Bangkok: a city drowning in graft, and wastewater
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PM Prayut should be lauded for lashing out at the BMA even though his recent flood warning was largely pointless and probably said with a sinking heart. The problem goes much deeper.
Even before the rainy season arrives, the system has been flooded by graft. For every high-rise being built in Bangkok, rather than upgrading the drainage system, it is massively cheaper for construction-related companies to bribe local officials to look the other way. A series of 22 questions has been submitted to the EIA authorities regarding twin mega-skyscrapers planned for a narrow soi in the heart of Bangkok – one that already resembles the South China Sea at one end and a sewage farm at the other during storm periods.
Question No 2: “How does the rule of law in this designated area address the ratio of residence occupancy versus any appropriate laws on required infrastructure?”
Have no fear, an answer will eventually be squeezed out. Sadly, and despite upbeat reports over the last year, Thailand, particularly Bangkok, continues to drown beneath an ocean of unstoppable corruption. Expect more floods.
John Shepherd
