Better safe than sorry The flood crisis has highlighted the desirability of diversifying operations across multiple locations.

The unexpectedly huge scale of the ongoing flood crisis has driven home the need for companies to diversify their operations base after many saw their entire production process shut down.

Total damage has yet to be figured, but already the potential price tag is sending shivers down the spine of companies that had their entire operation in a single location or even based in one country.

"Yes, we've learned a lesson from this natural disaster. We thought we were safe having diversified our production facilities to three different locations," said Richard Han, the chief executive of Hana Microelectronics Plc.

Hana had one facility completely inundated and lost nearly 35% of its production capacity despite efforts to salvage its equipment and set it up at headquarters.

"When a person drives a car, they have one spare tyre. And if one tyre goes flat, you have a spare to fix it with for a while, while the probability of two tyres going flat is very low," said Mr Han when asked if he was ready for future mishaps.

Hana has three facilities _ two in Thailand and one in China _ and is contemplating changes to its production process whereby it would produce each of its products at all three locations so as to avoid disruption to its customers.

Lohia: Diversified production portfolio means customers can count on continued supply.

Mr Han said customers are the key to business. Large companies have insurance to cover damage including revenue loss, but customers are unlikely to wait for products to arrive and may shift to new suppliers instead.

"This is something we are aware of, and that is why our wool inventory is in Europe, where we sell most of our wool products," said Aloke Lohia, the chief executive of Indorama Ventures Plc (IVL).

IVL's smallest business line is wool, accounting for less than 1% of revenue. But Mr Lohia says his company attaches importance to customers, as it is not easy to get them back once they leave.

Wool may account for only a very small part of the business, but IVL will buy the raw material in the spot market, look for spinning mills and deliver the goods to the customers as per their requirements until the company's Lop Buri factory can get back on its feet in another 3-6 months.

IVL, the world's largest producer of PET polymers and one of the largest for PTA polymers, operates its PET, packaging and wool businesses from the Lop Buri plant.

"The PET business is not going to be affected, as we have shifted production to Rayong and will service our customers from there," said Mr Lohia.

He said IVL had a similar experience in the US when Hurricane Katrina forced its plant there to shut down for a short while, and once again having multiple plants in that country helped it to maintain its customer base.

"In Asia too we have a diversified portfolio, with production facilities in Thailand [Rayong and Lop Buri], China and Indonesia," he said, adding that this enables the company to maintain its customer base without any problem.

Other companies are in a similar situation. They have diversified their operations to minimise risk as well as capture business opportunities in other markets.

Polyplex (Thailand), a leading producer of film packing, said diversification is key to keeping its operations going and maintaining its customer base.

With plants in Thailand and in Turkey, it is very serious about diversifying production, which is why it has continuously expanded its manufacturing base in both countries over the years.

Although Polyplex is not in a flood zone in Thailand, it has felt a low single-digit (1-2%) impact, as its customers either directly or indirectly have been affected.

Only 15-18% of the company's production is sold in Thailand.

Other companies such as Thai Union Frozen Products Plc have also said that diversification means they would likely feel a very mild effect even in the worst-case scenario.

But not all companies in Thailand have been able to diversify, and many have been completely inundated, especially small and medium-sized enterprises with a single operating base.

Down but not out

I have been one of the lucky ones. Living in inner Bangkok, the flood has left me unaffected. My boots are still in their plastic bag, my PVC waders are being used by my son as sweatpants when he does his weightlifting at home, and my unused sandbags make good scratching posts for my cats and serve in lieu of a fire hydrant for my poodle.

My unused printer was moved from the floor to the top of the cupboard, and that's the extent of my flood prevention measures. 

Even my car was returned to normal transport duties three days into the panic. I drank my stock of drinking water a long time ago, but I still have several tins of "panic" sardines, though I don't eat sardines, and probably never will.

I decided it was high time I went out to see for myself the crisis that so many others are having to put up with, and I in my cocooned air-conditioned office will never see except in TV footage on the office flat screen.

So one sunny morning I headed towards Charan Sanitwong Road on a Royal Thai Army GMC with a group jointly initiated by Rapeepan "Khun Reed" Luangaramrut, TV Channel 3 and the BMA. 

That day, they were already into their "recovery" mode, aiming to treat stagnant water that still remained in the subsois.

The lower part of Charan Sanitwong was like a deserted town, with people having evacuated from their shophouses. Brown marks showed how high the water had been... well above waist level.

As we entered Sirindhorn Soi 7, we saw people in identical boots and gloves, all with the same weary look on their faces, wondering where to start the clean-up process. 

Looking into their homes from our high vantage point, we could see lopsided shelves, muddy floors, mouldy mattresses and rotting sofas, many of which had already been dumped outside the front door. 

Wherever it was dry, these piles of damaged furniture and other junk were already piling up into mountains, that even motorcycles had to swerve and cars could just squeeze through.

Many cul-de-sacs were still under calf-deep stagnant water. Sandbags that lined the front gates seemed to have had little effect in blocking out the water, and most gardens were still knee-deep in reeking murky pools that went nowhere.

Our BMA water trucks pumped water from the drains or just off the road, and our team added the Super Safe Effective Microorganism powder. 

The water would supposedly revive the hungry little freeze-dried microorganisms and they would instantly multiply, ready to gobble up the decomposing organic matter that causes the reeking smell in stagnant water,

and helping the precipitation process. So at least, even if the area was still inundated, it wouldn't be so unpleasant and unhygienic.

The powder was also handed out to members of the soi community to use in the clean-up process. As we made our way through the soi, the curious residents gradually came out, happy to get their hands on anything that would help make their lives easier and better.

The drier areas weren't any better off yet; they were now living with piles of rubbish on their doorstep. An old lady walked past one of these piles, an inhalant in one nostril and a finger in the other. I don't know how she breathed.

But the interesting thing is, despite their plight, their weeks _ or even months _ of living with water waist high in their homes, they all had a smile to share, a tale to tell. They were resigned, yet positive, down but not out.

"Don't move your sandbags yet," we warned them, "there might be another round of flooding when they remove the Big Bags."

"Oh no! Not more!" they grumbled, but then adding with a laugh, "Well, we've put up with it for a month; what's another week?"

Our next stop was Don Muang, which was a recce for the next recovery trip. Kasetsart and beyond were still under water, though roofs of abandoned cars were gradually appearing from the receding floodwater. 

Here, boats had become a way of life, with all sorts of inventive ideas coming into play. There were longtail boats, paddle boats, laundry basins, rubber dinghies, bath tubs fitted with PVC tubes or empty water containers. 

People waved at each other, and there was a distinct sense of camaraderie. Big trucks slowed to a standstill when a boat passed, so as not to send out ripples _ no, waves _ that could easily capsize them.

I admit you do hear horror stories of how some people are taking advantage of the situation to rip others off, yet what I saw that day was the real Thai spirit of "sabai sabai", the real Thai smile... still intact.

Southern crisis eases, but is not over yet Thousands of farmed fish killed by floodwater

The flood situation in the lower South has improved in some areas, authorities assessing the damage say, but they expect problems related to the disaster to continue.

Residents of the Bi- Centenary Rattanakosin housing estate in Pathum Thani receive boats from the authorities. One of them has ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’snameprinted on its side. The opposition has accused the government of taking undue credit for the distribution of flood relief items.

Thousands of fish raised in floating baskets in Songkhla lake have died following days of heavy rain, which caused the water level in the lake to rise sharply and turn murky.

A huge volume of water from canals and other water sources in Songkhla and Phatthalung provinces flowed into Songkhla lake over the past several days of heavy downpours.

It may also have washed down waste water from factories along the lake and contaminated water from paddy fields and shrimp farms.

The waste water flowed into the lake, causing the death of seabass raised in floating baskets in the lake, local officials said.

Damage to the fish stocks is valued at hundreds of thousands of baht.

Jareuk Kalanuson, one of the affected fish farmers, said more than 10 fish farms in tambon Koh Yor have suffered losses as their fish stocks have died. There were more than 500 floating baskets in the lake.

Meanwhile, the flooding in Songkhla has claimed two lives, including that of a child.

Three-year-old Natdanai Rattanapong was swept away by floodwater in Saba Yoi district yesterday, while Mahamad Samart, 61, a native of Singha Nakhon, drowned when the boat he was riding in capsized during heavy rains, local authorities said.

There were three earlier flood-related deaths in the region _ two in Yala and one in Phatthalung.

Eight districts in Songkhla _ Khuan Niang, Singha Nakhon, Saba Yoi, Rattaphum, Chana, Ranot, Sathing Phra and Muang _ remain flooded, while floodwater in other areas have gradually receded.

The number of inundated villages has reduced from 276 to 260.

In Yala, 29,440 people from 125 villages in five districts have been affected by floods that hit the southern province from Nov 23 to Nov 26.

The flooding has damaged 9,647 rai of agricultural areas and 66 fish ponds, said the provincial disaster prevention centre.

Floodwater began to recede in several areas in Yala, except low-lying areas and areas close to rivers, the source said.

The Interior Ministry's emergency operation center for floods, storms and landslides yesterday said 20 districts in four southern provinces of Phatthalung, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Trang remained flooded, and a total of 31,377 people have been affected.

The Meteorological Department yesterday forecast heavy rainfall in provinces along the southeast coast from Surat Thani southwards as the northern monsoon covers the South and the Gulf of Thailand.

The department said there would be waves as high as two meters in the Gulf of Thailand.

High time for building a new capital

The last time I experienced a flood was in 1983. I remember playing in the flooded area as a child, as the water then was so clean you could even see small fish swimming. 

The flood was quite bad that year and lasted several months. I had to commute in a big van, watching people sailing away right in the middle of Bangkok.

Almost 30 years later, the heavy flood is again affecting a lot of lives. The flooding has resulted in more than 600 deaths, affecting at least 64 provinces and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate. 

This time my house on the west side of Bangkok is partially submerged. It took 14 hours to evacuate from there to the other house on the east side.

Given the recent climate change, how soon will there be another flood?

Flooding this year has taken a significant economic toll. Financial losses could be as high as one trillion baht. Consumer confidence is at the lowest in a decade. 

Thousands of factories and seven major industrial parks have been shut down, disrupting not only domestic production but also the global supply chain, hurting production of automobiles and electronics elsewhere.

There is no doubt economic growth next quarter will be severely affected, pulling down the 2011 GDP growth forecast to 1.5% from the previously estimated range of 3.5% to 4.0%, according to the National Economic and Social Development Board.

In the past, Bangkok was known as the "Venice of the East", with many canals linking parts of the city. Despite its charm, Bangkok is sinking every year because the city was built on a natural floodplain.

Bangkok has lost empty land areas that used to absorb water, and overbuilding has obstructed waterways. This intensifies the possibility that the city will risk severe flooding or complete submersion. 

An OECD study indicates that because of climate change, subsidence and urbanisation, Bangkok is in the top 10 of endangered cities exposed to flooding by the 2070s.

This year's catastrophe will be hard to forget, and the government is right to plan spending large amounts on flood recovery and water management projects. 

There is, however, no guarantee that this grand scheme will work out effectively. A back-up plan such as building a second capital city may be needed.

The proposal to move the capital city is not new. Many people, including politicians, have previously proposed the idea of relocating the capital city to another province.

Unlike the unplanned and exploding Bangkok, the new capital city should be carefully thought out and be somewhere higher and safer from flooding. 

Planned capitals in other countries are usually built to express the concept of statehood. Examples include Washington, D.C., in the US, Canberra in Australia, Brasilia in Brazil and Putrajaya in Malaysia.

I have visited some of these cities. It is clear that they were purposely built and tend to have elegant and impressive layouts and buildings.

Putrajaya was built to signal Malaysia's ambitious goal of being a developed nation by 2020. The new capital is part of these efforts to transform the whole country and its citizens. 

The city is meant to be a model garden city with a sophisticated information technology network.

Brasilia was built to promote the development of the country's remote land as well as to better integrate the whole of Brazil. The city was designed with clear specified zones for residential, commercial and official buildings.

On the surface, Putrajaya bears little similarity to Brasilia. Looking closer, they were built on a similar utopian notion that both were part of the plan to transform their citizens and lead their countries into a modern future.

For Thailand, the motivation for building a new capital may lie not just in the need for flood prevention, but also the need for a symbol of a new Thailand.

The recent conflict over the big-bag dyke between government officials and angry locals reminds us of the deep-rooted development problems in Thailand. 

There may be good reasons for the government to sacrifice areas in the outskirts to defend inner Bangkok, but the locals on the wet side continue to feel the unfair treatment, and more people can no longer accept the idea of placing Bangkok above the rest at all costs.

The time is ripe to consider building other major cities apart from Bangkok. A new capital in a higher location could be a good starting point to transform Thailand into a more equitable society, with proper zoning for people to live, work and play, and safety from flooding.

Experience elsewhere has shown that an effective system of flood management, land use and construction of a new capital takes several decades to materialist. 

Considering our track record of slow decision-making and long implementation, action must start today to protect our capital from future flood disasters.

Khao Sod Editorial

It is no secret that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc) have not seen eye to eye since the start of the flood crisis.

The conflict has hampered overall flood-relief operation, as officials and workers from both sides are confused by conflicting directives from government officials and City Hall.

We do not know whether the problem was caused by misunderstandings or political conflict, as Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra belongs to the opposition party. 

It is the people of Bangkok and neighbouring provinces who are made to suffer as a result of this poor coordination.

A large number of homes in Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and the western suburbs are still heavily flooded, while the inner part of Bangkok is dry.

People living outside Bangkok's flood-walls have vented their anger many times, and their dissatisfaction will grow if nothing is done to alleviate their plight.

In addition to the current flooding, there are many issues and problems that must be tackled by both the government and the BMA. If they cannot work together as a team, these problems will not be solved.

MR Sukhumbhand and members of parliament are elected by the tax-paying public, who expect them to work for the full benefit of the country. They should not let the people down.

Self-help kit for flood victims

To alleviate the plight of people in flood-hit areas, the Mae Fah Luang Foundation has launched the Kla Dee (smart seedlings) project under which "3S" 

relief packages will be distributed to approximately one million flood victims in 30 provinces. The aim is to address both their immediate needs and future food requirements.

Each package contains:

Seasonings: dried chillies, garlic and salt _ half a kilogramme of each;

Seedlings: three for guinea-pepper plants, two each for a small variety of aubergine and for long aubergines (makeu-a yao) and two for holy basil (or sweet basil) plants;

Seeds: 40 cow pea, 50 pumpkin, 1,000 morning glory, 1,250 bok choy (kwangtung) and one for a cha-om (Acacia pennata) or banana tree.

Moreover, the foundation plans to provides seeds for fast-maturing vegetables to 30,000 households, which have been affected by flooding. 

To be eligible, householders must form into groups and each group must demonstrate its ability to plant, harvest and distribute vegetables. This is necessary to ensure economies of scale and to boost each group's bargaining power. 

The foundation will support these small-scale growers by providing them with initial links to the marketplace to enable them to sell their produce and to continue their efforts in a sustainable manner.

PM: Don't cut the sandbags

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has called on flood-affected people not to slash open the big sandbags that protect inner Bangkok from being flooded.

"I've ordered that a team to be set up to see where the big bag barriers can be removed, but we don't want to see people cutting open the sandbags because the sand will then be spread around as litter," Ms Yingluck said Monday.

Authorities are responsible for removing all the big bags, weighing up to 2.5 tonnes each, and rubbish in flooded areas, she said.

Another "Big Cleaning Day" campaign was planned in the capital from Dec 1-5. The clean-up operation will include spraying against mosquitos, treating wastewater and collecting trash, she said.

"Bangkok is densely populated and I would like to apologise to people in those areas where assistance has not yet reached," the prime minister added.

Ampon case puts Thai human rights in spotlight

Like other poor working-class people, Ampon Tangnoppakul has struggled since his childhood. His mundane life was under the spotlight last week after he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sending mobile text messages deemed insulting to the royal institution.

Rosmalin: ‘He’s just a commoner

His wife, Rosmalin, said over the weekend she still could not believe her husband's fate was real.

She insisted her husband was loyal to the monarchy and he had told the court so during the trial.

Mrs Rosmalin also said her husband had no strong political leanings that could motivate him to send four short messages to former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's personal secretary Somkiat Klongwattanasak in May last year.

"He is just interested in things, like other folks. Wherever people flock, he will try to see what happens too. 

He used to attend both the yellow-shirt and the red-shirt rallies. At times, when Falungong [China's outlawed spiritual Buddhist sect] spoke in public, he also listened to them and brought pamphlets back home.

"But he never joined or became a member of any group. He's just a commoner," she insisted.

She recalled how she met Ampon, a native of Samut Prakan's Bang Bo district, in Chon Buri's Phan Thong district. Ampon was born to a Chinese family and was the third of seven children.

A daughter of a low-rank soldier stationed at Chon Buri's Navamintarajini Military Camp, Mrs Rosmalin said she and her husband worked at the same saw mill when they met.

She had a job in checking wooden planks while Ampon, whose Chinese name is Songpor, was helping in trading and driving wood trucks.

"Ar Por [as he was called then] is a clean and gentle man, not quite sociable but hard-working. We were married when he was 19 and I was 17," Mrs Rosmalin said.

Songpor and Rosmalin quit their jobs in Chon Buri and moved back to Samut Prakan, not far from his parents' house, when the couple had their third daughter in 1970. They had two sons and five daughters altogether.

Songpor was doing odds and ends while Rosmalin was hawking. Over a decade ago, around the time of the death of his Chinese father, Songpor adopted a Thai surname name, Tangnoppakul.

She said Ampon stopped going out to work several years ago and stayed home to take care of five grandchildren.

"Also, because he has developed cancerous cells at the tip of the tongue, he had to spend time visiting hospital in Samrong and then Rajvithi along with babysitting the grandchildren _ the youngest one is five years old," she said.

Mrs Rosmalin recalled how a dozen police officers raided their rented house in Soi Wat Dansamrong on Aug 3 last year and arrested him.

"The police asked for all the mobile phones. We just could not remember where we kept the keys for the cupboards in the house. We tried to force them open but the police then said they had got what they wanted," she said.

Ampon, later referred to by those who followed his case as Ar Gong (elderly), was held for 63 days before being given a bail release on Oct 4 last year.

He was then formally charged by the prosecutor on Jan 18 for violating Article 112 of the Criminal Code and the Computer Crimes Act, and has been incarcerated since then.

The court denied bail for him on the basis of the gravity of his crime and the possibility of flight. His trial took place on Sept 23, and Sept 27-30.

From the beginning, Ampon maintained his innocence, noting that he did not know how to send SMS messages and the phone number from which the messages were sent was not his.

But prosecution witnesses demonstrated to the court that the International Mobile Equipment Identity number of the cell phone from which the messages were sent belonged to Ampon.

The Nov 23 verdict has prompted a call by the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission (ARHC) and Thai cyber users for a reversal of his sentence since Ampon is suffering from laryngeal cancer and is unlikely to be properly treated behind bars.

"Ampon Tangnoppakul has been sentenced to the longest period in prison to date for alleged violations of Article 112 and the Computer Crimes Act. 

Given the weak nature of the evidence deployed against him, and the extenuating circumstances of health and age, this case indicates human rights are in deep crisis in Thailand," AHRC said.

Residents poised to revolt

Stranded residents get emergency flood supplies but are on the edge of revolting over their lengthy stay in deep and polluted water.

Residents on Chaeng Watthana Road have given the government three days to drain water from their communities or face "swift protest measures".

Somdech Jaengprasit, representing seven housing estates in Chaeng Watthana Soi 14, complained residents have lived with the floods for over a month.

Water remained high at 60cm to 70cm on average. He said the residents were neglected by authorities as no relief help was offered them.

Mr Somdech said the stagnant water was a breeding ground for mosquitoes and getting around "was a struggle".

"We've suffered in silence for long enough. We can't bear it any more," he said. The residents will rally at the mouth of their soi this morning to demand that the Flood Relief Operation Command (Froc) director Pracha Promnok or his representatives meet them in person to hear their grievances.

Many flooded sections of Chaeng Watthana Road have reopened to traffic after the flood receded. The road sits downstream from the heavily inundated Rangsit areas and Don Muang district which continued to siphon off water.

The residents are the latest group affected by protracted floods to take to the streets. A planned rally by flood-hit residents of communities on the odd-numbered sois of Ram Intra Road was cancelled yesterday after the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) brought in water pumps.

Also yesterday, in Pathum Thani about 100 people destroyed 10m of "big bag" barriers which were causing water to surge into a field next to the Bang Kadi Industrial Park in tambon Bang Kadi in Muang district.

People used knives to destroy bags on Tiwanont Road. The barrier caused water to gush into the field.

One of the residents, Somporn Puapong, said the authorities moved the big bags on to the road blocking water flow near Soi Sanam Keela.

Floodwater in the in-bound lanes of Tiwanont Road almost completely disappeared while the out-bound lanes were under 50cm of water.

Elsewhere in Pathum Thani, water pumps were mobilized to salvage the White House community of 6,000 people in tambon Khlong Nueng in Khlong Luang district which has been under almost 3m of water for over a month.

Meanwhile, the BMA announced yesterday water in Khlong Prem Prachakorn has gone down by 2cm to 7cm; Khlong Bang Khen by 4cm to 7cm; 

Khlong Lat Phrao by 4cm to 7cm; Khlong Bang Sue by 5cm to 7cm; Khlong Saen Saep by 1cm to 4cm; and Khlong Prawet Buri Rom by 2cm to 4cm.

Receding floods reveal crocs lurking in Bangkok

Receding floodwaters in Thailand’s capital are leaving behind some scary new neighbors, with people finding snakes and crocodiles that moved into their areas even as they were moving out. 

Teams from the Thai fishery department have been responding to crocodile sightings, capturing at least 10 since the country’s worst flooding in more than half a century began in July.

Farms and individuals who raise crocodiles for their valuable skins apparently have not figured out the best way to keep their reptiles in captivity during the monsoon season. 

It is common during floods to hear of crocodiles on the loose. Some people have also stumbled upon cobras in their homes.

A team of volunteer veterinarians have even rescued lions, tigers and bears from the homes of rich Thais.

Receding floods reveal crocs in Bangkok

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) – Murky floodwater are receding from Bangkok's inundated outskirts to reveal some scary swamp dwellers who moved in while flooded residents were moving out — including crocodiles and some of the world's most poisonous snakes.

Special teams from the Thai Fishery Department have responded to numerous reports of reptilian menaces, like the 3-foot-long croc that Anchalee Wannawet saw sitting next to the outhouse one morning, its toothy jaw wide open.

"I ran away, and it ran into there," the 23-year-old said, pointing toward the reedy swamp behind the construction site where she works in Bangkok's northern Sai Mai district. "I haven't dared to go the bathroom since. I'm peeing in a can."

Thailand has long been a center for the breeding, exporting and trafficking of exotic animals, especially crocodiles. 

Farmed both legally and illegally, crocus are popular because of the value they fetch for their meat, bones and especially their skins, used to make luxury bags and accessories.

This year's record monsoon rains, which prompted Thailand's worst flooding in a half century and killed more than 600 people, also swamped some of the country's estimated 3,000 crocodile farms.

Many of the reptiles escaped — though probably not as many as residents think they are seeing around the city.

"We get a lot of reports at the Fishery Department, but only about 5 to 10 percent of them turn out to be true," said Praphan Lipayakun, a fishery department official, adding that many false reports end up being large monitor lizards, which are generally shy and harmless.

"We even get reports of people being bitten, but when we follow up, we can't get in touch with the supposed patient, or when contacted, the doctor that treated the wound says that it in no way resembled a crocodile bite."

Still, officials and volunteer veterinarians have confirmed many flood-affected animals on the loose or in distress — and not only reptiles.

A team of volunteer veterinarians rescued scores of animals — from deer and Capuchin monkeys to lions, tigers and bears — from the yards and homes of Thailand's rich.

"Most of the ones we found in the Bangkok area are privately owned, and a lot of them are for fun or for pleasure — like a farm or some exotic species in the house," s

aid Nantarika Chansue, president of the Zoo and Wildlife Veterinary Society of Thailand and a member of the team of volunteers.

"Some of the owners left home already and left the animals in the cage as the water rose. Some of them have illegal animals and are afraid of being prosecuted, so they are afraid to tell us and just leave them there."

Some of the rescued animals had had to be treated for respiratory diseases from inhaling disease-infested floodwaters, Nantarika said.

Calls about snakes have spiked from the usual two per day to about 10, said Sompob Sridaranop, a snake rescue expert from the Thai Marine Department. Most residents report pythons but occasionally the calls are about highly venomous cobras and pit vipers, he said.

"A lot of snakes are coming out now because they, too, are flooded. Their homes are usually under houses, or in pipes, but they can't sleep in the water, so they are escaping," he said.

In Nakhon Sawan province, north of Bangkok, Anan Dirath said his family found about 10 nonpoisonous snakes in the house since the waters receded, while his neighbors found cobras, which they caught and sold for their meat.

In Bangkok's Sai Mai district, not far from where Anchalee spotted the crocodile, a large zoo called Safari World was flooded, endangering primates, giraffes, dolphins and other exotic animals in captivity. 

At the height of the flooding, zoo official Litti Kewkacha said staff were piling up earth, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to stay higher than the flood levels.

Crocodile farms were not so successful at keeping their wards safe in captivity.

Since the floods began in July, the Fishery Department's crocodile teams have captured 10 that have escaped and found their way into residential areas in Bangkok and suburbs just to the north. 

Some have been easy catches: Residents had closed them into fenced yards.

Then there are those like the one Anchalee saw, lurking in areas that are boxed in, but large, and with plenty of vegetation for cover. That one proved a special challenge for the crocodile chasers.

"These are its footprints. It's around here," Praphan said under a mid-afternoon sun.

As the team toured the area's perimeter by boat, 42-year-old crocodile zoo performer and volunteer Chalaew Busamrong concurred that the trapped animal must be a crocodile.

"It has been floating around here a long time," Chalaew said. "It can't find its way out. If it were a monitor lizard, it would have found its way out by now."

The team decided that the area was too wide and wild to try to close in on the beast, so they baited their giant-sized hooks with raw chicken carcasses.

It's a tactic with an often-inconclusive result, because if local residents find a trapped crocodile, they're likely to grab it and sell it.

"We've left bait before in other areas, but because crocodiles are so valuable, we're never sure if they are captured or not," Praphan said.

As they attached the wires to nearby trees in the swamp and prepared to head home, they heard a heavy movement in the reeds. The team stiffened, fell quiet, and backed away, hoping the crocodile might move forward.

Suspecting the crocodile might be hungry enough to take the bait, Chalaew decided to stay the night.

Nearby, construction workers slept uneasily, but there were no sounds of frantic splashing, as had been hoped. As the sun rose, the chicken carcasses remained untouched.

One week later, the area remained flooded. Neighbors told Anchalee that they shot and killed two crocodiles a few streets away.

"I don't know if it's true or not, but that's what they say," she said by phone. "We haven't seen it since, and the chicken has all fallen off into the water. We only hear the dogs howling.".

Receding floods reveal crocs lurking in Bangkok

Worst flooding in a half century swamped some of Thailand's estimated 3,000 crocodile farms; snakes also pose threat 

A dead crocodile is put on a boat on a flooded road in Bangbuatong district of Nonthaburi province, north of Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct. 23.

BANGKOK, Thailand — Murky floodwater are receding from Bangkok's inundated outskirts to reveal some scary swamp dwellers who moved in while flooded residents were moving out — including crocodiles and some of the world's most poisonous snakes.

Special teams from the Thai Fishery Department have responded to numerous reports of reptilian menaces, like the 3-foot-long croc that Anchalee Wannawet saw sitting next to the outhouse one morning, its toothy jaw wide open.

"I ran away, and it ran into there," the 23-year-old said, pointing toward the reedy swamp behind the construction site where she works in Bangkok's northern Sai Mai district. "I haven't dared to go the bathroom since. I'm peeing in a can."

Thailand has long been a center for the breeding, exporting and trafficking of exotic animals, especially crocodiles. 

Farmed both legally and illegally, crocs are popular because of the value they fetch for their meat, bones and especially their skins, used to make luxury bags and accessories.

This year's record monsoon rains, which prompted Thailand's worst flooding in a half century and killed more than 600 people, also swamped some of the country's estimated 3,000 crocodile farms. 

Many of the reptiles escaped — though probably not as many as residents think they are seeing around the city. Thais adjust to life in waist-deep water

"We get a lot of reports at the Fishery Department, but only about 5 to 10 percent of them turn out to be true," said Praphan Lipayakun, a fishery department official, adding that many false reports end up being large monitor lizards, which are generally shy and harmless.

"We even get reports of people being bitten, but when we follow up, we can't get in touch with the supposed patient, or when contacted, the doctor that treated the wound says that it in no way resembled a crocodile bite."

Still, officials and volunteer veterinarians have confirmed many flood-affected animals on the loose or in distress — and not only reptiles.

Monkeys, lions, bears

A team of volunteer veterinarians rescued scores of animals — from deer and Capuchin monkeys to lions, tigers and bears — from the yards and homes of Thailand's rich.

"Most of the ones we found in the Bangkok area are privately owned, and a lot of them are for fun or for pleasure — like a farm or some exotic species in the house," 

said Nantarika Chansue, president of the Zoo and Wildlife Veterinary Society of Thailand and a member of the team of volunteers.

"Some of the owners left home already and left the animals in the cage as the water rose. Some of them have illegal animals and are afraid of being prosecuted, so they are afraid to tell us and just leave them there."

Some of the rescued animals had had to be treated for respiratory diseases from inhaling disease-infested floodwater, Nantarika said.

Calls about snakes have spiked from the usual two per day to about 10, said Sompob Sridaranop, a snake rescue expert from the Thai Marine Department. 

Most residents report pythons — but occasionally the calls are about highly venomous cobras and pit vipers, he said.

"A lot of snakes are coming out now because they, too, are flooded. Their homes are usually under houses, or in pipes, but they can't sleep in the water, so they are escaping," he said.

In Nakhon Sawan province, north of Bangkok, Anan Dirath said his family found about 10 nonpoisonous snakes in the house since the waters receded, while his neighbors found cobras, which they caught and sold for their meat.

In Bangkok's Sai Mai district, not far from where Anchalee spotted the crocodile, a large zoo called Safari World was flooded, endangering primates, giraffes, dolphins and other exotic animals in captivity. 

At the height of the flooding, zoo official Litti Kewkacha said staff were piling up earth, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to stay higher than the flood levels.

Crocodile farms were not so successful at keeping their wards safe in captivity.

Since the floods began in July, the Fishery Department's crocodile teams have captured 10 that have escaped and found their way into residential areas in Bangkok and suburbs just to the north. Some have been easy catches: Residents had closed them into fenced yards.

'Footprints'

Then there are those like the one Anchalee saw, lurking in areas that are boxed in, but large, and with plenty of vegetation for cover. That one proved a special challenge for the crocodile chasers.

"These are its footprints. It's around here," Praphan said under a mid-afternoon sun.

As the team toured the area's perimeter by boat, 42-year-old crocodile zoo performer and volunteer Chalaew Busamrong concurred that the trapped animal must be a crocodile.

"It has been floating around here a long time," Chalaew said. "It can't find its way out. If it were a monitor lizard, it would have found its way out by now."

The team decided that the area was too wide and wild to try to close in on the beast, so they baited their giant-sized hooks with raw chicken carcasses. 

It's a tactic with an often-inconclusive result, because if local residents find a trapped crocodile, they're likely to grab it and sell it.

"We've left bait before in other areas, but because crocodiles are so valuable, we're never sure if they are captured or not," Praphan said.

As they attached the wires to nearby trees in the swamp and prepared to head home, they heard a heavy movement in the reeds. The team stiffened, fell quiet, and backed away, hoping the crocodile might move forward.

Floods Reveal Bangkok Crocodiles

Thailand's capital, Bangkok, has already been hit with its worst flooding in 50 years—and now it has to deal with huge crocodiles and poisonous snakes? 

Special teams from the Thai Fisheries Department have had to respond to numerous reports about crocodiles that have either escaped from the country's estimated 3,000 croc farms or moved into the city's outskirts as residents move out. 

But some of the reports could have been about giant monitor lizards, which are generally harmless. Calls about some of the world's most poisonous snakes have also spiked.

Activities of Secretary-General in Thailand, 16-17 November

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon? Taek, arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, from Bangladesh shortly before noon on Wednesday, 16 November.

His first appointment in the Thai capital was a meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

He told reporters at a stakeout afterwards that during their discussions, he congratulated her for being the first female Prime Minister of Thailand. He said they also talked about the flooding in the country; 

Thailand-United Nations cooperation, and Thailand’s work as Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Council, among other issues.

After addressing United Nations staff in Bangkok, he attended a round table on universal health coverage before visiting an exhibit on universal health care in Thailand.

The Secretary-General then flew by helicopter over the flood-affected areas of Bangkok before visiting an evacuation center in the capital sheltering hundreds of evacuees.

Speaking to the press at the center, he said he was deeply saddened and humbled by what he saw, expressing his condolences to those who have lost family members and property.

He ended his day with a dinner hosted by Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), also attended by several ambassadors based in Thailand.

The Secretary-General departed for Indonesia on the morning of Thursday, 17 November.

Flood response leaves Thailand high and dry

When Thomas Cook’s incredible share slump hit the headlines last week, it was interesting to note that one of the reasons the company cited for its poor performance was Thailand’s floods. 

Of course, there’s not a great deal you can do about ‘forces majeur’, other than wait until they subside. But you might be interested to hear that Bangkok is not actually flooded.

I am reporting now from Travel Daily’s Bangkok office, high above the Thai capital’s busy streets. Right now there is no water on the streets below. 

In fact, there has never been any water on the streets below, or anywhere in central Bangkok. The international airport has always remained open, as have the vast majority of city’s hotels and attractions. 

So I find it strange, to say the least, that thousands of people have been forced to cancel their holidays, and that businesses have lost millions of pounds, for no good reason.

Yes, floods have affected parts of northern and western Bangkok pretty badly. But in the all the main business and tourist areas, people are happily going about their business.

Well, ‘happily’ perhaps isn’t the right word. Few people in Bangkok are happy right now. Everyone associated with the city’s tourism-reliant economy has been affected, from top bosses at Thomas Cook right down to the street-side souvenir sellers. 

Bangkok is in trouble; not from floodwater, but because its main economic artery – the steady flow of tourists – has been severed.

Many people in Bangkok blame the media (the BBC in particular) for exaggerating the crisis, but I think this is unfair. The BBC has a job to do, and naturally they will show images of the worst-affected areas. 

The responsibility has to lie with governments. When the FCO imposed its ‘all-but-essential travel’ warning on Bangkok, did they actually visit the city beforehand? 

And did the British embassy staff in Bangkok not look out the window, get on the blower back to Blighty and tell them everything was ticketyboo, thanks chaps? And if not, why not?

Instead, businesses are on the verge of collapse, people are losing their jobs, and all for nothing. The Thai flood crisis has claimed many lives, but the mismanaged response to it has ruined countless more. 

I urge every one of our British readers to spread the message – Bangkok is open for business! Maybe we save other businesses from going the same way as Thomas Cook.

Crocs and cobras lurk in homes as Thai floods recede

Two men carry a crocodile caught and killed in Nonthaburi.

BANGKOK: People returning to homes in the Thai capital as record floods recede are finding crocodiles and snakes have moved in.

Teams from the Thai Fishery Department have caught at least 10 crocodiles since the country's worst flooding in more than half a century began in July.

Volunteer veterinarians have found cobras and rescued pet lions, tigers and bears from the homes of rich Thais.

The floods are receding after killing more than 600 people over vast areas of the kingdom, but for many the misery continues. Arunee Ninkaew's Bangkok home is now a putrid grey breeding ground for insects.

Weeks of living above the stagnant, foul-smelling floodwater, crammed into a single upstairs room with her diabetic husband, elderly mother-in-law and grandson, have left her in despair. 

She wakes each morning with the same feeling of hopelessness: "I think to myself, 'When? When will the water go?"'

The streets around her home in the district of Don Mueang are still under a meter of green water strewn with floating rubbish and glistening with petrol. The only way to get around is by boat.