Survival planning ahead of 'Bangkok Shutdown'

[webfact]

Survival planning ahead of Shutdown
Asina Pornwasin
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Many people feel the anti-government protesters' planned "Bangkok shutdown", scheduled for January 13, is the kind of disaster they have experienced before, especially the flooding in 2011.

As a result, many have plans for how to prepare and manage their daily lives in the event of a shutdown of Bangkok.

Bangkok residents have provided feedback, via Facebook and Twitter, on how they would prepare their lives for a political crisis in the capital.

Some are prepared to accept the time as "car-free days". They will prepare themselves for walking, riding bicycles, taking public mass transit - especially, the BTS and MRT - and travelling by motorcycle taxis.

Asked what he could see as an opportunity in this situation, Rungroj Siripornmongkol said he considered a bicycling campaign. Ohm Udoncanich favoured car free days. Da Dee Da proposed a "Walking Street" festival to promote tourism. Rungnapa Sukhmol envisioned a new business built around food delivery, while Attapol Lertlumcoould saw a need for bicycle repair and accessories shops. Morrakot Kula and Tik Srisongkhroh will take the BTS and MRT to work, while Nook Kick will ride a bicycle.

Many people plan to work at home, including Chatpol Charimobhas, Pim Wisa, Nunchavit Chaiyapaksopon, Arthit Thurdsuwarn and Pockka Pock.

Putchong Uthayapos sees this situation as a chance to test many systems - including how Thailand can function if Bangkok is in a disaster situation. How ready are the Internet and telecommunications infrastructures to help users in a crisis? How would media efficiently report the news through social media? How does the work-at-home concept function? How would food delivery services operate in a crisis situation?

Wanida Wini said business managers need to have conti-nuity plans to operate and run their operations as usual during the Bangkok shutdown. Individuals, she said, should prepare to be active and energetic because they might need to walk a lot rather than drive the car or take a cab. And they needed to have comfortable shoes as well. Also, people should keep money in cash, stock some food and water, and importantly, they should keep a backup battery for their smartphones.

Mana Treelayapewat agrees, saying he plans to keep cash, and stock up on supplies and snacks for his children.

Morrakot Kula, as the executive of an Internet data-centre business, will monitor her sites during the Bangkok shutdown. Arthit Thurdsuwarn also set up business continuity plans in order to keep his offices running as usual during this situation. Jakrapong Kongmalai, as executive at Thai Samsung Electronics, said he would continue to hold a marketing event as planned.


-- The Nation 2014-01-06

[EricBerg]

People could watch some documentaries about the "preppers" in the US: people preparing for armageddon or a massive zombie invasion or similar doomsday scenarios. Could become a trending hobby in Thailand.

Edited January 6, 2014 by EricBerg

[Mampara]

Stop making mountains out of molehills.

[bunny11kk]

Some car free days are really not bad for Bangkok. At least this will help to reduce pollution to certain degree.

[LuckyLew]

They could do what my GF plans to do

Take the day off

Sit on her fat ass all day and play FB ...

The same thing she does with every day off

Edited January 6, 2014 by LuckyLew

[londonthai]

With prices of goods going up, due to falling of baht, it might be wise to stock up on non perishable foods and other essentials. Imported, high value products, will shoot up within short time.

It might be not days, but weeks and months, with scarcity on the shop shelves

Edited January 6, 2014 by londonthai

[Spare]

Stop making mountains out of molehills.

5.8 million people is no molehills.

And that was last month.

On the 13th, we shall see Suthep lead double that amount of people to the promised "true" democracy.

[jackrich]

I don't have time for this bullshit. I will keep doing what I do every day, go where I want to go.

If a someone in a yellow shirt and a whistle in his mouth pops up in front of my car and tells me to stop, I will do as Thais have taught me in the many years of driving here, which is flash the lights and increase speed. If Buddha wants you to survive, you will survive. If you don't, then it was your time to go.

[TVGerry]

I don't have time for this bullshit. I will keep doing what I do every day, go where I want to go.

If a someone in a yellow shirt and a whistle in his mouth pops up in front of my car and tells me to stop, I will do as Thais have taught me in the many years of driving here, which is flash the lights and increase speed. If Buddha wants you to survive, you will survive. If you don't, then it was your time to go.

We all love the keyboard tough guy!

[mervyn yap]

Go outside your house and join the fun.Food and drinks are provided.

[wwest5829]

For me, survival planning means not coming down to shop in Bangkok until things settle down. Bangkok will survive without my spending on 3 nights lodging, meals, Sktrain, Chatuchak and JJ Market shopping, etc. Still how many others are delaying or canceling?

[Chao Lao Beach]

"Da Dee Da proposed a "Walking Street" festival to promote tourism".

LMAO

[jpeg]

Won't happen. Tanks being mobilised tonight

[BKKBrit]

Stop making mountains out of molehills.

5.8 million people is no molehills.

And that was last month.

On the 13th, we shall see Suthep lead double that amount of people to the promised "true" democracy.

Get a grip - or increase the la-la-land meds.

[Soi Dog]

True democracy? How exactly do you do that without elections? Sounds like Peoples' Republic democracy to me.

[Faranguy]

People: This is not about having a few days off, this is about insurrection and that is not my opinion, it is a fact.

My opinion is that Thailand, like ALL democracies, needs a Balanced democracy. I don't know what the answer is. Ask the King

[bunny11kk]

I don't have time for this bullshit. I will keep doing what I do every day, go where I want to go.

If a someone in a yellow shirt and a whistle in his mouth pops up in front of my car and tells me to stop, I will do as Thais have taught me in the many years of driving here, which is flash the lights and increase speed. If Buddha wants you to survive, you will survive. If you don't, then it was your time to go.

We all love the keyboard tough guy!

Please do as what you say next week and see how it goes Don't chicken out

[binjalin]

Stop making mountains out of molehills.

5.8 million people is no molehills.

And that was last month.

On the 13th, we shall see Suthep lead double that amount of people to the promised "true" democracy.

ROFL

5.8m? now going to be 11.6m? what have you been smoking?

[impulse]

True democracy? How exactly do you do that without elections? Sounds like Peoples' Republic democracy to me.

Google "sortition" or Athenian Democracy.

Probably a purer form of democracy than anything in existence today.

[bushwacker]

Just cancelled my 15 day vacation to the big city and will stay in the backwaters enjoying the simple life.

[h90]

Stop making mountains out of molehills.

5.8 million people is no molehills.

And that was last month.

On the 13th, we shall see Suthep lead double that amount of people to the promised "true" democracy.

yes but last month, was there any shortage of anything?

Supply of 7/11 will only slow down but not brake down, so everything up to 1 week won't be a problem.

[h90]

People could watch some documentaries about the "preppers" in the US: people preparing for armageddon or a massive zombie invasion or similar doomsday scenarios. Could become a trending hobby in Thailand.

Well that lasts at least 1 week, and there won't everything sold out in the moment the demonstrations begin. So if it lasts one week and 7/11 has stock for 3 days and does not get any supply and you can't walk anywhere else you have to survive 4 days.

I think everyone has supply for 4 days at home. Not to mention that it is absolute no problem to don't eat 4 days and the water from the pipe is theoretically drinkable (a lot chlorine).

By the way: My Thai/Chinese wife is the Thai version of a prepper....We still drink the water for the 2012 floods and some of it origins from preparing for the 2011 floods. And I have more tuna in cans than there are left on the Thai coast....

[Johnnie99]

Just cancelled my 15 day vacation to the big city and will stay in the backwaters enjoying the simple life.

Surely the backwaters are the 'big city' ...

[Ulic]

Prepare as you would for a Typhon. Water, food, some cash, full fuel in car or scooter, fully charged cell phones, candles.

No need to go overboard but you should have most of these things for emergency any way.

[HasipHasip5]

Stop making mountains out of molehills.

5.8 million people is no molehills.

And that was last month.

On the 13th, we shall see Suthep lead double that amount of people to the promised "true" democracy.

Thanks for this. I was wondering who drank all of the Kool-aid!

[falangadang]

They could do what my GF plans to do

Take the day off

Sit on her fat ass all day and play FB ...

The same thing she does with every day off

At least she waits until her days off,.... many Thai women I see working have got their faces buried in their smartphones when they should be serving customers or getting on with their jobs!

[rreddin]

True democracy? How exactly do you do that without elections? Sounds like Peoples' Republic democracy to me.

What you can be certain of is that if Suthep and his backers get their way, it will be neither a democracy nor a peoples' republic.

[Cricketnut]

Stop making mountains out of molehills.

5555, that is such a funny post. Well since you can obviously see over the "molehill", I think that appropriate phrase may be " I'm fine thank you and you ? Time will only tell, but pls let us know if you need a digger to help in excavating that molehill of yours if you live in Bangkok. Hope you dont need to start drinking tap water if your sure that things wont get out of hand for a day or so......

[Bkungbank]

I plan to stock pile some stuff because transportation carry foods might not reach supermarket on time

[meand]

Buy a kilo of salted squid, whether or not there is a siege of the city that is. Warmed, the stuff is delicious, doesn't need refrigeration, packs some mean nutrients within etc etc etc.

I plan to try and get a couple days off out of this myself.

As for Suthep, I stepped on a piece of gum the other day that had more reasoning abilities than him.