Relief for Nepal in full swing with flights, Royal aid and rescue teams

[webfact]

Relief for Nepal in full swing with flights, Royal aid and rescue teams
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- A GOVERNMENT operational centre to coordinate Thai-organised relief efforts in quake-hit Nepal has been set up at Government House, while a separate centre dedicated to receiving donations has been opened inside the compound at Naree Samosorn building.

The first contact between this centre and the Thai-run operations based in Nepal, including the Thai embassy, will be held today. A test of communication signals was conducted and proved a success, Deputy Government Spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said yesterday.

Details of the daily meeting, which is held through teleconferencing, would be reported to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and ministers charged with handling the relief efforts.

Donors are encouraged to hand their supplies directly to the First Infantry Regiment on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road - and the 11th Infantry Regiment on Phaholyothin Road, as both sites are depots for further shipment to Nepal.

Sansern said a number of Thai officials and military personnel who had arrived in Nepal were assessing the situation and planning further relief operations for other Thai agencies that would follow or take turns working there.

Money can be donated to the government's "Thai Heart Sent to Nepal" fund, at Krung Thai Bank account number 067-0-10330-6.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday proposed that relief supplies could also be sent to Nepal via sea freight, instead of just by air, adding that the Navy was checking out the details.

The Air Force yesterday cancelled C-130 flights to Nepal due to heavy runway traffic at Kathmandu international airport, postponing them to 6am onwards today. The Air Force has provided two C-130 transport planes to fly daily to deliver relief supplies and disaster relief personnel to Nepal.

HRH Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya has donated a large number of survival kits to victims, including rice, canned fish, drinking water, children's clothing and medical supplies. Her donation was flown out of Thailand yesterday on a C-130 flight, and another flight carrying the shipment will depart today.

Air Force spokesman ACM Monthol Satchukorn said the two C-130 planes will carry a total of 16 tonnes of relief supplies, and are scheduled to depart at 2am and 2.30am today.

A 19-strong group from the Public Health Ministry Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) yesterday landed in Kathmandu and will be stationed at Sipaghat subdistrict, in Sindhupalchock district, which is one of the four hardest-hit spots where 90 per cent of the area has been damaged.

In a Public Health Ministry statement released yesterday, deputy permanent secretary Dr Wachira Pengjuntr said| the Department of Disease Control |had been instructed to research diseases such as flu, meningitis and tetanus, |which might threaten Thai personnel, while getting vaccines ready.

Meanwhile, Thai Airways International (THAI) has waived the charges for ticket change for passengers travelling to and from Kathmandu from today until May 15.

Wiwat Piyawiroj, vice president for sales and distribution in the region, said that THAI would waive the fee for passengers whose tickets were issued prior to April 25 and who were scheduled to travel between last Saturday and May15.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Relief-for-Nepal-in-full-swing-with-flights-Royal--30259057.html


-- The Nation 2015-04-30

[chooka]

Not sure if I would be to happy about being rescued by one of these thai rescue workers. Have seen and heard how they operate in Thailand, fighting over victims and just throwing them into the back of an old rusty pickup as they speed away on bumpy roads.

Thanks Somchia but no thanks, there will be another crew along in a couple of days, I can hang on till then.

[nottocus]

If those rescued by the Thai team have any cash or valuables, they sure won't have them for long.

[smutcakes]

Not sure if I would be to happy about being rescued by one of these thai rescue workers. Have seen and heard how they operate in Thailand, fighting over victims and just throwing them into the back of an old rusty pickup as they speed away on bumpy roads.

Thanks Somchia but no thanks, there will be another crew along in a couple of days, I can hang on till then.

Dont be a complete moron, if the destruction there is anything close to how it is being portrayed on tv then they would be absolutely ecstatic about receiving any assistance.

I expect they are sending properly trained and equipped teams to assist rather than the roadside informal emergency units.

Sorry if your comment was just tongue in cheek.

[NongKhaiKid]

There's reports elsewhere that the Nepalese have said they don't need any more rescue teams now as there's enough in the country to cope

The BBC is showing footage of protests at the lack of government action to assist survivors.

[zydeco]

Aside from the survival kits, which seem a good idea, the remainder of the Thai flights could be cancelled and their landing slot at the airport given over to someone bringing more of the aforementioned survival kits. No more rescue teams needed. No Thai experts needed to "assess the situation." And no navy personnel needed to ship supplies by sea, as, of course, Nepal is a mountainous landlocked country about as inaccessible by the ocean as any country in the world.