Life Under The Water

Waterproof winners
Innovators focus on products to help people cope

An ancient Chinese proverb says "in every crisis, there is an opportunity." This helps to remind people not to lose hope amid hardships.

One innovation that can help people in trying times is a floating toilet designed by Cotto, part of Siam Cement Group (SCG).

Weighing 800 kilogrammes, the floating toilet comprises two rooms, one with a modern toilet and another room with a Thai toilet that is flushed by pouring water in the basin.

The unit is 2.5 meters wide and 3.5 metres long. It is made of plastic and "smart board", a smooth-surface asbestos-free cement board, to make it durable and lightweight.

Tanasak Sakariganon, in the marketing division at Cotto, says this invention differs from conventional floating toilets because the waste is treated with micro-organisms before discharge.

After filling up, a tank fitted underneath the toilet will need to be disposed of at a proper place.

"We designed it the same as toilets at people's homes that need to have residue cleared from time to time," Mr Tanasak said. "We pump the floodwater to be used in the toilet before treating it and releasing it back to nature. This is hygienic."

The two types of toilets are convenient, especially for the elderly, he added.

SCG staff have teamed up with students from the King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok to produce 10 sets of toilets per day at a cost of 60,000 baht each and distribute them to government offices in provinces and tambon administrations for free.

After the floods recede, the toilets can be used by the public.

SCG, Thailand's top industrial conglomerate, has also distributed 50,000 "paper toilets" for one-time use, while development of a floating house is under way using ferrocement.

Another popular product is car wrapping plastic made of polyethylene (PE) with either zippers or ropes that are easy to use. Wandee Panich Industry, which normally uses PE from PTT Plc to produce plastics for agricultural uses, changed course to wrap cars in plastic.At six meters wide and nine metres long, the car wrap is 1.50 microns thick and protects against floods up to 1.5 meters high. It costs 900 baht.

"It started with my friend looking for help to move his piano," said Pichai Chooekawong, executive director of Wandee Panich. "I came up with an idea to use plastic snack bags for ease of use."

Mr Pichai said the plastic wraps do not ensure the safety of the car if the flood is higher than the car's height.

"The car has to stay above water. You should put sandbags in the car so it can withstand the strength of the water," he noted.

Car owners have to unplug the battery before wrapping it, he added.

SET-listed Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI), the country's largest hot-rolled coil maker, has come up with a smart steel boat. Made of hot coil with a thickness of 1.2 millimetres, the boat weighs 65 kilogrammes and is 83cm wide and 2.3 metres long.

The boat can carry up to six people with a combined weight of 400 kg. It has two paddles and can be equipped with an engine, said SSI.

The steel boat is coated to be rust-free and glows red and white in the dark. More durable than plastic boats, the steel boat can be used as a bookshelf or cabinet after the floods recede.