Japanese Advisers Keen To Help Thai Govt

[Mod]

Japanese Advisers Keen To Help Thai Govt

BY KHANITTHA THEPPAJON
THE NATION

Japanese advisers say they are keen to help government after Thai assistance following tsunami earlier this year

Experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) yesterday suggested the Thai government find more methods to drain off floodwater. The region's not-very-steep topography was resulting in slow water drainage, meaning the flood level would remain stable for two to three weeks.

Japanese ambassador to Thailand Seiji Kojima yesterday brought JICA experts on water management, waterworks and flood prevention in airports and subway stations to meet with Justice Minister Pracha Promnok, the Flood Relief Operations Command (FROC) director. Thai and Japanese media were excluded as the experts presented their findings about the Thai flood situation since October 20.

After the meeting, Pracha said the centre would arrange for the Thai floodwater team to consult with the JICA drainage experts. Seiji said through a translator the Japanese government was ready to help Thailand in return for the Kingdom's kindness and aid to the Japanese people during the recent tsunami there.

JICA senior adviser for water drainage Kimio Takeya said Thailand's economic development - such as the industrial estates in the Chao Phraya River basin, developed after the Japanese model in 1999 - had advanced faster than the water drainage system.

He was careful, however, not to say the industrial estates were blocking waterways. He said industrial estates in Japan dug wells to retain water before it poured into the estates.

For future flood-tackling, it was necessary for people, communities and state agencies to brainstorm for solutions, he said.

Asked if there were more ways to quickly drain water from flooded areas, Takeya said he believed the government would find an answer, although Thailand's terrain |wasn't steep and floodwaters would drain slowly and the flooding |condition could remain for |another two to three weeks.

An informed source reported that the JICA presentation to Pracha included comments on: flood prevention at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, which the experts saw as "good"; and flood prevention at subway stations, where they expressed concern over many flood-risk spots such as the entrances and ventilation channels.

The experts' recent visit to the BMCL found the company had good flood-prevention measures in place with 1m-3.2m high floodwalls. However they worried that if floodwaters rose over four metres the subway system would be affected.


-- The Nation 2011-11-01

[Prakhonchai Nick]

"For future flood-tackling, it was necessary for people, communities and state agencies to brainstorm for solutions, he said."

That's about all any of the Thai authorities and government officials will do once the flood is over. Have Brain Storms - if they can first find their brains!!!

[isanbirder]

And if the Japanese give them advice, will they take it?   Likely story!

[Vombatus]

It is not easy to take advice when you know it all.

I think the Thai people would rather put their faith in cloud seeding and sending boats up the Chaoprya river than the Japanese.

[Prakhonchai Nick]

And rattling their sticks at the nearest wat!

[Starman]

They could come and brain storm in Buriram. That place that all the elite of Bangkok think is full of buffalo herders.

I remember many years ago that Buriram town would become flooded with the slightest downpour. So the local government decided to take action.

They dredged the reseviour to make it deeper, they also made is larger. They raised the dam wall. They also made more canals leading from there to paddy fields where irrigation was not so good. In the town they dug up the old drainage pipes and put in bigger and wider ones. They dug new lakes in the town, now looking very nice too.

Now no floods and, for those who now have a canal near their land, no droughts.

The Government know where the problems lie. The same 18 central provinces get flooded every year.

Now that this year the run off has actually reached the elite they may just wake up.

[Prakhonchai Nick]

With practically no food available in the major supermarkets in Bkk, Pattaya and even here in Buriram, can we expect to see you Starman with a t ble set up outside Makro this morning selling pies?

[Starman]

At school now Nick. Could have a word with the Buriram Pie Lady.

No apple pies or crumbles though.(No *$#@ing apples).

[Red Jet]

With practically no food available in the major supermarkets in Bkk, Pattaya and even here in Buriram, can we expect to see you Starman with a t ble set up outside Makro this morning selling pies?

Thai food is a lot better and cheaper...some some money Nick