Lawyers to launch probe into disaster

The Lawyers Council of Thailand will set up a panel to study the government's handling of water runoff and flooding in order to help flood victims who have lost homes and possessions.

Council deputy chairman Kriangsak Woramongkolchai, who heads the 11-man panel, said the committee will look into all possible aspects which may have contributed to the flood crisis.

These include management of water in reservoirs, the invocation of the disaster prevention and mitigation law, and opening and closure of sluice gates, he said.

Mr Kriangsak said if the findings show the damage was caused by the government's negligence or mismanagement, the LCT will provide legal assistance to the flood victims.

He insisted there was no hidden agenda involved and the move is part of the LCT's public service.

Mr Kriangsak said the government's compensation of 5,000 baht does not deprive the flood victims of their legal rights to sue for actual damage.

"If there is evidence that the damage was caused by a lack of prevention or warning or mismanagement, the people can sue the government for the amount they deserve," he said. 

He also advised flood victims to compile evidence such as photos of the damage if they want to file a complaint against the government.

Meanwhile, a human rights and environment lawyer is preparing to ask six agencies to take action against a politician who allegedly led villagers to destroy a flood dyke.

Warin Thiamcharas said his petition will be submitted to the prime minister, the national police chief, the city police chief, the Bangkok governor, the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority governor and the natural resources and environment minister.

He said the destruction of the dyke had caused contamination to water resources. He said if these authorities failed to take proper action, he will file a petition with the ombudsman and the Administrative Court.

He also called on human rights and environment organisations to pressure the government to better protect the public interest.

Water receding in 11 districts

Flood levels remain above 80cm in 560 locations covering 12 districts; Bangkok deputy gov says. City's main roads will be dry in two weeks

Flood water has receded in 11 Bangkok districts as drainage is underway at full steam, while water levels are stable in Phasi Charoen and Bang Khae districts, while they went up in Min Buri and Klong Sam Wa.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said the bigbag barrier along Vibhavadi Rangsit Road did not work well and was breached at three locations. 

He said flood water on Phetkasem Road, an alternative to Rama II Road as a route to the South of the country, was being drained.

Sukhumbhand's opinion over the effectiveness of the bigbag barrier was at odds with a statement by his deputy, Theerachon Manomaiphibool, that it had worked well. 

The deputy said the water level between the two bigbag sides was 30cm, and would continue decreasing. The big bags increased the floodwater level at BTS Mor Chit Station by 5cm and Wat Lat Phrao by 2cm.

"Within two weeks, main roads in Bangkok will be dry," he added.

An earlier statement by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's floodrelief centre said water had receded in Don Muang, Lak Si, Sai Mai, Thawee Watthana, Taling Chan, Bang Phlat, Bang Sue, Nong Chok, Lat Krabang, Khan Na Yao and Lat Phrao districts.

The level remains above 80cm at 560 locations in 12 districts.

A Phaholyothin Road section at the Kamphaeng Phet intersection is dry, as is a Charan Sanitwong Road section from Bang Phlat to Boromratchonani. 

A road network nearby connecting to ArunAmarin Road by the Chao Phraya River is still flooded but small vehicles can now use it.

In Pathum Thani, the floodwater level in three heavily inundated districts has receded, although Route 345 connecting this province to Bangkok remains under water, and water at many luxury housing estates is still chesthigh.

Bhumibhol Dam is now releasing 26 million cubic metres of water, much lower than during the peak of the flood in Central provinces. The drainage has been ordered to make possible a boat race in Tak and Kamphaeng Phet provinces. 

Nakhon Sawan has also seen lower currents in three major rivers and lower levels in urban areas, although one of the main roads is under a metre of water.

Paper giant Double A is filling 20,000 permanent and adhoc job vacancies at its plant in Prachin Buri, while providing free commodities, and areas for small businesses to open their temporary operations. Call 1759 and dial 0 for more details.

Meanwhile, Major Cineplex Group will reopen two cineplexes in Pinklao, as the flood level in the area recedes.

In a statement, the company said that the standalone branch will resume normal service tomorrow, starting with a 10am show.

Meanwhile, its cineplex branch inside Central Plaza Pinklao will reopen its doors on Monday.

Since floods hit Bangkok, the company that operates nearly 70 per cent of theatres in Thailand has closed operations of 12 branches - MajorRangsit, FutureRangsit, Big CNava Nakorn, LotusNava Nakorn, Chaeng Wattana, Fashion Island, Thanyaburi, MajorPinklao, CentralPinklao, Petchkasaem, Salaya and Ratchayothin. It also closed seven bowling branches.

Central Pinklao will also open tomorrow.

Fees cut for students

Rangsit University (RSU) yesterday announced remedial measures for flood-affected students, including a 50 per cent discount on tuition fees for those who register for this second semester and a cancellation of fines imposed on late course registration.

Students were urged to take a picture of their flooded homes and submit it along with other required documents, and provide details later. 

RSU would help find part-time work with the university; people interested could contact the Student Affairs Office.

For all your flood needs

Stock up for the duration at an outdoor market on Ekamai-Ram Intra Road

With the flood crisis emptying many store shelves, a lot of people are finding what they need at an open-air market just off Ekamai-Ram Intra Road at Pradit Manutham Road. 

If you can still get there, it has hundreds of vendors selling essential goods for surviving.

The narrow soi next to the Lotus supermarket is full of pickup trucks bearing bottled water of various brands, ranging in price from Bt85 to Bt100 per pack. 

Keep strolling from there - you'll see boots of different designs and materials selling for Bt190 to Bt450.

The "trendy" apparel here usually means it's waterproof and it comes in all sorts of colours. There are trousers for Bt480 and lifejackets for Bt350. For Bt180 you can buy a tin of Wonder Powder, great for quickly healing wounds and chasing off prickly heat, ringworm and bedsores.

Look for the staff called Switching New, which sells solar cells and battery chargers for mobile phones, LED lights and other electrical appliances, with prices running from Bt560 to Bt1,200.

You might want to trade in your car for a paddleboat. They cost Bt2,000 to Bt6,500. Beach mattresses, also selling for Bt2,000, might come in handy too.

The expansive Crystal Park affords space for a car-boot sale with around 40 vendors. One car-accessories manufacturer has expanded into paddleboats made of plastic ABS that cost Bt6,500. 

The Great 3381 company offers colourful life jackets bearing messages like "A flood souvenir from Bangkok".

Protect your clothes with smart PVC Chest waders imported from China for Bt2,200 and waterproof trousers for Bt400.

And then there are drainage pumps, also from China as well as Japan, ranging in price from Bt5,500 to Bt35,000.

You can get a five-litre bag of white rice for Bt180 to Bt220, dried seafood for Bt100, LED lights for Bt320 to Bt450, mobile toilets for Bt200 and water buckets for Bt100, plus T-shirts with prints and sunglasses.

Finally, down at the end of the road, there are vendors selling fibreglass boats for Bt6,500, along with that EM micro-organism liquid, mosquito netting, more boots, more waterproof clothing and more pumps.

Extraordinary times require exceptional people

All Bangkok now realize one cannot force nature to act as we desire all the time. Humans may be able to divert and temporarily change the course of nature, but in the end nature wins. We just have to learn to live more in accordance with the rules of nature rather than trying to beat it with our belief in modernization and human superiority.

A woman prepares krathong floats for sale in the flooded district of Lat Phrao in Bangkok, on the occasion of Loy Krathong festival yesterday.

So, as the unprecedented mass of water flows relentlessly down from the north and floods the lower basin, Bangkok's citizens are are beginning to accept the inevitable _ that part, if not all, of this City of Angels will experience flooding; and eventually it will be time to pick up the pieces.

Whatever we can do to let the floodwater pass _through man-made canals and pumping systems as well as natural waterways _ we must try. And if the water has to overflow onto the roads and into homes, so be it.

But nature _ water in this case _ seems to enjoy playing games with our minds. We all waited anxiously for weeks for the water to reach Bangkok and pass through to the Gulf of Thailand, with our attitude of "just get it over with". 

But the water seems to be taking its time, by drowning parts of Bangkok especially in Thon Buri on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River and the suburbs of eastern Bangkok, laying siege to the inner city for yet another weekend.

For the inner city, the front-line is now at Klong Bang Sue. The "Big Bag" line constructed by the Transport Ministry is designed to slow down waterfowls so that the pumps of the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) at Klong Bang Sue can effectively divert the water into the river. 

If that does not hold, then the next line of defense will be Klong Samsen. And that means Victory Monument will become the front line. Finally, if water overflows the last line of defense which is Klong Saen Sap, then people working and living in the financial district and embassy row of Wireless and Silom roads will have to wade to work.

The window of opportunity to try and manage water diversion as best as possible will remain open till the end of this month, when another period of high tides is predicted.

If the Royal Irrigation Department and the BMA can work together without another shouting match, then we may be able to save the inner city from meter-high flooding. But even then, there is no definite guarantee that there will not be dampness to a lesser degree.

Apart from the bickering over bureaucratic turf and the politicking (both at the local and national levels) which impede the fight to defend homes and businesses within the flood-way, there is also the human traits of carelessness and irresponsibility. 

Garbage of all sorts which has been dumped into our rivers and canals, is stopping up sewage drains and much of it is now floating around flooded homes.

The amount of garbage is such that makes one wonder how the provinces and the BMA have been coping in the past: is all of it simply swept out of sight under somewhere, only to appear when water flushes it out? 

This huge amount of garbage is becoming a challenge for the government and local administrations to collect and destroy, as it is now causing water contamination and could become the main source of diseases and epidemics.

It is also amazing to see the amount of used foam boxes which are primarily used as food containers, and plastic bags flowing in the canals and stuck along the pumping areas. Others bigger throwaways include mattresses (yes, I did not believe it at first, either), which when absorbed with water become heavy and can cause damage to the pumps.

In the larger context, the government has appointed prominent personalities to work on two national committees. The first is the Strategic Committee for Reconstruction and Future Development (SCRF) and the second is the Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management (SCWRM). 

The first is headed by Virabongsa Ramangkura and the second by Deputy Prime Minister, Kittiratt Na-Ranong, with Sumet Tantivejakul, a close confidant of His Majesty the King, as the chief adviser.

Both are high-powered committees working to map out the coming reconstruction of the country. Mr Virabongsa has a broader mandate, from strategic planning and implementation, to rebuilding Thailand's credibility in the eyes of investors and international partners.

His committee members include Pansak Viyaratn, a close adviser to ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra; Prasert Bunsumpun, former president and CEO of PTT Plc; Visanu Krue-ngam, a respected lawyer and former deputy prime minister; and others whose personal credibility is recognised within and outside Thailand.

Mr Kittiratt's committee will concentrate on water management planning and implementation. This will be as equally difficult as the first committee's tasks, since Mr Kittiratt will be chairing meetings with water experts who do not necessarily see eye to eye. 

Each sees the problems differently. Most of them are involved in the day-to-day fight against the flooding, making final decisions hard to reach. And they also envision the long-term solution in distinct ways.

But both committees and their extraordinary members are necessary. The force of nature's destruction is understandable, but the relief and reconstruction, if mismanaged, will not be excusable. 

At stake is not only the personal credibility of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and that of her administration, but also the credibility of Thai state, which includes the bureaucracy and its technocrats, and the entire Thai private sector.

Thailand must prove that, as a nation, it has the will and capability to face the threat of destruction and survive; to be able to pick itself up and walk on. The Thai state must prove it can take care of its population and stakeholders, including foreign investors and friends, and exert enormous effort in rebuilding what has been lost.

The government must therefore not let the two national committees become a mere talking shop or bodies to deflect political attacks. These committees must be equipped with full support, especially in terms of budget, and invested with full authority in both the planning and implementation stages. Petty politics must not be allowed to interfere with the reconstruction efforts.

At the same time the committee members must set aside their individual egos and aspirations and ensure that the work process is non-partisan and incorruptible. These are extraordinary times which require exceptional people with strong political will to make the changes necessary to rebuild our nation.

Thailand floods: On patrol with Bangkok's pet rescuers

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

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

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

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

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

They are in great demand.

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

Returning to base with a new cargo of pets

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

Cat woman

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

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

Continue reading the main story

Start Quote

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

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

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

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

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

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

Crocodiles

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

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

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

Luckily they didn't.

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

Another of the rescued dogs

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

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

Animal emotions

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

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

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

Animals have also been rescued
from floodwaters elsewhere in the country

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

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

"They have emotions too."

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

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

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

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

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

Floods Close in on Central Bangkok

Floodwater encircled two industrial estates in the east of Bangkok on Monday and closed in on the center of the capital, disrupting bus services, although mass transit train systems were still running and commercial districts remained dry.

Floodwater encircled two industrial estates in the east of Bangkok on Monday and closed in on the center of the capital, disrupting bus services, although mass transit train systems were still running and commercial districts remained dry.

Army soldiers direct traffic at a flooded bus stop near Bangkok's Chatuchak market November 7, 2011.

Starting in the north and northeast of the country in late July, the water has flowed slowly south, overwhelming industrial provinces and rice areas in the center before moving into Bangkok over the past three weeks.

It is now only about 7 km (4.5 miles) from the Silom business and entertainment district at the heart of Bangkok.

Somkid Tanwatanakul, deputy governor of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), told Reuters floodwater had reached the vicinity of the Lat Krabang Industrial Estate in the east of the city and was now about 1.5 meters (5 feet) high.

"We have strengthened dikes around the estate to 2.6 meters (8.5 feet) high. My worry is if this much water continues to hold for a long time with nowhere to go, the estate might not make it."

The estate has 254 factories with almost 50,000 workers. Consumer goods giant Unilever Pcl, Johnson & Johnson, Isuzu Motors and Honda Motor Co all have plants there.

It is about 10 km (6 miles) north of Bangkok's main Suvarnabhumi airport, which is functioning normally inside a reinforced dike at least 3 meters (10 feet) high.

Flag carrier Thai Airways International Pcl said on Monday it had moved its ticket office from its headquarters in northern Bangkok to Suvarnabhumi and two other locations because access had become difficult.

Bangkok's old Don Muang airport, still used for internal flights, has been closed since October 25.

Honda, which was only just recovering from Japan's earthquake in March, has suffered more than most. It withdrew its earnings forecasts on October 31 after it was forced to close its car assembly plant in Ayutthaya.

It also closed its Thai Honda Manufacturing plant last month at Lat Krabang, which produces motorcycles and power products, and decided to extend that suspension on Friday.

"The problem with Thai Honda has been the difficulty for staff to get to work and parts supply disruptions," said Waraporn Pongpaiboon, an official at its regional headquarters in Bangkok, adding water had not got into the plant.

DRY INSIDE

Bang Chan, another estate north of Suvarnabhumi airport, is also threatened. With 93 factories and about 13,000 workers, it is home to food firms such as Nestle SA and President Bakery Pcl, which makes buns for McDonald's.

"Our factory is still dry but outside, it isn't," said President Bakery marketing manager Yaowaret Kanjanachotkamol. "We have started to see water in some parts of the estate."

Filthy water has flooded into the streets of the estate through a canal and drains but factory compounds are dry.

"We started to cover the factory compounds with iron flood barriers after we heard about the flooding in Ayutthaya," said Charo Kritchankran, a factory manager for food and electrical equipment producer Saha-Union Pcl.

Floodwater has started to recede in Ayutthaya province -- the site of World Heritage-listed temples and an ancient capital as well as huge industrial estates -- but at the same time the danger is rising in Bangkok.

The government's flood crisis center said residents of 11 of Bangkok's 50 districts had been told to leave as of Sunday and in another seven a partial evacuation had been called.

But it said its use of so-called Big Bags -- huge sandbags weighing 2.5 tonnes -- to build a protective wall 18 km (10 miles) long across the north of the city appeared to have been successful in reducing flows into the inner city along the first 6 km constructed.

The government says 506 people have been killed and 25 of the country's 77 provinces are currently affected.

The Chatuchak district in northern Bangkok was among the latest to be issued with an evacuation order as floodwater moved in over the weekend, although its huge market, popular with tourists and locals alike, remained open.

The overhead Sky train, whose northern terminus is by the market, is running normally, as is the underground MRT system, which goes through the area.

But many poorer residents rely on buses to get around and they were having more trouble.

Saitarn Siriatcharanon, 56, told Reuters she had been struggling for six hours to reach her son in the flooded area, whereas normally the same journey would take 30 minutes.

Bangkok Mass Transportation announced the suspension of bus services in the flooded areas, with military trucks offering an alternative in places.

"I think it will take at least a month for the situation to get better," said student Tanida Aupornrungrat, a view shared by the authorities, who are having to import pumps to help.

Floodwater is heading toward Victory Monument, where many buses leave Bangkok for other towns. Rama II Road, a major highway to the rubber-producing south of the country, which has not been affected by the floods so far, is also threatened.

Last-ditch bid to save Bang Chan

The govt's credibility is at stake: Yutthasak

Northern run-off was closing in on Bang Chan industrial estate yesterday as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration issued an evacuation advisory for Bang Chan sub-district.

Workers at Bang Chan Industrial Estate in Min Buri district are frantically erecting flood barriers to try to save the important economic area from approaching inundation.

Vulnerable spots appear to be in the north and the northeast of the estate which are taking in advancing runoff from the street and water from Khlong Sam Wa which continues to rise.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra issued an evacuation advisory for Bang Chan, bringing the total number of districts on evacuation alert to 12.

Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa said the government would try to protect the Bang Chan industrial estate as well as the one in Lat Krabang at all costs.

Seven industrial estates in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani have been inundated despite government assurances they were well protected.

"They [Bang Chan and Lat Krabang] are the last two we have to defend. We tried and failed in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani.

"They are two important locations we must save or all the government's credibility will be lost," he said.

Bang Chan industrial estate houses more than 90 factories including firms like Nestle and Farmhouse bread producer President Bakery Plc, which employ more than ten thousand workers.

Floodwater yesterday seeped into the estate and flooded its streets. Flooding on Mom Chao Sangangamsupradit Street was about 20cm deep while Seri Thai Road was under 10-20cm of floodwater.

In the northern section of the estate, water in Bueng Krathiam also crept in from Ram Intra Road and Khlong Phraya Suren, flooding an area in front of Chinsan Electronic Industrial Thailand factory.

The floodwater, which was 10-20 cm high, was drained into the industrial estate's water drainage system before being diverted to Khlong Lo Lae, Khlong Ban Chan and then to Khlong Saen Saep.

Despite water entering the estate, the factories remained dry yesterday. as troops from the First Army Regionquickly reinforced the flood barrier.

Maj Gen Walit Rojanaphakdi, deputy commander of the First Army Region, yesterday met with Bang Chan industrial estate staff and the business operators.

He called for a 24-hour watch on the water level in Khlong Saen Saep which runs along one side of the estate.

The water in the canal yesterday rose to 88cm, about 3cm higher than on Sunday, and continued to rise.

The canal will overflow if the water exceeds the 118-cm mark.

Meanwhile, the BMA yesterday ordered the evacuation of the Jorakebua sub-district in Lat Phrao which is situated next to Khlong Lat Phrao canal.

The evacuation order covered areas along Lat Plakhao Road, Lat Phrao-Wanghin Road north of Prasert Manukit Road as well as Sena Nikhom Road.

The governor also declared more areas under close watch for possible flooding, that included communities along Khlong Bang Sue canal in Sam Sen Nok sub-district, ones along Khlong Lat Phrao canal, and areas on Lat Phrao Road from Lat Phrao 34 Road to Lat Phrao 46 Road.

In western Bangkok, many sections of Bang Bon Road were covered by 15cm of floodwater which was heading for Ekachai and Rama II roads.

MR Sukhumbhand said he was concerned the water may reach Rama II Road in Bang Khunthian district.

He said the BMA would try to drain the run-off into Khlong Maha Chai canal to stem water flow.

The governor said he disagreed with a proposal by the Samut Sakhon governor to dig channels on Rama II Road to accelerate the drainage of floodwater in western Bangkok and its outskirts.

He said the Royal Irrigation Department should drain the floodwater.

MR Sukhumbhand also said yesterday that about 800,000 people in Bangkok were living under 80cm of water in 470 locations.

He said officials were providing assistance and supplying foods and drinking water to those who did not evacuate.

Most of those stranded in their homes were in Sai Mai district, and in Nong Khaem district.

Nationwide, 527 people have died from flood-related incidents while two have been reported missing.

Thailand flooding death toll 'tops 506, 2 Missing

Floodwater is continuing to spread through Thai Capital of Bangkok and death 506 , missing 2

The number of people killed by months of flooding in northern Thailand has risen to more than 500, officials say.

Three months of heavy rain have affected about a third of Thailand's province, destroying farmland and forcing tens of thousands from their homes.

Large parts of the capital Bangkok are also flooded and there are fears the city center could yet be worse hit.

The government has announced a 100bn baht ($4bn: £2.5bn) recovery plan.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the money would be used to rebuild homes and businesses and restore the economy, which has been badly affected.

"The work must be completed in 45 days because people have suffered for so long already," the Bangkok Post quoted Ms Yingluck as saying.

She asked for public understanding as the government tackles the disaster, saying: "I admit that this task has really exhausted me, but I will never give up."

The authorities have come under criticism for what is perceived as a slow response to the flooding, and for giving conflicting advice about evacuations.

The waters are now receding in the north of the country but Department of Prevention and Mitigation said on Sunday that 506 people were now known to have died since July.

The BBC's Rachel Harvey in Bangkok says doubts are growing again about whether the authorities will be able to protect the capital.

The city, which is cross-crossed by rivers and canals, has been threatened by encroaching water for weeks as the floods drain towards the sea.

Nobody has died in the capital, but a fifth of the city is now under water and tens of thousands of residents of eight of the 50 districts have been told to leave their homes.

Rows between the government and the Bangkok administration about how to handle the crisis have undermined public confidence in their efforts, says our correspondent.

On Saturday, Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra warned that the city authorities would throw out the central government's flood management plan and bring in their own unless co-operation between the two agencies improved, the Bangkok Post reports.

There are growing concerns about the health problems of large amounts of polluted water - which is up to chest height in some areas - flowing through the densely populated city.

Culture Ministry urges quick krathong clean-up

The Culture Ministry has asked authorities in flood-affected provinces to swiftly retrieve krathong floats from waterways for fear they will block attempts to drain floodwaters.

The Loy Krathong festival will be held on Thursday but much of the country remains bogged down in attempts to contain widespread flooding in the Central Plains.

The flood crisis has affected 26 provinces and more than 700,000 households so far.

Culture Minister Sukumol Khunploem said she had been informed that many communities affected by the flood had opted not to organise any events to mark the festival this year.

But the tradition will continue in many other provinces unaffected by flooding.

"In areas where the Loy Krathong festival will be held, the ministry has pledged, with the concerned authorities, to collect the floats as soon as possible [after the festival] so that they do not end up obstructing the water flow," Ms Sukumol said.

An accumulation of krathong floats in public waterways could hamper floodwater drainage efforts, she added.

Last year, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration collected more than 900,000 krathong floats, about 13% _ or more than 118,000 _ of which were made from non-biodegradable materials.

Ms Sukumol said the ministry has no authority to suspend an organisation or the festival, as several provinces are not affected by the floods.

Still, she said that since a flood crisis is ongoing in the Central Plains and several parts of Bangkok, members of the public have an obligation to clear the waterway and not aggravate the situation.

She also warned people to pay attention to the higher than normal water levels and the increased danger of electrocution.

Kasemsun Chinnavaso, chief of the Environmental Quality Promotion Department, said he is not too concerned about an increase in the amount of rubbish from leftover floats, as he believes most people would not be in a mood to join the festival. "This year we don't have any campaign for the festival. We don't expect to see a large number of krathong out there," he said.

"I think people don't care about the festival [this time]. They just have to pay attention to the flood crisis.

"This means there will be no litter problems [from discarded floats]. What we are more concerned about is the large amount of rubbish caused by the floods."

Mr Kasemsun said his department has been working with the Pollution Control Department to improve the quality of river water by adding EM (Effective Microorganism) balls and clearing rubbish.

Last year, the department launched a "one krathong for one family" campaign in a bid to reduce the number of floats used during the festival.

Employer, Labour reps want greater role in relief drive

Employer and labour groups say they want an equal chance to be involved in the government's flood rehabilitation committee.

The Labour Ministry was working on flood-relief measures for the manufacturing sector without input from employers and employees, said Anantachai Khunananthakul, president of the Employers' Confederation of Thailand (Ecot).

"The ministry has listened to only the Federation of Thai Industries, the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Thai Bankers' Association. We have been neglected," said Mr Anantachai.

He said both the Ecot and the Confederation of Thai Labour (CTL) agreed they should have representatives sitting on the government's panel.

The groups recently met Somkiat Chayasriwong, permanent secretary for labour, to discuss their proposals for flood rehabilitation measures.

Chalee Loysoong, chairman of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, said the government should pay more attention to controlling the prices of consumer products.

Workers making less than 15,000 baht a month should be given cash coupons to buy consumer products, he said.

CTL chairman Chinachot Saengsang said he was opposed to suspending monthly contributions into the Social Security Fund (SSF) as a way of easing financial burdens on companies and their employees.

Suspending payments would affect benefits which employees are entitled to receive from the SSF, such as their pensions.

Mr Somkiat said he agreed with calls to allow employers and labour representatives to sit on the panel.

He would send the proposal to Labour Minister Padermchai Sasomsap.

The ministry would also propose that the government provide financial aid to employers for three months, which should help avoid the need for layoffs.

Coordination lacking, say overseas agencies

Humanitarian aid experts say that poor coordination between the government and international organisations, including the United Nations, is hurting flood relief efforts.

Diplomatic sources said that while Bangkok had not made a formal request for UN assistance in the country's flood relief efforts, some technicians from nearby countries with expertise in disaster relief were flown in.

After not being given any work to do for two weeks, the technicians returned home.

Jackie Pollock, director of the MAP (Migrant Assistance Programme) Foundation, a Chiang Mai-based non-governmental organisation, said a similar lack of coordination is evident with other agencies.

"It's sad that we don't see much coordination from agencies with expertise such as the Thai Red Cross and other international players," she said.

Ms Pollock said migrant workers in particular were suffering as a result of this lack of coordination.

Ms Pollock said inter-governmental agencies such as the International Organisation of Migration should play a bigger role in monitoring the flow of migrant workers who lost their jobs due to the flooding of industrial estates and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Andy Hall, with Mahidol University's Institute of Population and Social Research, echoed Ms Pollock's concerns. Mr Hall said hundreds of thousands of flood-hit migrant workers have been neglected.

Only one shelter was set aside for migrant workers, the Labour Ministry's evacuation centre at Wat Rai Khing in Nakhon Pathom province.

However, they were recently moved to Ratchaburi province amid fears of possible flooding at the Nakhon Pathom centre.

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to visit flood victims during his scheduled visit to Thailand on Nov 16 and 17.

Mr Ban is expected to pledge support for the government's relief and rehabilitation efforts during his visit, diplomatic sources said.

The sources said that despite Bangkok not formally requesting assistance, the UN's resident agencies last month held talks with officials from the foreign, defence, agriculture and cooperatives and labour ministries.

They talked about help they could offer the government as it responds to the flood crisis.

One of these agencies, Unesco, offered to help rehabilitate flood-hit world heritage sites, especially in Ayutthaya and Phitsanulok provinces. The UN's Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap) also backed the flood-relief operation.

Escap executive secretary Noeleen Heyzer met Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at the Flood Relief Operations Command at its former headquarters at Don Mueang airport late last month.

The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has donated nearly US$100,000 (3.06 million baht) to the Thai Red Cross to purchase survival supplies.

Unicef delivered 20,000 mosquito nets to the Public Health Ministry.

The UN Refugee Agency has provided funding as well as 5,000 solar-powered lanterns and 1,300 plastic sheets.

The World Health Organisation disbursed aid from the Southeast Asia Region Health Emergency Fund to the Emergency Medical Institute of Thailand to support response workers, and buy life jackets and first-aid kits for affected families.

More roads in capital swamped

Floods are worsening in the capital with more areas submerged and more roads becoming impassable to traffic.

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) yesterday ordered the evacuation of Bang Phai sub-district as rapidly rising floodwaters threatened it. Bang Phai is located in Bangkok's Bang Khae district.

BMA listed the Bang Chan sub-district of Bangkok's Klong Sam Wa district as an area to be watched.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday he was worried about the capital's western zone. "The water-drainage system there is not as good as the eastern zone," he admitted.

Flood-hit Bang Khae and Thawee Watthana are among districts in the western zone. Locals there are already struggling hard with floods.

"The floodwater level is now over one-metre deep," said Samart Khemthong, one of the flood victims there.

His village, Sakunthip, is located close by the Thawee Watthana Canal.

He said about 30 out of 350 families were camping out in their heavily flooded village to guard against thieves. "Now, we really need a boat," Samart said.

Sanya Sheenimit, who heads the BMA Department of Drainage and Sewerage, said BMA officials were now working in boats in the flooded western zone. "We have installed more pumps and reinforced flood barriers," he said.

He added that flooding on Bangkok's western side was aggravated partly because the Flood Relief Operation Centre (FROC) would not close the water gates of canals north of the capital in the face of stiff protests from locals.

Sukhumbhand said flooding would become a graver threat in Bangkok's eastern zone now that the government had ordered the watergate of Klong Sam Wa Canal be lifted up by 1 metre.

"More areas in the eastern zone including the Bang Chan Industrial Estate are now at risk of being flooded," he said.

In northern Bangkok, floodwater has already reached the Ratchayothin itersection. Floodwater level on the Chaeng Wattana, Ram-Indra and Phaholyothin roads is also rising. Many motorcycles and small cars have stopped dead amid high floodwater on the roads.

On Chaeng Wattana Road, government officials waded through floodwater to get into the Government Agency Complex in shorts. Upon arrival, they then changed their clothes and donned uniforms.

All food shops at the complex closed yesterday, as vendors clearly were worried about floods.

According to the Traffic Police Division, 24 roads in the capital have been closed to traffic due to severe inundation. They include portions of Phaholyothin Road, Kamphaeng Phet 6 Road, Songprapha Road and a portion of Chaeng Wattana Road.

As floods affect more roads, many are likely to become impassable soon, officials say.

Dusit Zoo prepares to move animals to Chon Buri zo

The Dusit Zoo in the heart of Bangkok is preparing an evacuation plan for its animals in the face of looming floods

Flood water has already covered a large part of the capital.

"If the flood water level rises to 50 centimeters, we will move some animals to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo," Dusit Zoo director Kanchai Sanwong said yesterday.

"If it rises to one meter high, we will evacuate tigers, lions, leopards and bears too," he said.

Spanning over 118 rai of land in Dustin district, the zoo is home to about 1,200 animals from 250 species.

"We have already evacuated between 3 and 4 per cent of the animals," Kanchai said.

Among the evacuated animals are two albino barking deer, 14 spotted dear and four common serows.

Kanchai said the zoo had prepared bamboo beds for the animals as dry spots in case flood water seeped in.

He believed the flood water level at the zoo would stay below 50 centimeters. Ponds in the zoo totaled over 30 rai in area and were ready to take in more water, he said.

The zoo has two weeks' worth of animal feed in stock.

"Should the flooding be prolonged, we can seek help from our allies such as the Khao Kheow Open Zoo," Kanchai said.

Khao Kheow Zoo is located in Chon Buri.

Dusit Zoo is still open to visitors between 8am and 6pm. The number of visitors, however, has dropped to around 400 a day, or one tenth of its usual level.

"We used to get many visitors during school breaks, but not during the current break," Kanchai said.

In Bangkok's Klong Sam Wa district, the vast Safari World has closed to the public as flood water has spread through most of its zones.

"We are now trying to protect the Marine Park zone," Safari World executive Amnat Kewkacha said, referring to sandbag walls being erected in the zone.

Flood impact on Bangkok office market remains limited

Yet, the government is yet to announce clearer water management plan, or long-term impacts will be felt.

While almost 30 major office buildings in the Vibhavadi-Rangsit and Phaholyothin areas have been hit by floods and the whole impact on Bangkok office market has yet to unfold, observations from Jones Lang LaSalle show the Bangkok office market has seen limited impact so far.

"Most of the office buildings in the city are located in downtown areas which have remained dry. In addition, a typical office lease term of three years does not provide flexibility for tenants in office buildings located in the flood area to move out before their lease expires. However, as the floods continue to spread, it may be too early to tell how the Bangkok office market will be affected by the flooding," said Suphin Mechuchep, managing director of Jones Lang LaSalle.

In this stage, some companies become less keen to make leasing decisions as they are waiting to see if or how their business operations would be impacted by the widespread floods.

"We expect this to be only temporary and leasing activity should recover once the floods recede," she said.

The widespread flooding in the northern corridor of Bangkok has generated demand for temporary substitute offices in the inner areas of the city which are at lower risk of flooding as the operations of some companies located in the flood areas have been disrupted.

"We have received an increasing number of enquiries from companies for temporary offices in the inner locations of Bangkok. These companies are those whose offices are currently located in the areas that are affected by floods or that are at risk of floods. These enquiries require fully or partly fitted office units, sized between 50 and 300 sqm, that are available for an immediate occupation for a period of 1-2 months," added Yupa Sathienpabayut, Director of Office Agency at Jones Lang LaSalle.

She noted that temporary offices charge 20 per cent higher than rental rates offered on a long lease term.

The agency also witnessed calls from seen some big corporations for temporary offices in locations outside Bangkok such as Pattaya, Sri Racha and Laem Chabang as part of their business continuity plans.

Suphin noted that in the longer term, the flooding could send some impacts on the Bangkok office market. Many companies that operate in industrial estates affected by the floods have corporate offices in Bangkok. More companies may opt to set up a separate corporate office in Bangkok to diversify operational risks, she said.

"On the adverse side, the Bank of Thailand has recently lowered its forecast for the country's GDP growth in 2011 from 4.1 percent to 2.6 percent. Demand in almost every real estate sector will inevitably be impacted as it depends very much upon the country's overall economic condition. To minimise the degree of the flood impact, the government must come up with a sound recovery plan to restore confidence," she concluded.

As Floods Drag on in Thailand, Displaced Grow Restless

A man rows his passenger on a boat past the shadow of the flooded Chatkaew Chongkolnee temple in Bangkok, Thailand, November 1, 2011.

In Thailand, local aid groups are calling on authorities to better manage and support local communities that are struggling to cope after spending weeks under a meter or more of water.

As the flood waters overtake more communities in urban areas of the country, there are many who are deciding to stay home and protect their belongings from thieves.

Srisuwan Kuanachorn from the Foundation for Ecological Recovery (FER) says many people are resisting even forced evacuations, braving the increasingly stagnant and polluted flood waters to stay near home. He says the government needs to reach out to these people to help disperse aid and help the stranded.

The relief effort is being undertaken without sufficient involvement of the victims of the affected communities. We believe that, although not all but many of those affected communities do have the capacity to help themselves. They would need some external support, but many of them have demonstrated a certain capacity in the province of trying to tackle this flood situation,” Srisuwan Kuanachorn said.

Two thirds of Thailand's provinces have been hit by floods, but central Thailand has been a key venue for many evacuated flood victims.

Parita Promlert, president of the Red Cross Society in Lop Buri province, which is 150 kilometers north of Bangkok and now one of the hardest hit regions, says up to 30,000 people are in evacuation centers in the province.

Parita says the crowded conditions are raising health concerns, especially among the physically vulnerable. Thailand’s wet monsoon season is now ending with the weather changing to the cooler dry season of the northern winter.

“Many people in one place. So there are concerns about children and the elderly. Because they evacuate from Bangkok and Pathum Thani because they have children, so many family, almost everybody have children. But the people still want to go to their house. Many people of Lop Buri want to stay near their homes so they stay on the road. But the people from Pathum Thani and Bangkok they live in the camp," Promlert said.

In Bangkok, Father Joe Maier, a Catholic priest from the slum community of Klong Toey near the main port, says older children in evacuation centers are eager to return home, despite the continuing floods. “The people are getting more and more restless and they want to go home no matter what. Then, especially in areas where the thieves are, where’s there theft, yeah, we’re going to have real problems and I don‘t think anybody is prepared for this,” he said.

While the government says the flood conditions around Bangkok may ease over the next week, other analysts say it will be weeks before the floods fully recede.

Despite Floods, Thai Central Banker Remains Upbeat on Recovery

A Thai man on a mattress paddles along the Chao Phraya River which runs through Bangkok, Thailand.

Thailand's central bank governor says he is optimistic the country's economy will recover in early 2012 from the floods still threatening Bangkok. The governor's upbeat outlook comes as government authorities discuss mulch-billion-dollar recovery and reconstruction plans.

Thailand's most severe floods in 50 years have now claimed 437 lives, affected more than three million households across three quarters of the country's provinces. The estimated financial damage is already in the billions of dollars. The waters have so far inundated almost 10,000 factories, including several industrial estates, north of the city with loss of 660,000 jobs.

While the pace of the inundation has slowed in Bangkok, millions of cubic meters of often fetid water is still advancing to the financial and business districts.

Despite the damage and ongoing concern in Bangkok, Thai central bank governor Prasarn Trulratvorakul says economic recovery is possible if the waters recede by early December and domestic spending is revived.

Speaking to journalists, Prasarn expects private consumption to lead the rebound in early 2012.

"We still believe there will be recovery next year provided that the flood situation starts to improve by early December," said Prasarn. "We should see Thailand staging a respectable comeback on the back of domestic demand revival. I would like to stress again that Thailand's fate will depend upon her success in reviving domestic demand."

The floods have led the central bank to slash Thailand's expected annual growth rate by half to 2.6 percent. The World Bank expects the Thai economy to contract in the final quarter by close to two percent.

Hard-hit factories outside Bangkok account for almost 20 percent of national industrial production.

Vikas Kawatra, head of institutional broking at Kim Eng Securities, says reviving the industrial sector should be a government priority.

"Broadly speaking the priorities should be first to fix the industrial sector so factories can start resumption of work and then comes the next step of making sure that this doesn't repeat, doesn't happen," said Kawatra. "It's a long term process."

Agriculture production in the country's central plains has also been affected. The Rice Exporters Association expects rice exports to fall because of logistical problems in flooded areas. There are also concerns that as much as a quarter of the rice crop could be affected.

For now, tens of thousands of people are already dependent on food and water handouts.

Aid workers and politicians visiting flood-hit areas are met by crowds of anxious people.

This week local businessman Somchai Pattanont traveled by boat along the Chao Phraya River to deliver aid to monks at a temple. Somchai fears it may take two years to recover.

"The country is in for trouble for a long, long time, about one or two years," said Pattanont. "Many factories of the foreign factory [owners] are destroyed, [the floods] destroyed many factories. So [in] one or two years everything will be better. [But] the people upcountry, upcountry [everything] is destroyed. No money, no food, no rice, trouble. The government will have to pay a lot of money, a lot."

For now, Thai authorities are still focused on the short term challenge of draining the enormous pool of water north of Bangkok into the Gulf of Thailand.