Govt Declares Bangkok, 29 Provinces As Disaster Zone

[Crushdepth]

I realise that this comment will be about as popular as a turd on a banquet table, but, with the world population exploding out of control, isnt a global pandemic just what we need ?

I say let nature run its course, in the long run the Earth & human race will be better off with drasticly less of us around.

I look forward to hearing your opinions on this.

Presented company exluded, of course

...right

[sriracha john]

Brilliant...just wait until CNN gets hold of this one.

"Bangkok declared bird flu disaster area!"

Tourists? What tourists?

Yahoo News via Agence France-Presse (AFP), "one of the world's big three news agencies," has picked it up:

One third of Thailand declared disaster zone to fight bird flu

Tue Aug 8

BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand has declared more than one third of the country, including Bangkok, a disaster zone as a precaution to help local officials battle bird flu.

"Cabinet today approved a declaration naming 29 provinces as disaster areas so that the government can carry out aggressive, offensive measures to clean up the bird flu outbreak," government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee told reporters on Tuesday.

Most of the provinces are in central and northeastern Thailand.

The government also issued strict safety measures for another 30 provinces, requiring vehicles and equipment to be disinfected before travelling between farms.

Thailand has slaughtered 300,000 birds since two bird flu outbreaks were detected last month. Two people have died of the disease in the last two weeks, after nearly eight months with no sign of the virus.

*repetitive details omitted*

[sriracha john]

and yet.... just yesterday, this was the government's spin:

ACM Kongsak says bird flu situation is under control in 29 provinces

The Interior Minister, Air Chief Marshal Kongsak Wanthana, has asserted that the bird flu outbreak is still under control in the 29 provinces of Thailand.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...st&p=838351

[mitrapaap]

I realise that this comment will be about as popular as a turd on a banquet table, but, with the world population exploding out of control, isnt a global pandemic just what we need ?

I say let nature run its course, in the long run the Earth & human race will be better off with drasticly less of us around.

I look forward to hearing your opinions on this.

"need" might sound a bit harsh, but basically you are sure right, nature will keep our species under control somehow. I have no children, so I've done my part against the overpopulation - do you think the virus will honour that and I'm safe now?

[sriracha john]

And... from Reuters... another side of things:

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand began a week-long campaign on Monday to check every house in 29 provinces, including Bangkok's suburbs, in a bid to halt a resurging bird flu virus that has killed two people in the last three weeks.

"Starting today, we will check every house in every village for suspicious chicken deaths," senior Agriculture Ministry official Nirandorn Uangtrakulsook told Reuters.

[Rhys]

Out the WRECK TUM ... 5555

[sriracha john]

"Death Squads" ????

How long before the chickens start fighting back with elite soldiers of their own?

What if they get organized and start their own "Death Squad" against humans??

[MaiChai]

I had some dodgy chicken last week (10baht chicken leg), and after eating that, had the worst flu I ever experienced. As far as I recall, I did not encounter anyone with flu, nor did I get cold, wet, or was under the weather. Well I guess I have resistance to it now, and the girlfriend will also be resistant to it as soon as she gets better

[boes]

Tourists? What tourists?

I never really thought of a poultry farm as a tourist attraction....

I never really thought of Bangkok as a poultry farm....

Hehe...the Chinese (well, at least Cantonese) slang for a "lady of the night" is a "chicken"...

OMG ............that means the bar trade will be stuffed then!

Its so stupid !

Its wild birds spreading this desease (they migeate all over the world) - you can never stop it by culling the animals in chick- or duck farms.

This is a political item. The PM said the desease should be eradicated before the next election ( you can think what you want)

Boes

[Totster]

Does anyone know which of the provinces are classed as disaster zones ?

totster

[Martin]

I had a look to see if I could find whether ours was one of the 29 provinces, 'totster', but had no luck.

That is typical of journalism, and forum discussions, these days.

There seems to be a culture of "Hard facts are taboo".

[Tony Clifton]

Why hasn't Thailand done what Viet Nam did: vaccinate all the chickens in the country? Although Viet Nam has had a high number of deaths (42) it has not had any outbreak this year. Thailand's policy of not preventing, but eradicating after an outbreak is demonstrably less effective. Did TH adopt this policy to save money for Charoen Pokpand and other large poultry producers?

No, things are run this way so that soon C.P (Charoen Pokpand) will be the only ones allowed to raise poultry, saying only they can effectively monitor the chickens while open farms will be blamed for the outbreaks, not the lack of government help with vaccinations.

I had some dodgy chicken last week (10baht chicken leg), and after eating that, had the worst flu I ever experienced. As far as I recall, I did not encounter anyone with flu, nor did I get cold, wet, or was under the weather. Well I guess I have resistance to it now, and the girlfriend will also be resistant to it as soon as she gets better

Thank you for reassuring us you have indeed consulted a doctor

[Martin]

I realise that this comment will be about as popular as a turd on a banquet table, but, with the world population exploding out of control, isnt a global pandemic just what we need ?

I say let nature run its course, in the long run the Earth & human race will be better off with drasticly less of us around.

I look forward to hearing your opinions on this.

Also 'Love Thai' said, in post #18:

"The bestway to prevent bird flu to catch up with us is to turn vegetarian. That is, i guess, the best protection."

Those who try peering into the future, using the long-term past as a guide, have pointed out that a much smaller population, who were mainly vegetarian since they could get very little meat, was what the planet could support until Man found coal, and how to use it.

Then oil and gas were found to be even more usable.

At the moment, when we eat 'farm chicken' we can be said to be 'eating coal, oil and gas', as the chicken-meat industry can only exist by feeding grain that has been grown using fertilizer from gas and by transportation fuelled by oil and with electricity provided by burning coal (or oil or gas).

Since we are now at the stage when the amounts of coal, oil and gas that we have got used to having can only be 'won' with much more difficulty, the point made by 'Pond Life' is a very valid one---though not likely to be welcomed.

And so is the point made by 'Love Thai'. But it isn't necessary that people go completely vegetarian. If we stopped eating 'oil-produced' meat, we urbanised-westernised folk would cut our meat consumption down to just a small fraction of what it is, enjoy it more, and be healthier for it.

However, the immediate worry about bird flu causing a pandemic isn't any long-term effect on population levels. The big worry is that a pandemic will cause a catastrophic economic crisis. The first reaction to a pandemic is that people will stop shopping, many jobs will go and corporate profits disappear. Then governmental tax income will shrink and governments will have to print fiat money, even though it lets inflation rip, since they can't stop spending by denying people their pensions etc.

We live in interesting times.

(But Thailand is so lucky that it can feed its population with food that it can grow by sunlight alone, and without any artificial fertilizers.

And its climate doesn't make winter heating or summer air conditioning necessary.

The bit of electricity necessary for refrigerators, fans, lights and tv sets can be produced from coal, plus hydro generation.

So its population can be OK.)

[Totster]

I had a look to see if I could find whether ours was one of the 29 provinces, 'totster', but had no luck.

That is typical of journalism, and forum discussions, these days.

There seems to be a culture of "Hard facts are taboo".

It's mad... I just want to know which provinces are affected.. but there seems to be no mention anywhere.

totster

[jdmoor2]

Crap...already getting demands from the family to flee Thailand. ###### you chicken death squads!!!

[nikster]

Brilliant...just wait until CNN gets hold of this one.

"Bangkok declared bird flu disaster area!"

Tourists? What tourists?

Bubba: People's lives are worth more than some tourist income.

I don't think that could be any more obvious.

[nikster]

I realise that this comment will be about as popular as a turd on a banquet table, but, with the world population exploding out of control, isnt a global pandemic just what we need ?

I say let nature run its course, in the long run the Earth & human race will be better off with drasticly less of us around.

I look forward to hearing your opinions on this.

There's always a market for doomsayers.

I want to know: What overpopulation? Most first-world countries have decreasing populations, so the problem has already been solved. Give people a wad of cash and a stressful job as well as a TV set and population is decreasing all by itself.

You also seem to forget the fact that people are part of nature, always have been and always will be. Just as the vaccine being developed to fight bird flu is part of nature.

We are all one.

[nikster]

Maybe I am being super-pessimistic, but has anyone considered the possibility, that there are other and very dark motives at work here ?

What could be a possible reason for Thaksin to create a, virtually, "tourist-free" Bangkok ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Could it be that he IS perhaps planning a little "Military-Coup" ? ? ? ?

I, for one, wouldn't put it past him; especially if you consider the fact that he is now well & truly "backed" into a corner he will (normally) not be able to get out of . . . . . . .

Yeah I was thinking this for a while. I am certain he's planning it, but I also think powers that be for now prevent him from doing it, namely he doesn't have all of the military and the King is firmly opposed to that.

I would be willing to bet that he's itching to do it. Everything that he did in the past shows that he doesn't give a ###### about democracy and he believes in authoritarian rule. It's just that so far, he was able to pull this off in the context of a bought-out democracy, an option he will no longer have next election.

Long live the King!

[sriracha john]

Three suspected bird flu patients admitted to hospital in Bangkok

Three persons were admitted to hospital in Bangkok, capital of Thailand, on Tuesday on suspicion of contracting bird flu virus, an official of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration told Xinhua.

Laboratory blood tests will take at least three days to confirm whether the patients were infected with the deadly bird flu, the official said.

On Monday, a man who lives in downtown Bangkok was put in quarantine at a hospital in Bangkok after suffering a few days of flu-like symptoms.

Meanwhile, Thailand's caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has declared at a meeting Tuesday to allocate a 20 million baht (about 500,000 U.S. dollars) fund to fight bird flu, which re-emerged in the kingdom late July when a 17-year-old boy died from the deadly H5N1 avian influenza virus, the first fatality of the disease this year and the 16th death since the epidemic first broke out in early 2004.

The second victim was a 27-year-old man who died on August 3. Both of the two fatalities occurred in lower northern Thailand.

Source: Xinhua

============================================

Thai government builds bird flu quarantine rooms

BANGKOK – In its strongest public admission yet of concern for a possible developing avian influenza epidemic, the Thai government Tuesday set aside Bt20 million (about US$530,000) for one hundred "quarantine rooms" for bird flu patients nationwide.

According to Thailand's Deputy Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the government allocated the funds to protect doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, as well as patients and visitors to hsopitals across the kingdom.

Mr. Anutin said construction of the quarantine rooms, which will cost Bt200,000 each, is to ensure that hospital medical personnel and patients hospitalised for other reasons will not become infected with the avian influenza virus from bird flu patients.

The deputy health minister, however, did not say that an epidemic was looming, but rather that the government was taking steps to protect the capacity of the national health system.

No scenario has been made public regarding the possible effects of bird flu attacking the caretakers themselves.

Thai poultry, animal husbandry and health officials across the nation are on high alert for bird flu outbreaks following the recent reemergence of bird flu with the latest two deaths being reported in the last two weeks.

The kingdom has suffered more than 20 human cases of the disease, 16 of them fatal, since the first outbreak of bird flu in 2003.

The minister insisted the government has no policy to cover up the number of patients infected with H5N1 virus because it wants the public to access information on the disease as much as possible so as to raise their awareness and vigilance.

Vaccination against bird flu is still illegal in Thailand as no study results substantiate that it can prevent the onset of the virus in case of exposure, Mr. Anutin said.

MCOT

[somchai jones]

With a little more contingency planning, this whole debacle could have been avoided.

For instance, why didn't the government ban all hen parties months ago?

[popshirt]

It is all shades of George W. Bush taking advantage of the 9-11 catastrophe. Shameless politics!

[SNGLIFE]

IMHO, the whole Bird Flu "epidemic" has been blown WAAAAAAY outta proportion. There are far, far, far more deaths from the ordinary cold or Flu MONTHLY than there are from Bird Flu in a year!

Methinks the US Beef industry (do NOT underestimate their power) has been behind this (story headlines around the world) from the outset. When one hears of stuff like this, you gotta stop and think - who benefits?

[astral]

IMHO, the whole Bird Flu "epidemic" has been blown WAAAAAAY outta proportion. There are far, far, far more deaths from the ordinary cold or Flu MONTHLY than there are from Bird Flu in a year!

I cannot agree with that assessment.

In the short term it may be true,

but 'flu epedemics in the last century killed millions.

It has to be taken seriously.

[BlackJack]

Brilliant...just wait until CNN gets hold of this one.

"Bangkok declared bird flu disaster area!"

Tourists? What tourists?

Yep, a crackdown would have been better

Thai government can't do right for doing wrong

errrr

there is no thai government

they have been on holidays for over 8 months now

[OlRedEyes]

Bird flu is simply a diversionary tactic to take the attention away from alien abductions.

[Scott]

The bird flu is real and it is dangerous--at least to birds. There isn't much that any country or gov't can do about the problem. Some could do more, but it isn't going to be eradicated by anyone.

I am glad the authorities are taking it reasonably seriously.

By the way, I live on the edge of BKK and even though it is a populated area, there are really a lot of chickens running around.

[lukamar]

IMHO, the whole Bird Flu "epidemic" has been blown WAAAAAAY outta proportion. There are far, far, far more deaths from the ordinary cold or Flu MONTHLY than there are from Bird Flu in a year!

I agree with you that Type A-H5N1 hysteria is out of proportion with confirmed deaths from Avian Flu. Some transmission from Birds to Humans has been reported but the virus has not made the jump human to human. You are probably in a much more life threatening position on the highway with your Honda Dream.

All countries are basing their Avian flu programs on the the Smallpox eradication one. When they find an outbreak they quarantine the area and then work outward until there is no cases. This is hampered when the infected migrating bird population may only stay put for a day or two on the Asian Flyway and then be off again. Thinking H5N1 is a disease of chickens is wrong, it's a bird flu and ducks and other birds are just as susceptible, it is just spotted more often in chicken flocks where a mass die off due to close proximity is noticeable.

[Ricardo]

Hmm. It is a copy from the Nation Newspaper which calls it a bird flue disaster zone. It got my attention though.

Guess they must be cremating the dead birds, then.

[Backpack_thailand]

Exactly what are chicken "death squads"...???

Is this a load of chickens running around in disguise offering "an offer you can't refuse"...!!!

New movie release: The Godfather Part IV - "This time it's poultry"

[xbusman]

IMHO, the whole Bird Flu "epidemic" has been blown WAAAAAAY outta proportion. There are far, far, far more deaths from the ordinary cold or Flu MONTHLY than there are from Bird Flu in a year!

I agree with you that Type A-H5N1 hysteria is out of proportion with confirmed deaths from Avian Flu. Some transmission from Birds to Humans has been reported but the virus has not made the jump human to human. You are probably in a much more life threatening position on the highway with your Honda Dream.

All countries are basing their Avian flu programs on the the Smallpox eradication one. When they find an outbreak they quarantine the area and then work outward until there is no cases. This is hampered when the infected migrating bird population may only stay put for a day or two on the Asian Flyway and then be off again. Thinking H5N1 is a disease of chickens is wrong, it's a bird flu and ducks and other birds are just as susceptible, it is just spotted more often in chicken flocks where a mass die off due to close proximity is noticeable.

Measuring the concern regarding H5N1 versus current confirmed deaths is simply ludicrous. That would also tell us that we have absolutely nothing to fear from nuclear bombs given the death rate over the past week. Because we are familiar with the horrific destructive power of nuclear weapons we remain aware of the danger and various social organizations work tirelessly to reduce the risk. You need to understand that the people in charge of cleaning up really dont fear a roque nuclear weapon, a tsunami, or even chemical poisonings of public water supplies. What they fear above all else is microbes with small pox and influenza at the top of the list. These pieces of RNA make nuclear warhead pale in comparison, and no one has a finger on their trigger so in the end we have very little control of keeping that genie in the bottle.

Nothing you face in your life will have more potential for cataclysmic disaster than H5N1 beyond any scale you could possibly imagine. If you think it cant happen, you need to go back and read a little about the Spanish flu of 1918 and there is some rather startling speculation on misdiagnosed outbreaks going back hundreds of years.

H5N1 may indeed never make the jump to humans but I am afraid it will never go away either. It may be something that requires a world monitoring and response forever. This is not a battle where we can afford getting lax or giving up.