Army chief accepts budget cut

The army can take a budget cut during the flood crisis, national army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Thursday.

"If the government decides to slash the budget of the Defence Ministry and the military by 10 per cent, we'll have to accept the situation.

"Our munitions might not yield optimum results but our soldiers have the heart to perform to their utmost," Gen Prayuth said.

Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa (left)
and national army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha visit
a flooded area in Nonthaburi province on Oct 29, 2011

On the government's decision to appoint former finance minister Virabongsa Ramangura as chairman of the national rehabilitation committee and Chaipattana Foundation

secretary-general Sumet Tantivejkul as adviser to the water resources management committee, the army chief said the government can appoint anyone but he hoped that they would be able to perform well and solve the flood problem.

Flood death toll now 533

Flooding still prevails in 24 provinces, affecting over one million people, and the flood death toll has risen to 533 with two missing, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation announced on Thursday.

The 24 provinces are Bangkok, Phichit, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Lop Buri, Saraburi,

Suphan Buri, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Sakhon, Samut Prakan, Ubon Ratchathani, Si Sa Ket, Roi Et, Maha Sarakham, Kalasin, Chachoengsao, Nakhon Nayok and Prachin Buri.

The Public Health Ministry reported that seven people were suspected to have been infected with leptospirosis, a bacterial infection whch often spreads after flooding, in Phachi district of Ayutthaya provinces.

Seventy-two people were reported to have sufferred from diarrhoea at a condominium in Muang district of Nonthaburi. The illness was believed to have been caused by drinking raw low-quality tap water.

More evacuation areas announced

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration on Thursday declared parts of three districts flood evacuation areas.

They are:

1. Bangkok Noi district (Bang Khun Si and Arun Amarin subdistricts);

2. Chomthong district (Kamnan Maen road, Soi Ekachai 8, Soi Ekachai 14, Soi Ekachai 36, Soi Kamnam Maen 28, Soi Wuthakat 42, and Sala Kruen Ruamjai community); and

3. Bang Bon district (Kamnan Maen 3, Suan Phak, Rim Khlong Phraya Ratchamontri, Wat Noi, Khlong Bang Phran Pattana, and Rang Phai communities; Sangsit, Passakorn 2, SK, Thanabodi, Thuanthong, Wararom, Bang Bon Garden Ville, and Bang Bon Ville housing estates; Bang Bon, Suksawat, and Sirichai markets; Bang Bon housing village, and Ban Nai Rian school in Bang Bon sub-district).

Residents in these areas were advised to move to a safe place or a BMA evacuation centre.

Thaksin keeps low profile in flood crisis

With a flood crisis rocking his sister's government, fugitive ex-Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra is lying low as prospects of a triumphant homecoming look ever more distant, observers say.

 

An aircraft sits on a flooded tarmack at the Don Muang domestic airport in Bangkok on November 10, 2011. Don Muang airport has been closed for weeks due to the worst flooding in Thailand's history.

The usually outspoken Thaksin, who lives abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption, has mostly shied away from publicly commenting on a disaster that has killed more than 500 people and threatens the heart of Bangkok.

The former tycoon, 62, has posted several messages on Twitter and Facebook offering sympathy to the victims.

Some relief supplies reportedly also had "with love and great concern from Thaksin Shinawatra" written on them -- without his knowledge, his aides say.

But the one-time policeman has largely remained silent during the disaster and has done little to rally support for his under-pressure sibling, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

"Thaksin has generally remained more silent than expected," said Paul Chambers, director of research at the Southeast Asian Institute of Global Studies at Payap University in Chiang Mai.

Thaksin -- who was ousted in a 2006 coup -- might already be distancing himself from Yingluck who could be at risk of losing her job, he said, as she struggles to get a grip on the country's worst floods in half a century.

"Better for Thaksin and other Puea Thai politicians to let Yingluck ride out the storm and take any unpopularity relating to her handling of this crisis with her," said Chambers.

The 44-year-old former businesswoman, whose Puea Thai party won a resounding victory in a July election, has been accused by her critics of acting too slowly and lacking leadership in her management of the crisis.

Her administration has also come under fire for giving contradictory statements about the threat from the rising waters, further rattling nerves in the kingdom.

Thaksin's overthrow heralded five years of political unrest, culminating in street protests by his "Red Shirt" supporters last year, in which more than 90 people died in clashes with the army.

He is despised by the Bangkok-based elite but remains a much-loved figure among many poor Thais.

Other observers said Thaksin -- who once described his sister as his "clone" -- was taking a back seat to give Yingluck a chance to step out of his shadow.

"It's good for him to allow Yingluck to deal with it herself, even though she is failing," said Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a Thailand expert at the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.

He said that any meddling by Thaksin would only "further complicate" the situation, and "open the door for the opposition to attack the government".

Besides, he said, Yingluck's big brother may not be in any position to help. "Thaksin doesn't have a PhD in water management," he quipped.

Yingluck has pleaded for the public's understanding, saying Thailand's dams were already full when she took office in early August, since when the country has been battered by a series of storms.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, said he suspected the siblings were "communicating very closely" but there was only so much Dubai-based Thaksin could do from exile.

"The nature of this crisis precludes a more active role -- it's an hour-by-hour crisis," he added.

Yingluck stormed to power on the back of the vast popularity of her brother among poor Thais, particularly in rural areas, many of which have been hit hard by the floods.

In the early days of her premiership, Thaksin appeared keen to boost his profile with controversial trips to Japan and Cambodia, which raised questions about his influence over the government.

He has also made no secret of the fact that he hopes to attend his daughter's wedding in Thailand in December.

But Yingluck has yet to take any legal action clearing the path for his return, such as an amnesty, and according to commentators it is unlikely she will do anything so controversial while the kingdom is mired in crisis.

"Yingluck has been overwhelmed by the floods," said Pavin. "Should Thaksin put another burden on her... I'm not sure she would survive as prime minister. It would be political suicide for both Yingluck and Thaksin."

He said there was "almost zero chance" Thaksin would be back by December, when the country would still be dealing with the aftermath of the floods.

2012 budget offers no solutions, says Abhisit

The proposed 2.38 trillion baht fiscal budget for 2012 has set no priorities and offered no solutions to the pressing problems of the country, Democrat Party leader and opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra watches opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on a monitor as he takes the floor during the first day of debate on the government’s 2012 Budget Bill in parliament yesterday. The debate ends today. 

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra read out the government's 2012 fiscal Budget Bill to the House yesterday.

Of the total budget, the government has earmarked 120 billion baht to compensate flood victims and for post-flood rehabilitation next fiscal year.

Mr Abhisit criticised the allocation during the House budget debate yesterday and said the government's plan to spend 120 billion baht lacked details and possibly failed to guarantee transparency.

He was concerned the budget would be spent non-transparently by various ministries, because the spending of this budget will not be double-checked by parliament.

The proposed payment of 5,000 baht in compensation for each family hit by the floods will cost about 50 billion baht and the government had failed to present details on the spending of the rest of the 70 billion baht.

He disagreed with the government's plan to raise 120 billion baht for flood compensation by cutting funding from other projects.

The government proposed cutting the education loan budget by 7 billion baht, budget for free medical services by 7 billion baht, and the budget for peace-promotion operations in the far South by 3 billion baht to raise the flood compensation money.

Mr Abhisit said the government might not be able to generate its proposed income of 1.9 trillion baht during the fiscal year as expected as many industries had been damaged by flooding.

Many populist policies would also eat into the government's income.

He cited corporate tax cuts, fuel tax exemptions, the rice mortgage scheme, tax rebates for first-time car buyers, tax reductions for first-time home buyers, and 15,000 baht minimum salaries for government officials.

He also warned the government against its decision to increase the budget deficit from 350 billion baht to 400 baht, saying the rise was dangerous.

"What we are most afraid of is that finally it must collect more taxes from people and business operators, particularly small and medium ones, who are already suffering in the floods," Mr Abhisit said.

Democrat MP for Bangkok Korn Chatikavanij said the deficit increase reflected the government's intention to borrow more and there is no sign the government would try to balance the budget.

"I suggest the government postpone its plan to cut corporate income tax from 30% to 23% next January for another year.

"It could save 100 billion baht in revenue and spend that on rehabilitating SMEs hit by the floods," Mr Korn said.

"The government should also postpone first-car and first-home buying for one year because it is not an appropriate time for such costly policies," he said.

Prime Minister Yingluck insisted the government's tax privilege policies for first-car and first-home buyers should go ahead.

She said the policies would stimulate the economy and do not cost much money. The policies were promised by her Pheu Thai Party to the people so they could establish themselves with a car and home more easily.

Ms Yingluck said GDP is expected to grow by between 4.5 and 5.5% next year on the back of government spending. The debate continues today.

Foreign evacuees packed head to toe

Migrants yearn to leave, but want their pay first

A labour officer checks lists of foreign workers who were evacuated to a Ratchaburi shelter. For some, it is the third time they have moved because of flooding—first from Don Mueang airport and then from Wat Rai Khing in Nakhon Pathom.

Up to 432 migrant workers, mainly male, from flooded factories in Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom and Bangkok are crammed into the centre.

"They have limited space to sleep. Their heads and feet now almost touch one another while sleeping," said Sgt Maj 1st Class Somphong Kaeowannakhadi, the centre's administration chief.

A Burmese worker, 23, whose name is pronounced in Thai as Phio Phio, cannot stand living with so many people forced to share limited facilities.

She wants to return to her home in Burma and wait there until floods subside before deciding whether to return.

But she wants her employer to pay her 9,000 baht in outstanding wages first.

A soldier enters a flooded drainage shaft and places

 sandbags in it to prevent water from getting to the

 nearby Bangchan Industrial Estate through

the drainage system. 

Phio Phio and 70 workers at a rope-making factory in Phutthamonthon Sai 4 road in Nakhon Pathom recently left a flooded evacuation centre at Wat Rai Khing in Nakhon Pathom for Ratchaburi.

Ratchaburi Institute of Skill Development is running their new home. Phio Phio and her Burmese boyfriend are gripped with fears of the floodwaters.

"We had only five minutes to flee and lost most of our assets when the flood hit," said her boyfriend, 24.

The Burmese workers make up 334 of the evacuees at the centre. The rest comprise 98 Cambodians.

Rueang, a Cambodian man aged 19, wants to go back to his home in Cambodia.

He will decide whether to return to work in Thailand when the situation returns to normal.

Rueang is contacting a van operator to take him back to Cambodia.

The young man said he could leave the evacuation centre immediately because his boss had paid him his outstanding wages.

Other workers at the centre are not so lucky.

They are being forced to stay at the centre even though they might have enough money to get home, as they want their bosses to pay them outstanding wages first.

Though the evacuation centre in Ratchaburi can take up to 500 people, officials say that with money and space restrictions, they have begun to worry they cannot receive more flood victims.

The cost of looking after evacuees is straining the centre's resources, and not enough hep is coming from employers or the community.

"Employers must come to look after them. If they can't find them new places, they should at least help provide food and clear their unpaid wages," said Sgt Maj Somphong.

"I have to admit we don't have enough money and under the state policy, we need to take care of Thais first," Sgt Maj Somphong said.

The centre relies mainly on donations. It is also supported by some employers who give food to the evacuees.

Sgt Maj Somphong said he is looking for other places in Ratchaburi to be used as evacuation centres in case more foreign workers fall victim to the floods.

The number of evacuees at the centre is causing him concern, as the centre lacks space and money to care for them all. If new employers want to hire foreign workers as staff, he would be willing to let them go.

US army to help mitigate flood

HONOLULU - The US army will send a team next week to help mitigate the effects of Thailand's worst floods in half a century, according to a senior officer at the US Pacific Command.

As the flood situation in Thailand remained intact, the US defence authorities were finalizing their next mission to support the flood relief operations.

"This time it will be the US army helping Thailand. PACCOM is also putting a tem on stand-by in case Thailand side needs further support," a lieutenant colonel at the Hawaii-based command centre said.

When Thai flood started, the US Pacific Command ordered the USS George Washington carrier strike group, which was on a port visit to Singapore, to get underway earlier than scheduled and pre-position nearer to Thailand in case assistance was required.

The command also sent a 10-Marine humanitarian assistance survey team from Okinawa to assess the flood situation.

After meeting with Thai authorities, the team determined that military assistance from the US was not needed as the Thai government and military had the matter in hand.

The destroyer USS Mustin also made an unscheduled visit to Laem Chabang port for community service and military to military engagements last month.

On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul paid a courtesy call to the US Pacific Commander Admiral Robert F. Willard, in Hawaii, thanking him for the cash and other assistance.

Mr Surapong, however, said he was not told about the US army's plan to send a team.

Mr Surapong told reporters that he would take the opportunity during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum starting on Friday in Hawaii to brief the other 20 Apec members on the flood situation, and the relief and remedial measures both short and long term the government has been taking to resolve the crisis.

Mr Surapong said he would thank the Apec members who have been supporting Thailand in dealing with the flood and hopefully gain their confidence in the country's resilience.

He welcomed Apec's increased cooperation on disaster management.

Today, the minister is to speak about domestic issues, including the flooding, at the Apec Business Symposium organised by the East West Centre.

Mr Surapong also said Thailand would host the second Asia Pacific Water Summit in Bangkok on Feb 5 and 6. Japan hosted the first Water Summit in 2007.

The minister would hold bilateral meetings with Chile, Mexico, the Philippines, Japan, New Zealand, and Canada during Apec meetings here.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra canceled her plan to attend the Apec Summit on Sunday because of the severity of the flooding.

Mr Surapong said Ms Yingluck would still attend the 19th Asean Summit in Bali on next week.

A mind dirtier than a pigsty

Red, yellow or neutral, women in Thailand's colour-coded politics must have similarly felt their blood boiling at the sexist attack on Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

That was what I thought when I read the hateful, below-the-belt attack on our embattled premier by an anti-Thaksin businessman, Akeyuth Anchanbutr.

This is what he wrote on his Facebook account, which has stirred much controversy in the social media world:

"I don't want to say things like this, because it will seem like I look down on women. But the fact is, the northern girls who are uneducated, lazy or lacking in intelligence, they will seek to do an easy job that normal women will not do. Mainly it is sexual services.

"Therefore, for the northern woman who is short in intelligence, extremely stupid, yet still thick-faced enough to take up the position, you should know what profession suits you best."

I was stunned. Who wouldn't?

It is no secret that Mr Akeyuth of the notorious Charter Investment pyramid scheme in the 80s is a fierce critic of Thaksin Shinawatra.

It is also public knowledge why Ms Yingluck, born and bred in Chiang Mai, won her premiership.

Despite having a big team of babysitters handpicked by her fugitive brother, her inability even to read a scripted speech correctly had made her a laughing stock. Her management of the current flood disaster is simply disastrous.

Criticise her poor performance if you will. That is what democracy is about. But what came from Mr Akeyuth is not criticism. It is misogyny.

It is ethnic prejudice. It is arrogance from the city centre against other regions. It is ugly chauvinism that must not be tolerated.

You don't need to be a fan of PM Yingluck to feel indignant. You only need to believe that gender and ethnic prejudice is wrong.

You only need to believe in human dignity and understand how patriarchy works to legitimise men's sexual promiscuity by blaming poor women who have been forced into prostitution by systematic injustice as "bad" women, not the men's own lust.

That is why I thought Mr Akeyuth's hate speech would be a good chance to unite women of all political colours to condemn it.

How wrong I was.

It turns out that only northern women groups in the red camp are now airing their fury and calling for a public apology. They have also threatened a lawsuit against Mr Akeyuth for defamation.

It is understandable. The abuse is a direct offence to northern women.

As community leaders in the red zones with possible political links to the Pheu Thai government, they might be even expected to do something to protect Ms Yingluck.

But the silence from other women's rights groups is simply deafening.

Why is this so?

Is it because they currently have their hands full with flood relief work? Is it because they are flood victims themselves and have no time to engage in a war of words?

Is it because they believe the best response to this kind of extremism is to deny the attention it evidently seeks?

Whatever it is, silence is the wrong move because advocacy is an important part of social activism for change.

Women's rights groups may frown at PM Yingluck for her total lack of gender rights awareness and her government's tendency to use women's funds to serve its political constituencies.

But this is not the time to keep a distance. If so, they will face criticism that they are allowing political views to prevail over human rights principles.

Mr Akeyuth's hate speech reflects the patriarchal society's deep prejudice that is the root cause of the oppression of women and the weaker regions. The result is widespread gender violence and ethnic uprising in the restive South.

We must not choose silence because silence is submission.

When the ugly noise of chauvinism strikes, it must be countered with the voice of reason to dismantle prejudice. If we dismiss the voice of hate as insignificant, we are letting our society sink deeper in a big mess, flood or no flood.

No of closed bank branches drops

For the first time in over a month, the number of temporarily-closed bank branches dropped, showing a good sign that the water level will recede soon.

According to the Bank of Thailand, the number dropped by 18 from the previous day to 613 on Nov 9, thanks largely to the service resumption of branches in Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and parts of Bangkok.

Of total, 334 are located in Bangkok, 147 in Pathum Thani and 64 in Nonthaburi. The rest are in five other provinces.

Though, 5,596 ATMs are unplugged, showing an increase of 103 from the previous day, as floods hit more parts of Bangkok. At present, 2,217 ATMs in Bangkok, 15.8 per cent of total in the province, are unplugged.

Thailand floods: On patrol with Bangkok's pet rescuers

In Bangkok, it's not just humans who are suffering the worst flooding the country has seen in decades. Thousands of pets have been stranded by rising waters - but huge efforts are being made to find them and take them to safety.

In central Bangkok, there is a car park that has become a temporary new home for some of the city's flood victims. They are furry, noisy - and wet.

Samran Mupangklang surveys the scene from behind a pair of sunglasses. Normally, he works on making cattle vaccines for Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture. Today he has a different task - rescuing cats and dogs.

"I felt bad for the pets. I heard the government wanted volunteers, so I decided to come here," he says.

The car park is the headquarters for the group of rescuers Mr Mupangklang belongs to. Within the city, there are about a dozen similar government-run teams, each with about 10 volunteers, who criss-cross flood-ravaged areas in metal boats laden with brightly-coloured cages.

They are in great demand.

Many Bangkok residents fleeing the flood waters will go and stay with relatives. Others will go to one of the government-run evacuation centres. In many cases, they cannot take their pets with them when they leave their flooded homes, or they are unable to care for them if they do.

Returning to base with a new cargo of pets

The authorities have set up a special pet hotline. When a request for help comes in, one of the volunteer rescue teams is instructed to respond.

Cat woman

A mobile phone rings and Mr Mupangklang gets word of his team's next mission.

A woman has called the hotline to say she is stranded, and will not leave her home unless her cats come with her. All 48 of them.

Continue reading the main story

Start Quote

Buddhists care for all sentient beings, animals included”(Sulak Sivaraksa Writer on Buddhism)

Over an hour later, the team reaches the location, a partly-submerged one-storey house.

A relieved-looking woman waves to them. Her name is Tuanjai Chanpeng, though people in this neighbourhood affectionately call her "Maew" - the Thai word for cat.

She thanks the rescue team profusely, as one by one, her pets are lifted into plastic crates, which are then stacked carefully on the boat.

"At first, I didn't want to burden anyone, but I decided to call the animal department because I couldn't bear it any more," says Mrs Chanpeng.

"The water kept rising, and I couldn't feed my cats any more. I was really afraid they would die."

Crocodiles

For the past week, Mr Mupangklang has waded through polluted waters to reach frantic animals.

He has a few battle scars - like deep scratches from terrified cats. But that's not the only threat.

"One day, we had to rescue some dogs in one of the suburbs," he says. "All the neighbours were telling us the waters were full of crocodiles. We were not that scared, because there were a lot of us. But we didn't really know what to do if we saw a crocodile."

Luckily they didn't.

Today, his team head north to another of Bangkok's hard-hit suburbs, where the streets have become a maze of canals. People float by on bamboo rafts, plastic tubs, and old styrofoam containers.

Another of the rescued dogs

They pull up to a house. Inside, the waters reach up to chest-level. They help an elderly woman, Somsee Paibounsou, shuffle onto the boat.

She brings along a bag of diabetes medicine, a clock radio, and a hairless poodle called Benz. She also clasps a book of Buddhist scripture.

Animal emotions

Many people here believe in the cycle of birth and rebirth - that a human can be born again as an animal, or an animal as a human.

Human and animal lives may not necessarily be considered equivalent, but practising Buddhists preach kindness to animals and empathy for their suffering.

"Most people in Thailand describe themselves as Buddhist", says Sulak Sivaraksa, a writer on Buddhism based in Bangkok. "Buddhists care for all sentient beings, animals included."

Animals have also been rescued
from floodwaters elsewhere in the country

Mr Mupangklang says he feels a spiritual connection to the animals he rescues.

"I think pets and humans are alike. I can see into their eyes, their emotions, how they feel. They'll stare at you if they are angry," he says.

"They have emotions too."

He has lost count of how many pets he has rescued today.

In the past two weeks, the volunteer rescue teams in Bangkok say they have picked up more than 6,000 pets stranded by the floods.

When animals are rescued, they are taken to a dry location, like the central car park, and registered so the authorities know who they belong to, and where they came from.

After a few hours, they are taken outside the capital to areas not so badly affected by the flooding, where they are housed and fed at the government's expense.

And there the pets will stay until their owners can finally reclaim them.

City issues evacuation advisory for two Khan Na Yao subdistricts

BANGKOK, Nov 9 – The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on Wednesday issued an evacuation advisory for Khan Na Yao and Ramindra subdistricts in Khan Na Yao district.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra also announced a special close watch for possible evacuation of Lat Phrao subdistrict of Lat Phrao.

Residents were advised to move their belongings to higher ground. Patients, children, the elderly and pregnant women should move to safer areas.

The BMA is working with agencies, NGOs and the private sector to distribute food, drinking water, medicine and mobile toilets to 470 locations in districts with deep flooding. 

The cooperating agencies are the Ruamkatunyu Foundation, the Stock Exchange of Thailand, Dhurakij Pundit University, Kasem Bundit University, the Flood Fight volunteer group, Singha Corporation and Thai Bev Pcl.

The BMA will also receive assistance from the Interior Ministry under “One Province One District” project to be launched Thursday at the Royal Plaza. Under the project, mobile toilets, boats, pumps, life jackets will be offered by the provinces to flood victims in Bangkok.

Regarding garbage collection problem in flooded areas, the BMA has hired more collectors to work in 18 districts from Nov 10 to Dec 31 and purchased more garbage collecting equipment.

The amount of garbage which has accumulated will be reduced in three days, the governor said.

Meanwhile, the BMA has cancelled its annual Loy Krathong festival, originally set for tomorrow (Nov 10) in all districts for the safety of festival goers, due to the ongoing flood.

City Hall annually sponsors the traditional Thai festival, near Rama VIII Bridge and other areas.The annual festival falls on the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar.

Despite the cancellation, Bangkok residents can celebrate the Loy Krathong and float krathongs, hand-made rafts carrying flowers, candles and incense, into ponds at BMA’s public parks which are not flooded.

The authorities also asked the festivalgoers to float fewer krathongs during this year’s festival in order to help reduce amounts of garbage which may obstruct the drainage system.

Sanya Cheenimit, director of Bangkok’s Drainage and Sewerage Department, said City Hall is speeding up water drainage into the sea as best as it can, but conceded that the influx of floodwater in the capital is much more than the amount of the outflow.

The director explained that the existing pumps are functioning as much as they can but not in full capacity amid fears that the equipment can be out of order.

Now 100 million cubic metres of water is being drained each day, Mr Sanya said, but the amount of inflow into the capital can still not be assessed.

Mr Sanya said that if Bangkok is not hit by another mass of water from the northern run-off and the so-called 'Big Bag' barriers can efficiently slow down the water flow, the amount of floodwater in some inner areas and the city's main roads will be reduced within two weeks.

Satellites See Floods Surrounding Bangkok

On November 7, 2011, floods surrounded two industrial estates east of Bangkok, Reuters reported. On November 9 (November 8 in the United States), 

Bangkok Post described desperate attempts by officials to protect the heart of Bangkok from floods as the director of the flood relief operations command warned that more water threatened to flow into the city.

The image from 2008 shows relatively normal conditions in which the Chao Phraya River flows through a dry Bangkok. Three years later, water nearly surrounds the city, west to north to southeast. 

Floods started in northern Thailand in July and spread southward. By November 8, floods had been slowly encroaching on the Bangkok, just north of the Gulf of Thailand, for three weeks.

According to Bangkok Post, city officials were using pumps to drain overflow into the Chao Phraya River, but excess water was flowing into sewers. 

Sandbags were protecting the northern part of the city, but the director of the Rangsit Univerity disaster center warned that the sandbags would probably only contain flooding for several more days before water flowed over them and into Bangkok.

Flood approaches PM’s home

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had an unwelcome visitor to her residence in the Bung Kum district of Bangkok. Things, however, have begun to improve in neighboring Pathum Thani.

The first flood water is seen outside the home of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. 

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had an unwelcome visitor to her residence in the Bung Kum district of Bangkok.

The first flood water began collecting in front of her house. Reports said it was about 30 centimetres deep, but it had not yet flowed into the house as it was held back by a sandbag wall.

The water’s arrival is not surprising since Bung Kum is quite near the Bang Chan industrial estate which is surrounded by water and fighting to stay dry on the inside.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration yesterday also declared parts of the prime minister's district evacuation areas.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said the areas are in Nuan Chan and Khlong Kum sub-districts.

People in these areas are advised to move – taking their valuables, cars and other items – to an evacuation centre or a safe place. It is especially important to evacuate children, pregnant women, sick people and the elderly.

The news wasn't all bad yesterday, however. In the neighbouring province of Pathum Thani, the flood level was slowly falling and there were high expectations in the community that the area would return to normal in about 10 days.

Flood levels have receded by about 50cm and are continuing to drop.

The water has receded significantly on Pathum Thani-Bangkok Road, a main road linking the province with northern and eastern Bangkok.

Three bus lines have resumed services on this route but smaller cars are still advised to wait until the flood situation has further improved.

Floodwaters in several housing projects in Pathum Thani's Muang district have receded by about 20 centimetres, raising hopes that the overall situation will be back to normal in about 10 days.

By then all roads in the province should be dry, with only a few low-lying parts still holding water.

Adapted from a story from Bangkok post.

approach – to move closer to someone or something เข้าใกล้

unwelcome – ไม่เป็นที่ต้องการ

residence – a place where someone lives ที่อยู่อาศัย บ้านพัก

collect – to gradually increase in amount in a place ค่อยๆ เพิ่มขึ้น

flow – (of a liquid) to move continuously in one direction ไหล

arrival – when someone/soemthing reaches where they are going ขาเข้า การเข้ามา

industrial estate – an area of land where industrial companies have their buildings นิคมอุตสาหกรรม

surrounded – having something completely around all sides ถูกล้อมรอบ

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) – the local government of Bangkok กรุงเทพมหานคร

declare – to announce officially that something is true or happening ประกาศ ยืนยัน

evacuation – moving people from a place of danger to a safer place การอพยพ

advise – to tell somebody what you think they should do in a particular situation แนะนำ, แจ้ง

valuables – small possessions that are worth a lot of money, for example jewellery ของล้ำค่า

item – a single article or object รายการ, รายการสิ่งของ

pregnant – having a baby developing inside the body ท้อง ตั้งครรภ์

elderly – (of people) old สูงวัย, อาวุโส, อายุมาก

neighbouring – located or living near or next to a place or person ที่อยู่ใกล้เคียง, ที่ตั้งอยู่ใกล้เคียง

level – the amount of liquid that there is in a container, river, dam, etc., which can be seen by how high the liquid is ระดับ

expectations – the belief that something will happen สิ่งที่คาดหวังว่าจะเกิดขึ้นในอนาคต

community – the people living in one particular area ชุมชน

normal – typical, usual or ordinary; what you would expect ภาวะปกติ

recede – to move back; to move further away into the distance; subside ลดลง, ถอยหลัง

significantly – in an important way อย่างมีความหมาย, อย่างสำคัญ

link – to connect เชื่อม

resume – to begin again after stopping for a period of time เริ่มอีกครั้ง, กลับมาอีกครั้ง

route – the roads used to go from one place to another เส้นทาง

situation – all the circumstances and things that are happening at a particular time and in a particular place สถานการณ์

improve – to get better ดีขึ้น

overall – total; including all the things or people that are involved in a particular situation; general ทั้งหมด

Exorbitant boat fees annoy

B200-500 charged for trips to mouth of soi

White-collar employees in Bangkok affected by the flooding are up in arms over exorbitant fees charged by boat owners to ferry them to work, or even to the mouth of their soi.

Some have asked the police to arrest boat operators and demanded state agencies arrange free or cheaper boat services in the city's flood-hit districts.

"It is a really expensive boat ride. I pay up to 200 baht for the short ride to work and then back home every day," said a state-enterprise official.

He said some people have been forced to pay about 500 baht for the short boat ride from their flooded communities to main roads.

Since the flooding hit Bangkok about three weeks ago, the official has taken a boat from his flooded home to Chaeng Watthana Road to catch a ride in a free military truck to his office near the Government Centre.

Tanikan Sopito, a government official, said she also has trouble travelling from her flooded house in Laksi district to work in Phaya Thai district.

Ms Tanikan said she has commuted five hours in the morning and three hours in the evening every day since her house was submerged in waist-deep water. She takes a boat ride from her home to a pick-up spot where a military truck takes her to a main road.

There, she takes another ride in a bigger 10-wheel truck to catch a bus to her office in Phaya Thai district.

"I am tired of travelling during the floods. It normally takes only about an hour," she said.

While many parts of Bangkok are under water, workers are facing difficulties travelling from their flooded suburbs to their offices, mostly in unaffected inner parts of the city.

Some have called on employers to temporarily close businesses until the water recedes, or allow them to work from home or some other suitable place. One employee with an advertising company, who asked not to be named, said her boss had called her twice, asking her to go back to work.

She and her family left Bangkok for Tak's Mae Sot district almost 10 days ago to live with friends as they could no longer endure the tap water, which had turned yellow.

"I didn't know what to do, so I told my boss that I wanted to take leave without pay for two weeks to keep both sides happy," she said.

She said she does not know how to get to work from her apartment in Bang Phlat district, which has been flooded.

One office worker, Onrasri Macmai, has been fortunate. Her office in Lat Prao district has been flooded since last Sunday.

But shortly after the flooding, her boss told all staff they could work from home.

Floating Lantern Festival Continues Despite Thai Floods

Elephants prepare to float Krathongs during the Loi Krathong festival at Dusit Zoo in Bangkok on November 2, 2009.

A popular Thai holiday in which candle-laden lanterns are floated along waterways and launched into the skies has been disrupted in Bangkok due to ongoing flooding, but festivities are continuing as planned in some other parts of the country.

The Loi Krathong festival, which is an annual favorite of international travelers, is believed by some to have roots in the Indian Diwali, or festival of lights. It became more widespread in Thailand in the 19th century, and involves floating lanterns to pay tribute to Buddha.

The act also involves honoring a Thai water goddess something that’s especially poignant this year, given the devastating effects caused by the country’s worst flooding in decades.

Most official celebrations run from now though through the weekend in various cities. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) told Southeast Asia Real Time that all of its official Bangkok celebrations have been cancelled, however, along with those in the central Thailand cities of Ayutthaya and Suphanburi.

Meanwhile, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) was reportedly planning to move its Loi Krathong events from a central Bangkok bridge to city parks that have not been hit by floods. The BMA could not immediately be reached by telephone, and there were no details available on the BMA website.

Despite the cancellation, authorities are still worried that some residents and tourists could ignore official advice and choose to float their lanterns along the Chao Phraya or other waterways that are close to overflowing and subject to unpredictable currents. 

The Thai Culture Ministry’s head, Sukumol Khunploem, has warned residents to be aware of the dangers posed by higher water levels, including possible electrocution risks, according to the Bangkok Post.

The Ministry has also asked that anyone who ignores official warnings against participating should at least collect their lanterns after they are floated, so as not to obstruct waterways that may be clogged, according to local reports.

Elsewhere in Thailand, where flooding has not been a problem, Loi Krathong events are still set to take place. A festival in Chiang Mai, a northern city popular with tourists, will go ahead, the TAT says.

Those festivities will incorporate the northern Thai custom of launching luminescent paper lanterns into the evening sky, which creates a dazzling effect. Events in the northern Thai city of Sukhothai are also unaffected.

In addition, people in southern Thailand destinations, like Phuket and Koh Samui, will still celebrate the holiday. 

Loi Krathong events are also unaffected in Pattaya, the beach resort on the eastern seaboard, as well as in Hua Hin, a resort city south of Bangkok. Activities in the western Tak province, near the Myanmar border, and in the southern city of Hat Yai, will also go ahead.

Bangkok is sinking - slowly but surely

The floods besieging Bangkok now could just be a foretaste of the sinking Thai capital's grim future as climate change makes its impact felt, experts say.

The low-lying metropolis, built on swampland, is just 30km north of the Gulf of Thailand, where, experts forecast, the sea level will rise by 19 to 29cm by 2050 as a result of global warming.

Water levels would also increase in Bangkok's main Chao Phraya river, which already overflows regularly.

If no action is taken to protect the city, "in 50 years... most of Bangkok will be below sea level", said MrAnond Snidvongs, a climate change expert at the capital's Chulalongkorn University.

Groundwater extraction

But global warming isn't the only threat. Years of aggressive groundwater extraction to meet the 12 million-strong city's growing needs have also been blamed for Bangkok's gradual sinking.

The city was sinking by 10cm a year in the late 1970s, according to a study published last year by the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

That rate has since dropped to less than 1cm annually, they said, thanks to government measures to control groundwater pumping.

But Mr Anond disputed their projections, saying the capital was still sinking at "an alarming rate" of 1cm to 3cm a year.

While scientists may argue over the exact figures, they agree about what lies in store for Bangkok.

"There is no going back. The city is not going to rise again," said the ADB's lead climate change specialist David McCauley.

Given the combined threats facing Bangkok - land subsidence, rising temperatures and rising sea levels - the World Bank has predicted that the city's flood risk will increase four-fold from now by 2050.

And the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has classified the Thai capital among the 10 cities in the world facing the biggest potential impact from coastal flooding by 2070.

For now, Bangkok is relying on a complex system of dykes, canals, locks and pumping stations to keep the rising waters at bay.

But the flood protection efforts failed to prevent an onslaught of run-off water from the north from swamping at least a fifth of the capital.

The murky flood waters, triggered by three months of heavy monsoon rains, are edging in on Bangkok's glitzy downtown area, threatening luxury hotels, office buildings and shopping malls.

Rapid urbanisation is one reason the rains are affecting the sprawling megacity so badly, experts say.

As the area that needs flood protection gets larger and more built-up, the water "has fewer places to go", said Dr Francois Molle, a water management expert at France's Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement.

Bangkok will eventually be underwater. "The only question is when," said Dr Molle.

Experts say Thai authorities must address the capital's land use and consider relocating factories or industrial parks in flood-prone areas.


Time to move?

Or even moving the entire city, AFP reported. Said Mr Anond: "It may be appropriate for the people who want to be dry 24 hours a day, 365 days ayear, to be setting up a new city.

"We do have areas where we can develop a new city that would be completely dry. There's a lot of land in this country."

It may sound drastic, but there is little doubt that Bangkok will have to act if it wants to avoid the fate of the fabled sunken city of Atlantis.

"To remain where it is, the city will need better protection," said Mr Robert Nicholls, a professor of coastal engineering at Britain's University of Southampton.

He said he expected Bangkok's current flood misery to "trigger massive investment in defences over the next 10 to 20 years".

Amid flood catastrophe, Thais ready for festival

A Thai vendor displays floats made for the Loy Krathong festival at a flower market in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011. Every year when the moon is full and the rainy season draws to an end, millions of Thais fill their country's waterways with miniature lotus-shaped boats, setting them adrift with flickering candles in a centuries-old homage to a water goddess. This year, flood-ravaged Thailand has plenty of reason to pray for rebirth, and little reason to celebrate.

BANGKOK — Every year when the moon is full and the rainy season draws to an end, Thailand's waterways fill with millions of floating lotus-shaped lanterns — a symbolic, centuries-old gesture once meant to placate the country's goddess of water.

Today, many Thais still believe the candlelit boats launched during Loy Krathong can carry misfortune away with them, allowing past sins to be cleansed and life to begin anew.

This year, flood-ravaged Thailand has plenty of reason to pray for rebirth — and little reason to celebrate.

The festival, due Thursday, comes on the heels of a cataclysmic waterborne disaster that's drowned one-third of the country in three months, killing 529 people and wiping out rice fields and factories and livelihoods along the way. The flooding is the worst in Thailand since World War II, and it's not over yet. Damage so far is likely to exceed $6 billion. Recovery will take months.

"Most people don't feel like celebrating this year — there's been too much sadness and suffering," said Saithong Sateankamsoragai, a Bangkok flower vendor who sells the tiny boats, called krathongs, that are an integral part of the annual festival.

Saithong fled her own home late last month after chest-level water engulfed it. Now she lives with her sister in a drier part of the capital, a refugee forced to flee by the water this Southeast Asian kingdom is ironically paying tribute to.

Tragedy in mind, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has canceled all official celebrations in Bangkok, including those along the Chao Phraya river — the chocolate-colored waterway that snakes through the city of glittering condominiums and decrepit apartment blocks.

In recent weeks, the river's banks have brimmed to record levels, forcing a halt to dinner cruises and fueling fears the mighty waterway could swamp downtown.

Outside the capital, in cities floodwaters have spared, festivities are going ahead. They include the northern town of Sukhothai, where the tradition is believed to have been born. Revelers there have already begun setting off fireworks this week, filling the skies with the spellbinding spectacle of balloon-like lanterns.

The mood in Bangkok, where many neighborhoods remain submerged, is far more subdued. The Culture Ministry is calling for revelers to float just one boat per family, or float them online through websites on which you can light digital candles and incense and watch yours float on a full-screen rendering of lake.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority, meanwhile, is urging people in flooded zones not to launch any at all.

Close to a million krathongs are typically set adrift annually in the capital alone, and there is concern they could trigger fires in abandoned homes or clog drains and canals critical to helping ease the massive pools of runoff bearing down on the metropolis of 9 million people.

Most krathongs are made from hardened, painted bread or ornately curled banana leafs filled with yellow marigold flowers and metallic-purple globe thistles. Some are built from environmentally unfriendly non-biodegradable plastic foam.

Thais joke they won't have to go far from home to find water this year. "We probably can float the krathongs right in the house," tweeted one.

Bangkok authorities have designated a dozen parks where krathongs can safely be launched.

"Of course it's different than it has been in years' past," said Ladda Thangsupachai, a senior Culture Ministry official. "Can there be fun while there is suffering?"

Loy Krathong has its roots in a long ago era when most Thais lived in stilt houses made of wood, dependent on rivers and rain-fed agricultural land for their sustenance and survival.

That life is slowly being erased by mass urban development, which critics say has exacerbated the current crisis. Over the last few decades, canals that once allowed annual floodwaters to pass through the capital unheeded have been paved over to make room for roads, highways, shopping malls and housing estates.

"Most people in Bangkok have lost their connection to water, it doesn't exist like it did in the past," said Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee, Associate Professor of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University.

Loy Krathong, meanwhile, has morphed into a romantic evening for hand-holding lovers, a relaxing night for families and friends, a commercialized holiday in which beauty contests are held.

Thanking the water goddess — Phra Mae Khongkha — or asking her forgiveness for polluting the nation's life-sustaining rivers, "isn't on people's minds" any longer, Siripan said. "Most people don't believe in that anymore."

Still, as floodwaters approached Bangkok in early October, the city's governor held a special ceremony to pay tribute to the water goddess and beg for the crisis' swift end.

Floodwaters came anyway, and Bangkok's drowning outskirts are still reeling from the catastrophe.

Even at the city's unflooded flower market, vendors say business has been cut by half. Fewer people are buying krathongs, and the flowers used to decorate them are in short supply because fields have been submerged.

Saithong said she would launch her own float this year on the Chao Phraya out of respect for tradition.

"It gives us a little bit of inspiration," Saithong said. "It gives us hope that life will be better next year."

Floods Latest: Festival Bangkok to Float its Boats; Phuket Bound Biker Sendoff; AirAsia Plans Premium Line; Phuket Events

Coming soon to Phuket, the new Air Australia shapes up nicely

Floods Latest: Festival Bangkok to Float its Boats; Phuket Bound Biker Sendoff; AirAsia Plans Premium Line; Phuket Events.

Asiaone.com A convoy of more than 50 big bikers sent Charlene Tay Shuan Weei off on her last journey from Mount Vernon Sanctuary yesterday morning. Miss Tay, 31, creative director at McCann Worldgroup, was killed instantly in a motorcycle crash in Surat Thani while riding to Phuket with friends on October 27. Anthony Chaw, 39, seriously injured in the crash, is believed to be recovering back in Singapore.

AFP AirAsia chief executive officer Tony Fernandes is planning to start a new regional airline to compete with Australian carrier Qantas, a news report said. The Sun daily reported, quoting unnamed aviation sources, that the airline would be a super-premium full-service carrier to rival Qantas's upcoming carrier RedQ.

Etravelblackboard.us Strategic Airlines [which flies Phuket to Australia] has unveiled its new look and feel under the Air Australia brand, entering its first green and gold jet into service. While the airline's complete transition into a low-cost brand will not kick-off until November 15, the carrier has unveiled its new livery and flight attendant uniforms as well as new routes.

Bangkokpost.com Bangkok could be drained of water in 11 days, says the Irrigation Department, presenting good news to an anxious city for the first time since northern floodwaters entered the capital.

Smh.com.au Loy Kratong, a festival where Thais ask Ganga, the river goddess, for her forgiveness for man's polluting of the water and to thank her for fertility, has been cancelled along the flooded Chao Phraya river that winds through Bangkok. [Loy Kratong is likely to be celebrated regardless on Phuket and all over Thailand, including Bangkok.]

Associated Press Today, many Thais still believe the candlelit boats launched during Loy Kratong can carry misfortune away with them, allowing past sins to be cleansed and life to begin anew. This year, flood-ravaged Thailand has plenty of reason to pray for rebirth - and little reason to celebrate.

Bangkokpost.com More than 1000 Russian tourists have travelled to Pattaya for the Loy Kratong festival today. Borisut Prasopsap, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's eastern office, presided over a ceremony to welcome the holidaymakers, who arrived in Thailand by five charter flights from Moscow.

CNN.com Bangkok residents are dealing with massive piles of garbage stacking up around the flood-stricken city, prompting worries over tainted water, disease and sanitation.

Bernama The Public Health Ministry's Department of Medical Sciences warned of possible rat-borne leptospirosis in flooded areas and against having ice and iced drinks from unknown production sources. Samples of poisonous food and infected drinking water have been found in random surveys in Bangkok by the Public Health Ministry.

Bangkokpost.com The government's Flood Relief Operations Command conceded that it really could not say if the Victory Monument area and Rama 2 Road, the main road heading south, would be inundated by the flood. So far 529 people are confirmed dead with flooding in 24 of 77 provinces affecting about 2.8 million people from 1.1 million households.

Tvnz.co.nz Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra pledged more than $US4 billion to help Thailand recover from the worst floods in half a century, as workers slowed the flow of water threatening the commercial heart of Bangkok.

CFR.org The flooding in Bangkok shows little sign of getting better, and its impact on Thailand's economy and the global supply chain of many computer and automotive components has yet to be fully tallied. Such floods could repeatedly devastate Thailand's manufacturing base and threaten the millions of people in the capital, which dominates Thailand as the country's political, cultural, and economic epicenter.

FT.com Mitr Phol, Thailand's largest sugar producer, launched a takeover bid for Australia's MSF Sugar, a move which will allow the Thai group to expand in Asia and make sure its sourcing operations are not over-exposed to any one region's too damp, or too dry, weather.

Businessweek.com A private investigator working for Rupert Murdoch's News of the World conducted surveillance on Prince William as well of dozens of politicians and celebrities, the BBC reported.

Guardian.co.uk Ambitious plans to increase English language teaching in Thailand's schools are at risk because of a shortage of funds and qualified teachers, a senior education official has admitted.

Associated Press Human Rights Watch urged Malaysia's government to rescind a ban on an annual gay arts festival and amend criminal laws that it said discriminated against homosexuals.

AFP US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who leaves for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, will also visit Thailand and the Philippines before attending an Asian summit in Bali, her office said.

Todayonline.com Does size matter? Apparently it does to women surveyed by dating agency Lunch Actually. Only 14 percent of Singaporean women surveyed would date a man who is shorter, although 42 percent of men said they would date a taller woman.

Phuket World Sports

bangkokpost.com Thailand are in danger of elimination after losing 2-1 to Malaysia in their opening match at the 26th SEA Games.

smh.com.au Captain Michael Clarke's second Test century in a row and his most courageous yet counterbalanced another peerless display of swing bowling by South African Dale Steyn on the first day of the first Test. Australia 8/214.

Phuket Coming Events

November 10 Loy Kratong Festival

November 11 The Phuket Navy League is holding a welcome for officers and crew from three US warships at IndoChine, Patong, from 6pm. Members 200 baht, non-members 400 baht.

November 19 The Khao Lak Community Appeal and the Foundation for Education and Development are holding the second Khao Lak Charity Golf Tournament at Tab Lamu Navy Golf Course. Last year the two charities raised 420,000 baht for their causes, with a great turnout. Details: 081 5441837.

November 26-27 9th Phuket International Soccer 7s

November 27 Laguna Phuket Triathlon

December2-5 Phuket Musiq Festival, Saphan Hin, Phuket City, nightly

December 3-4 Sixth Andaman International Soccer 7s

December 3-10 King's Cup Regatta, Kata beach

December 4 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, Laguna

Phuket Coming Events 2012

Late February Phuket Blues Festival, Laguna Phuket

May 26-June 5 National Youth Games, Phuket

March 29-April 1 Phuket International Boat Show, Royal Phuket Marina

Phuket Coming Events 2014

November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket