Khaosod English
Flood Damage, Losses, and Government Incompetence
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In the end, repeated apologies by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul were insufficient.
Key facts
- In the end, repeated apologies by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul were insufficient.
- Angry residents affected by the floods in Bangkok confronted the visiting Prime Minister for two nights
- Hotel occupancy was near 100% at the time, and officials worried about financial and reputational liability if a warning turned out to be a false alarm.
- Back in 2004, I played an investigative role in exposing the department’s failure when it prioritised commercial interests over public safety during the 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
Summary
Angry residents affected by the floods in Bangkok confronted the visiting Prime Minister for two nights. By Tuesday night, Anutin resorted to a controversial tactic in a bid to appease some flood-affected locals: he handed out 1,000-baht banknotes from his own pocket — 20,000 baht in total. The moment was captured on video, went viral, and was widely reported.
The incident took place late Tuesday night at Baan Eua-Arthorn Permsin in Bangkok’s Sai Mai district.