Who should residents listen to? The authorities bicker
While Bangkok residents worry about keeping their feet dry, authorities squabble over who to listen to their citizens.
"Listen to me and only me," Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said on Thursday after Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi issued a false alarm from the command center on Don Mueang.
At half past six in the evening, the minister called on residents in the north of Bangkok and Pathum Thani (a province north of Bangkok) to evacuate, because water from the North had broken through the weir in Khlong Ban Phrao (Pathum Thani) .
Although the command center later apologized via Facebook, the minister pretended that his nose was bleeding. The purpose of his appeal, he said, was to warn residents who live in a one-story home near the weir. “Don't panic, residents of Bangkok. Bangkok is 100 percent safe," said Plodprasop.
Prime Minister Yingluck also assured the residents of Bangkok that the city is safe, especially the part that lies within the flood walls. The areas beyond will certainly be flooded, but the water will not rise very high, according to Yingluck.
The break in the weir had no consequences for the residents, who according to Plodprasop should have packed up because there are numerous streets and roads between the city and the weir.
[The newspaper does not report anything about the actual damage.]
The reporting is indeed quite confusing, also for the Dutch living in Thailand. Many journalists are behind the facts and the authorities. This results in an unclear image. The only thing that is certain in this case is that everything is uncertain…
During elections and advertising, you hear sound trucks all the time. They are now in no fields or roads to be seen to warn the residents.
Hallo,
There is a procession with the royal barques on October 22, 2011 in Bangkok. Does anyone know if this will continue due to the high water?
Greetings Mariet
Have read somewhere (on this blog?) that the procession is canceled and will probably be postponed to next year.
The boat procession has been cancelled
Could be right, because it was in the short news section and I can't find it on the Bangkok Post site.
My wife read on a Thai site this morning that the procession has been postponed until next year. This afternoon this message had been removed. So there will be some confusion about this.