Upcountry tour is little more than a publicity stunt

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will start her highly anticipated inspection trip to flood-hit areas from the North down to Bangkok next week. A government spokesperson said Yingluck’s trip is meant “to bring love and hope” to the people. But the trip is nothing more than a publicity stunt.

While the government has yet to come up with a concrete plan to lay down future flood prevention measures, the highly publicised trip has so far succeeded only in diverting the public’s attention from other criticism of the administration. This follows a recent pattern of coup and conspiracy rumours that have provided a smokescreen for the government as it comes under fire on a range of issues. 

Apart from the hype over how well Yingluck will fare during her upcountry visit, the trip is designed to send a message to investors and the public alike that the government is committed to go ahead with flood-prevention measures.

But so far, the government has only talked about these plans with water experts, and there have been incessant arguments over the right methods and ways to prevent a repeat of last year’s deluge. After the massive flood subsided, there was talk about new floodways and the planned set-up of a new “super agency” to oversee flood-related issues. That agency has now been set up – within a typically confusing structure – but nothing else has gone beyond heated discussion.

Concern over the Thai government’s slow reaction to this matter has been repeatedly voiced by Japanese investors, who were adversely affected by the floods. The chairman of Keidanren, the Japanese Business Federation, raised the issue during a recent meeting with Yingluck on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. 

The government has announced a huge budget earmarked for flood prevention, but this has not been accompanied by any clear details about how the money will be spent. Of course, the recent flooding was partly attributable to the mismanagement of water levels in reservoirs. But Thailand is naturally vulnerable to flooding, which is why we must have coherent and effective city planning, designs for floodways, and water-retention facilities to store the water during the dry season.

It would be unfortunate if Yingluck treats this upcountry tour as another photo opportunity. She should use this trip to obtain firsthand information from people affected by flooding. This is a chance to learn about people’s real needs, and to assess how to assist them when things go wrong. She should bring the best water-management experts along with her to see for themselves the problems and how to prevent them happening in the future. In addition, the prime minister must take into account how each community can deal with water management based on geography and specific situations.

However, we are concerned that Yingluck’s trip will not promise anything more than another news event. The media has already called the trip a “parrot tour”, reflecting its lack of substance and the likelihood that the same promises and statements will be repeated. In all likelihood it will not be about what local people can gain, but how Yingluck comes across, in the same way that Thaksin managed to create news when he rode a motorcycle during an upcountry trip.

Some people might enjoy such publicity stunts, but most will find it harder to be amused now, with the economy still suffering from the massive damage caused by last year’s disaster. Many factories have not yet fully recovered from the flood, leaving the future of thousands of temporarily unemployed workers still uncertain. Many houses that were submerged have still not been repaired.

If Yingluck wants to survive politically in the longer term, she will have to start acting with conviction instead of avoiding some issues and claiming ignorance of others. Political publicity stunts can help her buy time, but they will not keep her in office forever. The public has only so much patience.