to avoid it.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

The difference is, when Thailand is flooded, many westerners blame the thai government and the thais

When Australia is flooded, it is flooded, and there was not much that could have been done in order to avoid it.

If Australia had a city that contained all of Melbourne and Sydney's infrastructure and value to the economy, and it was sitting right smack in the way blocking the floodplain's exit way to the sea.

And either didn't do any proper city planning, or else allowed every wealthy property developer to simply ignore the regulations, displaying not even the most basic common sense.

And then showed complete and total incompetence in recovering from the disaster, with dozens of agencies with overlapping and conflicting jurisdictions working with barely any coordination and top ministers without any expertise suggesting having stationary boats' engines running would help "push the water" out to sea faster.

And refused to accept and implement the advice of the foreign experts with long-term experience in exactly these types of problems.

And a year later hardly made any headway at all toward a systematic effort toward preventing future disasters.

Then I think people would be perfectly justified to blame the idiots for their own problems.

[NeverSure]

Well, you asked about other countries. The US is still being hammered by the biggest storm to hit it in decades. Not only that but it's gone right through the most populous areas, affecting between 20 - 25% of the US population. Link

There is nothing which could have been done to avoid the flooding. I haven't heard anyone blame anyone. I certainguarantee you that private citizens will be out with their boats and 4x4's and chainsaws and anything they can get their hands on to help neighbors or anyone else they can.

The damage is in the tens of $billions, at least 40 are dead, the Eastern seaboard coastline is changed forever, there is saltwater filling the subway tunnels in New Jersey and even New York City. Some will be without electricity for at least a couple of weeks. A couple of nuclear power plants shut down for safety. There is no gasoline available.

The storm surge hit at high tide and the water rushing inland was horrendous.

When 75 million people are affected it takes more than any government. It takes private individuals with whatever they can muster to rescue the sick and elderly and to get food to people, and do whatever is needed as first responders.