Accept Dutch advice, World Bank money

The government and citizens of Thailand are now paying for our past delinquency in not respecting rainwater and not heeding stringently the advice given by His Majesty the King on water management on September 16, 1993.

The tragedy has now shaken the confidence of all existing and potential future foreign investors. Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong comforted the delegates at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Hawaii that there would be new towns, new highways and new rivers and the degree of the 2011 calamity would never happen again. I am certain that most delegates and investors would take those words with a pinch of salt because they are high and mighty and not down to Earth. Thais are good at giving assurances while taking no action. With due respect to Chula’s team for the proposal, because of our background, it is still not sufficient to assure anyone that the calamity will not happen again next year.

If I were PM Yingluck Shinawatra, I would hold the hands of the Dutch and sign a memorandum of understanding of their intended help tomorrow. That country has been living at 4 to 6 metres below sea level successfully for centuries. They should know how to avoid the calamity we are now experiencing. Yet Thailand is at 2 metres above the sea level, we still have not learnt how to live with rainfalls. King Rama V granted us 40,000 rais of land in the eastern Bangkok for flood highways, and yet only 3,000 rais remain today; the rest is in private hands.

Secondly, as revealed by Khun Kittiratt, the World Bank has offered to loan us funds for our long-term project. Knowing the work of the World Bank, I would urge my parliament to agree almost immediately – not because of needing the money but more for having the project be under their scrutiny and hope for erasing the glee of some Thai officials for the chance of corruption. In addition, the expertise at the World Bank is not limited to the Dutch but also many other world citizens whose country might have suffered in the past of the same fate.

If the Japanese could be told by next week that our project is serious and has committed guidance from the World Bank and the kindness of the Dutch – and not only at the drawing-board level but a real commitment – I am certain that the Japanese and other investors would believe that this disruption could never happen again in Thailand. Reinsurance companies in London and New York would never question our viability. With the confidence of all concerned, reconstruction and economic activities on the level hoped for by Khun Dhanin Chearavanont of CP Group would be certain. Would PM Yingluck take this hint? I think so, if she doesn’t talk to her brother on this subject.

Songdej Praditsmanont

Bangkok