A bicycle that floats

Traveling in flood-ravaged areas is indeed a traumatic experience for any commuter. But not for Sakda Chakdechjan.

When inventing a practical vehicle during the recent floods, he didn't think of a bicycle his favorite mode of transport but a bicycle that floats.

The invention was initially for his wife, who works in the inundated Muang district of Suphan Buri.

"My wife had to go to work every day," said Sakda, a technician who works in Ratchaburi.

When the deluge started to reach his wife's house in Muang district about two months ago, Sakda had to invent a vehicle that helped them to commute and stay dry in the waist-deep water. And it had to be affordable.

He studied and found a hydrobike on a website which seemed perfect but wasn't affordable. Inspired by the high-end vehicle, 

Sakda came up with a simpler version of the water bike, replacing expensive parts with such household items as an old bicycle frame from a flea market; PVC tubes, blade and shaft from a local hardware store.

The idea was to combine a bicycle with a raft.

The invention, Survey & Rescue Water Bike, won honorary mention in two categories _ high speed and less ripple at the recent "Mobility in the Time of Flood" contest, organized by the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA).

Sakda installed the old bicycle frame on two buoys made from a 3.3-metre PVC tube, which was also stuffed with crushed foam to help buoyancy and to prevent being filled with water in the case of a leak.

With his technical skills, it took him only five days to complete. The first day compiling the materials, and the remaining four days in the hours after work until midnight assembling all the parts. Total costs for the water bike were about 3,900 baht.

It looks as if he has simply placed a bicycle frame on the tubes, but there's also a basic mechanism to it. A water bike with a chain plate from an ordinary bike would go nowhere, he explained. 

So a gear taken from a grinding stone was added to propel the water bike on the water when pedaled.

Nonlany Ungwiwatkul, a serious cyclist, tried the water bike at Lumpini Park when the contest results were announced. While further development is required, she liked the simple design and the well-balanced buoys. 

The bike is able to go at about 10km per hour; turn left and right with a considerably wide turning circle; and reverse.

On a calm water surface, Nonlany said it worked well enough. But there may be some problems when facing a strong flood current.

Sakda's family, however, has proved that the water bike is practical enough for them to get around the flooded neighborhood during the past several weeks.

An advantage of the water bike is its human-powered system that doesn't add to air pollution, said Sakda. "It also increases oxygen to the water as it's pedaled."

The PVC tubes are a bit heavy and difficult to move, admitted Sakda. He plans to improve the vehicle to make it faster and lighter, making it more practical in flood conditions.

Nonthaburi victims seek court help

Flood victims in Nonthaburi province plan to file a petition with the Administrative Court on Wednesday afternoon against the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)relating to the conflict over the opening of canal sluice gates.

Tossiri Poonnuan, a leader of Nonthaburi residents who demand the BMA open wide the sluice gates in connecting areas between Bangkok and Nonthaburi, said she would file the petition with the Central Administration Court at 2pm Wednesday.

She said the petition seeks a court injunction denying the BMA the right to manage the sluice gates on canals between the two provinces without proper consultation and input from the people affected.

The BMA has refused to open sluice gates in Khlong Maha Sawat canal to one meter, as requested by flood-hit Nonthaburi residents, limiting the gap to only 75 centimeters.

In addition, Nonthaburi people seek a court order suspending the government operation to salvage Highway 340 and Kanchanaphisek Road until it has a clear measures in place to ensure that it will not worsen the hardship already faced by flooded local residents.

Demand boom spurs CCP sales

Chonburi Concrete Product (CCP) expects 2011 will produce its best performance in four years as supply disruptions in flood-affected areas have prompted demand to shift to the eastern part of the country, while product prices have risen as well.

Managing director Chakrit Theepakornsukkasame said that because many businesses had to suspend production due to flooding and logistics difficulties, developers and contractors turned to material suppliers in the eastern region including CCP.

Meanwhile, the sharp rise of raw material prices, especially sand, has driven up the prices of building materials. Lightweight concrete, for example, has increased to 20 baht per block from 17 baht two months ago.

The supply shortage is expected to intensify in the first half of 2012 when the floodwater subsides and rehabilitation starts, increasing building material prices further, cited Mr Chakrit.

"Our market share doubled in November from a month earlier. We have increased capacity utilization to around 80-90% and expedited efficiency marginally," he noted.

"We expect more companies to relocate their production from the western regions or set up manufacturing or logistics center in the east. Housing projects will also shift to the eastern part of Bangkok."

The SET-listed building material supplier has made a major turnaround with a consolidated net profit of 25.6 million baht over the first nine months of this year, compared to a net loss of 10 million in the same period of 2010. Revenue totaled 1.68 billion baht, up 7.5% year-on year.

For the third quarter, earnings rose to 11.6 million baht from 4.5 million a year earlier as revenue inched up 4.73% to 576.6 million baht.

As of October, CCP had a backlog of 2.33 billion baht, including 1.45 billion of ready-mixed concrete and 885 million for per-cast concrete. The company has been awarded two contracts for the Purple mass transit rail line and four contracts for the Blue Line.

"Some mega projects have been suspended this year but we expect many more contracts will be tendered next year," Mr Chakrit said. These include irrigation and water treatment projects.

Shares of CCP closed yesterday on the Stock Exchange of Thailand at 2.48 baht, up two sating, in trade worth 2 million baht.

Expert warns of leptospirosis

Poor sanitation and garbage disposal in Bangkok's flood-hit communities could result in an outbreak of leptospirosis, a health expert has warned.

Sumet Ongwandee of the Disease Control Department (DCD) said people should take precautions against leptospirosis and wear protective gear if they want to return home after the waters recede.

"The waterborne disease can be hazardous to people," he said.

Leptospirosis can be transmitted to both humans and animals by direct contact with the urine of infected rodents in contaminated flood water.

The disease gets into the body through cuts and wounds as well as the eyes, nose and mouth, Dr Sumet told the Bangkok Post.

Symptoms are a high fever, severe headache, muscle pain, chills, redness of the eyes, abdominal pain, jaundice, skin hemorrhages, vomiting, diarrhea and a rash. Severe cases can be fatal if not treated immediately, he said.

"Leptospirosis is very worrying as the floodwater has hit crowded urban communities in the capital.

"So garbage disposal management is needed, for it is the first measure that will help control rodents infected with the bacteria from spreading the disease to people," he said.

Dr Sumet said people should carefully protect themselves by wearing rubber boots, gloves and masks when wading through contaminated floodwater and dispose of garbage to help prevent themselves and others from catching the waterborne disease.

Apart from Bangkok's flood-hit communities, health authorities are speeding up monitoring for leptospirosis in 46 flood-hit provinces nationwide.

Surveillance teams of the Bureau of Epidemiology found a leptospirosis case in Nakhon Sawan after the floodwaters receded there.

Another case with similar symptoms to leptospirosis was reported on Nov 18 in Ayutthaya's Pachi district and is still under investigation, the bureau said.

Bangkok has in the past experienced three leptospirosis outbreaks after flooding. The last outbreak in the capital was reported in 1964, said Wirongrong Jirakul, of Mahidol University's faculty of tropical medicine.

Dr Wirongrong said major outbreaks in the country were reported between 1997 and 1999. Up to 15,000 cases and 400 deaths were reported.

In Thailand, an estimated 2,000-3,000 people are infected with leptospirosis every year.

The disease is endemic in the Northeast where farmers work in fields and rice paddies without proper protection. Leptospirosis cases usually peak during the monsoon season.

Organic vegetables for a bargain

Organic vegetables from flood-hit Nong Sua, Thanya Buri and Bung Cham Aw districts in Pathum Thani will be on sale at the Bank of Thailand tomorrow and on Friday from 6am-2pm.

The sale is arranged by the Green Market Network to help farmers who for weeks have been unable to deliver their produce to the market because roads links to their villages were severed by flooding.

Faced with the prospect of seeing their produce perish, the network assembled a fleet of trucks capable of wading through floodwater to collect the produce from villages and put them on sale at the central bank, located in Phra Nakhon district of Bangkok.

Interested parties are required to bring their own tote or re-used plastic bags.

Post -flood leptospirosis danger

Outbreaks of disease possible after floods, 2-3 thousand infected every year in Thailand, 15,000 cases & 400 deaths in last outbreak (1997, 1999).

Photo above of leptospirosis bacteria magnified 200 times with dark-field microscope. Photo below of  kidney tissuewith leptospirosis present.

Expert warns of leptospirosis by Apiradee Treerutkuarkul

Poor sanitation and garbage disposal in Bangkok's flood-hit communities could result in an outbreak of osteoporosis, a health expert has warned.

Sumet Ongwandee of the Disease Control Department (DCD) said people should take precautions against leptospirosis and wear protective gear if they want to return home after the waters recede. 

"The waterborne disease can be hazardous to people," he said.

Osteoporosis can be transmitted to both humans and animals by direct contact with the urine of infected rodents in contaminated flood water.

The disease gets into the body through cuts and wounds as well as the eyes, nose and mouth, Dr Sumet told the Bangkok Post.

Symptoms are a high fever, severe headache, muscle pain, chills, redness of the eyes, abdominal pain, jaundice, skin haemorrhages, vomiting, diarrhoea and a rash. Severe cases can be fatal if not treated immediately, he said.

Leptospirosis is very worrying as the floodwater has hit crowded urban communities in the capital.

"So garbage disposal management is needed, for it is the first measure that will help control rodents infected with the bacteria from spreading the disease to people," he said.

Dr Sumet said people should carefully protect themselves by wearing rubber boots, gloves and masks when wading through contaminated floodwater and dispose of garbage to help prevent themselves and others from catching the waterborne disease.

Apart from Bangkok's flood-hit communities, health authorities are speeding up monitoring for leptospirosis in 46 flood-hit provinces nationwide.

Surveillance teams of the Bureau of Epidemiology found a leptospirosis case in Nakhon Sawan after the floodwaters receded there.

Another case with similar symptoms to leptospirosis was reported on Nov 18 in Ayutthaya's Pachi district and is still under investigation, the bureau said.

Bangkok has in the past experienced three leptospirosis outbreaks after flooding. The last outbreak in the capital was reported in 1964, said Wirongrong Jirakul, of Mahidol University's faculty of tropical medicine.

Dr Wirongrong said major outbreaks in the country were reported between 1997 and 1999. Up to 15,000 cases and 400 deaths were reported.

In Thailand, an estimated 2,000-3,000 people are infected with leptospirosis every year.

The disease is endemic in the Northeast where farmers work in fields and rice paddies without proper protection. Leptospirosis cases usually peak during the monsoon season.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Expert warns of leptospirosis, 23/11/2011, Apiradee Treerutkuarkul, link)

Disease Prevention Vocabulary

leptospirosis - a bacterial disease spread by contact with water or soil contaminated by the urine or body fluids of infected animals such as dogs, rodents (rats, mice), pigs and cattle; on infection the microorganism

can be found in blood for the first 7 to 10 days and then moves to the kidneys after which the microorganism can be found in urine, "complications include meningitis, extreme fatigue, hearing loss, respiratory distress, 

kidney and liver failure. (See Wikipedia and CDC factsheet and pronunciation)

complication - a medical problem that happens as the result of a disease

dark-field microscope - a method of using microscopes with the area (field) around the object being viewed (specimen) being dark: 

dark field microscopy is a very simple yet effective technique and well suited for uses involving live and unstained biological samples, such as a smear from a tissue culture or individual water-borne single-celled organisms. 

Considering the simplicity of the setup, the quality of images obtained from this technique is impressive." (See Wikipedia)

tissue - a group of cells located in one place in an animal or plant with similar appearance and function (See Wikipedia)

kidney tissue urine - a liquid produced by the kidneys during the filtration of blood and removal of waste products and regulation of water content, electrolyte content, blood pressure, etc; testing of the urine is used to detect diseases and drug use (urinalysis) น้ำปัสสาวะ (See Wikipedia)

body fluids - fluids inside the body of a living person or animal such as blood, lymph, cerebrospinal fluid, sweat, saliva vomit, urine, tears, phlegm, mucus, semen, vaginal secretions, earwax, gastric juice, etc (See Wikipedia)

contaminated - made dirty, polluted or poisonous by the addition of a chemical, waste or infection

contaminated floodwater

disposal - getting rid of something or, in this case, making an explosive safe การกำจัด garbage disposal

dispose - to throw away or get rid of ทิ้ง dispose of garbage

sanitation - the practice of keeping places clean and healthy (especially by providing a sewage removal and clean drinking water) (See Wikipedia)

poor sanitation and garbage disposal in Bangkok's flood-hit communities

outbreak - the sudden start of a disease, a war, violence, etc. การระบาดของโรค an outbreak of leptospirosis

precautions - things done to protect people or things against possible harm or trouble การป้องกันไว้ก่อน

take precautions - do things to protect against dangerous things

gear - the special clothes and equipment that you use for a particular activity

protective gear - special clothes and equipment used to protect against dangerous things

take precautions against leptospirosis and wear protective gear

recede - to move back; to move further away into the distance ถอยหลัง

return home after the waters recede

bear - carried , borne - carried by, waterborne - carried by water

waterborne disease - a disease carried by the water

hazardous - can cause harm, dangerous, especially to people's health or safety hazardous to people

transmitted - sent, pass from one place to another disease transmitted - a disease passes from one person to other people

direct contact - touching someone or something สัมผัส

infected - having a disease transmitted from someone else ซึ่งติดเชื้อ urine of infected rodents - the urine of rats and mice that have the disease

leptospirosis can be transmitted to both humans and animals by direct contact with the urine of infected rodents in contaminated flood water.

symptom - informal definition: an indication or sign of a disease; something that is wrong with your body that shows that you have a disease (strict medical definition: a departure from normal function or feeling which is noticed by a patient, indicating the presence of disease or abnormality. 

A symptom is subjective, observed by the patient, and not measured อาการ, อาการของโรค (See Wikipedia)

fever - an abnormally high body temperature ไข้

high fever

severe - very serious and worrying ที่รุนแรง ที่น่าเป็นห่วง headache - pain in the head or neck; when it feels like your brain and head hurts อาการปวดศีรษะ, อาการปวดหัว (See Wikipedia)

severe headache

chills - when the body shakes (1. when the body shakes because it is cold, shivering; 2. a shaking occurring during a high fever. It occurs because cytokines and prostaglandins are released as part of an immune response and increase the set point for body temperature in the hypothalamus (See Wikipedia)

abdominal - involving the front part of your body below your waist ช่องท้อง (ช่องพระนาภี)

abdomen (noun) - stomach, belly; the part of your body below your chest where your stomach and intestines are ท้อง, พุง, ช่องท้อง, ส่วนท้อง (See Wikipedia)

abdominal (adjective) abdominal pain - stomach pain

jaundice - a yellowish colouring of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by increased levels of bilirubin in the blood; seen in liver disease such as hepatitis or liver cancer or obstruction of the biliary tractby gallstones or cancer, also called "icterus"โรคดีซ่าน (See Wikipedia)

haemorrhage - bleeding, loss of blood (either inside the body or passing out of the body) การตกเลือด, อาการตกเลือด, อาการเลือดไหลไม่หยุด (See Wikipedia)

skin haemorrhages

vomit - when food passes from stomach out of mouth: การอาเจียน; informal: puke, throw up, barf: การอ้วก

diarrhoea - when you have water when you go to the bathroom; "having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. 

The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. In 2009 diarrhea was estimated to have caused 1.1 million deaths in people aged 5 and over and 1.5 million deaths in children under the age of 5. 

Oral rehydration salts and zinc tablets are the treatment of choice and have been estimated to have saved 50 million children in the past 25 years" ท้องเสีย (See Wikipedia)

rash - when skin changes colour, appearance, and texture, usually becoming red (See Wikipedia)

fatal - causing someone to die ถึงตาย

immediately - happening right after something else with no delay; right away ทันที

can be fatal if not treated immediately

urban - in a city or town ในเมือง capital - the city in a country that is the center for government เมืองหลวง

the floodwater has hit crowded urban communities in the capital

measure - an action taken to solve a particular problem มาตรการ

will help control rodents infected with the bacteria from spreading the disease to people

wearing rubber boots, gloves and masks when wading through contaminated floodwaterd

authorities - government officials; the police or people in official organisations who have the legal power to make people obey laws or rules เจ้าหน้าที่ (ตำรวจ หรือผู้มีอำนาจ)

health authorities

monitoring - regularly checking an ongoing activity or process (to check for problems or collect information) จับตาดู

nationwide - throughout a whole country ทั่วทั้งประเทศ

monitoring for leptospirosis in 46 flood-hit provinces nationwide

epidemiology - the study of health and disease patterns in a population and how diseases spread, provides the statistics and data used by public health authorities and "helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive medicine. 

Epidemiologists are involved in the design of studies, collection and statistical analysis of data, and interpretation and dissemination of results" (See Wikipedia)

surveillance - watching something carefully to gather information or check for problems การตรวจตรา

surveillance teams of the Bureau of Epidemiology

investigation - the process of trying to find out all the details or facts about something in order to discover who or what caused it or how it happened; try to find out what happened during an event, discover the truth 

การตรวจสอบหาข้อเท็จจริง การสอบสวน under investigation - the investigation is happening now and is not finished yet

still under investigation

bureau - a government organisation, in this case, within the police department สำนักงาน

faculty - a group of departments in a college which specialize in a particular subject or group of subjects คณะ

tropical - relating to the hottest area of the Earth, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn ในเขตร้อน

tropical medicine - the branch of medicine that deals with health problems that occur in tropical and subtropical regions, also diseases that remain widespread because of lack of improvements in housing, diet, sanitation, and personal hygiene (See Wikipedia) Mahidol University's faculty of tropical medicine.

endemic - found everywhere, very common problem therefore difficult to solve (epidemiology: "an infection is said to be endemic in a population when that infection is maintained in the population without the need for external inputs. For example, chickenpox is endemic (steady state) in the UK, but malaria is not. 

Every year, there are a few cases of malaria acquired in the UK, but these do not lead to sustained transmission in the population due to the lack of a suitable vector (mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles)" (See Wikipedia)

proper - actual or real จริง (พระราชพิธีพระราชทานเพลิงพระศพจริง)

proper protection - real and true protection (example: wearing an amulet as protection against motorcycle accidents may not be proper protection)

The disease is endemic in the Northeast where farmers work in fields and rice paddies without proper protection.

peak - highest level; the time when something is at its highest or greatest level ช่วงเวลาที่พบมากที่สุด

monsoon - the season of heavy rain during the summer in hot Asian countries มรสุม heavy seasonal winds and rain (See Wikipedia) ฤดูมรสุม

Long recovery for old sites

The 1.5 -billion-baht restoration of flood-hit historical sites around the country will take two years to complete, says the Culture Ministry's Department of Fine Arts.

Anek Sihamat, deputy director-general of the department, said 313 historical sites were damaged by the flooding, 130 of them in Ayutthaya. The rest are in Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Bangkok each with about 20 ancient sites.

Mr Anek said he hoped that it would take two months to clean up the historical sites in Ayutthaya. He said a cleanup is the first step in the restoration process.

"[Of the total budget],we expect to spend roughly 600 million baht to restore and rehabilitate ancient sites," he said. "The biggest challenge for us is how to make these centuries-old-buildings resistant to flood damage.

"We don't know how to set up floodwater barriers around those ancient buildings. But we need to strengthen their structure so they can remain in water longer with less damage."

Mr Anek said the department is working with Japanese experts to hammer out measures to protect ancient sites from flooding and minimise damage.

In related news, Supot Prommanot, director of the department's third regional office, and who oversees historical sites in Ayutthaya and other central provinces, said his office will start fixing and restoring 

Wat Phra Sri Sanphet and Wat Mongkol Borpit as they are the most popular tourist attractions in Ayutthaya.

As for Wat Chaiwatthanaram, also popular among tourists, Mr Supot said the temple remains under two meters of water and the temple office is trying to drain water as quickly as possible so it can reopen for tourists.

Mr Supoj said the best way to ensure minimal damage is not to hasten the drainage, but to let the site dry naturally so that the the buildings do not become imbalanced.

"Some people think that the buildings might collapse if they remain under water for so long," he said.

"But in fact only the building surface is destroyed by moisture from water

Flood death toll rises to 610

A total of 610 people were confirmed dead and two people were missing in the floods that have inundated many provinces for about four months now, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported on Wednesday.

The floods still prevail in 17 provinces, affecting 4,924,642 people, the department said.

The department on Sunday, Nov 20, reported the death toll at 602.

Rangsit U rector threatens to block road

Arthit Ourairat, rector of Rangsit University, on Wednesday threatened to lead flood-hit residents of Muang Ake housing estate, in a protest and close Vibhavdi Rangsit Road and Don Mueang Tollway if no flood relief action is taken in three days, reports said.

Mr Arthit today wrote on his Facebook website that Lak Hok, Muang Ake and Rangsit University had been totaled flooded for a month now, but the government's Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc) had paid it no attention at all.

Muang Ake is located near the border line of Bangkok and Pathum Thani, and therefore the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration should also provide assistance to the flood affected residents.

He called on residents in Muang Ake to come out and block both inbound and outbound lanes of the Vibhavadi Rangt Road and Don Mueng Tollway if there is no response from the BMA and Froc within three days.

It was reported that the rector said in an earlier posting that he had sent an urgent letter to Froc head Pol Gen Pracha Promnok and Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra asking them to help rapidly drain the floodwater out through Khlong Prem Prachakhon.

The BMA has kindly sent five pumps to us. Thanks to the BMA,” said Mr Arthit.

Motorists clash with flood protesters.

Motorists who needed to use the Din Daeng-Don Muang tollway to enter Bangkok brawled with protesters from Pathum Thani province who blocked the tollway ramp in support of demands for immediate drainage of floodwater from their communities on Wednesday.

Frustrated motorists approached the protesters who were blocking the entrance to the elevated road in front of Zeer Rangsit department store and asked them to open the ramp to traffic.

The protesters refused to make way because they were using the road block as leverage to demand the Flood Relief Operation Command of the government drain off the flood that has plagued Pathum Thani for over a month.

As the negotiations failed, people on both sides began throwing punches about 2pm. Police from Vibhavadi in Bangkok and from Pathum Thani intervened to break up the brawl.

Kiatisak Songsaeng, a losing Democrat candidate in this year's general election, led the protesters from communities in Rangsit and Lam Luk Ka areas of Pathum Thani to block the tollway at noon. They demanded quick flood solutions.

The people complained about their prolonged hardship and the pollution from the stagnant floodwater.

Their blockade caused a big traffic snarl on inbound lanes of Phahon Yothin Road connecting to the Din Daeng-Don Muang tollway.

PM calls on BMA to help drain runoff out

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Wednesday called on the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to help drain the northern runoff out of the capital as soon as possible.

Ms Yingluck was responding to the reports on conflicts about draining out floodwater from the western part of Bangkok through Khlong Thawee Wattana and Khlong Maha Sawat between the BMA and the government’s Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc).

She said she understands that the BMA is duty-bound to protect Bangkok areas from floods and that Froc is overseeing the overall flood situation in the country.

“I have instructed Froc to quickly find the win win solutions on the floodwater draining conflict as there is a need to rapidly drive the runoff out to the sea to ease difficulties of people in nearby provinces being inundated for months”, she said.

Before this, there was a massive volume of floodwater in the upper part of Bangkok and Froc had to drive it out through cannels in both eastern and western parts, Ms Yingluck said.

Since the flood situation has been improving in some areas of Bangkok, it is necessary for the BMA and Froc to discuss new water draining measures, she added.

“I have ordered a water expert team to look for most effective ways to drain the water out from the flood-hit Phathum Thani and Nonthaburi as soon as possible.

“I also order Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk to install more pumps in various key points to achieve the mission”, she said.

Asked about a criticism that the BMA was too selfish for designating Nonthaburi as a water retention zone to spare Bangkok from floods, Ms Yingluck said she did not want to say so.

“I would like to ask for a mercy and cooperation from the BMA to consider which sluice gates could be wider open to help ease hardships of the people affected by the flooding.

The nature of water is that it must have a way to go. But if its way is blocked, the water draining would not be possible”, she said.

On the question that the BMA had not complied with Froc’s order, Ms Yingluck stopped for a while before saying that the BMA must help the government in thinking making decision to settle problems caused by the floods.

“The BMA must think of the hardship of the flood victims nationwide and all parties must work with their utmost efforts to get the country out of this flood crisis”, she said.

Siam Rath Comment

The Yingluck government's controversial plan to seek a royal pardon for ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra might have been just a political game to test the mood and strength of his political opponents.

As the draft royal pardon drew angry responses from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and other anti-Thaksin groups last week, the self-exiled billionaire wrote a letter from Dubai stating that he did not want to benefit from the draft decree for royal pardons for convicts on the occasion of His Majesty the King's 84th birthday on Dec 5.

''I am ready to sacrifice my own happiness even though I have not received justice for five years,'' wrote Thaksin, who was sentenced by the Supreme Court in 2008 to two years in jail for abusing his authority as prime minister to help his wife buy a state-owned plot of land in Bangkok in 2003.

Many people are still wondering why the ruling Pheu Thai Party decided to be deliberately provocative when it knew that the proposed royal pardon would stir up the PAD and other anti-Thaksin groups? 

The party stands to lose more than gain by pulling such a stupid stunt. But this is no ordinary political game; the move was apparently designed to draw public sympathy for the deposed prime minister.

Through his hand-written letter, Thaksin managed to project himself as a person willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the country. 

He also wrote that as His Majesty the King was ill, nobody should do anything to cause the King worry. And with the Yingluck government now having withdrawn its amnesty plan, Thaksin will be seen as a peacemaker who helped save the country from a new round of political conflict.

No special favours for flood victims

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has refused to provide special compensation to the people on the outskirts of Bangkok whose communities have been kept flooded to protect the inner city and it's financial centres.

She has rejected a proposal from the government's Flood Relief Operation Command (Froc) that the government make a daily payment of 500-1,000 baht to each of flood victims trapped behind the dykes in Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Nakhon Pathom provinces, and in some suburban areas of Bangkok.

All areas are in the same trouble. I sympathise with them and I am trying to offer adequate assistance.

As for rehabilitation in deeply flooded areas, ministers have been assigned to help flood victims in the field and I am sure that the assistance will be adequate," Ms Yingluck said.

Asked if the government would raise compensation for each flooded family from 5,000 baht, the prime minister said her government already had many other assistance measures in place, and would launch more after the floods recede.

She said the government had to give careful consideration before deciding whether it could lift the financial assistance for individual flood victims.

At present, the government pays 5,000 baht as immediate compensation to each flooded family and up to 30,000 baht for each flood-damaged house.

NBTC begins fine-tuning of frequencies ANALYSIS: New year will see Thai radio overhauled in new broadcasting body's first true task

Breaking up the monopoly on radio and television frequencies seemed a distant prospect until the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission received royal endorsement early last month.

The regulatory body started out by not renewing contracts for the operators of nine frequencies _ FM106.5, FM98.5, AM1035, AM1089, FM102, FM99, AM1089, FM89 and AM765.

When the contracts end on Dec 31 this year, 1 Por Nor station, which owns the frequencies, will return them to the NBTC for redistribution for public and private use.

As soon as the NBTC passed the resolution, Green Wave, which is broadcast on FM106.5, cried foul and launched a campaign questioning the NBTC's move.

Green Wave, run by GMM Grammy's subsidiary A-Time Media, a major player in the music and entertainment industry, pleaded for audience sympathy and tried to stir up sentiment that their "beloved" radio station was soon to become history.

They popped a number of questions: what did they do wrong, did their station not serve the public good, and why other programmers that offered nothing but rubbish or political divisiveness were allowed to stay on?

In short, why were they among the first to go when others were spared, pending the NBTC's master plan on frequency management, which is unlikely to be put in effect before 2013?

The NBTC has clarified why it singled out the nine frequencies for takeover without waiting for its completion of the frequency management master plan.

The commission cannot risk being accused of being engaged in a conflict of interest.

The rights of the nine radio frequencies were owned by the now-defunct Post and Telegraph Department before they were transferred to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in 2004.

When the NBTC was formed to replace the NTC, it inherited the frequencies.

However, Green Wave's campaign must have created some uneasiness for the NBTC, whose members were heard speculating on the kind of pressure the agency would face when it was time to reclaim television frequencies.

With this in mind, the NBTC's broadcasting committee has proposed a six-month grace period for those operators with concession rights for the nine frequencies so that they have sufficient time to find a new frequency for their businesses. The proposed extension will be considered by the NBTC today.

The grace period is deemed a reasonable move in a complicated situation.

This is because during the transition period _ before the frequencies are put up for auction _ the frequencies must be for public use only.

The six-month grace period will allow the NBTC's broadcasting panel time to work out the qualifications of the producers and the contents of the programmer for the remaining short operating period before the frequency management master plan is completed.

Once the frequency master plan is in place, all the broadcast frequencies must be returned and reallocated for private and public use through auctions.

The NBTC's decision not to renew the contracts should not be seen as an attempt to keep the current operators out, as they are not stripped of any right to enter further bids.

Instead it should be considered a bold step in the frequency management _ to open up the broadcast media and take out the deep-rooted system of concession granted on a privileged patronage relationship basis at the state's expense.

Moreover, the NBTC's handling of its own frequencies will show if the agency will fulfill its task of turning frequencies into national assets and fairly allocate them for public benefit.

PM ducks cash relief calls

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is lukewarm to calls for special compensation to be paid to people on the outskirts of Bangkok who remain flooded to protect inner city areas.

Yesterday she wouldn't be drawn on a proposal from the Flood Relief Operation Command that the government pay 500-1,000 baht daily to compensate flood victims living within the flood barriers in Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Nakhon Pathom provinces as well as some suburban areas of Bangkok.

"All areas are facing the same problem. I sympathies with them and I am trying to offer adequate assistance. As for rehabilitation in protracted flood areas, cabinet ministers have been assigned to help flood victims there and I am sure that the assistance through them will be adequate," Ms Yingluck said.

Asked if the government would raise compensation for each flooded family from 5,000 baht, Ms Yingluck declined to comment directly. 

She said the government had many assistance measures in the pipeline to be implemented after the flooding has disappeared.

She added that the government would have to consider the situation carefully before deciding whether it could raise financial aid to individual flood victims.

At present, the government pays 5,000 baht in immediate compensation to each family and up to 30,000 baht for each house badly damaged by floodwater.

Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit said the government had approved 1.25 billion baht for 25 provinces 50 million baht each  to help flood victims including Bangkok and its outskirts .

Relief assistance would come in various forms such as food, garbage collection, and health care services, he said.

Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is considering diverting cash from City Hall's budget to pay additional compensation to residents whose homes are close to the big bag flood barrier.

He said they have suffered from deeper floods because of the barrier which was aimed at preventing floodwater from inundating inner Bangkok.

This compensation will be provided in addition to the standard assistance currently being offered by both the government and the BMA.

Minimum wage rise postponed

The cabinet has postponed the increase in the minimum wage to 300 baht per day from Jan 1 to April 1 to help flood-affected employers.

Deputy government spokesman Chalitrat Chantharubeksa said the cabinet resolved yesterday to delay the wage rise for three months out of regard for the problems of flooded businesses.

''The cabinet has postponed the wage rise to April 1 next year. It will start in seven provinces, and will be in place nationwide from April 1, 2013,'' the deputy government spokesman said.

The first seven provinces are: Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Phuket and Pathum Thani.

The minimum wage rise was a campaign policy of the Pheu Thai Party before the July 3 election.

Deputy government spokeswoman Anuttama Amornwiwat said the minimum wage in Phuket will increase by 79 baht to meet the 300 baht mark from the current 221 baht.

The minimum wage in the seven provinces will be increased by 85 baht from 215 baht.

The rate in the remaining 70 provinces will be raised by 39.5% from the existing rate in April 2012 and later rise to meet the 300 baht mark in January 2013 while seven provinces will maintain the wage at 300 baht.

In 2014 and 2015, the minimum wage will be increased to an equal rate nationwide.

Labour leaders have also urged the government to provide subsidies to flood-hit enterprises with limited cash flows instead of large businesses.

Chalee Loysung, head of the Thai Labour Reconciliation Committee, yesterday said he backed the government's 2,000-baht wage subsidy scheme to help flood-hit enterprises in a bid to prevent them from laying off workers in times of need.

Locals win fight over sluice gate Nonthaburi folk vent, Sukhumbhand scurries

Hundreds of Nonthaburi residents won their demand for all sluice gates along Khlong Maha Sawat to be opened wider to ease their flood misery during a rally at the provincial hall on Tuesday.

Two residents of flood-affected Nonthaburi province lose their temper during a meeting with the local administration yesterday over their demands for more effective flood drainage methods.

The Nonthaburi provincial authority, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc) agreed to the residents' demand after around 500 of them showed up to stage a noisy protest after weeks of heavy flooding in their communities.

The residents from Bang Bua Thong, Bang Yai, Bang Kruai, Sai Noi, Pak Kret and Muang districts had previously blockaded a road in front of the town hall on Rattanathibet Road on Sunday to protest what they said was officials' inaction over their flood ordeal.

They demanded in Tuesday's rally that all sluice gates on Khlong Maha Sawat be opened wider so the stagnant floodwater in their communities would be drained through Bangkok and out into the sea. Khlong Maha Sawat borders Nonthaburi and Bangkok.

The protesters were infuriated by televised comments by a senior government official on Monday night saying that the drainage of floodwater in their areas had been slow because they had weak local leaders and they did not band together to help themselves.

"Isn't it the duty of the government to provide pumps and other means to drain the water out of our homes?" said a protester from Buathong Residence housing estate who evacuated his home a month ago after it was flooded.

"Do we have to keep on paying room rent elsewhere because our homes are under water and stink so that areas in the capital can remain dry and clean?" said another protester from Bangrak Pattana sub-district.

Core protester representatives met for two hours with Nonthaburi governor Wichian Phutthiwinyu who angered the residents even more when he came down to read a letter from Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra responding to their demand.

MR Sukhumbhand said in his letter the BMA would open the sluice gates step by step from the present 50cm high to 70cm. They would be lifted higher after a two-day evaluation of the impact before being opened further to 1m.

The governor fled and disappeared from the scene for hours after the protesters vented their anger at his response, leaving Pheu Thai MP from Nonthaburi Chalong Riewraeng and Froc spokesman Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen to deal with the protest.

The governor and Froc spokesman later agreed to bring some 30 representatives of the protesters to witness the opening of all sluice gates as previously demanded by the residents.

Water Draining Committee chairman Veera Wongsaengnak told the Nonthaburi residents earlier at the meeting that more water pumps would be brought to the Bangyai and Bang Kruai areas.

In 10 days, with all local authorities and other agencies support, the water should be drained sufficiently to allow small cars to travel, he said.

Pol Col Thongchai Yenprasert, president of the Nonthaburi Provincial Administration Organization, also told the meeting the province had to be divided up into sections for more practical draining operations.

Although the protesters have come up with a slogan of "Dry Nonthaburi by Dec 1", some residents appeared satisfied with the promise of less floodwater in 10 days.

Mrs Luen (last name withheld), 58, a furniture maker from Bangyai's Bang Maenang sub-district, said the promise was acceptable.

"At least they have promised something and are not leaving us in smelly water without telling us when we can restart our businesses or return to our normal lives," she said.

Thaksin 'not on pardon list'

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has confirmed Thaksin Shinawatra's name has not been included in the list of convicts eligible to benefit from the government's proposed royal pardon decree this year.

Ms Yingluck  sister of ousted ex-premier Thaksin  said the decree is in line with the cabinet resolution and that the government's position is for everything to follow the law and tradition and to be non-discriminatory.

When asked about a vow by Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung to bring Thaksin back to Thailand, Ms Yingluck admitted that was one of the Pheu Thai Party's campaign pledges.

However, she said all cases must proceed according to the law and for the best interests of the country and equality of all people, adding she will not give "special treatment" to anyone.

Justice Minister Pracha Promnok said the draft royal pardon decree for over 20,000 convicts on the occasion of His Majesty the King's 84th birthday on Dec 5 would follow convention.

The bans on people found guilty of drug offenses and corruption and convicts who absconded will remain intact in the decree, he said.

This applies to Thaksin as the Supreme Court sentenced him to two years in jail in 2008 for abusing his authority as premier to help his then-wife Potjaman na Pombejra buy a state-owned plot of land in the Ratchadaphisek area of Bangkok in 2003.

Atchaporn Jaruchinda, secretary-general of the Council of State, said the council had scrutinized the draft decree in line with the traditions and conventions and the bans in the decree are retained.

Mr Chalerm admitted Thaksin may not be able to return this year and added that other cases are still pending against him. 

Therefore, it serves little purpose for the government to push for a royal pardon for Thaksin at this stage. He said he is waiting for the right time to push for the amnesty law.

He said he had to go ahead with a bid to bring Thaksin back home at some point, as he had made a promise to do so during election campaigns.

Meanwhile, a group called Siam Samakkhi, made up of Thaksin critics, will hold a signature collection campaign to impeach the cabinet at Lumpini Park on Friday.

Senator Somjate Boonthanom, who joined the group, called on the government to avoid any action that would absolve Thaksin of his punishment.

Thaksin is in South Korea touring a $19-billion river project which he believes could have averted Thailand's flood disaster, Korean officials said.

As the floods recede, Bangkok blame game begins

A Thai couple and a dog ride on a floating material through a flooded road in Don Muang district of Bangkok, Thailand, on Nov. 14.

BANGKOK, Thailand – One of the most striking things about the Thai floods is the sheer ingenuity people have shown to simply get around.

I've seen all manner of aquatic contraptions, from rafts made from empty drinking water bottles to crafts fashioned from larger plastic drums, with a bicycle mounted on the deck driving a home-made propeller through the increasingly fetid waters.

Thailand's National Science and Technology Development Agency even ran a competition called "Mobility in the Time of Flood," which attracted 89 entries and was won by another bicycle driven raft cobbled together by a bunch of students.

The Bangkok Post devoted most of its back page to the contest Tuesday under the headline Amateur Inventors to the rescue.

It provided a note of humor amid increasingly angry recriminations over who's to blame for a deluge that's swamped a third of the country and killed more than 600 people. 

The floods have also affected some 10,000 factories, and hit the global supply chain for automotive parts and hard disk drives.

Nearly half a million workers have been affected. Japanese-owned factories are particularly badly hit, and the government fears that many will curtail future investment plans. Japan is the largest foreign investor in Thailand.

The clean-up and recovery will cost billions of dollars, and shave an estimated 2.5 percent off economic growth.

The good news is that the floodwaters are receding to the north of the city. In Bangkok, the authorities say the eastern suburbs should be dry within a week or so, though it could be the new year before the water drains from western areas.

Don Muang airport and its surrounding areas still resemble a lake. The airport is only home to a couple of low-cost carriers these days, most flights now departing from a new airport, but it’s still a remarkable sight.

Blame game begins

Of course, few people now trust the predictions of the authorities, which have changed constantly, with officials frequently contradicting each other from day to day.

National government officials are in a constant sparring match with their city authorities, and, of course, rival political camps are accusing each other of mismanagement.

There's anger in the outer suburbs, where many believe they were sacrificed to keep downtown Bangkok dry. Angry residents have even ripped down dikes in some areas to allow the floodwaters to shift.

Some blame irrigation officials for failing to release water from up-country dams earlier in the year.

Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong had a simpler explanation in an interview with Dow Jones Newswires. It was unfair to accuse the government of mismanagement, he said. "This has to be the result of climate change and global warming."

Well, up to a point, Mr. Kittiratt.

Many reports have suggested that low-lying Bangkok is vulnerable to rising sea levels, and, yes, Thailand had heavy rain this year roughly 25 percent more than normal by some estimates.But the great flood of 2011 was a largely man made disaster.

The country has seen years of mindless development, much of it on what has historically been a flood plain to the north of the capital. 

Paddy fields have been paved over with concrete to make way for vast industrial estates and urban sprawl.

Natural drainage routes have been blocked.In the city, too, a once massive network of klongs (canals), the city's drainage system, has been replaced by roads; housing developments sit where water used to flow.

That so many people and businesses were in harm's way in areas that are historically vulnerable to floods, with the waters left with nowhere to go, is the result of decisions taken over the years by short-sighted and often venal politicians. To blame it all on climate change is an enormous cop-out.

Thailand’s Floods Felt Around the World, Disrupting Global Manufacturing

The floodwaters may be slowly  agonizingly slowly receding, but like ripples on a pond, the ramifications of Thailand’s recent floods are spreading around the globe and forward in time.

According to Businessweek, at least 533 people have been killed since late July, when monsoon rains began lashing Thailand. 

Flooding worsened in October, when rainfall (about 40 percent more than the annual average) filled dams north of Bangkok to capacity, prompting authorities to release more than 9 billion cubic meters of water down a river basin the size of Florida.

Advancing waters have swamped seven industrial estates north of Bangkok with 891 factories, and threaten two others in the capital where Honda, Isuzu Motors Ltd., and a unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. have operations. 

Half the world’s hard-disc-drive manufacturers are either closed or on restricted working status, and automotive parts manufacturers, particularly Japanese supply chain firms, are particularly hard hit. 

Honda had to cut output at some North American plants this month as a result of disrupted parts supply, and a NY Times news service report said the flooding has forced Toyota to slow production in factories in Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, North America, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa and Vietnam.

As the ripples spread, Japanese steel mills are trimming steel production in anticipation of slowing or delayed steel demand from the auto industry. 

The FT reported this week that car manufacturers have been asking mills to delay deliveries of steel sheet, causing Nippon Steel and JFE to shut capacity and revise production forecasts for the next quarter.

Although Hurricane Katrina was a case of weather pushing sea-waters inland past city defenses, it bears some similarity to Bangkok’s monsoon rains falling inland and causing flooding as the waters build on their way to the sea. 

In both cases, man-made defenses were thought to be adequate, but wholesale destruction of natural defenses has shown the weakness of relying on recent history as a guide to future expectations.

The monsoon rains were said to be the worst in 70 years, but the frequency is expected to increase as weather patterns change. 

The NY Times explains a large share of the industrial growth in Thailand has occurred on the floodplain north of Bangkok. 

Rice paddies were paved over to make way for factories, suburban housing and shopping malls, blocking the natural path and absorption of water during the monsoon season. 

Experts feel the Thai government will be given one chance and one chance only to make the necessary investments to provide canals, drainage and other defenses before foreign investors (particularly Japan as the largest) start to look for new sites to put their money in Vietnam, Indonesia, India and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

As for us, we can expect to pay more for electronics containing hard-disc drives, particularly external HDD, as prices charged by those not affected rises. 

Car deliveries may also be delayed, although the supply chain was reasonably well-stocked and most manufacturers do have redundancy elsewhere to keep them going; but as an example, the new Honda Civic launch in the UK has been postponed by a month due to parts disruption from Thai factories.

As if we didn’t need any reminders after the Japanese earthquake of the global market’s interconnectedness, along comes yet another natural disaster to remind us that lowest cost is not always lowest cost.

As floods slowly recede, communities in Thailand begin massive cleanup

Efforts to clean up areas near Thailand’s capital that were covered by as much as three feet (a meter) of floodwater just two weeks ago are accelerating, as the threat of inundation in Bangkok eases.

Hundreds of volunteers joined monks in gathering flood debris into garbage bags Tuesday near a massive temple that houses the Dhammakaya Buddhist sect in Pathum Thani province, just north of Bangkok.

A resident wades through floodwaters as a wave generated by a passing truck hits Buddhist statues at a shop in Bang Khae district of Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011. The situation has improved dramatically in recent days and cleanup has begun in many areas, though some still face weeks more under water. 

Floodwater in many parts of Thailand has begun to drain away, and we can see cleaning activities being organized in many places,” said Sanitwong Wuttiwangso, a monk at the temple.

Since July, more than a fifth of the country’s 64 million people have been affected by the worst flooding in more than 50 years, and at least 606 have died.

Seventeen provinces remain under water, including western Bangkok, where floodwaters are much lower than earlier predicted but moving only slowly toward the sea.

Central Bangkok has remained dry, but most buildings in the area constructed sandbag barriers or even temporary cement walls because of fears that the entire city would be inundated.

On Silom Road in the central business district, many stores are now removing their barriers.

“I’ve been watching the news, and it looked like it isn’t going to flood,” said Max Somprakon, an employee at Coffee Society, a cafe on Silom that took down its barrier two days ago.

The cafe had initially built a 1.5-foot (half-meter) sandbag wall, which it later doubled in size, and as a result lost about 70 percent of its business, he said.

“Customers couldn’t get in, and normally our customers want to sit and watch people on the street. With the wall, the atmosphere was lost,” he said. “It’s getting better now.”