Sukhumbhand sorry for wrong evacuation order
Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra yesterday apologised for mistakenly ordering evacuation in many areas of the mostly dry Phya Thai district on Monday night.
The governor said he read out a document that should have been released by the Phya Thai district office on Friday, when the flood levels in the area were rising because of the brimming Bang Sue Canal.
Sukhumbhand, however, said he was taking full responsibility for the mistake and would not blame any other official.
“I have asked all district chiefs to check all the paperwork thoroughly before forwarding it to the central [Bangkok Metropolitan Administration] office. The problem rests mainly on the work mechanism. I don’t want to blame anybody in particular,” he said.
Asked whether the mistake would affect BMA’s public image, he said:
“This was the first, and anybody can make mistakes. It is the people who should decide whether they trust the BMA.
“It was not damaging anyway. It’s just a misunderstanding,” he reiterated.
Meanwhile, Chatuchak district chief Issarames Khachanukool said the breaking down of big-bag barriers near Don Mueang Airport by angry residents had not affected the places under his jurisdiction, though he was monitoring the situation more closely.
In related news, though flooding in Lat Phrao Intersection had dropped by half from 60 centimetres, small vehicles were still avoiding the area.
In eastern Bangkok, Krungthep Kreetha Road flood levels rose to 50cm and areas along the Lam Salee Canal are under 20cm of water.
Several sections of Srinakarin Road, from Soi Onnut to Pattanakarn, are under 30cm of water, while the area near Seacon Square is under 10cm of water.
