The Great Flood

Although inner Bangkok (except those on river banks) has remained dry up to now, most of the suburbs in the north, east and west of the city of Bangkok were totally submerged in water up to 2 meters. The huge body of water (12 billion cubic meters), moving from the north had already drowned Pissanulok, Nakornsawan, Lopburi, Ayudhya, Pratumthani and Nonthaburi, along its way to the sea. North of Bangkok, 5 major industrial estates were completely inundated. Workers as well as residents in flooded areas had to be evacuated and housed in makeshift shelters. Through out 10/11, Bangkokians have been unnerved by the trail of human miseries and collateral damages left by the flood as it made its way south. By the end of 10/11, half of the people of Bangkok had to be evacuated or continued their miserable existence surrounded by polluted waters. The other half, tried to continue their “business as usual”, not knowing when the flood would appear at their own doorsteps and how high it would be. Overwhelmed, Bangkok seemed to be grinding to a halt slowly.
 
The anguish

Thailand had never experienced a natural/man-made disaster of this magnitude before. The crisis has indeed brought out the best and the worst of our people. Many living on the flood path had lost all of their possessions. Most had simply refused to vacate their homes, fearing thefts and looting. They have to survive from food, water and other essential handouts from dedicated volunteers and soldiers with the kind support of donors. The weak and the sick had to be evacuated and rescued by soldiers and qualified volunteers. So far some 530 had died, many from electrocution. The optimists went through their denial stage until it was too late to protect their family and properties when they had to evacuate quickly. The pessimists, who had prepared themselves and their homes for worst case scenarios, eventually have had to give up and leave because there was no water and electricity. As one major highway and road after another was submerged in waist-deep water, normal transportation disappeared. Drinking and clean water became scarce. Fresh food stuffs were no longer available. Flood- related diseases have started to rear their ugly heads. So far over 9 million people in 25 provinces have been affected by the flood. Some 700,000 factory workers lost their jobs.

The damage

Up to 7/11/11, economic damage was roughly estimated to be over THB 1 Trillion, if the 3 remaining major industrial estates, the inner city and the food factories in Samutsakorn could not be saved. Some 10 million rais of farmland had been ruined and rice crop this year cut down by 2-3 million tons. Exports plunged and tourism took an unexpected dive just as high season was about to begin. Worst hit among the 10,000 flooded factories, were Japanese FDI manufacturers of electronics, electrical and car parts in the 7 industrial estates in northern Bangkok. Insurance damage claims was reported to exceed THB 600 billion (70% from damaged machinery and equipment and including actual damages and losses due to suspended business). Far greater, was the unprecedented impacts on world’s supply chains for electronic, electrical products and car parts for international brands like Western Digital, Sony, HP, Honda, Toyota, Nikon, Toshiba – not to mention a number of major local producers of basic food and consumer products e.g. chicken, eggs, drinking water, paper products, snacks etc. Logistics and transportation of oil, gas and retail products in and around Bangkok were brought to its knees. During the panic, much sought-after flood-related products have either disappeared or were selling at exorbitant prices.

Too little, too late

Through out the crisis, political emotion rose with the water level. It has become clear, particularly to those who have suffered directly from the flood, that the Yingluck government has grossly underestimated the impacts of this flood, making it much worse that it could have been. Missing in action was a strong collective leadership so vital to guide and lead the country through a natural disaster of this magnitude. The public did not get the much needed information in time to prepare themselves and their businesses for the onslaught of the crisis and the ensuing chaos. It was reported also that the flood would not have been so severe had EGAT not been told to refrain from releasing excess water from major hydroelectric dams - until all rice crops had been harvested for the government’s rice pledging scheme. Following 3 unexpected heavy tropical storms, water levels in the dams went dangerously in excess of their 100% capacity and the great flood was triggered. Then there was great confusion as to what, when, where, why, who and how to deal with the impending flood. Meanwhile PM Yingluck continued with her usual schedules including day trips to Indonesia and Burma. Her inexperienced cabinet members too were focusing on government spending budgets and a number of highly controversial new bills e.g. to curb military influence, to revive and strengthen a police state, and, to gag the press and the mass media. Only when public outcry became deafening that the PM Yingluck finally announced the setting up the FROC to centralize all government’s anti-flood operations under one roof, at the Don Muang Airport.

Political damage

Alas, wrong people were appointed for the wrong jobs and FROC soon became a laughing stock with their series of unnecessary faux-pas, conflicting information and blatant scandals that the public found hard to forgive and forget. Fearful of the military, PM Yingluck refused to declare a state of emergency and the agonies of directionless flood prevention and piecemeal relief measures went on and on, creating increasingly more frustration and anger among the suffering public. World wide, international community could not help wondering why such a flood disaster could be so mismanaged in the capital city of Thailand. They tried to offer assistance and donations but no one seemed to be really in charge. The FROC was so disorganized and fragmented that many donors simply gave up. Out of the blue, the Yingluck cabinet floated their “New Thailand” plan to spend THB 900 billion in the next six years for flood prevention! With THB 400 billion budget deficit already on the table for FY 2012, panicked taxpayers wondered how much more they would have to cough up in addition to the government’s promised compensations for millions of flood victims, their farms and houses as well as for thousands of flooded factories, and badly damaged basic infrastructure in 25 provinces! The public too could not understand why the government was planning future spending while half of Bangkok was still wading through contaminated flood water and mountains of rotting rubbish!

Spirit of volunteers

The private sector, shocked by the magnitude of the flood, had to first save their businesses and provide assistance to their staff. It did not take long for them to switch their attention and efforts to help and save other flood victims. Business CEO’s set up flood relief centers and did all they could to feed, shelter and provide for the flood victims. Donations in cash and in kind were solicited far and wide and responds came pouring in from everywhere. Hard working volunteers and donors, however, were disgusted to see how some ministers and MP’s were shamelessly putting their own names on privately donated items before distributing them as if they were from their own pockets! Groups of young people got together through social media to fill sandbags for flood barriers, cook and distribute food and other essential products directly to those who did not evacuate from their flooded homes. Social media was vibrant with calls for help and volunteers. Young expatriates conducted their own fund raising and set up volunteer groups. Hopefully the spirit of community service that has risen during this crisis could be sustained. The flood would be a blessing in disguise if our young people have woken up at last to the fact that Mother Nature could no longer be ignored and taken for granted!

Payment time

In the last three decades, HM the king has been warning us again and again about impending natural disasters, the like of which we have been experiencing in the last few years and the last few weeks. He has urged the country to focus on water management, reforestation, green belts, alternative energy and sufficiency farming etc. Alas, both the public and the private sectors in Thailand have been too preoccupied with our own wealth creating agenda to heed HM the king's "far fetched" advice. We only paid lip service to HM’s wise but simple development theories and plans that did not benefit our own pockets. As the result, Thailand got hopelessly lost in the economic maze of our own making while trying to enrich ourselves, often at the expense of our natural resources and national heritage. We cut down trees and turned our lush forests into resorts and golf courses. We built huge industrial estates, housing projects and even a national airport on our fertile rice fields, green belts and floodways to the sea. Our cities, towns and villages were left to grow organically. Town planning and zoning regulations were non- existent, ignored or overruled. Our corrupt power-that-be blatantly put their own interests before that of the people and the country. No wonder, Mother Nature has come calling with this great flood. Thailand will soon go literally "down the drain" if we do not come to our senses now and join hands to turn our country around once more! We owe it to our future generations to leave them the beautiful country that we have been so privileged to live in for decades.

 

Vongthip Chumpani
7/11/11