The Floods In Bangkok – 14 Nov
There are about a million people out of work, 562 people have died and the floods are still here but some areas are recovering.
So inner Bangkok is OK but all the northern and western sides of the city are still swamped. The draining and clean up will be quite quick now and I am sure the government who are desperate from some good publicity will have lots of reports of clean up and improvement but the seven industrial estates that are flooded will take a long time to recover. Some examples in my own industry – pharmaceutical manufacture all my customers are flooded, I know that Silom Medical have just installed and commissioned a new Romilag machine (cost 1 million pounds) for continuous extrusion and filling and sealing of sterile liquids used in hospitals – we call them large volume parenterals, they are the poly bags of saline or dextrose used for recovery after operations. I had one immediately after coming round from my operation.
Well this machine is now flooded and will have to be completely dismantled and cleaned and the room cleaned and repainted and then sterilised and the HVAC equipment will all have to be refurbished. The machine will have to be re-commissioned and validated again, it will take months.
Another company GHP have the same problem, the water was 2 metres deep in the factory and all the machinery is affected. Again months of work before production can restart.
Other companies badly affected include water production and bottling (no bottled water anywhere), beer production, no bottled beer is available, the company which make the crown corks is badly affected.
Electronics, semiconductors, HDD disc drives (40% of world production), Auto motive parts and assembly (this is the biggest industrial sector here) for world wide use, Toyota, Nissan, Issuzu, Honda all have major issues with key parts world wide affecting production supply chains everywhere. Textiles is huge here and again badly affected. Shoes are made here for all SA Asia and EU. Rice production is affected so world wide price is going up (Thailand is the biggest producer and exporter)
Some pictures and video of the current situation
Some of the best pics are on this website:-
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/10/thailand-floods-pass-their-peak/100181/
Other Accounts give a balanced view of the issues here which are many, such as :-
Prime Minister Yingluck saying the worst is over
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/264064/pm-yingluck-it-won-t-get-any-worse
Rachel Harvey of the BBC with a balanced account of the situation
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15518634
Problems with a big bag wall preventing run off water from entering northern Bangkok by the old air port of Don Mueang. Residents want the wall down as it is flooding their district but the wall is protecting the air port. There is also a picture of the residents tearing down the wall this morning
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Police-force-guarding-Don-Mueang-big-bag-wall-boos-30169851.html
Next is a very good video of the effects in a business area just north of the centre of Bangkok yesterday . this includes Soi Bang Bua, Paholyothin Road, Kaset Intersection, Lard Prakhao and Chokchai 4 Roads. People still have to go the work through the floods they have to use heavy lorries for shuttle transport in the badly flooded areas.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/specials/nationvdo/showvdo.php?id=5612&cateid=13
Here is an example of government and metropolitan district planning - All a bit too late, Today Water dispensing centres are set up for flood-hit victims
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Water-dispensing-centres-set-up-for-flood-hit-vict-30169858.html
A good account of the effect on the tourist industry and also nothing in the shops
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Phuket-tourism-fears-ripples-from-Bangkok-floods-30169850.html
Reuters have a good website here
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/11/09/idINIndia-60405520111109 By Robert Birsel BANGKOK | Thu Nov 3, 2011 6:50am EDT
And Today this account of the months of work to come. Now 562 people have died mainly by electrocution
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/11/14/uk-thailand-flood-idUKTRE7AD0GT20111114
Forbes, November 8, 2011. This recognises all the work to come, but also one that indicates foreign misconceptions about factories here.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/benzingainsights/2011/11/08/are-the-thailand-floods-about-to-kill-computer-companies/
The assumption is that workers live in homes and communities near the factory and commute to work. The reality is that workers are largely recruited from other provinces who live in regimented dorms by the thousands near to their work place] and …Flooded plants means flooded manufacturing equipment. There is no guarantee that any of that equipment will even work when the water does recede. Even if, by some miracle it does work, or is easily replaced, will the workforce be there? It’s not like the company was on strike and the workers can simply come back. Cleaning up after a flood is difficult and time-consuming. Where will the employees live? Will they be able to return home? Will there be sanitation, or will there be polluted water everywhere? These are all factors these Thailand manufacturing plants are working out right now as they plan their rebound…
Some other things have happened during all the flooding
The Thai & Lao Friendship Bridge across the Mekong , this 1.7 billion baht bridge was declared open at the auspicious time of 11.11 am on Nov 11, 2011.
Loy Katong
The water festival which happens at the full moon this month, this water festival is to respect the water spirit and to say sorry for being bad to the water during the year, well this year the water came to the people.
