Bangkok At Risk From Natural Disasters: World Bank

[Oww]

The floods of 2011 were not a natural disaster. The rain and subsequent flooding could have easily been controlled! Instead those in charge of such things waited until it was too late, as usual!

It's easy to control rain?

So in 2012 all the panicking flappers drained the dams in case there was a repeat, had an unusually LOW amount of rain, and ended up with no water - until now 2013 most of the dams are well below their optimum level and they're struggling to keep water flowing. Dry khlong everywhere.

If there's a repeat of 2012's lack of a substantial rainy season this year, Thailand is in deep doggy-doo.

Yeah, predicting and controlling the weather is real easy...

We've seen dramatic changes in weather patterns, and some pretty awful effects in many countries over the last few years. Floods, unusual snowfalls, heat waves, tornados etc etc.

But, the government here is particularly inept at preparing, planning and managing any kind of emergency. Knee jerk reactions, meaningless dramatic media anouncements, large budgets, which no one is sure where it goes, and corrupt profiteering rule.

The army did a great job last time and without them the situation would have been considerable worse. As for the government, what has actually been tangibly put in place since the last "lesson".

Pfft!..., I live behind Kawila army barracks in Chiang Mai. In 2011My house and neighborhood flooded specifically because they did not sandbag/barricade the FRONT ENTRANCE of Kawila army barracks which is about a mere <deleted> 8 meters wide and FACES the Ping river. This despite loudspeaker warnings given by puyai ban 24-36 HOURS before flooding. Had they done so my entire neighborhood would not have flooded as the entire army barracks other than the front entrance has a massive wall surrounding it. My wife asked one of the soldiers why they didn't block the entrance off...his reply "no one thought of it!"

Complete and utter idiots.

[fabianfred]

The floods of 2011 were not a natural disaster. The rain and subsequent flooding could have easily been controlled! Instead those in charge of such things waited until it was too late, as usual!

There had been a recent change in Government, so many mistakes and lazy lack of preperation were already in place.....plus there was active sabotage by the previous regime of anti-flooding measures to make the new Government look bad!!!

[belg]

one 6.0+ earthquake and all those houses build with cheap burmese labour will be flattened

[MaxLee]

There has been quite a bit of rain around Bangkok and neighboring provinces and it seems like it's heavier than normal. Does anyone know what the long range forecast for rainfall is for this year?

Bangkok seems to be a rather precarious city and I would have to agree with another poster who said that it will likely have to be abandoned sometime in this century.

Seems to me that rainy season are getting really extreme year by year, with September and October apparently at their peeks...

[KhunHehe]

Just watch how the SET trades. That will either confirm or confound these silly assumptions.

EVERYONE in the north talks about Bangkok sinking; NO ONE in Bangkok talks about it at all.

The grey matter is in Bangkok. The SET is in Bangkok. The money is in Bangkok. The party is in the north.

Choose your sources wisely.

The grey matter is in Bangkok. Oh, please. What a load of s**t. And look at what they created.

If they had grey matter they would have moved years ago.

You've either never been to Chiang Mai or only short time. Hahaha.