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Discussion 1 : 19/09/2012 at 08:39 PM

What better justification than massive flooding could there be to infuse hundreds of billions. If only the water could disappear and evaporate as efficiently as the cash did !

Discussion 2 : 15/09/2012 at 06:30 AM

Same stories as last year except this time they cannot blame the Democrats..

Discussion 3 : 13/09/2012 at 05:23 PM

@Disc 50 - I waded in ankle and occasionally knee deep water in Bangkok in the early 90s ! But this was not the case after the late 90s. So it is NOT common, even for city centers in Sukhothai.

Discussion 4 : 12/09/2012 at 06:33 PM

"However, he expected flood levels to recede in the next few days and said downstream provinces were not likely to be affected." ... and if the current Thai Met Service forecasts and weather warnings are correct?

Discussion 5 : 12/09/2012 at 06:30 PM

The provinces in the map up north are all red-shirt strongholds. When this not makes you think. How the people can vote for always the same party and they get the same flood every year. The voters get the gov. they deserve.

Discussion 6 : 12/09/2012 at 04:56 PM

My first trip to Thailand in 1979 I waded knee deep in floodwater in Bangkok. I went north and waded more in Sukhothai, and Lampang. This is nothing new and Thais have been fighting floods forever. It's just part of the effects of yearly rainy season in the North.

Discussion 7 : 12/09/2012 at 04:33 PM

Kasper D#46, no, they are still waiting for the Korean water pumps donated last year by her brother

Discussion 8 : 12/09/2012 at 03:49 PM

the gouverment and high class people get the money and the poor people get the problems after one year the same problem if they not solve the problem of corruption in thailand in long history thailand get back in economy disaster if they ask for help from dutch engineering for solve the problem without any corrucption you can solve the problem. if you dont surrounding countrys get a better economy in several years. but its the thai style and a farang don't get it . right.....

Discussion 9 : 12/09/2012 at 02:04 PM

PS Sorry we did the same thing last year and let too much water go what silly billy's we are>you see we don't understand that water has to find its own level.Nor do we know how much water the river is capable of taking before it floods.It it is all guess work you know please accept us being a bit vague.Said the water management team.I notice the figures for the Chao Pyraya Dams situation has not been given it clearly must have been full.

Discussion 10 : 12/09/2012 at 02:02 PM

Does anyone know if the "water pushing machine" Ms. Yingluck sent to Sukhothai has arrived yet? I assume it hasn't since the area is still flooded?

Discussion 11 : 12/09/2012 at 01:16 PM

This government only knows that there will be no flooding the next (this) year that they will do a lot that they don't know exactly what and that it will cost 350 billion.

Discussion 12 : 12/09/2012 at 01:07 PM

Please BP don't show pictures from last year's flooding.

Discussion 13 : 12/09/2012 at 12:30 PM

Will not be long before the 350 billion is spent in compensation,These so called experts{remember ex is passed and a spurt is a drip under pressure]need replacing with people who will listen to advice and have commonsense,Not something you can teach at collage you either have it, or in the case of those in charge do not have. Time for change I feel.

Discussion 14 : 12/09/2012 at 12:21 PM

Discussion 36: "Just maybe it is time to accept some of last years offers from overseas experts, It is time to put Thai pride aside" I don't think pride has much to do with it. It's probably more about the cost. Govt's mindset is a dollar spent is a dollar lost (from their pockets)

Discussion 15 : 12/09/2012 at 12:11 PM

The goverment keeps releasing water at too large a rate flooding everyone. They have the money to fix the problem but corruption stops the work from being completed correctly. Now they will make up more reasons to use more of the money reserves to do repairs and the corruption will continue. PT is just using the water as a tool to steal from the hard working people of Thailand. Its such a shame. Sorry for the people of Thaland but you voted for them. Now you see what you got. Water

Discussion 16 : 12/09/2012 at 12:00 PM

corruption breeds corruption,and thats why the job in hand wasnt done properly,this regime assured the nation job done no problem,they need to bring in experts and pay the going rate,but it appears there no money left in the kitty,where has it gone ? to make excuses quoting floods in 1941 and others is not today ,this regime had plenty of time to bring in the experts,but instead tried to do a quick fix it job, riddled with graft

Discussion 17 : 12/09/2012 at 11:32 AM

Today Plodprasop claimed the floods in Sukhothai, Ayutthaya and Angthong are 'just accidents'. If this incompetent regime does not step down by itself someone must help us to kick them out.

Discussion 18 : 12/09/2012 at 11:23 AM

I lived in the lower north for 5 years, long ago. Sukhothai and the surrounding areas would occasionally flood, but not to the extent they do now. I also remember how the mountains were covered with trees. No so many trees are left these days. It doesn't take a genius to make the connection.

Discussion 19 : 12/09/2012 at 11:22 AM

Dis#36 - I recall that experts were called in from the Netherlands and Japan. Not that it made any difference. Thais are not very good at taking advice from foreigners because everyone knows that Thais know best.

Discussion 20 : 12/09/2012 at 10:51 AM

Just maybe it is time to accept some of last years offers from overseas experts to assist Thailand in proper flood management. Obviously the local talent is too consumed with filling their own pockets. With real experts in charge, corruption could be minimized and the work could be properly supervised. It is time to put Thai pride aside & think about the people of Thailand - Just for a change!!

Discussion 21 : 12/09/2012 at 10:51 AM

A very simple equation: Corrupted Pheu Thai poloticians = Annual Flood.

Discussion 22 : 12/09/2012 at 10:18 AM

"The flood occurred because the bases on which flood walls had been built unexpectedly broke." Well, what a surprise. More sub-standard work no doubt by people with poor or no proper training. On that note, repairs are being made to the ruins at Ayutthaya by people with no training at all, whereas in normal countries the work would be carried out by highly trained specialists.

Discussion 23 : 12/09/2012 at 10:11 AM

"He said the flood levees designed to prevent overflow from the Yom River were built in 2001". This time the PT government cannot accuse or point out fingers to the Democrats...

Discussion 24 : 12/09/2012 at 10:04 AM

Thailand will always flood a bit but the degree to which it is flooded can be controlled with smart water management .Instead of fighting the water trying to hold it back why not just dig other cnalas to channel it away form concentrated areas .Why not plant trees to absorb water on land instead of letting it run down the hillside into the river where it snowballs as it heads south .Why clear houses and slums blocking waterways .Why pour concrete everywhere to create swimming pools for water to collect ? Why has it been so long and we still dont know how to deal with this ?

Discussion 25 : 12/09/2012 at 10:01 AM

Khun Nosurprise #25, white lie is relatively harmless, but it's the wet lie that I worry about, which could cost us arms and legs again!

Discussion 26 : 12/09/2012 at 09:41 AM

corruption is to blame 100% and thats all no matte what Goverment is in power as this is all local corruption This is why it will be never fixed no matter what

Discussion 27 : 12/09/2012 at 09:31 AM

Last year was no natural disaster, it was mismanagement of the dams and total lack of coordination in efforts to "save" Bangkok. This year it is the result of spending the money but doing nothing. Pretty well all illegal structures are still there, garbage and plants still clog the canals, levees and water gates are still in disrepair. Nothing natural in this disaster sequence.

Discussion 28 : 12/09/2012 at 09:22 AM

The are the annual flooding and the big floods of 1942 and 2011. Let's not lump them together to justify your case. The big floods are nation wide, economic disaster and large number of fatalities. The bad news are that Thailand will continue to have the annual floods from seasonal monsoon and the deluge are getting larger from chage in global climatic conditions. The large flood mitigation investments by the central government are to prevent these big floods to occur again, damaging the whole economy. The provincial governors will still have to work harder to prevent localize flooding.

Discussion 29 : 12/09/2012 at 09:16 AM

d24: Just like the previous dictatorship of the fugitive, corruption is running out-of-control. To compare any other Thai government with his extreme behaviour is ridicioulus.

Discussion 30 : 12/09/2012 at 09:07 AM

"No floodings this year". We all believe you YS do not worry, LOL

Discussion 31 : 12/09/2012 at 08:50 AM

"Kittiratt Na-Ranong said yesterday he was confident flood prevention measures devised by the government would protect six industrial estates in Ayutthaya." Is this another white lie? D23 orange. you still don't understand, last year's flooding was not a natural disaster, it was caused when the dams were opened to let out water that was theatening to destroy them because too much water was allowed to accumulate - so it was a man made disaster.

Discussion 32 : 12/09/2012 at 08:37 AM

Misappropriation of funds has been a common factor throughout Thailand's post war history, PT simply follow that pattern. Now if we assume that 40% of everything spent ends up in various pockets, then I would expect to see about 60% of the target achieved, it looks like this is roughly the case.

Discussion 33 : 12/09/2012 at 08:30 AM

brilliant Discussion 14 : 12/09/2012 at 06:31 AM You can't seriously be trying to the blame the current government for a natural disaster! the flooding that occured last year this year or any other year. To suggest, as you have, that a government gets elected partially on claims that there will be no more flooding is rediculous and stupid.

Discussion 34 : 12/09/2012 at 08:29 AM

where is yingluck at this time? and by the way, Mr Dussadee who investigated the corruptions of flood budget last year was transfer to deputy justice ministry for drug and suppression. im sure local politicians and officials are excited for flood budget(their pockets are wide open).. cheers

Discussion 35 : 12/09/2012 at 08:03 AM

D5 Hillfarang: You said it flooded during Dem's & Prem, but now it's the governments fault. What you say is true. This Government dug it's own hole - it borrowed 350Bl under an emergency bill and the PM promised there would be no more flooding. Both of these actions now look pretty ill advised. Deforestation, garbage , illegal buildings, out of control water hyacinth, corruption or whatever. The buck stops somewhere.

Discussion 36 : 12/09/2012 at 07:53 AM

"He said the flood levees designed to prevent overflow from the Yom River were built in 2001 and the structure may have eroded through years of wear." "It was difficult to detect damage in the levee bases, he said." Well call me silly, but isn't that what inspections are for, to check for damage and to ensure that all levees are up to standard....Ohh wait...I forgot logic isn't something that happens too often "He expected the water levels would stabilise and go down if there was no further rainfall in the next few days." So now he can predict what mother nature is going to do...laughable! "Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong said yesterday he was confident flood prevention measures devised by the government would protect six industrial estates in Ayutthaya from a repeat of last year's flood crisis. The measures include construction of concrete flood barriers around the estates." OK, wouldn't that have been a novel idea after last years floods???

Discussion 37 : 12/09/2012 at 07:34 AM

Hey now, hey now, it's finger ..... finger-pointing time. Chaiyo. The floods are here and there will be walls of words to meet the walls of water. And then..........

Discussion 38 : 12/09/2012 at 07:33 AM

@ wyle - I think someone got transferred for trying to find that out :P

Discussion 39 : 12/09/2012 at 07:27 AM

Speaking from a Bangkok historical perspective it is pretty clear that the founders of the capital had more brains than the current (or recent) crop of leaders by a country mile. Bangkok with its network of large water ways and canels once earned it the title the Venice of the East. I wonder why the ancestors chose to create such waterways and why we in our arrogance chose to remove them or fill them up with our garbage.

Discussion 40 : 12/09/2012 at 07:12 AM

Add another 300 billions to the flood Fund; Thaksin :-) This is only a test from the Goverment side, they promised NO more flooding, can we trust them ?

Discussion 41 : 12/09/2012 at 06:34 AM

Hillfarang, D5, What you refer to as 'whole scale: "blame the government."' is concerned people having their say about perceived ineptitude and corruption. Bad things can only happen when good people say nothing. And when others jump in to defend these ineptitudes and corruptions they are putting political affiliation before decency. By the way, many commenters here have been in Thailand for many years, some even more than you, and some may even disagree with you. A log-time association with Thailand does not justify a political position.

Discussion 42 : 12/09/2012 at 06:31 AM

hillfarang - when a government gets elected partially on claims that there will be no more flooding, then the failure to keep that claim is the government's fault. When the governemnt gices out hundreds of millions of baht to mitigate flooding and nothing is done, then, yes, it;s the government's fault. Most logical people understood that keeping this promise would be impossible. BTW, the massive deforestation, which I agree is a major cause of the flooding, is mostly in red shirt/PTP strongholds and was allowed by representatives of that government or TRT. Yongyuth, from Chiang Rai, was the Interior Minister, I believe, during the time so much of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai was burned to allow orange groves, etc. It was TRT's job to stop the deforestation, not get rich off of it.

Discussion 43 : 12/09/2012 at 06:26 AM

"He said the flood levees designed to prevent overflow from the Yom River were built in 2001 and the structure may have eroded through years of wear." And, no one checked this after the devastation in 2011? Science and Tech Minister needs to be fired.

Discussion 44 : 12/09/2012 at 06:18 AM

It is time to show some accountability on how the 300 million Baht for flood prevention was spent. Who got the money and how did they use it? There are fair questions.

Discussion 45 : 12/09/2012 at 06:17 AM

The Real PM does not care about flooding, He lives in a desert! Maybe thats why his goverment know so mutch about water management?

Discussion 46 : 12/09/2012 at 06:17 AM

A trade off of flooding for reserved waters in dams for growing extra crops. Stripping the timber land for profit and much illegal. Corruption in flood management projects. The list goes on and on of reasons the flooding is worse now than ever before but the fact is it's all greed made.

Discussion 47 : 12/09/2012 at 06:11 AM

D6 Hillfarang, same point I made yesterday, except, after last year's unprecedented floods, this govt promised unprecedented measures, but the net result was apparent widespread corruption in the projects and their response to that just this week was to 'silence the messenger', of course nature isn't fooled, and as it materialised the levees at Sukhothai break because no one noticed during the extensive flood prevention work that some of the dykes were built in 2001 and worn. Who's fault was that one? All govts are corrupt, floods come and go, but this one is getting exposed more than usual.

Discussion 48 : 12/09/2012 at 06:11 AM

The usual blah blah from posted here never fails to amaze me ... The only areas of Thailand that have ever seriously been sought protected against Flooding has been Bangkok and recently the Industrial parks...and this approach has not been changed and will not change as it is an impossible task to defend all low laying areas, rice paddy land etc against flooding...people living in these low laying areas know the risk and get on with their lives. Where there is a river there is a flood risk, even in the UK you will see floods despite the very modest sized waterways there, or in Australia...Europe, Asia wherever . Believing that you can somehow dam in a river is purebred naivety, can't be done, sorry. What can be done is erecting dykes and maintaining them in areas with vital interest to the country, and that have for generations been true for Bangkok.

Discussion 49 : 12/09/2012 at 06:00 AM

I think it is fare to say that many years of neglect will not be fixed in a single year. The emergency services response does seem to be functioning quite well. Hats off to all those involved in the effort!

Discussion 50 : 12/09/2012 at 05:41 AM

It's about time Thai people stopped thinking with their hearts and their colours and started to use their heads. Their monies are being pocketed whilst they and their countrymen suffer, they have to change the equation because politicians never will. Complacency about corruption gives you this broken levees and flooded townships....

Discussion 51 : 12/09/2012 at 05:17 AM

windyman (D@1) I first came to Thailand in 1981. Since then there has been flooding & even deaths in my hometown of Chiang Mai, but never before has there been such whole scale: "blame the government." It flooded during the Dem's & Prem, etc, but now, it seems, it's the governments fault. De-forestation is a long-term problem requiring long-term solutions.

Discussion 52 : 12/09/2012 at 05:13 AM

Pretty extensive flooding for "there will be no more flooding". But, of course, you will always have those that defend the graft and theft of flood mitigation money and lack of actual action by blaming the past government. This rests squarely on PTP and Yingluck. No one else.

Discussion 53 : 12/09/2012 at 05:12 AM

"However, Mr Kittiratt said the government could not afford to be complacent and it would monitor the flood situation closely". What about managing the situation instead of monitoring.... What about accountability and responsibility

Discussion 54 : 12/09/2012 at 05:10 AM

Instead of apologizing, start explaining where the billions of baht for flood preparations have disappeared to? In light of the fact nothing was done since 2001 at this dyke, I believe it is quite evident the money was not used for flood prevention at all. It is a sorry day when people will steal and corrupt money sorely needed for the flood protection of this country for their own personal benefit. I am sure they will be happy to see Thailand bankrupted while they move away to their second homes in the UK and USA. The govt needs to explain to the people where all that money disappeared to. Someone needs to be held accountable. Maybe this time Thai people won't think corruption is all that cool.

Discussion 55 : 12/09/2012 at 03:32 AM

last year there was the excuses of tropical storms and promises that it would not happen any more. now we are back to the flooding of several provinces without even the slightest tropical storm but with spending against flooding amounting to several billion baht another success of our brilliant government?