New US Ambassador Tucks Into Street Food On First Tour Of Bangkok
BY LINE : THE NATION
TUE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
Incoming US Ambassador To Thailand Bob Godec Spent His First Weekend In The Country Visiting Cultural Landmarks Around Bangkok, The US Embassy Said On Tuesday.
Godec started at the iconic Wat Phra Kaew or Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Phra Nakhon district. He then strolled up Maharat Road in the company of Radtasiri “Bes” Wachirapunyanont, an alumnus of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) who works on energy and water issues.
He then took the ferry across the Chao Phraya River to visit Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, where he was welcomed by the abbot, Phra Brahmavajaramethee.
No tour of Bangkok would be complete without the world-famous street food, and the new ambassador indulged at a noodle shop on Soi Polo.
He ended his day by offering incense, candles, flowers and water at the Erawan Shrine in Pathum Wan. This fulfilled a wish he made at the shrine a few years ago to return to Thailand.
Godec arrived in Thailand last Wednesday (September 7) to replace his predecessor Michael Heath, who had served as Charge d’Affaires from January 2021 to August this year.
Six High-Powered Pumps Deployed To Drain Bangkok Flood
BY LINE : THE NATION
TUE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
Six High-Capacity Water Pumps Were Being Sent From Other Areas To Battle Floods In Eastern Bangkok On Tuesday, The Natural Resources And Environment Minister Said.
The six pumps were redeployed to Bangkok by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry after a request from Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt on Monday.
Five of the 30-inch-diameter pumps were being installed on Tuesday afternoon, four at the Phra Khanong pumping station and one in the Srinakharin-Bang Na area, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said.
The five pumps will begin draining water on Wednesday.
The sixth pump was being transported to Bangkok, he added.
Varawut said the six pumps were loaned from regional offices and could drain floodwaters quickly when all operating together.
Last week, Chadchart was attacked by critics including losing governor candidate Suchatvee Suwansawat, who accused him of doing too little to prepare Bangkok’s flood defences ahead of heavy rain.
The capital has been hit by heavy downpours since Wednesday, leaving many parts of the city flooded, especially areas along canals.
Suchatvee said Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)’s failure to reduce the water level in Klong Prawet ahead of downpours had caused floods in his home district of Lat Krabang. The BMA should have sped up water pumping at the Phra Khanong station, he added.
Chadchart’s supporters cited his Facebook broadcasts from flooded areas as evidence the governor was working hard. On Monday evening, the governor appeared on Facebook Live leading a team of drainage chiefs to Phra Khanong pumping station.
The chiefs said the BMA Sewerage and Drainage Department was at full capacity but Bangkok had been hit by a series of downpours dumping over 100mm of rain.
Chadchart said during the broadcast that water pumps at Phra Khanong were too old to handle the situation but he was addressing the problem.
On Tuesday, Varawut said his ministry was coordinating with the BMA on several fronts to tackle the flooding.
The minister said he had set up a committee of officials from several ministry departments to coordinate with the BMA in tackling floods, pollution and garbage issues.
Varawut said he and Chadchart would discuss options for dealing with floodwater from upstream provinces. However, he dismissed any possibility that Bangkok could suffer flooding on the scale of the 2011 disaster. The 2011 disaster was caused by massive floodwaters from upstream provinces while the current floods came from heavy downpours, he explained.
Sai Mai Condo Management Must Cover Flood Damages, Says Top Lawyer
BY LINE : THE NATION
TUE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
A Well-Known Bangkok Lawyer Said That The Company Managing The Condominium Will Have To Compensate Residents Whose Cars Were Damaged When The Underground Carpark Was Flooded.
Lawyer Kerdphol Kaewkerd cited a Supreme Court ruling in a similar lawsuit and the Condominium Act to support his Facebook comment on Monday.
He had made this comment in reference to the dispute between the owners of damaged cars and the company hired to manage the condominium in Sai Mai district.
The building’s underground carpark was flooded on Sunday, with several cars covered to the top in water.
After the flood subsided, the owners refused to remove their vehicles until the condo management agreed to compensate them for damages.
Kerdphol said the second paragraph of the Condominium Act’s Article 33 stipulates that the juristic entity has the responsibility to take care of the condo’s common property.
He said the carpark is common property and if the management knew the area was prone to flooding, then it was being negligent by not installing enough water pumps or taking steps to prevent flooding. Hence, he said, the management should be held liable for all damage sustained by the cars.
Kerdphol cited the Supreme Court’s ruling No 4493/2543 to back his comment. In this ruling, the company hired to manage a condo was ordered to compensate the owner of a unit after a pipe channelling rainwater overflowed and flooded the room.
He said the management was held responsible for the damage because it had failed to ensure the pipe worked properly.
Builders Told To Remove All Debris From Waterways As Bangkok Prepares For Deluge
BY LINE : THE NATION
TUE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
Contractors And Developers Have Been Instructed To Remove Anything That May Be Obstructing Waterways In Construction Sites To Maximise Bangkok’s Water Drainage Abilities And Prevent Future Flooding.
The country is expected to be hit with heavy rain all this week.
“Construction sites are a weak point of Bangkok’s flood relief efforts,” Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said on Monday. “I have ordered the BMA [Bangkok Metropolitan Administration]’s civil engineering department to speed up the maintenance work it is doing on Thepharak Road. I have also asked the Department of Highways to dredge up sewers to prevent debris from work being done on Chaeng Wattana Road from blocking the waterway.
“As for construction projects that could jeopardise the city’s drainage system, we call on developers to postpone their work until the rainy season has passed. I also want them to check their sites to ensure sewers and waterways are not being obstructed,” he said.
Deputy Bangkok governor Wissanu Subsomphon, meanwhile, said the runoff from the North into the Chao Phraya River is “not worrying”. He said the rate of flow recorded in Ayutthaya’s Bang Sai district was 1,800 cubic metres per second, which is far lower than the critical level of 2,500 cubic metres per second.
“The BMA has spent the last three months preparing for the runoffs from the North by dredging 32 canals, cleaning 3,357 kilometres of sewers and unblocking 1,665km of waterways,” Wissanu said.
“We have also checked all water-pumping facilities so they are in good condition and can be ready for operation 24/7.”
Meanwhile, the Thai Meteorological Department said on Monday that Thailand will be hit with isolated heavy to very heavy rain until Sunday, due to the monsoon trough across the North and Northeast, and the southwest monsoon over the rest of Thailand, the Andaman Sea and the Gulf that will strengthen from Thursday onward.
The department has warned people to beware of flash floods and runoffs, especially along waterways near foothills and lowlands all this week.
Rakesh Saxena Faces 335 Years As Supreme Court Upholds Ruling
BY LINE : THE NATION
TUE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
The Supreme Court On Monday Upheld The Lower Court’s Ruling Against Rakesh Saxena, Sentencing Him To 335 Years In Jail. He Was Also Ordered To Return The Embezzled 2.5 Billion Baht.
Saxena, 70, an Indian national, worked as a treasury adviser with the Bangkok Bank of Commerce (BBC) from 1993 to 1995. He was behind several high-risk ventures that did not just bring down the bank but also allegedly contributed to the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
He was charged in 1996 but fled to Canada. After a long extradition battle, he was finally forced to return to Thailand in 2009.
Monday’s ruling found Saxena guilty of violating the Securities and Exchange Commission Act in three cases.
He was accused of aiding the now-deceased former BBC president Krirkkiat Jalichandra and others in authorising loans of more than 30 million baht to 10 companies without the executive committee’s approval and without examining their ability to pay.
The Criminal Court found Saxena guilty of violating Articles 307, 308, 311 and 315 of the Stock Exchange of Thailand Act and Section 83 of the Criminal Code and handed down a 335-year prison term. However, the law stipulates a maximum jail term of 20 years.
The court also hit Saxena with a fine of 33 million baht and ordered him to return 2.5 billion baht to the bank.
Though Saxena appealed this ruling, the Appeal Court stood by the lower court’s decision. He appealed again to the Supreme Court, which also upheld the lower court’s ruling.
In June 2012, the Bangkok South Criminal Court sentenced Saxena to 10 years in prison along with a 1 million baht fine. He was also ordered to return 1.13 billion baht to the bank in connection with illegal loans granted to City Trading Corp at 1.6 billion baht.
Krirkiat was declared bankrupt in 2009 and indicted for fraud and embezzlement worth 50 billion baht. He was sentenced to 20 years in jail and died of cancer in October 2012.
Heavy Downpours To Hit Most Of Thailand All This Week
BY LINE : THE NATION
TUE, SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
Thailand Will Be Hit With Isolated Heavy To Very Heavy Rain Until Sunday, The Thai Meteorological Department Said On Monday Evening.
A moderate monsoon trough will lie over the lower North, upper Central, East and lower Northeast as well as a low-pressure cell over Cambodia until Wednesday, the department said. A southwest monsoon will also prevail over the Andaman Sea, the South and the Gulf of Thailand, bringing heavy to very heavy rain to the North, Northeast, Central including Greater Bangkok, the East and the South.
From Thursday to Sunday, the monsoon trough across the North and Northeast, and the southwest monsoon over the rest of Thailand, the Andaman Sea and the Gulf will strengthen. This will bring continuous rain across the country, with isolated heavy rain in the North, Northeast, Central including Greater Bangkok, the East and the South. Waves in the upper Andaman and upper Gulf will be about 2 metres high, and higher under thundershowers.
The department has warned people to beware of flash floods and runoffs, especially along waterways near foothills and lowlands all this week. From Thursday to Sunday, all ships should proceed with caution and keep off thundershowers.
The weather forecast until Sunday is as follows:
Greater Bangkok
Scattered to fairly widespread thundershowers with isolated heavy rains.
Temperature: Lows of 24-28 degrees and highs of 30-36 degrees Celsius.
North
Scattered to fairly widespread thundershowers with isolated very heavy rain on Tuesday and again on Saturday and Sunday.
Temperature: Lows of 21-26 degrees and highs of 28-34 degrees Celsius.
Northeast
Scattered to fairly widespread thundershowers with isolated heavy rain all week.
Temperature: Lows of 20-26 degrees and highs of 28-36 degrees Celsius.
Central region
Scattered to fairly widespread thundershowers with isolated heavy rain throughout the period.
Temperature: Low of 22-27 degrees and highs of 30-36 degrees Celsius.
East
Scattered to fairly widespread thundershowers and isolated heavy rain all week with isolated very heavy rain from Wednesday to Friday.
Waves until Wednesday will be about a metre high and higher in thundershowers and 2 metres high and higher in thundershowers from Thursday to Sunday.
Temperature: Low of 23-28 degrees and highs of 29-36 degrees Celsius.
South (east coast)
Scattered thundershowers with isolated heavy rain throughout the period. Waves will be a metre high on Tuesday and Wednesday and double the size from Thursday to Sunday. The waves will be higher under thundershowers.
Temperature: Low of 22-27 degrees and highs of 30-36 degrees Celsius.
South (west coast)
Scattered to fairly widespread thundershowers with isolated heavy rains all week.
Waves will be a metre high on Tuesday and Wednesday and 2 metres high from Thursday to Sunday. The waves will be higher under thundershowers.
Temperature: Low of 22-26 degrees and highs of 28-36 degrees Celsius.
Dams In Thailand Still Have Capacity To Handle Heavy Rain, While The Government Is Working Around The Clock To Drain Floods From Lowlands, Said Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda On Monday.
Anupong was answering senator Panthep Klanarongran, who asked about ongoing flooding and government’s flood-prevention plan during a senate meeting.
Anupong said total rainfall in Thailand this year is forecast to be 26 per cent higher than the annual average of 1,500 millilitres, citing Thailand Meteorological Department data.
“This year, Thailand has not been directly affected by any tropical storms, but the influence of the Southwest monsoon and strong winds in the Gulf and Andaman Sea have caused heavy rain in parts of Thailand, resulting in lowland flooding,” he said.
Recent flooding has been caused by rivers and waterways overflowing rather than the direct result of heavy rain, he added.
“Since September 1, a total of 31 provinces have been affected by floods, which are gradually subsiding as water levels in rivers and waterways return to normal,” Anupong said.
He reported that 13 provinces are still inundated but water levels are expected to fall soon. The 13 flood-hit provinces are Phayao, Nan, Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Phetchabun, Kalasin, Khon Kaen, Nong Bua Lamphu, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Rayong and Chanthaburi.
Anupong said that dams and reservoirs nationwide are still capable of handling water from heavy rain. Water authorities were strictly adhering to the “rule curve”, which balances flood prevention with the need to conserve water.
Anupong said authorities are also working continually to accelerate drainage of floodwater through waterways into the sea so flood victims can resume normal life as soon as possible. Meanwhile, preparations are being made to protect communities along rivers from more floods.
“Provincial governors have also been tasked with monitoring the situation closely and issuing warnings to communities in flood-prone areas if waters approach critical levels,” he said. “Government agencies will continue to collaborate with military units and public and private networks to defend communities from floodwater as well as provide help and evacuation in case of emergency.”
Kanchanaburi’s Glass Skywalk Shuttered On First Day Of Opening
BY LINE : THE NATION
MON, SEPTEMBER 12, 2022
Kanchanaburi’s Glass Skywalk Was Temporarily Shut On Sunday, Just A Day After Being Unveiled As The Western Province’s Latest Tourist Attraction.
Muang Kanchanaburi Municipality Office explained it did not have enough special shoes for the overwhelming number of tourists that visited on the first day. The skywalk is scheduled to reopen on Thursday (September 15).
The 12-metre-high walkway runs for 150 metres alongside the Kwae Yai River in Muang district. It was officially opened on Saturday at a ceremony presided over by Kanchanaburi Governor Jirakiart Phumsawat.
Tourists are required to buy a pair of special shoes for 60 baht before being allowed onto the all-glass walkway. They can take the shoes home as a souvenir.
However, the Municipality Office said the supply of shoes ran out after the number of visitors on Sunday exceeded expectations. Officials decided to shut the attraction down at noon. The office said it was contacting the manufacturer to supply more shoes so the skywalk could reopen on Thursday.
Facebook users slammed the provincial authority for a lack of preparation that resulted in tourists having to go home without experiencing the new walk skywalk, wasting their valuable weekends.
Others complained that since the attraction was built with taxpayers’ money, the 60-baht fee is absurd and the shoes should instead be provided for free.
The skywalk offers views of the city as well as the point where the different-coloured waters of the Kwae Yai and Kwai Noi rivers meet.
Scheduled opening times are 9am to noon and 3pm to 6pm on weekdays. On weekends and public holidays the attraction is open all day without a break to accommodate more visitors. However, the number of tourists for each round is limited to 120.
The province has also built a public park along the riverbank and created a walking street below the walkway. Vendors offer their wares here from 4pm to 10pm every Saturday. The new landmark is located near the city pillar shrine and is expected to boost the local economy and tourist trade.
Man Found Adrift In Sea With Dead Body Of Friend Rescued Off Rayong
BY LINE : THE NATION
MON, SEPTEMBER 12, 2022
A Thai Man Was Rescued From The Sea Off Rayong Coast Early On Monday After He Drifted In The Sea Throughout The Night With The Body Of His Taiwanese Friend, Police Said.
The fisherman, Boonchit Suwanchote, 44, told police that he had headed out to the sea at 4am to retrieve crab nets he had set up around 5 nautical miles from the shore.
He spotted the survivor at 5am, drifting near his nets. Both the survivor and the body were wearing life jackets, Boochit recounted.
He rescued the engineer and retrieved the body and headed back ashore and called the police station.
The survivor was identified as Ang, a Thai-Chinese man, who works as an engineer at a power plant in Samut Prakan province.
The dead man was only identified as Lee, a 39-year-old Taiwanese man who was the manager of the power plant where Ang works.
After police and rescuers from a foundation reached the village, they rushed the survivor to the district hospital.
Boonchit said he had learned from the survivor that he, his wife and the dead man were on a vacation on Koh Mun Klang. The survivor and the manager rowed a kayak to Koh Mun Nai at noon. Their kayak overturned at around 3pm and both tried to drift to survive but the manager developed muscle cramps and drowned. The survivor then clung on to the body and kept drifting until the morning.
Ang told police that he and his wife and the manager had travelled together to Koh Mun Klang on Sunday.
Police said Ang’s wife had reported to Tourist Police on Sunday that the two had gone missing after they rowed the kayak out to Koh Mun Nai together.
Local police had coordinated with several agencies, including the Tambon Sunthornphu Municipality, to look for the two before calling off the search operation at 9pm.
Four Bangkok Districts Face Worse Floods As Sluice Gates Opened
BY LINE : THE NATION
MON, SEPTEMBER 12, 2022
Four Districts In Eastern Bangkok Have Been Warned Of The Flood Situation Worsening As The City Administration Has Opened Two Flood Sluice Gates On Monday.
The public relations office of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced that the Lat Krabang and Wat Krathum Sua Pa sluice gates were being opened.
The opening of the two gates would further raise the water level in the already brimming Klong Prawet, the PR office said.
The four districts are Lat Krabang, Prawet Suan Luang and Phra Khanong.
Earlier, the BMA was taken to task by failed Bangkok governor candidate of the Democrat Party, Suchatchavee Suwansawat, for taking no action to lower the water level in Klong Prawet, the main canal in eastern Bangkok. Suchatchavee said the BMA should speed up draining of water in Klong Prawet via the Phra Khanong sluice gate.
The PR office of the BMA also warned residents of Don Muang, Sai Mai, Sam Wa, Lak Si, Bang Khen, Chatuchak and Lat Phrao districts to brace for more rains from 5pm to 8pm on Monday.
Also on Monday, BMA Governor Chadchart Sittipunt told a press conference that the flood situation in most Bangkok areas was improving because the water levels in several Bangkok canals were going down on Monday morning.
He said that monitoring by the BMA found that the water in Klong Lat Phrao had dropped by 50 centimetres and in Klong Prem Prachakorn by 30cm.
He said Klong Lat Krabang and Klong Prawet were worrying because the water levels had not gone down, and there had been additional 60mm of rains in the areas on Sunday night.
Chadchart said he had instructed officials to open more sluice gates in Lat Krabang and Phra Khanong districts to speed up the water flow.
“We can’t open all gates 100 per cent but we have to do it gradually and observe the result first,” Chadchart said.
He said the BMA would try to improve the floodwater draining system in the next few years.
The governor added that the floods on several main roads were improving, including the roads in Lat Krabang district and Pattanakarn Road, and Phaholyothin Road at the Lak Si roundabout.
He said the Thepparak and Chang Uthit roads still had some water but the BMA might be able to drain out all the floodwater if there were no more rains on Monday.
Speaking at the same press conference, Chadchart’s deputy, Wissanu Supsomphol, said the BMA has borrowed water pumps from the Royal Irrigation Department to install at flood-prone spots to speed up water draining.
He said the BMA was trying to improve water flow in the Lat Phrao canal and Saen Saeb canal and would channel some water through the flood tunnel. He said the tunnel would be used to drain floodwater in Lat Krabang district as well.
BMA city clerk Khachit Chatwanit told the press conference that inner Bangkok was still safe from floods.
He said the BMA has received help from the Royal Thai Navy to deploy boats to speed up water flow on major canals and speed up water channelling to the flood tunnel.
Khachit said the water level was below the critical point and more water could be received from Suan Luang and Prawet districts.
“If there is a speedy outflow of water from Suan Luang and Prawet to Phra Khanong, the water from Lat Krabang will be drained faster as well,” Khachit said.
He warned people living near canals to try to erect sandbag barriers outside their houses.
“We have prepared sandbags, medicine, and mobile toilets to serve such areas. The Royal Irrigation Department has done its best to help us but the downstream areas have high water,” Khachit said.
“We cannot drain floodwater via Samut Prakan, so we must channel water out via the eastern and southern sides, which already have a lot of water. Some water must also be channelled through the western side.”
He said the carpark is common property and if the management knew the area was prone to flooding, then it was being negligent by not installing enough water pumps or taking steps to prevent flooding. Hence, he said, the management should be held liable for all damage sustained by the cars.
After police and rescuers from a foundation reached the village, they rushed the survivor to the district hospital.
Ang told police that he and his wife and the manager had travelled together to Koh Mun Klang on Sunday.
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