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On Sunday, a poll asking 2,074 people revealed that among the ones living in provinces hit by the disaster last year, 70.7% believed that it would occur again this year.
Nobody forgot in Thailand the massive flooding which occurred last year in October and November in Thailand. Waters left more than 800 dead and submerged hundreds of thousands of homes. In a year time, some 1.3 million people have been affected by flooding in 64 provinces. Images continue to haunt Thai locals and visitors over the Chao Praya River over-flooding the Royal Palace in Bangkok, Ayutthaya centuries-old temples under water for a few weeks or Bangkok old airport of Don Muang with its runways transformed into a river. On Sunday, a poll asking 2,074 people revealed that among the ones living in provinces hit by the disaster last year, 70.7% believed that it would occur again this year. Another 56% expressed little or no confidence in the government being able to properly handle the expected flood. And 53.3% feels worried about it…
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra went on a tour last week to check if all would be in place to alleviate huge flooding resulting from the heavy rains during the wet season starting at the end of July. The government had pleaded at the end of last year to invest US$ 11.4 billion in water management measures to prevent a repeat of 2011 floods. While some central northern Provinces such as Phitsanulok, Phichit and Sukhothai already suffered last week of flooding after a dyke broke at Yom River– a rather worrying trend in early June-, the Prime Minister indicated that only 60% or 70% of the measures taken to alleviate the impact of floods were so far completed. According to the government, work progressed on building dykes, dredging canals along the way to the Gulf of Thailand. The Most northern provinces must finish their preparation work by the end of the month with lower Northern Provinces being ready next months and Central Plains Provinces (such as Ayutthaya and Bangkok) by August.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
