Govt refuses comment on "Thaksin amnesty"

As floods continue to wreak havoc on Thailand, has the Yingluck government sneaked in a plan to bring Thaksin Shinawatra home?

Government leaders remained tight-lipped Wednesday morning over widespread Thai media reports that the Yingluck administration has added extra changes to this year’s annual amnesty to mark HM the King’s birthday that would benefit Thaksin Shinawatra.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, who chaired Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, from which Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was conspicuously absence, waved off reporters, saying he would address the issue when he is at Parliament Wednesday afternoon.

Media reports said that during a high-confidential Cabinet forum Tuesday limited to only a handful numbers of ministers and officials, it was decided that people convicted of corruption would be entitled to receive this year amnesty. 

Last year’s royal decree that released prisoners to mark the monarch’s birthday excluded people convicted of drug trade and corruption.

Yingluck spent Monday night in Singburi, citing travel difficulties at night and did not come to the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, assigning Chalerm, who she had tasked with looking into political amnesty, to chair the Cabinet meeting. 

Democrat MPs taunted that as a thinly-veiled move to give her "dependability" at a time of raging flood crisis.

Yingluck late Tuesday denied knowledge of what happened at the Cabinet meeting, asking reporters to ask Chalerm directly. Chalerm refused to comment. 

Government spokesperson Titima Chaisaeng also said she had no idea what went on during the secretive meeting that followed the normal weekly Cabinet meeting.

Whether Yingluck’s denial, well recorded by the Thai media, will come back to haunt her remains to be seen. She had vowed never to work for any particular group or person. 

To miss a Cabinet meeting that would enable her to keep up on flood relief efforts would be politically acceptable if there was no hidden agenda at that Cabinet meeting. 

But if that meeting was spent on discussing plans for her big brother Thaksin, the prime minister could face a big political backlash.

However, it remains to be seen if the media reports are true, and whether the proclaimed changes to the annual amnesty would include another key point that would fully benefit Thaksin. 

The fact that Thaksin has yet to serve a day in prison has prompted question how he would be "released". If this year’s conditions benefit fugitives, it will be a considerable change from Thai legal and royal traditions.

No dilemma here: Pay out fair compensation

Our nation's increasingly jumbled conscience is probably summed up by the Facebook status update of someone who can never vote for Pheu Thai or utter Thaksin Shinawatra's name without adding obscenities.

"Keng, you moron," wrote the man on his "wall", referring to controversial government MP Karun Hosakul. "For once in your life you have done something good, but now you're denying you've done it?"

The "good deed" was the demolition of the "big bag" barrier on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road at Don Muang on Sunday. Karun allegedly led protesters living "outside" the barrier and being affected by it to bring down parts of the flood-wall.

It was a controversial act that even the Pheu Thai Party wanted to distance itself from, and later Karun himself denied responsibility. Our Facebook guy, as you should be able to guess, lives just outside the barrier.

For the wrong reason maybe, Karun allegedly did something right, at least in the eyes of many. The floods have not only brought out the best and worst in Thais, but also the "most grey" in us. 

This disaster has reminded me of a debating exercise during a legal philosophy course. You are piloting a plane with 300 on board that is about to crash into the ocean because of engine trouble. 

The only way you can save the passengers is to land the plane on what could pass as a runway on the only island in view. There are a dozen huts on the "runway". So what do you do?

It sounds like a tough question, but our world has breezed through dilemmas far more difficult than this. All religious wars claimed millions of innocent lives. 

The atomic bombs ended a world war, but who really thinks they should have been dropped, raise your hands. Is capital punishment good or bad? All of a sudden, "our dilemma" doesn't seem too bad, does it?

With proper preparations that are not beyond human capacity, nobody would get killed no matter which way the floods flow. Inner Bangkok may take a hit, disrupting lives and causing staggering business losses, or people outside the flood-walls will suffer longer in water that's getting filthier and filthier. 

Both cases are depressing, but we have veered off the mark by trying to decide which is the worst-case scenario.

The government is in a far better position than that of the plane captain weighing the lives of his passengers and the island villagers. The problem with politicians, even the best "populists" among them, is that the word "compensation" is associated with defeat and embarrassment. 

And they are also the stingiest species when it comes to paying back people affected by their decisions or action. They can pay over the budget with wild abandon for their projects, but when it's needy people, not contractors, who are the recipients, all kinds of fiscal principles and regulations come into play.

There are two groups of flood sufferers - those on the water's natural path and those affected by attempts to change the water's course, hold it back or accelerate its flow. 

The latter deserve more than what the Yingluck government has promised. They can be easily identified and it won't be difficult to verify their hardship. 

That the government has failed to differentiate them is a major reason why a legal campaign to sue the administration for damages is gaining momentum.

Of course, giving bigger compensation based on ordeals consequential of state action can lead the government down a slippery slope. 

It's not only about flood-walls that send a domino effect to people living outside it; this disaster may also have had something to do with a crucial Agriculture Ministry decision to delay the release of northern dam waters. 

How much impact that particular decision had on the enormity of the flooding will most certainly be the subject of political and scientific scrutiny after the waters completely recede. Political fears, however, must not be the reason why many flood victims will not get compensation they deserve.

A member of the Yingluck Cabinet said recently that the government was considering a "New Thailand" recovery scheme that could cost something close to Bt1 trillion over a number of years. 

No details were given, but it seems such a massive sum is wanted for things for the future - better water management, better protection of industrial estates and so on. 

If it's the right plan, it was conceived and disclosed at a wrong time. That plane's pilot wouldn't be thinking about how he could be more careful with the engine next time, or what kind of navigational upgrades to install for the next flight.

The Thai government should feel lucky that it hasn't come down to deciding who lives and who dies. And that it has what it takes to give reasonable compensation. 

Spend the money wisely and the government won't be helping only the worst-hit flood victims, but also the likes of Karun, his (largely reluctant) fans and detractors, all of them being torn by a moral crisis.

Govt faces string of lawsuits

Two groups to sue state agencies, PM and Cabinet for the flooding situation and seek damages for victims

The man who virtually brought the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate to its knees two years ago has confirmed he will lead a class-action campaign against the government in connection with the flood disaster.

Government agencies concerned with flood management will be taken to court next month for failing to solve the disaster, said Srisuwan Janya, chairman of the Stop Global Warming Thailand Association.

The man who fought to force industrial projects in Map Ta Phut to adjust their plans and consider environmental issues more seriously said this campaign would be independent of a similar one being launched by a Chulalongkorn University lecturer.

"On December 19, our association will file a lawsuit with the Administrative Court against more than 10 government organisations that have worked to address flood problems," he said.

They are Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the Cabinet, the Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC), the Royal Irrigation Department, the Meteorological Department, the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat), and the Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute, he said.

"Everyone who has been affected by floods in 26 provinces is invited to contact us so the association will represent them to file the suit," Srisuwan said.

"We will tell the court how each of those agencies has failed to solve the flood disaster, and force them to pay compensation to the flood victims and issue concrete and clear measures to prevent severe floods recurring in the future."

Compensation will be sought for their damaged assets, illness caused by the floods and loss of income.

Before the association files the suit in court, it will hold a meeting with flood experts and academics and flood-affected people on December 15 at Imperial Queen's Park Hotel in Bangkok to see what wrongs the government agencies committed in coping with the floods and resolving the flood problems, as well as to hear from the victims.

"We are inviting all affected people to join the meeting to share with us their troubles," he said.

The other campaigner, meanwhile, is hatching a similar legal plan, in which the government would face administrative, civil and criminal litigation in connection with its allegedly botched flood control.

Chulalongkorn University economics lecturer Narong Phetprasert said yesterday that he and his team were gathering legal evidence.

"Evidence will be collected over the next two months to build up cases against the government," he said.

Narong said the litigation would be based on five causes - administrative damage, negligence, lapse of duty, lost opportunity and property damage.

After assessing flood-hit communities, the legal team will draw up a list of defendants. He said the potential defendants included the FROC, the Agriculture Ministry, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, Egat and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Although the previous government had mishandled last year's flood control, the extent of flooding and damage did not warrant a court battle, he said, denying he was trying to target the Pheu Thai Party while sparing the Democrats.

He said he would work with the Law Society of Thailand in building up the cases on behalf of the flood victims.

The government would be taken to courts to face myriad charges, he said.

Key provisions to sanction the litigation include Article 9 of the Administrative Court Formation and Administrative Procedural Code.

Article 9 prescribes the mandate of citizens to sue the government for lapse of duty.

Article 157 of the Criminal Code prescribes for malfeasance. Article 420 of the Civil Code is the legal basis to sue for damage.

In a related development, the National Human Rights Commission has launched a probe into the impact from pumping flood water from industrial estates into surrounding communities, NHRC member Niran Pitakwatchara said.

Leaders bullish on post-flood prospects

Captains of industry are upbeat about the economic outlook for next year, given that the private and state sectors will spend massively on restoring infrastructure hit by the flooding, which will in turn create jobs and boost growth.

Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi, president and chief executive officer of Thai Beverage, yesterday said he agreed with remarks made last week by Charoen Pokphand chairman Dhanin Chearavanont, who said the economy would expand quite dramatically because of strong rehabilitation packages from both the government and business sectors, which would create much investment and expenditure, construction work and employment.

"The massive flooding has had a direct impact on the business sector in terms of performance and capability. However, the flood situation is getting better and if there is no change, the business sector will be back to normal within one or two weeks," said Thapana.

"As a business sector, we have learned much from the disaster in terms of preparation, such as risk management. During the flooding, we have seen Thai people pull together to get through this difficult time," he added.

The ThaiBev chief said the crisis had also presented the company with a good opportunity.

"We have had less production capacity at our major beverage plants in Bang Ban and Wang Noi districts in Ayutthaya, but instead have seen a great opportunity to outsource our beer and other beverage production to other manufacturers in the region through original-equipment-manufacturing contracts. 

The strategy is also in line with the Asean Economic Community, which will be fully effective in 2015," said Thapana.

Somprasong Boonyachai, chairman of the group executive committee of Shin Corp, said he believed the economy would still grow next year, given that the private and public sectors would spend massively in restoring infrastructure, which would spark job creation and consumption.

GMM Grammy chairman Paiboon Damrongchaitham said the company estimated it would miss its profit target of Bt200 million for the current quarter because of the floods. 

Overall business in the first quarter of next year also remains at risk, thanks to consumer companies and key advertisers having to focus on recovering their business and factories.

However, Paiboon believes that in the next quarter, business will bounce back because of government spending to support people in affected areas, while firms should by then be able to restart operations.

Sompol Chaisiriroj, director of marketing at ICC International, said the company believed the economy would still be in positive territory next year and that all flood-affected companies would undertake urgent rehabilitation, which would create investment and jobs.

"The massive flooding has sent a very clear signal to all businesses that they have to prepare effectively for any change caused by natural disasters, which will be more severe each year. Risk management becomes a must-strategy for any enterprise," said Sompol.

Teerapong Chansiri, president of Thai Union Frozen Products (TUF), said that as the company relied heavily on exports, it had been less affected by the flooding.

"We are quite optimistic on the growth potential of food exports next year, as the crises in both the US and Europe will by then] have passed."

Teerapong said the domestic economy would enjoy dramatic growth, as all flood-affected companies would undertake major investment in business restoration. 

The government will spend a great deal of money on rehabilitating the country's infrastructure and launching measures to help people affected by the flooding, he added.

Isara Wongkusolkij, president of Mitr Phol Sugar Group, said the government and the private sector would conduct restoration packages after the flood water receded, and that consumer confidence would then improve dramatically.

Besides ThaiBev, GMM Grammy, TUF, Mitr Phol Sugar and ICC, seven other leading businesses - Bangkok Bank, Central Pattana, True Corp, BTS Group Holdings, Major Cineplex Group, Muang Thai Life Assurance and Advanced Info Service - yesterday joined in the first flood-relief campaign ever conducted through the strong synergy of enterprises in a wide range of sectors.

The "Power of Thai" campaign aims to raise about Bt100 million for the rehabilitation of flood-hit schools.

1.5 million letters, parcels undelivered

About 1.5 million letters and packages could not be delivered after 38 of 1,200 post offices were submerged.

Thailand Post normally receives and delivers about 5 million parcels per day.

Piyawat Mahapauraya, senior executive vice president, said yesterday that the company continued to operate as usual.

However, in deeply flooded areas, postal carriers cannot make their rounds and many people are not at home. The parcels will be delivered when the flood subsides.

To serve private and state offices on Vibhavadi-Rangsit, Chaeng Wattana and other swamped Bangkok roads, large trucks are being used, Piyawat said. 

The company is providing transport for its employees to its head office on Chaeng Wattana and paying a daily allowance of Bt100 to those working during the flooding, he added.

Rangsit and Nonthaburi residents rally for help

Residents in northern Bangkok's Rangsit area and those in Nonthaburi province yesterday launched separate rallies calling for more action from the government to help them deal with the flood crisis, which they claim has worsened after the first big-bag barrier was laid along Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road.

Rangsit residents yesterday met local politicians and Pathum Thani provincial officials before agreeing to stop breaking down the barrier provided the authorities launched intensive flood drainage operations.

Nonthaburi residents, meanwhile, are soliciting support through a Facebook page and are planning to hold a rally outside city hall on Friday.

After the 40-minute talks yesterday, Rangsit residents agreed that they would not breach the barrier but that they needed to make themselves heard, especially since people at the Muang Ake housing estate and Rangsit municipality have been battling high flood waters for a month now. 

Local officials explained that they had done their best but were limited by manpower and lack of funds, adding that they needed direct assistance from the government.

"We believe that if we are flooded, inner Bangkok should also be flooded," Pakornphat Thepuatra-kool, leader of the Rangsit residents' protest group, opined.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra confirmed yesterday that a compromise had been reached after angry residents in Don Muang area had demolished a section of the barrier. 

Officials have agreed that makeshift water gates would be built at several locations along the flood defenses, to help with water drainage and serve as channels for small boats to go through.

SAVING AYUTTHAYA

Volunteers and locals flock to the ancient capital to clean temple grounds and scrub monuments

More than a month after it was engulfed by floodwaters, the province of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya is slowly getting back to normal as the waters recede. 

Most of the provincial seat is now dry and with houses, museums, temples, palace ruins and roads once again visible, people are beginning the long and arduous task of cleaning up.

In the distance, the slightly leaning Chaiyamongkol pagoda, built to honour the victory of King Naresuan the Great's victory over Burma, can clearly be seen. 

The ancient royal monastery of Wat Yai Chaimongkol, located just outside the city island, looks well on the way to recovery, with most of the temple grounds now free of water.

Last Thursday, a large group of volunteers gathered at the temple for Ayutthaya's big cleaning day. Lay people and monks spread out through the temple grounds, washing, wiping and pulling up dead trees. 

Sadly, the roots of all the ornamental orange jasmine trees rotted in the water but the hardier West Indian jasmine trees survived and are in full bloom.

"Ayutthaya was the capital of Siam for more than 400 years and acted as the centre of administration, culture and international relations of the Siamese kingdom. 

Today, Ayutthaya is the centre of cooperation among Thai people to help bring the old capital city back to its former glory and the smiles back to people's faces once again", says Ayutthaya's governor, Wittaya Pewpong,

And certainly, the folk in Ayutthaya are fighting the flood with big smiles. At Wat Ayodhaya in Hantra village, locals still commute to the main road in shallow muddy water

My one-story house was flooded up to the gables. We had to move to high land just behind the pagoda, and now the water has receded to chest level. I should be able to move back in about 10 days", says a local man with a broad smile.

Wat Ayodhaya is home to one of the oldest pagodas in Ayutthaya and its ruins are located just behind the new Ubosot hall. Historians believe this was the site of the old royal palace before it was relocated to Ayutthaya island. 

Two cows are eating grass on the pagoda's higher platform - more than three meters above the ground. "They climbed up by themselves. They've been living up there for more than a month now" says a local woman.

This small temple was holding a Loy Krathong festival later that night to give locals a break from the floods. The festival was also being celebrated at Wat Phanan Choeng, home to Luang Pho Tor, the 19-metre tall stucco Buddha image that dates back to the 14th century.

Wat Phanan Choeng is one of three temples that hasn't been affected by the floodwater, the other two being Wat Putthai Sawan and Wat Niwet Thammaprawat. According to the governor, Bang Pa-in Palace, Siriyalai Royal Residence and Bang Sai Royal Arts and Craft Center have also been spared.

An island at the confluence of three rivers, Ayutthaya is no stranger to flooding. Indeed, the rainy season was long known as the "flood season" or "reudu nam lark" and was never considered harmful in the olden days, as the entire economy was based on rice farming.

But while the physical geography hasn't changed, industrial development has sprung up around the area bringing with it a population influx. 

The governor says he wants a dam built on the Pasak and Chao Phraya rivers to protect the city in the long run. 

His aim is to give people their lives back, to restore the world heritage site back to its former glory and to boost Ayutthaya's chance of being selected as the host of the World Expo in 2020. "I believe we can accomplish it", he says.

Right now though, only a few visitors are cycling around Ayutthaya and the elephant strolling along the Historical Park has no tourists on her back. Viharn Monkholbopit, the building that houses Phra Monkholbopit, is still not open to visitors. 

It's possible to venture into the adjoining Wat Phra Si Sanpetch to visit the three pagodas and the Royal Palace ruins but the ground is still soft and wet and the water stains are visible on the old bricks.

Among all the religious centres of Ayutthaya, Wat Mahathat is regarded the most significant, as it once was a residence of the Supreme Patriarch. 

The temple is not completely dry, but the most photographed sandstone Buddha's head enmeshed in the tree trunks has now emerged from the water and the dark moss that used to cover the face has all but disappeared.

Lovers of Buddhist art cried when they saw photos of the giant reclining Buddha image at Wat Lokayasutharam submerged in the floodwaters. 

Now, the 29-metre-long reclining Buddha is more or less water-free and small fish and shrimps can be seen trying to escape from drying muddy ponds. 

A couple of tourists stop but rather than take photos, they start collecting garbage left by water in the temple yard.

Their simple gesture is a timely reminder that we too should all do our part in rescuing our precious heritage.

IF YOU GO...

Another big cleaning day in Ayutthaya will be organized on December 5 at nine temples, nine churches and nine mosques. For more details, contact Tourism Authority of Thailand, Ayutthaya office at (035) 246076-7

Asean to strengthen cooperation on disaster management

In a move initiated by Thailand, Asean leaders will issue a statement committing their countries to greater cooperation in flood prevention, mitigation, relief, recovery and rehabilitation, following their summit tomorrow.

Thailand needed to boost the role of Asean in disaster management since the effect of ongoing floods was being felt beyond its border in the region as a whole, and also perhaps globally, with production facilities of leading industries from countries such as Japan and the United States located in the country, said Deputy Foreign Minister Jullapong Nonsrichai.

"The efforts of one country alone might not be enough, whereas Asean has a lot of mechanisms and instruments to handle disasters, so we need cooperation and collective action," he said.

The statement by Asean would build confidence in the role and capacity of Thailand and Asean in rehabilitating the country from major disaster, Jullapong said after a pre-summit meeting of Asean foreign ministers.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who will be in Bali for the summit tomorrow, will express her gratitude to Asean members and partners who have helped relief efforts in Thailand.

A draft of the statement seen by The Nation calls for further cooperation among members, including sharing of best-practice methods for disaster management and management of water resources.

Countries in the region such as Cambodia, Vietnam and notably Thailand have faced severe flooding for months. 

In Thailand alone the severest flooding in half a century has killed more than 500 people and displaced millions of others, with parts of the capital now inundated.

Asean leaders agree that the flooding has not only threatened human life and national and regional economies, but also affected agricultural production, food security and the regional and global supply chain, the draft statement said.

The group emphasised the need to forge cooperation on flood management to cope with increasingly unpredictable weather conditions which may be attribute to climate change, it said.

The leaders would agree to strengthen the role of the Asean secretary-general as the region's humanitarian-assistance coordinator and enhance the capacity and ensure sustainability of the Asean Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management.

Asean leaders would also task the secretary-general and the Asean committee on disaster management with consulting with relevant sectoral bodies to find how Asean can better coordinate and prepare for flood disasters. 

The secretary and the committee will make recommendations on possible areas of cooperation in flood prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery and rehabilitation among Asean members and between the group and partners.

Asean leaders also want to utilise the grouping's military assets and capacity in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief agreed upon by the region's defense ministers in Pattaya in February 2009.

Town-planning law to be amended

Move to protect urban areas in future; proposal to be submitted to Veerapong.

The town-planning law will be amended to protect urban areas from flooding in the future, a senator said yesterday.

"Flood zones must be clearly identified," said Trungjai Buranasomphop, chairman of the Senate ad hoc committee on settlements and town planning.

The proposal will be submitted to Veerapong Ramangkul, chairman of the Strategic Committee for Reconstruction and Future Development.

"We will also suggest that three subcommittees be set up to work on this," Trungjai said.

These subcommittees would study problems at settlements in restricted and risky areas; policies, laws and the structure of agencies responsible for settlements and town planning; and policies for water management and town planning.

The raging flood has submerged many towns as well as seven industrial estates.

"It's necessary to have clear-cut and strict city planning," said Senator Decha Boomkhum, deputy chairman of the committee on settlements and town planning.

Bangkok is now facing its worst flood in decades because authorities failed to enforce town-planning laws strictly, he said.

"Housing estates have gone up and blocked flood ways," he said. "There's encroachment on canals, too."

A US consulting firm, Litchfield and Associates, was hired in 1960 to develop a master plan for Bangkok, he said. Although the team produced the Greater Bangkok Plan (1960-90), it was not heeded.

"The plan addressed flood-prevention mechanisms like express flood-ways both in western and eastern Bangkok," he said.

Suphot Tovichakchaikul, deputy permanent secretary of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and chief of the ministry's Flood Relief Operations Center, said a flood solution to be urgently proposed was city planning. 

This was critical for Bangkok, whose natural water-retaining areas on the eastern and western sides were full of large housing estates, roads and infrastructure projects.

Even Suvarnabhumi Airport in Lat Krabang could be regarded as blocking eastern Bangkok's natural waterways, but it was impossible to demolish the structure now, he said.

The Department of Public works and Town and Country Planning has designed a city plan for the country until 2600 or in 46 years.

It includes land use, residential zoning, green areas and reservoirs - but most things did not go according to the plan.

The major flood disaster this year forced people to see the plan's necessity. If city planning was not taken seriously, such disasters would reoccur because Bangkok stood in the path of run-offs.

A helicopter inspection found that canals in eastern and western Bangkok were squeezed by roads and residences. 

Western Bangkok's Thawee Watthana Canal was narrow - 30 meters at its head and 5 meters at its tail - so drainage into the Tha Chin and Chao Phraya rivers was slow and depended largely on pumps.

Since 6 billion cubic meters of flood water remained in Bangkok, mostly on its western flank, it would take one month to get rid of the last vestige, Suphot said.

Thai envoy to fight wife's death in Seoul, Bangkok

The Thai ambassador to Korea plans to take the Seoul hospital where his wife died to court both here and in Thailand, embassy officials said Tuesday.

Ambassador Chaiyong Satjipanon has filed a criminal complaint with the Korean police accusing Soonchunhyang University Hospital of medical malpractice and a lack of professionalism leading to the death of his wife Thitinart Satjipanon. He intends to pursue similar proceedings in Bangkok.

He claims that staff negligence at the hospital's international clinic led to his wife's death on Sept. 19 at the Hannam-dong hospital, where she had been admitted three days earlier complaining of abdominal pain.

The Thai Embassy published Tuesday a detailed account of events leading up to Thitinart's death, from the insertion of an L-tube to clear an obstruction in her intestine following her arrival at the hospital on Sept. 16, after which she was kept for observation.

The following day, she was overcome with pain and fainted after being taken for an X-Ray at 10 a.m.

The Thai embassy's account states that: "The hospital made no effort to call any doctor, nurse or CPR team to rescue Madame," while Korean staff of the Thai embassy sought assistance to no avail.

After failing to find help the party made the 20-minute trip back to the patient ward unaided. A medical team then took Thitinart to the Intensive Care Unit where she remained on a life-support machine until it was switched off on Sept. 19 at 9:30 a.m.

"It is our fervent hope that no other member of a diplomatic corps or any Korean would fall victim to the medical maltreatment, risk their health or meet with untimely death like the spouse of the Ambassador of Thailand," the embassy statement read, adding that an autopsy conducted in Bangkok on Sept. 27 indicated that the cause of death was "the lack of oxygen to the brain and (lack of) prompt treatment."

An embassy spokesman said Tuesday that the patient had a heart attack while awaiting assistance outside the X-Ray room, adding: "The cause of the heart attack was that she was shocked with pain and she did not get pain killers."

The ambassador has called upon the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Medical Association to investigate the medical standards and management of Soonchunhyang Hospital and the international clinic, but neither authority has yet responded.

Satjipanon first made the allegations on Sept. 22 to officials at Yongsan Police Station against Soonchunhyang Hospital director Dr. Shin Byeong-jun, and International Health Care Clinic head Dr. Yoo Byung-wook and their staff.

Proceedings are being launched by the ambassador personally but the Thai foreign ministry is aware of the situation. Dean of the diplomatic community in Korea, Uzbek Ambassador Vitali Fen, has written to Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik and Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Kim Sung-hwan calling for a review of the hospital's international services stating that: 

"It appears that due to the negligence and delay of the hospital authorities, proper and timely medical aid was not provided to the patient causing her untimely death."

The hospital maintained that its staff had not been negligent nor were they guilty of malpractice.

A hospital spokesman said: "The hospital staff feel very sorry for the loss of his wife but the hospital did everything it could do. We are now cooperating with the police investigation."

660 pumps installed along Chao Phraya to drain out run-offs

The Royal Irrigation Department has been using as many as 660 pumps, installed along both banks of the Chao Phraya River, to direct run-offs towards the sea.

These pumps can handle 123 million cubic meters of water every day.

"On the western side, there are 336 pumps that have the capacity to handle 80 million cubic meters," the department's director-general Chalit Damrongsak said yesterday.

In Bangkok's eastern zone, there are 324 pumps that have a total capacity to handle 43 million cubic meters of water each day.

Chalit said water drainage depended on many factors, including sea levels.

He added that pumps would also be used to drain floods out of Nakhon Sawan and Ayutthaya.

Relief cash and accountability

There are no firm figures yet on just how much it will cost the country to recover from the Great Flood of 2011. The magnitude of the problem is only starting to become clear as the government, business and private citizens survey the damage. 

One thing is clear already. The 120 billion baht tacked onto the budget last week will not go far. Transport Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat said on Monday that it will cost 18 billion baht just to clean up around Don Mueang Airport.

This poses a huge problem for the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. There is going to be massive amounts of taxpayers' money disbursed in coming weeks and months. 

This still young government has done a poor job accounting for its spending so far. It must be careful not to let the "fast cash" of flood relief get out of control. 

Citizens cannot, and should not, tolerate any reports that flood relief funds are sticking to the fingers of greedy government officials or businessmen.

An area in which the government has performed abysmally is on naming, shaming, arresting and prosecuting profiteers. Merchants small, large and freelance  took shameless and unforgivable advantage of flood victims.

And the nation can expect this terrible legal and moral crime to continue. Repair items will be in short supply, and it is as predictable as tomorrow's sunrise that sharp business operators will gouge consumers for common, essential items.

It is beyond reason that a populist-minded government has treated this extremely important issue so cavalierly. The spokeswoman for the Office of the Consumer Protection Board promised at the height of the floods and price cheating that the agency would monitor prices. 

She called for the public to help. But the public should not be blamed for lack of enforcement of basic, long-known price controls. A campaign against the most terrible case of profiteering would be popular. Anyone charging outrageous prices for rice, water and eggs deserves no pity.

It was briefly heartening to hear the police promise to catch the brutal gang of boat operators who allegedly damaged relief trucks. But even that operation seemingly has stalled. 

The consumers' group, or the prime minister and her populist cabinet, could earn a lot of support by bringing profiteers to book. Earning a profit from the agony of the floods by hoarding essential goods is dishonorable and illegal.

The government already had its work cut out for it. Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva was spot on with his budget speech in Parliament last week. The spending is, at best, in danger of going out of control, if not at that point already. 

Many programmes are being rushed to meet the mythical deadline of keeping the prime minister's election promises.

Deputy PM and Commerce Minister Kittiratt Na-Narong believes the Bank of Thailand has exaggerated the problem of inflation. He has "encouraged" the central bank to halt and reverse rises in interest rates. 

Mr Kittiratt might even be correct in a macro-economic sense. But he also needs to get out more into the marketplace, and see prices rises at work and their effect on the country.

It is a major government responsibility to spend wisely, care for the taxpayers' money, and to keep essential goods affordable. 

The formidable repairs and rehabilitation from the floods pose a second challenge to a government already trying to raise and spend a record budget. The additional billions that will be spent on flood recovery must be accounted for.

Big bag flood barrier protest ends after authorities agree to speed up drainage

Protesters from flooded communities in Pathum Thani affected by the controversial big bag barrier agreed to disperse yesterday after authorities promised to speed up drainage from their waterlogged neighborhoods.

Pathum Thani governor Kachornsak Singtokul and relevant agencies met for talks with representatives from the protesters earlier yesterday.

It was agreed the governor will take their complaints to the Flood Relief Operation Command (Froc) and the government to find ways to expedite the draining of water from their communities.

Residents from Nakhon Rangsit municipality in Pathum Thani's Thanya Buri district are angry that their communities have been under water for more than a month and that no one has shown up to try and help them.

Irrigation Department authorities have also promised to repair three damaged water pumps from a total of 22 at Chulalongkorn sluice gate to pump water from Rangsit Prayurasak canal into the Chao Phraya River at full capacity.

Pakornpat Uatheptrakul, the protest leader, said Nakhon Rangsit municipality and local bodies lacked the capacity to cope with the massive deluge and to drain floodwater effectively.

He said the Froc must step in to ease the suffering of affected residents.

Previously, a group of angry residents from 20 housing estates in Don Muang removed sandbags from the big bag wall. The Froc and City Hall agreed to keep the gap in the barrier open to ease the suffering of affected residents.

They also agreed to widen the gap from six meters to 10 so that it could serve as a spillway to allow stagnant floodwater north of the flood wall to pass through and to function as a passage way for boat traffic in the area.

Froc spokesman Thongthong Chandrangsu said yesterday that workers and soldiers had already finished working on the big bag wall as had been agreed.

Half the 10m-wide gap in the barrier has now been repaired and will serve as a weir while the other half has been left open to allow boat traffic to pass through.

Mr Thongthong also said Don Muang residents affected by the big bag barrier were satisfied that their demands were met, although police have been sent to maintain order at the flood wall.

Air force commander, ACM Itthaporn Subhawong, yesterday said Don Mueang airport now looks like a reservoir as northern runoff on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road continues to surge onto airport land.

He said urgent steps must be taken to drain the area and at the same time ensure it will not affect local residents.

Meanwhile, Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra yesterday said the floodwater levels on Kamphaeng Phet Road, Phahon Yothin Road and in Ratchadaphisek Soi 36 (Soi Suea Yai Uthit) have dropped. The water in some areas was down to between 15-20cm.

MR Sukhumbhand, who inspected the areas yesterday, said if there is no more northern runoff, areas in Chatuchak district and the five-way Lat Phrao intersection should be dry this weekend.

In eastern Bangkok, floodwater around the Bangchan and Lat Krabang industrial estates began to recede yesterday.

Not the time to play the blame game

One topic that has become a non-stop issue for discussion, be it in the office, home, gym, Starbucks or on Facebook, is The Flood: who is the person responsible for this devastation across the country? 

The finger-pointing usually comes down to the various people in government, as they are always targeted in any given time of crisis. Well, why not _ after all, they are the elected representatives of the people and are supposed to be responsible for the wellbeing of the people.

Pictures of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra as a crab with various parts representing the body and the small brain size; other pictures showing Ms Yingluck looking like a zombie, and still more pictures showing Ms Yingluck with the features of her brother Thaksin, are all floating around in emails and on Facebook pages.

However, I for one would like to stand up and say that the criticism leveled at the government is not totally fair. I know a lot of our readers would beg to differ on this. But allow me to state my reasons.

During a recent visit to Malaysia, at the insistence of a close friend and source I was asked to stay back for the setting up of the "Asean Business Club", a group of elite business people across the region who have come together to work out their differences in order to create a better environment for business in the Asean grouping. 

Although I was in Kuala Lumpur, the person at whose insistence I'd stayed behind failed to turn up for this event because he feared that if the flood hit Suvarnabhumi Airport then he would not be able to return back home. 

The closure of the airport didn't happen, but his absence gave me free time to mingle with the businessmen and high-profile delegates attending the event in Malaysia.

One of the delegates was former British prime minister Tony Blair, a seasoned politician who was elected to parliament in 1983 before becoming leader of the Labour Party in 1994 and subsequently leading it to electoral victory in 1997 and governing Britain as prime minister till 2007.

In his own words, the seasoned politician explained that it took him nearly a year to learn the way a government functions. This was despite him being leader of the opposition and a member of parliament for more than a decade before taking the premiership.

Now if a person such as Mr Blair took so much time to learn, why are people putting all the blame on Ms Yingluck for the flood problems?

If I am not mistaken, the problem of the flood started right before she was sworn into office, even if it escalated after she took charge.

But can _ and should _ all the blame for the ensuing problems be placed on a lady who has no political experience? Is it not fair to also blame the caretaker government for mismanagement? After all, the dams were collecting water during the monsoon season.

Should the government that was in place prior to this not take a share of the blame as well? For they were there during the 2010 flooding and should have recognized the consequences that would follow if proper action were not taken in time.

Last year's flood was far less severe but the losses were in the billions, and 100 lives were lost as well.

The only difference, it seems, is that this time around the people of Bangkok have been impacted, so I guess that's where the feeling of not being satisfied with the working of the government is coming from.

My saying this is not to show support for the mismanagement that has occurred in the handling of the current flooding, but then, the lack of support and lack of coordination from the likes of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is also to blame

.

Putting the blame on one single person and asking for her resignation is simply too harsh.

Yes, the government messed up in its handling of the situation, and yes, there may have been (though yet to be proven) areas of blunder in the procurement of relief bags or handling of donated goods. 

But this has given the government an opportunity to learn from its mistakes and it seems (so far) that things are moving in the right direction.

All that needs to be said is: let's join hands together and work to solve this problem. Once the situation returns to normal, the finger pointing can proceed. 

But for now, we Thais should stand shoulder to shoulder and help each other to solve the problems at hand, rather than push someone to the point of discouraging them in their work by hounding them with questions like, "So will you resign from the job?"

Banks' flood assistance takes many forms

Individuals and businesses affected by flooding have been looking to banks for extra help in terms of loans and eased conditions as they try to get back on their feet. 

But banks have also been actively offering non-financial assistance in many forms, with the enthusiastic involvement of their staff.

Bangkok Bank last week provided a space in front of its headquarters on Silom Road for an "Emergency Shopping Fair" flea market offering essential goods at special prices.

In partnership with more than 30 manufacturing customers and business allies, the market offered goods including bottled drinking water, eggs, canned sardines, rice, instant noodles, processed and frozen foods and medical supplies.

The bank plans to set up similar markets at other branches to help people obtain hard-to-find goods conveniently.

Benyapa Selanont, 45, a secretary with a private company, said she welcomed the chance to stock up, especially on canned foods. Her house in Lam Luk Ka in Pathum Thani has been submerged for a month.

Siam Commercial Bank, meanwhile, set up a kitchen in mid-October to cook food for flood victims. Earlier, the bank was using the meeting hall at its Ratchayothin head office as a large kitchen, but it had to be relocated to the evacuation centre at the Government Complex in Nonthaburi province after the flooding reached Ratchayothin.

The bank's kitchen prepares food for around 10,000 people per day, mainly Thai fast food. It also orders some meals from restaurants to be delivered to people in some locations. SCB expects to keep the kitchen going until mid-December and staff are encouraged to volunteer, said executive vice-president Ongorn Abhakorn na Ayutthaya.

Anpawee Laoritsayaporn, an SCB employee working in the kitchen, said it was a good opportunity to help others in a crisis. Her own house has been inundated but she says she is better off than many people because the bank has provided temporary accommodation for some of its staff affected by floods.

"Besides having an opportunity to help people who have the same fate, it makes me love the bank more because of how it takes care of its staff," she added.

The flooding has led to other shortages besides essential consumer goods, and blood is one critical need. Kiatnakin Bank has worked with the Red Cross Society and Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) to stage blood donations at the bank's headquarters on Asok Road. 

The drive received a good response from its staff and people working in the area, said KK president Tawatchai Suktikipisan.

Prin Chaiwisuthakul, 45, an SWU professor, said he decided to take part after hearing an announcement about the bank's campaign at the university.

Kiatnakin employee Orathai Saejia, 26, said she wanted to donate blood but her weight was below the requirement. However, she said she intended to participate in other voluntary activities to help other people affected by the floods.

Lawyer goes to bat for deluge victims

Chulalongkorn University economist Narong Petprasert is leading unprecedented class lawsuits filed by flood-affected residents against the government. 

Speaking to King-oua Laohong, he does not think the government will have the money to settle the suit if it loses the legal battle. But, he says, the government cannot avoid the responsibility.

This action to be taken against the government is being politicized, is it not?

There's political pressure for sure. It's unavoidable. But that's fine because I've worked for the poor for a long time. I only want to seek fairness for people in need. My house is not flooded but my workplace is. 

My question is if one can't get to work on account of the floods, what kind of damage will that cause? The vendors can't hawk their goods. What will their lives be like? Who is taking care of them? 

In the very beginning, the Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc) and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) insisted Bangkok would be spared the floods. Even if there was flooding, water would be ankle deep. 

Now the government is handing out 5,000 baht of compensation for each affected household]. Is that amount even worth the grievances we face? 

The citizens have never sued the government. If the government acts with recklessness and causes us damages, we must sue.

The government claims there have been excessive amounts of rainfall this year and that the natural disaster could not be predicted. Is this true?

Natural disasters are partly to blame. But the problem is the government never explained clearly about water management. 

Agencies such as the Royal Irrigation Department and Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand did not disseminate water information before the heavy floods reached the Central Plains provinces and eventually Bangkok.

The great floods resulted from heavy downpours from multiple tropical storms. This is beyond human control. But we cannot accept that the government did not tell us why, despite the rain, the storms and the huge amounts of water flowing into dams, it failed to manage water in those dams. 

Instead it let the problems degenerate into public calamities prompting people to flee left and right from their homes.

Originally you planned to represent in the lawsuits only residents outside of the flood walls. Is that right?

At first, we wanted to seek justice for people outside the flood walls such as those living along Khlong Sam Wa. They have made sacrifices. But when the news spread (about the suits), it turned out the damage to people was enormous and many were in despair.

The charges to be filed are quite a few and they have been brought up for discussion with the Lawyers Council of Thailand. The issues to consider are, example, who should be liable. The council is gathering details from experts and related agencies before drafting the suit.

The charges to be pressed are both civil and criminal.

(The citizens) have never sued the state for damages from acts of natural disasters before, have we?

Isn't it time we did? The lawsuit is unavoidable because the damage is far-reaching. Anyone joining the class suit can come on board. 

The government hasn't said anything about compensating people living in areas where floodwater has been retained. The government must offer them extra compensation.

When the government is negligent, the people have the right to sue it. The government knew all along there would be flooding but did not set off the alarm.

Does the government have enough to pay for the suits?

That's interesting. The damage occurs across the country. I don't know if the government has enough in its budget to cover it  if the government can't foot the bill (in the event it loses in court), is it possible that perhaps a bond could be issued to raise money to pay for damages or find financial sources so people can borrow? It will help.

CPB's water study to serve as blueprint for action

The government has turned to a study on water management by the Crown Property Bureau (CPB) as a blueprint to prevent future disasters of flood and drought.

Implementing recommendations of the study on the Chao Phraya river basin which was conducted in 2000, will cost 100 billion baht over the next 25 years. 

Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, who chairs the Strategic Committee for Water Resource Management, has said the government will use the study as a guideline for water resource management. 

The government would seek technical assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which also offers soft loans to Thailand to execute the scheme.

The National Economic and Social Development Board has been authorized to be the leading agency of Thailand in taking input from studies by other government agencies such as the Royal Irrigation Department.

The department has undertaken studies on water resource development in 25 basins _ including seven basins in the North, three in the Northeast, eight in the Central Plains and seven in the South.

The Chao Phraya basin, which is the focus of the bureau's concern, is the biggest basin in Thailand, covering 157,925 square kilometers or 30% of total land. 

The study warns that without any serious efforts to better regulate water in this basin, people will face water shortage, floods, poor quality water. The natural resources, agricultural sector and Thai economy as a whole will suffer drastic impact, it adds.

When the CPB study was released in 2000, water shortage was projected to increase by 2.44 billion cubic meters at the time, to 6.6 billion cu m in another 10 years.

The CPB study proposes the implementation of the project in three steps: a five-year, short-term plan, a 15-year medium-term plan, and a 25-year long-term plan.

For the short term, it recommends land should be better utilized, better efficiency for water consumption is needed, more small water reservoirs be built and and existing ones including canals be dredged, more dams be constructed to protect economic areas and Bangkok.

The first phase will need 10 billion baht and is estimated to solve water shortage up to 2.4 billion cu m a year.

The medium-term plan includes building reservoirs for Pho, Mae Wong and Kwai Noi canals with a total budget 10.2 billion baht. This project is estimated to solve water shortage of 3.2 billion cu m a year.

The second proposal for the medium term is that the government should implement water management in the Kok-Ing-Nan river basins with a budget of 45 billion baht, and the water management of the Moei and Salween rivers as well as water at Bhumibol dam, with a budget of 20 billion baht.

The long-term plan is to solve water shortage of about 5.2 billion cu m a year.

This phase includes building new projects: Kaeng Sua Ten dam, Kiew Khor Ma dam and Mae Khan, with 13 billion baht budget.

The study also proposes reform of all agencies involved in water management, the establishment of a water fund because the government needs massive budget for the project, and the implementation of a scheme requiring farmers to pay for water usage in irrigation areas.

The CPB study also warns that without proper water resource management, damage from floods may reach 164 billion baht, double the damage caused by flooding in 1995.

The main problems on water resource management now, according to the CPB, include a lack of cooperation and the duplication of projects among related agencies, improper land utilization, and the construction of infrastructures which have become barriers to flood ways.

The 2000 study conducted by the Crown Property Bureau reveals that Thailand has had too many water management studies over the past 10 years, each one aimed at solving problems for each agency. 

Efforts to launch schemes on water resource management have been plagued by conflicts of interest among politicians, a budget crunch and a lack of vision on the part of the various governments.