Hotel 'wet rates', plus blow-dryers
Weeks ago they told us folks in Bangkok to prepare for possible flooding, but we thought they meant prepare for their next announcement.
So a lot of us are now hastily changing domiciles, including the 3,000 people who were living in the Thammasat University shelter until that got inundated. They’ve been “reshuffled” to Rajamagala Stadium.
Most schools in the affected areas have become sanctuaries, if you can use that word for living in a gymnasium. Those who can afford more comfort are checking into hotels offering disaster discounts.
The Thai Hotels Association lists 31 kindly inns where you can stay for Bt600 to Bt1,200 if you can prove you no longer have a dry home of your own. Bt900 a night is a bargain for the Rembrandt, and the Pinnacle sounds like it must be well above water level.
Chon Buri, Nakhon Nayok and Prachin Buri all have deals on accommodations as well, as does Pattaya, where special long-stay rates are offered on the “Pattaya Grand Sale” Facebook page.
Of course, that’s sea level.
Not a dry eye
Gossip will get your mind off the crisis – almost. The rumour that Yingluck Shinawatra dried her feet at Yanni’s concert was flatly denied, so we found a better one: Abhisit Vejjajiva had a nice vacation in the Maldives.
Yes, he was still surrounded by water in the low-lying resort islands, but it’s not quite the same, is it?
A party source says he did spend a couple of nights there with the family and Abhisit didn’t deny it. Further confirmation came from reliable source Panthongtae “Thaksin’s Little Oak” Shinawatra, who gleefully re-tweeted the rumour.
The Democrats said Abhisit planned this school-break holiday a long time ago, and within hours there were photos on Twitter of him back on the job in Bangkok.
And anyway, the Democrats said, where the hell is Banharn Silapa-archa? Many government big shots have vanished and nobody complains. What are the critics saying – that they miss Abhisit?
