The governor of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, Verapong Chaiperm, also said yesterday that the floods did not cause any damage because all the factories had time to prepare thanks to an early warning about huge rainfall.

“All factories are now running normally,” he said.

However, he said, the Free Trade Zone in the industrial estate was still under some 10 centimetres of water.

“We are draining the water and believe the situation will return to normal soon if there are no more downpours,” Verapong said.

Prateep Engchuan, the estate’s director, said the water drainage efforts met with some obstacles like clogged pipes or pipes that were too small in some spots.

“We also have to try and minimise the impact on local communities,” he explained.

He added that the long-term plan for better water drainage in the Bang Pu Industrial Estate would be to replace the metre-wide pipes with ones that are double in size.

“This will improve the flow of water into the drainage canal and will reduce the impact on local people too,” Prateep said.

Earlier this week, torrential rains pounded Samut Prakan and Bangkok.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra visited Thongsatit Village in the capital’s Lat Phrao area yesterday after the floods subside. This village was one of the hardest-hit areas a few days ago.

Nattanan Kallayasiri, Sukhum-bhand’s assistant secretary, said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administra-tion had asked the legal entity managing the village to transfer the ownership of the village’s public zone to the city administration so state budget can be used to improve the water-drainage system.

“The village needs larger drainage pipes and the roads also need to be raised so it can avoid flooding in the future,” he said.

The Meteorological Department has predicted more rain for all parts of the country over the next six days with isolated heavy rain in the Northeast, Central, East and South.

In a message of condolence to his Belgian counterpart, Prayut said he was deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the devastating attacks in Brussels on Tuesday morning.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Belgium during this time of anguish. Thailand stands with the international community and strongly condemns this senseless act of violence on innocent people,” he said in the letter.

Asean headquarters also issued a statement yesterday condemning the attack and expressing sympathy and condolences to Belgium. “Asean reaffirms its strong commitment to working closely with the international community in the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever it is committed,” it said.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees security matters, said he had instructed relevant agencies to be vigilant of a terrorist threat even though Thailand is not a party to any conflict. The situation in Belgium indicated that terrorist attacks could happen at any time and Thailand must be vigilant, he said. “Police have to closely monitor [the situation] and we have clear plans about this matter,” Prawit told reporters.

The Royal Thai Police instructed the Immigration Bureau yesterday to strictly check travellers at all checkpoints and airports. Thai police would also contact Belgian authorities to coordinate information about the movement of terrorists, Immigration Bureau chief Pol Lt-General Natthorn Phrosunthorn said.

Airports and rail lines ‘on alert’

The BTS Skytrain and MRT subway tightened security yesterday at all stations as passengers were searched more stringently than usual.

Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanav-rangkul joined police inspectors at Suvarnabhumi Airport to ensure effective security measures were in place.

Thailand had been at a heightened state of “level three” alert since the bomb attack at Ratchaprasong last August, Kobkarn said.

Prasong Poontaneat, chairman of Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT), said that it had tightened security at its six international airports in Thailand.

He said all airports had been conducting level three security measures since the Paris terrorist attacks in November.

The level three alert means airport security conduct more security patrols in and around airport, increase searches of passengers and luggage, perform random checks for explosives, ban parking in front of terminal, and constantly monitor CCTV.

Travel companies and tour guides have been urged to issue safety alerts for people travelling to and within Europe.

Suparerk Soorangura, president of the outbound-orientated Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), said the association had warned all travel agents and guides to consider customer safety and security when travelling in Europe.

“They [travel companies and guides] should be aware of safety and remind customers to stay far from suspect objects or bags while on trips,” he said.

However, Suparkerk said members had not reported cancellations or postponements.

More than 100,000 Thai tourists visited Belgium last year, but the country is not the main point of entry into Europe for travellers from Thailand, who tend to go to the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy or Switzerland before visiting Belgium.

Suparerk said thousands of Thais have booked trips to Europe, many of them over Songkran. The TTAA travel fair in February had record-high bookings as airlines, notably from the Middle East, and travel operators offered cheap prices due to lower fuel prices and competition.

 

This was how Belgium-based Filipino journalist Arlene Andres described the Zaventum airport before the blasts that members of the Islamist State group claimed to have set up. It what appeared a well-coordinated attack, there was also a bombing at Maalbeek, a metro station near the European Union buildings.

Andres, sister of Radyo Inquirer “Balitang OCW” host Susan Andres, is also correspondent of Radyo Inquirer.

“It’s Easter Week and we could have been celebrating the holidays,” ” she said on Tuesday late afternoon, in an interview with Radyo Inquirer’s anchor Den Macaranas.

“The bombings happened during morning rush hours. It’s 10 minutes to 8 a.m. here so many are just going to their offices,” she said. She added there are Filipinos working at the airport and many may have just clocked in at their respective workplaces.

She said the airport is full of police, security personnel and armored car “but very open.”

As of posting, she said there were no reported OFWs injured or had perished in the bombing.

“All Filipinos are safe in Brussels, so far, ” she assured. The Philippine embassy in Brussels, however, advised OFWs to exercise extreme caution as the country is in Alert Level 4.

Belinda How said she and her son Shawn escaped unhurt and sought refuge at a hotel in the Belgian capital.

Both of them were standing near the spot where the first explosion took place.

“We were queuing up to check in our luggage at the Etihad Airways counter about 7.50am to return to Kuala Lumpur when I heard a loud explosion.

“I was unsure if it was a bomb initially. It took me a few seconds to realise I was in real danger. This was followed by loud screaming from the other passengers and thick smoke.

“Then the wall near the counter came crumbling down. The explosion knocked down the wall. The debris missed us. We were about 5m away,” she added.

She recalled people in the terminal scrambling for safety, running towards the exit as chaos ensued.

How said she and Shawn, who is a special needs child, also ran for cover.

“Shawn sat down on the floor in that chaos. I had no choice but to drag him up and run,” she said, adding that she held her son tightly as they fled the terminal.

“As we were heading towards the exit, a second bomb went off on the other side of the terminal,” she added.

How said although there was thick black smoke in the terminal, she and her son managed to find their way out of the airport.

She said a third blast went off when she was outside.

The explosion hit the train station.

How and Shawn were safe but they left their luggage behind