Very similar to what we see with election campaign posters remaining up for years, and our favourite Mom & Pop Thai restaurants leaving up the Christmas and New Year decorations all year long.
but 
Pete 
The Floods of 2011
Re: The Floods of 2011
A writer made a good point in the Bangkok Post letter section yesterday. There are now millions of sandbags scattered throughout the country. Once the floods are over no one will come back to clean them up. They will sit and eventually deteriorate, with the contents then washing into and clogging up the storm drains.
Very similar to what we see with election campaign posters remaining up for years, and our favourite Mom & Pop Thai restaurants leaving up the Christmas and New Year decorations all year long. but Pete
Very similar to what we see with election campaign posters remaining up for years, and our favourite Mom & Pop Thai restaurants leaving up the Christmas and New Year decorations all year long.
but Pete Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Re: The Floods of 2011
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... -parasites
Jail these parasites
Published: 15/10/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News
As if they didn't already have enough to worry about, desperate flood victims and those struggling to protect their families from suffering the same fate, are now having to contend with opportunists seeking to profit from their misery. While most people show sympathy and compassion by donating time, gifts and money to ease the plight of those affected by floods, some suppliers of essential commodities are engaged in profiteering in flood-hit areas and in those likely to become so. This is not the simple law of supply and demand at work. These mysterious shortages and massive price increases target the vulnerable and are deliberate, cold-blooded exploitation. They bring shame on our society.
It is encouraging that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has ordered the Commerce Ministry to take action against these profiteers, but something more than a few token fines levied on shopkeepers is required. Instead, the government should be widening its limited programme of handing out emergency relief packages and linking with the private sector to become more involved in the production and distribution of essential supplies itself. Similar operations in the past have been a success. Public-spirited companies with well-developed CSR skills or charities could also earn the gratitude of the nation by increasing their donations of necessities or by making them more widely available in flood-hit areas at low cost. The products most affected by price-gouging are drinking water, various food items including instant noodles, basic construction materials used for flood defences such as bricks and, of course, sandbags which seem to increase in price daily. Water transport costs in some areas are extortionate.
Ominously, Rak Prathet Thai Party leader Chuvit Kamolvisit has warned of possible looting, panic and chaos if the cost of essential consumer goods continues to soar in flood-ravaged areas. The crisis has dragged on for weeks now, and the stress levels of many victims have reached the danger point. It is worsened by concerns that if they leave their flooded homes, their remaining possessions will be stolen by criminals in boats. With whole communities breaking down, civil unrest due to frustration and anxiety is always a danger. Many people have lost their homes, their sources of income and in over 280 cases, their lives. Farmers whose crops were wiped out and others who suffered economic ruin are the ones least able to afford such huge losses and they know how slow and painful the recovery will be. Yet, even in the face of extreme hardship, some flood victims still manage a smile and the Thai spirit shines through.
The worst floods in 50 years are also posing health hazards that need closer monitoring. Poor hygienic conditions and the lack of clean drinking water are taking their toll. In addition to conjunctivitis and fungal infections, there is a danger of leptospirosis, spread by rat urine, hepatitis caused by ingestion of contaminated water, and dengue fever. Severe food poisoning is being reported, with 100 cases in Chai Nat province earlier this month. Symptoms range from a simple stomach upset to liver, neurological or renal problems that can be life-threatening. Prolonged exposure to floodwater is so unhealthy that children should not be allowed to play in it. Some of the germs they pick up resist treatment.
Although much of Bangkok will remain dry in the coming days, flood-hit districts are going to need all the help they can get - both to avoid the horrors inflicted by nature and the additional suffering caused by human selfishness and duplicity. The only way to minimise this is by drastic enforcement of price controls and the arrest and jailing of violators.
Jail these parasites
Published: 15/10/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News
As if they didn't already have enough to worry about, desperate flood victims and those struggling to protect their families from suffering the same fate, are now having to contend with opportunists seeking to profit from their misery. While most people show sympathy and compassion by donating time, gifts and money to ease the plight of those affected by floods, some suppliers of essential commodities are engaged in profiteering in flood-hit areas and in those likely to become so. This is not the simple law of supply and demand at work. These mysterious shortages and massive price increases target the vulnerable and are deliberate, cold-blooded exploitation. They bring shame on our society.
It is encouraging that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has ordered the Commerce Ministry to take action against these profiteers, but something more than a few token fines levied on shopkeepers is required. Instead, the government should be widening its limited programme of handing out emergency relief packages and linking with the private sector to become more involved in the production and distribution of essential supplies itself. Similar operations in the past have been a success. Public-spirited companies with well-developed CSR skills or charities could also earn the gratitude of the nation by increasing their donations of necessities or by making them more widely available in flood-hit areas at low cost. The products most affected by price-gouging are drinking water, various food items including instant noodles, basic construction materials used for flood defences such as bricks and, of course, sandbags which seem to increase in price daily. Water transport costs in some areas are extortionate.
Ominously, Rak Prathet Thai Party leader Chuvit Kamolvisit has warned of possible looting, panic and chaos if the cost of essential consumer goods continues to soar in flood-ravaged areas. The crisis has dragged on for weeks now, and the stress levels of many victims have reached the danger point. It is worsened by concerns that if they leave their flooded homes, their remaining possessions will be stolen by criminals in boats. With whole communities breaking down, civil unrest due to frustration and anxiety is always a danger. Many people have lost their homes, their sources of income and in over 280 cases, their lives. Farmers whose crops were wiped out and others who suffered economic ruin are the ones least able to afford such huge losses and they know how slow and painful the recovery will be. Yet, even in the face of extreme hardship, some flood victims still manage a smile and the Thai spirit shines through.
The worst floods in 50 years are also posing health hazards that need closer monitoring. Poor hygienic conditions and the lack of clean drinking water are taking their toll. In addition to conjunctivitis and fungal infections, there is a danger of leptospirosis, spread by rat urine, hepatitis caused by ingestion of contaminated water, and dengue fever. Severe food poisoning is being reported, with 100 cases in Chai Nat province earlier this month. Symptoms range from a simple stomach upset to liver, neurological or renal problems that can be life-threatening. Prolonged exposure to floodwater is so unhealthy that children should not be allowed to play in it. Some of the germs they pick up resist treatment.
Although much of Bangkok will remain dry in the coming days, flood-hit districts are going to need all the help they can get - both to avoid the horrors inflicted by nature and the additional suffering caused by human selfishness and duplicity. The only way to minimise this is by drastic enforcement of price controls and the arrest and jailing of violators.
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Re: The Floods of 2011
D Day has arrived...for the next few days. Here is a key story with a map of the current situation facing Bangkok. Pete
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2 ... -red-alert
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2 ... -red-alert
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Re: The Floods of 2011
It is not possible to have too much faith in any of these announcements by so called "leaders".prcscct wrote:D Day has arrived...for the next few days. Here is a key story with a map of the current situation facing Bangkok. Pete
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2 ... -red-alert
Continual bickering amongst themselves about who is in charge, another bright spark running out of a meeting and making an announcement that panicked people. Yesterday it was reported that 5 Klongs had been "dredged" in 24 hours, and a couple of days ago 10 kms of wall built in 3 days or so. I doubt that the worst is over yet.
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
Re: The Floods of 2011
Known Side Effect: If you order something from a large hardware outlet that is not in stock, be prepared to wait....maybe a month. In my case it's sandstone tiles to complete my pool walkways. Bountivan(sp) warehouse and the tile manufacturer are in Ayudhya. They can't even get trucks to the locations and the warehouses are flooded. I think we're going to see a lot of these supply chain problems for the rest of the year. Pete
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
-
HistoryTeacher
- Banned
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:33 pm
Re: The Floods of 2011
Excellent and amazing pictures! Thank you for the link Bamboo Grove.
Re: The Floods of 2011
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Re: The Floods of 2011
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
Re: The Floods of 2011
Abhisit is having a go at the Yingyang government, and rightly so imo, saying the funding for populist policies should be diverted towards fixing the flood problems country wide......even though he's right, it's a good political left-hook for sure.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politic ... 67715.html
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politic ... 67715.html
Resolve dissolves in alcohol
Re: The Floods of 2011
Voranai does it again:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... -are-doing
I like his closing comment:
But unfortunately, Mother Nature doesn't take bribe money.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... -are-doing
I like his closing comment:
But unfortunately, Mother Nature doesn't take bribe money.
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
Re: The Floods of 2011
prcscct wrote:
Brilliantly funny, one of the best that I have seen in a long time.
Atheists have no need of a god. Our lives are not based on fear or guilt. We are moral because we know it's right.
Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity. R J Hanlon
Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity. R J Hanlon
Re: The Floods of 2011
I just wonder which politician has the contract to supply the fuel for all the boats:
Operation launched to propel water flows
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews ... ater-flows
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Sunday morning presided over a ceremony to launch an operation using motorboats to propel the flows of water along the Chao Phraya river into the Gulf of Thailand.
The ceremony, televised live on Channel 11, was held at 10am at Phra Nang Klao bridget in Nonthaburi.
The operation is aimed at accelerating the flows of water in three main rivers - Chao Phraya, Bang Prakong, and Tha Chin - into the Gulf of Thailand with propellers of motorboats with engines running.
It is hoped that the operation would quickly help reduce the amounts of water now wreaking havoc in Nakhon Sawan, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and other riverside provinces.
Science and Technology Minister Plodprasop Surasawadi, chief of operations of the National Flood Relive Centre, said more than 500 boats took part in the operation at various spots in the Chao Phraya river, and about 300 each in the Tha Chin river west of Bangkok and the Bang Prakong river west of Bangkok.
He said the operation would be conducted all the time during the ebb tide.
Judging from previous trials, it is believed the operation would help accelerate water flows into the Guld by about 50 million cubic metres of wate per day.
.................................................................................................
Determined, I`ll give them that! Like somebody wrote in the Bangkok Post: you may well "accelerate" the water directly behind the boats, but the increased velocity is very soon lost in a short distance, and there is no change in the VOLUME of the flow.
I would love to be proven wrong!
Operation launched to propel water flows
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews ... ater-flows
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Sunday morning presided over a ceremony to launch an operation using motorboats to propel the flows of water along the Chao Phraya river into the Gulf of Thailand.
The ceremony, televised live on Channel 11, was held at 10am at Phra Nang Klao bridget in Nonthaburi.
The operation is aimed at accelerating the flows of water in three main rivers - Chao Phraya, Bang Prakong, and Tha Chin - into the Gulf of Thailand with propellers of motorboats with engines running.
It is hoped that the operation would quickly help reduce the amounts of water now wreaking havoc in Nakhon Sawan, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and other riverside provinces.
Science and Technology Minister Plodprasop Surasawadi, chief of operations of the National Flood Relive Centre, said more than 500 boats took part in the operation at various spots in the Chao Phraya river, and about 300 each in the Tha Chin river west of Bangkok and the Bang Prakong river west of Bangkok.
He said the operation would be conducted all the time during the ebb tide.
Judging from previous trials, it is believed the operation would help accelerate water flows into the Guld by about 50 million cubic metres of wate per day.
.................................................................................................
Determined, I`ll give them that! Like somebody wrote in the Bangkok Post: you may well "accelerate" the water directly behind the boats, but the increased velocity is very soon lost in a short distance, and there is no change in the VOLUME of the flow.
I would love to be proven wrong!
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
Re: The Floods of 2011
I'd missed your post originally Nereus, but I've just been watching the news here in the UK and they showed it being done ie a huge flotilla of boats turning their engines up full to move the water through faster.
My first inclination was to check the date to make sure it wasn't 1 April. However, they were all doing it, and it had Yingluck's backing, so I guess it is a serious attempt, but surely it can't be working - can it?
My first inclination was to check the date to make sure it wasn't 1 April. However, they were all doing it, and it had Yingluck's backing, so I guess it is a serious attempt, but surely it can't be working - can it?
Championship Plymouth Argyle 1 - 2 Leeds Utd
Points 46; Position 23 RELEGATED
Points 46; Position 23 RELEGATED
Re: The Floods of 2011
Moved from our Weather thread:
http://www.thaiflood.com/en/ ( from this site: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/10/0 ... -disaster/ )
This one has promise but won't load for me, perhaps the site is down temporarily:
http://www.google.org/crisisresponse/th ... -2011.html
....and another.
http://www.thaitravelblogs.com/2011/10/ ... n-bangkok/
Pete
This is the best one I could find so far:Lung Per wrote:Is there a website that shows the extent and development of the flooding of Thailand in real time?
http://www.thaiflood.com/en/ ( from this site: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/10/0 ... -disaster/ )
This one has promise but won't load for me, perhaps the site is down temporarily:
http://www.google.org/crisisresponse/th ... -2011.html
....and another.
http://www.thaitravelblogs.com/2011/10/ ... n-bangkok/
Pete
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Re: The Floods of 2011
Brilliant piece of writing.