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Discussion 1 : 06/10/2012 at 06:55 PM

englishjon # 23, Thanks for remembering this as well, I started doubting myself after reading she was in Hawaii. Ringmaster is not really a master yet it seems;-)

Discussion 2 : 06/10/2012 at 05:54 PM

I just assumed Peua Thai was going to build an enormous umbrella over the entire country made with 1000 baht bills... (Seems like they just borrowed enough for it.)

Discussion 3 : 06/10/2012 at 04:49 PM

PTP formed a government in middle August last year and Bangkok was starting to flood in middle September. The previous government was responsible for putting into place flood prevention measures before PTP formed a government in August. But they didn't as they lost the election already in June and let Bangkok and Thailand flood to score political points. As said in my previous comments, in 3 years they didn't maintain pumps, levies, they didn't clear waterways, they let developers build houses in flood prone areas. They did nothing, but thats nothing new as they did nothing noteworthy for the general Thai population, during their years in power.

Discussion 4 : 06/10/2012 at 03:44 PM

I'm sure we will all sleep more soundly in our beds knowing the fabulous Yingluk is in charge! from iPhone application.

Discussion 5 : 06/10/2012 at 03:44 PM

Sorry to disappoint you Aussie #25, but Wyle #24 is correct, and that includes your darling AV. The reason why is equally obvious, no capable person would soil his reputation with the role of politician.

Discussion 6 : 06/10/2012 at 03:22 PM

Ah, a new tactic to add to the 'water pushing' strategy - employ the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division soldiers to fire at the storm to either shoot it down or scare it away. Amazing Thai innovations!

Discussion 7 : 06/10/2012 at 03:17 PM

@discussion 12 - Yingluck did not study in Bowling Green. That is Western Kentucky University. Kentucky State is a formerly all black university at Frankfort. Western Kentucky has a well known business school. Kentucky State does not, which makes one wonder why on earth she went there.

Discussion 8 : 06/10/2012 at 03:04 PM

Time to buy a boat

Discussion 9 : 06/10/2012 at 02:47 PM

Her brain is in Dubai and there are no storms there. This should be interesting.

Discussion 10 : 06/10/2012 at 02:20 PM

The parrot is not in charge of anything. What about the 130,000 Thais already flooded and the thousands killed in southern Thailand? Who is taking responsibility for those massive failures?

Discussion 11 : 06/10/2012 at 01:21 PM

ringlicker, Dis#22, AV deservedly took his family vacation after resigning from his position as leader of the opposition , not sure how you missed ptp`s soccer match in cambodia though , it was at the same time that AV took that trip , you seem to have your red finger on Thai pulse any other time , selective memory maybe , you obviously forget or missed what AV and his family went through on a daily basis at the hands of the redshirts too ? AV and Thailand were under attack the whole time and i for one would love to see him back as PM with the protection he deserves although , he maybe waiting a while for Thailands BiB to act on their oaths to serve and protect ! AV for PM !

Discussion 12 : 06/10/2012 at 01:14 PM

It would be better for the country if someone who actually knew what they were doing was in charge. Maybe the real problem is there is no one in Thailand who can deal with a natural emergency. 60+ million and not one capable person.

Discussion 13 : 06/10/2012 at 12:53 PM

Thank you Disc#14 (Ringmaster) for once again showing us all yet again how PT supporters are unable to get the world in perspective. Wherever Abhisit was, he was not in charge. Yingluck and PT were. While Ayuttaya went under, they spent a couple of weeks arranging their little party to Cambodia to play football with their master and his partners in crime. That event sticks in my mind because it was such a disgrace, I would never have beleived it had I not witnessed it myself.

Discussion 14 : 06/10/2012 at 12:43 PM

soltair D17 - Sorry, I don't know about any Cambodian trip by Yingluck during the flood. Please enlighten me. I do remember how she cancelled a trip to Hawaii for the APEC summit. http://www.bangkokpost.com/lite/topstories/265356/yingluck-to-forego-hawaii-apec-summit joninnak D16 - If I'm the leader of the opposition party and want to be elected PM someday then I don't go on vacation during the worst flooding in decades. I stay and try to help. Then again, Abhisit doesn't care about "being elected", his path to being PM is the seedy back door.

Discussion 15 : 06/10/2012 at 11:57 AM

I wonder how many of you guys had their houses flooded last year , this is another Damocles sword upon our heads specially those with houses in the same areas of 2011 flooded. When the government says don't worry it's time to bring furnitures upstairs. from iPhone application.

Discussion 16 : 06/10/2012 at 11:48 AM

A emergency flood response center should be available 24/7 during rainy season, with a professional staff to man it. You don't see the President running to a command center every time a hurricane threatens the USA (and they get hammered far worse than what Gaemi might do to Thailand). This is nothing more than a PR stunt, so that the PTP can claim, "see we did a great job this time, all the problems last year MUST have been someone else's fault." Of course the fact that Gaemi is swinging much further south and rapidly weakening will be glazed over.

Discussion 17 : 06/10/2012 at 11:44 AM

I cant wait for her to walk around in the flood water with her boots pointing at stuff so I can feel safe .

Discussion 18 : 06/10/2012 at 11:15 AM

As we know sarcasm comes cheap and these blogs are full of it. A sensible discussion on the merits of various actions by both the government and the BMA is clearly lacking in most of these comments.

Discussion 19 : 06/10/2012 at 11:09 AM

spiceman #11 wrote "Was she in charge last year too, when all hells broke loose?" If I remember correctly she wend to Cambodia, something to do with football, right? Maybe ringmaster can enlighten us? Ohh no, he is still stuck in the previous government.

Discussion 20 : 06/10/2012 at 11:09 AM

I take it Ringmaster disc# 14 has never ever had a holiday in his life and thinks no one else should take one.

Discussion 21 : 06/10/2012 at 11:01 AM

Why not put Mr speaker in charge and the people that just returned from the flood management study trip worth 7 million baht , for 9 days for a dozen people , too good an opportunity too miss i guess ? Why did they go anyway and what better time to showcase all of what they learnt ? A lot of dribble , learnt from watching soccer in the rain ?

Discussion 22 : 06/10/2012 at 10:56 AM

If Yingluck takes charge then perhaps she can make a difference by taming that awful monster known as Thai bureaucracy. I wonder if Abhisit has purchased his ticket to the Maldives already. You know what they say: "When the going gets tough, Abhisit gets going... somewhere else."

Discussion 23 : 06/10/2012 at 10:55 AM

Ozman-bkk Dis#4 Being a shinawatra and never one too miss out on an opportunity , maybe she just wants to be the one in charge of holding the Thai purse and seen to be the one handing out all the baht regarding any flood assistance measures to be dealt out ?

Discussion 24 : 06/10/2012 at 10:46 AM

Let's see now, was Yingluck's degree from Kentucky State in flood management? Probably not as there are no floods in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Discussion 25 : 06/10/2012 at 10:44 AM

Was she in charge last year too, when all hells broke loose?

Discussion 26 : 06/10/2012 at 10:31 AM

Finally we are all saved...I feel so confident now that PM Yingluck is taking over control

Discussion 27 : 06/10/2012 at 10:27 AM

Must be hard to be a PM when these basic jobs cannot just be handled by the people paid to do the job, time to replace appointed governors with elected governors and time to hire qualified staff that are trained and intend to do the job instead of the sheep that she has to herd every time there is a small problem, and if that don't work outsource the jobs to the private sector, the Thai public sector is a bit overcrowded already.

Discussion 28 : 06/10/2012 at 10:27 AM

YS is there to co-ordinate at a political level with Governors. If a civil servant tries to tell governors what to do they may not listen. She is at least taking the threat seriously and is taking personal responsibility. As to the lack of preperation in Bangkok, one should ask who is controling the BMA. Have anyone seen the opposition leader inspecting progress on flood prevention action in Bangkok? He is keeping a distance between himself and anything to do about floods, instead of taking responsibility for flood prevention in the city his party controls. This is the same attitude that previaled before last years flood, when the dams was left at 75% of capacity instead of 45%, the flood pumps was never maintain, levies was never maintained nor improved and urban development was allowed in flood prone areas. But some people only see what they want to see.

Discussion 29 : 06/10/2012 at 10:08 AM

I hope she has asked here brother if its OK for here to take charge.

Discussion 30 : 06/10/2012 at 10:00 AM

Will she control all this with the new iPhone 5?

Discussion 31 : 06/10/2012 at 08:35 AM

Not enough foresight at just about every level of gov't. Dikes failing at various points, canals still not completely dredged, slice gates partially open to "protect" Bangkok and now the country is kept safe with the most compotent personnel in charge of flood relief operations?? Don't forget that there may be another storm around the 20th. Don't wait until the 19th to have things in place. Family discussions concerning cabinet reshuffles are taking precedence at the moment.

Discussion 32 : 06/10/2012 at 08:22 AM

Oh Franklin. Ye of little faith. Maybe THIS time it is real and not just more photo ops. After all she has to show that, as PM, she CAN make a difference. Of course the question remains. Why doesn't she have faith in the people who are PAID to do this. Is it that they are not doing their job ? If so why aren't they being sacked and new people appointed ? Perhaps it isn't whether you can do the job but what colour shirt you wear.

Discussion 33 : 06/10/2012 at 08:11 AM

what qualifies pm yingluck to run the flooding prevention thats about to hit thailand ,we were told by spending lots of money on dredging the canal,repairing floodgate and other improvements ,that there will be no flooding in 2012 as yingluck only stated a month ago,for all her good intention, clearly she is not up to the job as pm,by taking charge of this chaiotic situation she,herself will be exposed as incompetent,whether she has run out of luck,with the frightening developements in the south and bangkok it show that corruption brings bad luck ?

Discussion 34 : 06/10/2012 at 07:47 AM

Why has the 24/7 control centre not been set up already? Have they not learnt last years lesson yet. Set it up and in the dry season keep it running on a standby basis and keep all the information, phone numbers, staff details etc updated.

Discussion 35 : 06/10/2012 at 05:41 AM

“Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will command flood relief operations herself and coordinate with governors of flood-prone provinces around the clock to deal with incoming tropical storm Gaemi”. In other words, “Lights, cameras . . . “ , a serious look on face and perhaps a cell phone in hand to show coordination of command. That should reassure the people and give a warm and fuzzy feeling of confidence (forget about last year’s bungle). It’s all show and image.