Monday, October 24, 2011

Yingluck, Sukhumbandh together but are they on the same page?


PM Yingluck and Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand were out together today to inspect flooded areas in the capital. Does that mean they have patched up and will be on the same page in fighting the rising water levels? Don't bet on it.

The Bangkok governor late last night called a press conference to issue a warning to residents in six areas in northern Bangkok about rising waters that could become "critical." He should have appeared on one of the TV channels to deliver that important message. He didn't go on Channel 11 which has been used by the government's Flood Relief Operations Center (FROC) on a 24-hour basis. The channel at that particular time was airing a normal, taped feature that had nothing to do with the floods. Governor Sukhumbhand later made a "phone-in" on Thai PBS to get his message to a wider audience.

FROC did come up with a later announcement supporting the governor's concern but that was about it. So, when the PM and Governor went out together today, it was mostly for a photo-op exercise. They have yet to give a joint press conference to show the Thai people in general that they are really working together with a common strategy.

So far, not so good.

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