The Floods of 2011

[dtaai-maai]

Hotels with the highest occupancy rates are economy and budget properties charging 1,500 to 2,500 baht per night.

Good grief, if these are budget prices I must be poorer than I thought!

[buksida]

Love that cartoon, you can be sure Thaksin is turning a profit from this somewhere.

Tourism drying up amid deluge
The massive flooding has damaged the tourism industry including the meetings and exhibitions sector, and if it persists into next month, revenue losses could reach almost 17 billion baht, says the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

The TAT estimates losses of 3.71 billion baht to date _ 1.01 billion from domestic trips and 2.7 billion from international tourism.

"If the flooding cannot be solved until next month, the industry will lose another 13.1 billion baht _ 8.5 billion from international tourism and 4.6 billion from domestic," said TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni.

The number of tourists will fall by 3.2 million, of whom 3 million would be domestic tourists and 200,000 foreigners.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/eco ... mid-deluge

[Huahinian]

Another knock-on effect of the flooding: Went to S.E.Pharmacy in Bangkok yesterday - none of my heart medication or blood pressure medicine was in stock. I was told that the supplier was under water in Ayuttaya. Most ATMs in lower lying areas have been emptied.

[moja]

Hotels with the highest occupancy rates are economy and budget properties charging 1,500 to 2,500 baht per night.

Good grief, if these are budget prices I must be poorer than I thought!

Bangkok hotels are putting their prices up! We have booked to go up next week and decided to delay our visit for a week but the price is over 500 baht more per night so it looks like we night to paddling round BKK next week!

[hhfarang]

My daily roundup of flood news that hasn't already been posted:

I put the title above each link so if it sounds like something worth reading you can go to the trouble, if not just skip it.

Bangkok in for 1-metre flooding, says expert

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politic ... 68642.html

Thais face drowning, disease in disastrous floods

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php? ... 2011-10-26

Bangkok Governor: All 50 districts must brace for flood

http://www.mcot.net/cfcustom/cache_page/285820.html

Residents in flood-prone Bangkok urged to leave

http://news.yahoo.com/bangkok-floods-co ... 40281.html

All eyes on Bangkok's flood barriers as new wave arrives today

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 68654.html

More districts evacuated

Interesting photos and charts in this one:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2 ... -evacuated

All Bangkok to be inundated: FROC

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politic ... 68603.html

[GLCQuantum]

Still nothing in Samut Sakhon as yet.

According to the graph offered by the 'experts' of Thailand (you know... the guys born into wealth, pass through eduaction easy through the no-fail system, buy there way into the best University, gain their doctorates by a paid for ghost written thesis, get accepted into the powers that be through their mummy and daddy immediately getting put into the most available positon of power so as not to cause loss of face to the parents who have been promised a great job for their child for years.....) on the front page of Wednesday's Bangkok post the 'worst case scenario' in my area is that little red zone at the bottom left just to the back of Nongkaem and Bang kae. The little red zone indicates possible waters of up to 2 meters.

Of course all you can see in the area now are 6-10 foot sandbag walls around every house and business.

By the people in power in this province we were told to expect and prepare for it coming last night.... now we have been told to expect and prepare for it in 3 days time.... fecking joke this lot. System is completely corrupted by the age old tradition of putting friends and family in the jobs that matter. Consequence of this all is a country run by absolute idiots with no ethics. The average market seller would do a lot better job because he/she would have been raised in a way that she gave a shit about the common folk and would do his/her upmost to save people from a disaster with no consideration given towards his/her bank account.

Anyways rant over... dry as a bone here. Will report back on Sunday when our streets will become oceans.... apparantly.

[STEVE G]

The number of tourists will fall by 3.2 million, of whom 3 million would be domestic tourists and 200,000 foreigners.

You would think that a five day holiday and a flooded Bangkok would increase domestic tourism.

[STEVE G]

The effects are felt a long way away in todays connected world:


Flooding in Thailand has caused some interruption in production for a number of Toyota suppliers in that region. As a means of conserving affected parts, Toyota will suspend Saturday (Oct. 29) production for Toyota vehicle manufacturing facilities in Indiana, Kentucky, Ontario, Canada and our engine manufacturing facility in West Virginia. We will continue to monitor the supply situation in Thailand.
http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/to ... plants.htm

[janw.devos]

There is NO information retrievable on the connection by car /per road ,"high" way from Bangkok international airport to cities that are not affected by the floodings, like Hua Hin or Pattaya .
I think that ,this is essential information for tourism, in spite off all the sadness

[The understudy]

Still nothing in Samut Sakhon as yet.

According to the graph offered by the 'experts' of Thailand (you know... the guys born into wealth, pass through eduaction easy through the no-fail system, buy there way into the best University, gain their doctorates by a paid for ghost written thesis, get accepted into the powers that be through their mummy and daddy immediately getting put into the most available positon of power so as not to cause loss of face to the parents who have been promised a great job for their child for years.....) on the front page of Wednesday's Bangkok post the 'worst case scenario' in my area is that little red zone at the bottom left just to the back of Nongkaem and Bang kae. The little red zone indicates possible waters of up to 2 meters.

Of course all you can see in the area now are 6-10 foot sandbag walls around every house and business.

By the people in power in this province we were told to expect and prepare for it coming last night.... now we have been told to expect and prepare for it in 3 days time.... fecking joke this lot. System is completely corrupted by the age old tradition of putting friends and family in the jobs that matter. Consequence of this all is a country run by absolute idiots with no ethics. The average market seller would do a lot better job because he/she would have been raised in a way that she gave a shit about the common folk and would do his/her upmost to save people from a disaster with no consideration given towards his/her bank account.

Anyways rant over... dry as a bone here. Will report back on Sunday when our streets will become oceans.... apparantly.

GLO?.... Agree with every word you say in this rant 100% my Man! it's a system that my father adores much despite his over 40 years living in Germany and his knowledge of it's society and culture inside out. The Thai culture is the complete antithesis of the German cultures speaking in General Terms. Which made me shun this systen so much cause of me being born and raised in German system. The pretty two reasons kept me staying in Thailand that's firs my Mother who suffered a stoke a couple of years ago and she needs hers son as constant companion, and me to adapt to a certain degree of Life here with the hope of finding likeminded
Back to Topic:
Today the exodus out of the holy land... Oop's I mean holly City of Bangkok contiues unhindered. Stretching the recourses of Hua Hin to a Maximum.
Supplies are running low as well in the different large Chain stores such as Tesco & Tesc! Tesco Lotus expgress are all expiriencing the same shortages of Water and essential food stuff. But if you are not dependent on Convinient stores and big chains you'll find a treasure trophe as of good good food products in are found in the Markets in Hua Hin& Cha Am,

Your's The understudy!!!

[Babylon]

There are no problems currently by road from the airport to Hua Hin. Except for heavy traffic, not watery problems.

[chopsticks]

Some say Yingluck wants Bangkok to flood as political revenge against all those who didn't support the red shirts, hence the disagreement between her and the Bangkok Governor about opening the sluice gates etc.

[Spitfire]

^ I think that might belong in 'Current Affairs' with the other conjecture and CT stuff. It's more likely that the arrogant dinosaur who is currently Bangkok Governor probably doesn't like the idea of being told what to do by a woman, youngish one at that too.

[dozer]

I fly out to Abu Dhabi tomorrow and Eithad called my this evening to confirm and the lady told me they expect my route to the airport to be okay for another few days.

[Nereus]

Just come back from a venture into town. (9-00pm). Glad I did not leave it until tomorrow! Have never seen so many hi-so`s in Villa Market. Ignorant pricks as well, calling out to one another and pushing their way in front of everybody else. Typical Thai mentality with the shop as well.They must have received a shipment, so half the narrow aisles blocked up with restocking and just one checkout open!

The 7-11 in Soi 6 has a pallet of bottled water sitting out the front if anybody needs some.
They had no bread yesterday, but plenty today.