Bangkok governor to solve flooding once and for all

Schools had to be closed because the kids couldn’t get anywhere near. 

Another rainy season and another deluge in the streets, right? But what about Bangkok Governor’s MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra promise that this wasn’t going to happen again? We have those colossal storm drains now. Well, the governor faced the usual criticism about “vanishing” whenever the floods hit, with a fresh twist this time – someone created a “missing person” bulletin that went viral online. “Missing person, 61-year old man,” it says, describing him further as “friendly-looking, talks slowly, cries sometimes, whines sometimes, dislikes being disturbed.” 

“We’re worried,” it says on behalf of all Bangkokians. And so was Nation TV, which eventually tracked Sukhumbhand down – in the Netherlands. Yes, he’s there tapping Dutch expertise in preventing floods! We imagine he’ll come home with blueprints for dykes. Well, as long as he doesn’t start building windmills.

 Hotel kleptomania

Singaporeans now have the dubious distinction of being second on a list of nationalities that check out of hotels with more stuff than they brought. Only Argentineans cart away more amenities – things like bathrobes, towels and the remote for the TV – according to a recent global survey by US-based website Hotels.com. 

So Singapore got busted, huh, the place with all that government transparency and zero corruption? Or was it just their honesty that put them high up on the list, since, as the Straits Times reports, 71 per cent of the Singaporeans polled admitted to pinching the slippers and stationery from their hotel rooms.But hold off on the caning, says Kevin Bossino of the Accord Singapore hotel, because hotels there don’t regard taking the bathroom amenities, disposable slippers and other items as theft. “That's why a lot of these items are branded with logos, so if they’re taken away, it’s considered marketing.”However, hotels do draw the line on taking wine glasses, bathrobes and remote controls. The rule of thumb is that, if there’s no logo on it, don’t take it.Santa Grand Hospitality has seven hotels in Singapore and would dearly like its guests to bring back the nearly a dozen remote controls they’ve swiped. Nor is the chain’s marketing manager, Derik Poh, amused when the customers leave the remotes but steal the batteries.

Hoteliers are loath to search departing guests, but one who was checking out of a Millennium & Copthorne hotel had them thinking about X-ray scanners after they noticed shiny antlers sticking out of his suitcase. He was trying to make off with a big brass antelope, part of the decor in his room.

Unlisted Collection also has seven hotels in the Merlion City and founder Loh Lik Peng has posted a price list in all the lobbies showing how much each room item costs, just in case you’re feeling larcenous.Dr Michael Chiam, who lectures about tourism at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, wasn’t surprised by the Hotels.com survey results, explaining (sort of) that Singaporeans are “pragmatic” and apt to walk away with anything they consider “useful”.The Straits Times did its own poll online, and seven out of 10 of the 1,400 respondents admitted taking things from hotel rooms, especially toiletries and those great little sewing kits, which are totally useful.