Cabinet postpones Bt300 minimum wage rate

The Cabinet Tuesday approved a postponement of the flat Bt300 daily minimum wage to April 1, from original schedule on January 1, following business cost burden on employers due to flooding.

Starting from April 1, the Bt300 pay will be effective in several provinces: Bangkok, Phuket, Samut Prakan, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Sakhon, said Labour Minister Phadermchai Sasomsap, who proposed the postponement.

The Bt300 pay will be in effect in other 70 provinces, on January 1, in 2013, 2014, and 2015, and could be further increased after 2014 if other factors including inflation and higher cost of living occur, he added.

Thailand floods: half a million mud balls being used to purify water

Alarmed by the rising stench of fetid flood waters and the health hazard they pose, Thais are attempting to combat the problem by seeding the polluted deluge with mud balls designed to eradicate the dangerous bacteria.

Thai residents use boats for transportation on the flooded streets in the Bang Kruai district

Tennis ball-sized spheres of mud and organic material, laced with effective microorganisms (EM), are being tossed into the stagnant waters in the hope they will purify it.

The Thai government, private companies and relief groups have been distributing EM balls to the public as well as spraying the flood water with EM in liquid form.

The Japanese company that developed mud balls, EM Research Organisation (EMRO), says they have already been used effectively in ponds and reservoirs. But it is uncertain if they will work with such large-scale flooding, Thailand's worst in half a century that has left 595 people dead.

One charitable group, the Royal Self-Sufficiency Project, has already produced 100,000 mud balls and is one course to make half a million of the spheres which will each purify 4 sq metres of polluted water.

With the help of the Thai army, EMRO is also distributing the effective microorganisms in liquid to anyone who requests it. Twenty thousand litres are being handed out daily to people who turn up with one or two litre bottles.

The mud balls are made up of a culture of microbes that includes lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and phototrophic bacteria, as well as molasses, dried dirt and organic material like rice.
The balls work by establishing a rich culture of beneficial microorganisms, thus preventing the development of large concentrations of bad microorganisms.
However, opinion is divided on whether the mud balls can be effective on such a massive body of water and some are demanding that a study needs to be carried out.
"Some people believe that EM might be most effective used on small quantities of enclosed water," said Pathom Sawanpanyalert, deputy director-general of the medical sciences department at the Public Health ministry. "If it's in a very well-controlled environment, it might be efficacious. But used in a real-life situation, whether it's effective or not, that's a bigger question." But some believe Thailand is in an ideal position to find out if it works or not.
"Thailand is the best place to study this now," said Clarie Quillet, a water and sanitation specialist with UN children's group, Unicef. "It doesn't mean we will have a solution right now. But at one stage it could help countries in other parts of the world."

Fears for ancient Thai temples as floods recede

AYUTTHAYA, November 20, 2011 (AFP) - The ruined temples of Ayutthaya have survived centuries of tropical heat and rain, but experts fear some have been weakened by Thailand's devastating floods and may be at risk of collapse.

Unusually heavy monsoon rains caused a deluge that swept across much of central and northern Thailand from July, leaving more than 600 people dead and damaging millions of homes and livelihoods.

Ayutthaya, around 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Bangkok, was in one of the worst-hit parts of the country and dramatic aerial images last month showed its temples as islands in a vast lake of floodwater.

The structures spent weeks swamped by the murky waters and now fresh cracks have appeared in some of the pagodas that dominate the historic capital, a major tourist attraction and UNESCO World Heritage site.

As the waters retreat, visitors have been warned not to climb onto the structures in case they collapse.

Chaiyanand Busayarat, director of Ayutthaya Historical Park, estimated at least 650 million baht ($20 million) worth of damage had been done, but said the full consequences of the floods were not yet known.

"The monuments' construction was not designed to carry this much weight (of water). The floods have also softened the ground, making it unstable. Buildings could sink or, in the worst case, they might collapse," he told AFP.
The waters have receded from much of the centre of the city, although some of the many temple compounds dotted around the historical park site are yet to fully dry out.

Erected at the confluence of the Chao Phraya, Pa Sak and Lopburi Rivers, the Ayutthaya monuments have long been susceptible to seasonal flooding.

The old city used to be protected by a network of canals that drained the water away, said a heritage expert for the United Nations cultural body UNESCO, who asked not to be named.

"A lot of those canals have been filled over or have naturally become more shallow over time," she told AFP.

"There is some fear that there might have been some settling of the foundations of the monuments which could lead to monuments becoming unstable," she added, following a UNESCO visit to the area on Thursday.

She said it was still unclear how much damage had been caused by the weeks of flooding.

"It is hard to tell at this time whether that's more than the monuments can withstand or if it is in the range that is tolerable for them."

Ayutthaya, founded around 1350, was one of the capitals of the old kingdom of Siam and at its peak had three palaces and more than 400 temples.

After four centuries as the country's capital, the city fell to Burmese invaders in 1767 and most of it was destroyed.

Many of the remaining ruins have been painstakingly restored.

At the Wat Phra Ram temple site, Chaiyanand indicated a vertical crack in one of the brick structures around two metres (yards) long.

"I think this happened during the flood but I have to say that small pagodas like this are not that scary. The big ones one which weigh many tons are the more concern, and much more scary for me," he said.

Of more immediate concern to many in the city is the need to fully reopen to tourists.

Receding waters have left large quantities of detritus -- everything from plastic bags to shoes to tree branches -- strewn across the monument grounds.

Suneewan Pudson, 65, one of a band of cleaners busily sweeping an area around the reclining Buddha at Wat Lokayasutharam temple, said she and her colleagues were determined to help return the site to its former glory.

The task is a daunting one. Some local people sought refuge around the monument during the floods, leaving piles of rubbish and even an abandoned and rusting three-wheeled tuk tuk taxi.

"I am sad because this is an ancient site which is a tourist spot so we are supposed to protect it. But we did not know that the flood would be this high. It has never been like this before," Suneewan told AFP.

Thai opposition outrage over 'secret' decree that would allow Thaksin Shinawatra to return

Thailand's opposition was up in arms over a cabinet decree agreed in "secret" that would give an amnesty to the ousted fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and allow him to return home.

Thaksin Shinawatra's sister is prime minister 

Outraged Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said the cabinet's decision was "unacceptable" and must be reviewed. The Democrats will try to question ministers about the move, feared since Pheu Thai won July's election, during Thursday's session of parliament.

Prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, youngest sister of Mr Thaksin, said she knew nothing of the cabinet's decision which was reportedly passed on Tuesday while she was out of the capital visiting victims of Thailand's worst floods in half a century.

But deputy prime minister, Chalerm Yubamrung, who chaired the cabinet meeting in her absence also declined to disclose details of the decision which he said was "secret". It would give an amnesty to those over 60 sentenced to less than three years' jail.

Mr Thaksin is 62 and was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for abuse of power in office over a land deal involving his former wife. He had fled the country to avoid jail and now lives mostly in Dubai.

Traditionally Thailand's ailing King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 83, grants an amnesty to convicts on his birthday on December 5. But last year the Democrat list of those to be amnestied excluded those convicted of corruption, not a stipulation in the Pheu Thai decree. Neither will those to be pardoned have to have served any jail time.

Ms Shinawatra, 44, who has continually said she did not expect her brother to return to Thailand any time soon and that it was not a priority of her government, was supposedly detained up country because her helicopter did not have radar to allow it to fly at night.
But at the cabinet committee on Tuesday officials were told to leave the room as the ministers debated the decree. Official papers relating to the decision were also removed from press releases, according to the Bangkok Post.
Mr Chalerm, while declining to discuss details of the decree, said that the matter was now before a 20-strong committee, set up by the justice ministry, over which the government had no control. But more importantly, he added, the final decision on the decree would that of the king.

Thai Airways Reduces Flight Planes due to Drop in Passengers

The Thai Airways International Public Company reduced the number of airplane flights after the passengers cancelled their travels during flooding.

Thai Airways International Public Company cut more than 500 domestic and international flights due to a dramatic drop in passengers who remain uncertain about the flood crisis.

In addition to flight reduction, Thai Airways will downsize its airplane in correlation with the numbers of passengers in each flight.

The company will assess the situation on a daily basis.

The company will make sure that any changes made has minimal affect on passengers and hopes the situation would return to normal in December.

The flood crisis will have an extensive impact on the company's income this year, pointing out that the company normally earns a large amount of profit during the high season period.

Thai Airways has already lost around 4.8 billion baht in the first nine months due to money exchange rate fluctuations and an increase of fuel prices.

Airport of Thailand Public Company or AOT Manging Director, Anirut Thanomkulabutra said that six international airports nationwide experienced a 9 percent drop in passenger numbers when compared to last October.

As for the Suvarnabhumi Airport, the number of passengers went down from 130,000 to 100,000, while the numbers of flight reduced by 100 from 900 to 800.

Floods keep Bangkok's snake hunter busy

File photo: Python - Souce: Wikimedia

BANGKOK, November 17, 2011 - Bangkok's most famous snake hunter piles the huge writhing python into a sack and bundles it into the boot of a taxi, before rushing across the flood-hit city to deal with another serpentine intruder.

Sompop Sridaranop has been busier than ever since Thailand's devastating floods reached the capital and sent snakes -- as well as people -- fleeing their usual habitat to seek out drier ground.

"The snakes live in drain pipes and in empty grassy areas, and when these are flooded, they travel through the pipes to houses to find new places to stay," the 57-year-old told AFP.

As a result, snakes are popping up where they are not welcome and Sompop is being bombarded with panicked calls from frightened residents.

The python -- three metres (10 feet) long -- was caught by workers at a factory in Nonthaburi province just north of the capital, much to the relief of one frightened employee.

"I was very scared. I didn't dare to watch while they were catching the snake," Pattaya Tasua told AFP as Sompop whisked the creature away.

When his "Jingle Bells" mobile ringtone alerts him to another roaming reptile, Sompop swings into action, throwing on his "Snake Hunter" jacket and racing to the rescue.

It's a voluntary role he has done for more than 20 years alongside his paid job as a messenger for the Thai marine department. He says he was inspired as a young man by a speech by the queen urging Thais to help one another.

A stint volunteering with local police led to his calling as a snake catcher -- along with other adventurous sidelines including destroying wasps' nests.

The various bite scars on his arms testify to his long service. "My wife has seen my snake bites so often, it's normal for her. She worries but she understands," he said.

The Thai floods have left more than 560 people dead and damaged millions of homes and livelihoods, sparking fears of drowning, disease, electrocution and even marauding crocodiles on the loose from flooded farms.

Pythons like the one at the factory are not venomous, but other poisonous species, particularly cobras, have been cropping up more frequently since the floods began -- usually at night and in outlying areas of the city, according to Sompop.

And it's not just snakes that are causing a stir.

The snake hunter has been called out to catch water monitors, fearsome-looking lizards that are a common sight near the lakes and canals of Bangkok but have also started to creep a little too close to home for some.

He recently nabbed a monitor that measured two metres from nose to tail in a family's front yard in western Bangkok.

After a brief struggle, this too was bundled into a bag and dropped by Sompop into the swollen Chao Phraya river.

"They are not really dangerous, but if you don't know how to catch them properly then they can bite and their saliva is dirty," he said, pointing out that the lizards were fond of eating pets.

Rumours have circulated on social networking websites that 15 deadly African green mambas have escaped from a flooded house in Nonthaburi.

The snakes' escape has not been confirmed, but a public health official said 50 doses of serum have arrived in Thailand from South Africa to treat possible mamba bites.

And while most people would run a mile from the deadly reptiles, Sompop can't wait to get his hands on one.

"I would love to catch one and see how exciting it would be," he said.

Sompop takes most of his captives to his own home and asks friends travelling outside Bangkok to release them into the wild, or he awaits collection by government wildlife officials.

A few of his finds end up at the Thai Red Cross Society snake farm, where staff make serums to treat the bites of Thailand's venomous species -- numbering 61 out of more than 190 snake varieties in the kingdom.

Lawan Chanhome, a senior veterinarian at the farm in Bangkok, warned the public to be extra vigilant during the floods.

"Mainly we advise people not to go wandering in the flood waters at night unless it is essential," she said.

A global zoo organisation said it had sent two vets from Singapore to Bangkok this week to help capture snakes and other reptiles, bringing with them "urgently needed" medical supplies and hunting equipment such as hooks and nets.

But in spite of the threats they pose, Sompop believes Thailand's snakes get a bad press, given that they carry out a vital task in keeping down the rat population.

"Snakes existed before people. They have always been in Thailand. Without them in the area we would be suffering," he said.

Tonnes of garbage, dirty water to deal with

Bangkok will face a tough task getting rid of more than three million tonnes of trash and treating huge volumes of dirty water left behind by the flood.

A key problem is that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration cannot send garbage trucks to flooded areas while 9.4 million people in those areas were expected to generate about 500 kilograms of rubbish each over a number of weeks.

"A suggestion for residents at this moment is to keep the garbage and all kinds of waste above water," Worrasart Apaipong, acting directorgeneral of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry's Pollution Control Department, said yesterday.

People were dumping all kinds of flooddamaged debris such as stuff made from plastic, books, furniture and electronic devices, while some 500,000 cars were partially submerged and would need to change some parts such as batteries and engine oil, he said.

The department is coordinating with many authorities in Bangkok and other inundated provinces to prepare for garbage disposal, he said.

Flood victims should also help the authorities by separating their garbage, as many materials like wood, glass, plastic and paper could be recycled or reused.

Another serious issue was contamination of the water supply and water resources for public use.

The department has checked the water at 149 spots in all flooded provinces - Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Nakhon Nayok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Ayutthaya, Nakhon Pathom and Bangkok.

Some 23 per cent of the water was low quality. Some areas such as Tale Chupsorn subdistrict in Lop Buri had the worst, with a dissolved oxygen level of only 0.00.5 milligram per litre.

Water for public use in many surveyed areas was basically bad. Of that, 24 per cent was of poor quality, 32 per cent rated fair and only 21 per cent good.

The department surveyed groundwater in 18 spots and found that 6 per cent was poor, 11 per cent was fair and 6 per cent was of good quality.

The department has distributed many forms of bacteria to help treat wastewater.

The quality of water in the Chao Phraya River was relatively poor with dissolved oxygen at only 1.3 milligrams per litre.

In many locations in Bangkok such as Bang Phlat the water was contaminated with oil, he said.

Bangkok continues to battle Thailand floods

 

Concern over the spread of disease is on the rise

The authorities in Thailand are continuing to battle to manage the flow of floodwater passing through the capital, Bangkok.

The centre of the city has been protected and remains dry, but a fifth of Bangkok is under water.
More than 430 people have lost their lives nationwide in the floods.
And now it appears that another industrial park is at risk from the water, threatening more factories and jobs.
There is one constant in Thailand's ever-changing flood crisis - the relentless momentum of the water's journey from the inundated central plains, south to the sea.
The water needs to be drained, but the nation's capital lies in its path.
Each day, more districts are put on alert and more people are warned to evacuate. Some are now being moved for a second time. Others are choosing to stay despite the challenging conditions.
Annie Bodmer-Roy from the Save The Children group said trying to reach everyone who might need help was proving difficult.
"You've got so many people staying inside their homes and its very difficult to know who's in their homes where," she said.
"You've got flood waters up to chest level in some areas. So it's very difficult to get to some of these places and see who's still living there, who's still living in their houses."
Add to that concerns about skin diseases, sanitation, unemployment and school closures and the size of the challenge becomes clear.
And as the floodwaters submerge more districts of Bangkok, so it recedes from provinces further north.
There will soon come a time when parts of the country move into the recovery phase, while others are still under water.
That will place fresh demands on a government still struggling to deal with the current crisis.