Walls for inner city should have been explained

“People [who took more flood water] have thus become desperate,” said Kwansuang, who was a former lecturer of Urban Planning at Chulalongkorn University.

Kwansuang said although he understands the bitterness and what he called "shortsighted" measures taken by residents who saw barriers build near their homes, inner as something that is "wrong", Bangkok need to be saved due to its strategic importance.

The government, he said, should have clearly communicate the need to protect inner Bangkok to affected residents at the edge of the capital and reach some form of agreement even before the flood barriers were installed.

“You can say Bangkok is justing thinking of its survival if you are not engaged with the reality. Sure there will be more damage to people [taking more flood water] but we must look at the majority and the economy. Don’t say all individual must be equal.”

The urban planner said on the othe hand, confusing measures taken on Rama II Road, the main artery linking Bangkok and the South is compounding the situation. He said some agencies want the flood water to quickly flow across the road and toward the sea while some others try to block it.

“At all level we see people [and agencies] trying to solve immediate problem infront of them. And nobody seems to really know what's going on."

Kwansuang proposed that Thailand adopted a holistic and integrate approach in handling water resources and flood concerns like the Netherlands but he also believes that the government is not capable or willing to do it.

In a related development, Prof Parichart Sthapitanond of Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Communication Arts told The Nation that Bangkokians not affected by flood who earns enough income may be able to propose to the government that each such households will hand it Bt5,000 or so to help those who have taken more flood water on their behalf.