Thailand counts the cost of flooding

28 Nov 2011

As floods recede from Bangkok and the central regions of Thailand, the country’s government is left with the daunting task of assessing damages. The World Bank says the economic bill for flooding from July onwards that has claimed an estimated 600 lives will be around $US45 billion (1,350 billion Baht) and limit economic growth in 2010 to 2.4 per cent.

The floodwaters inundated areas north of Bangkok and even reached into northern and western districts of the city, severely disrupting transport and even closing off the area around the landmark Chatuchak Weekend Market. Bangkok’s second airport, Don Muang, was swamped and closed last month and is not expected to be fully operational again until January.

As floods have ebbed away, scenes of devastation have been exposed. In Ayuttaya, a car park at a Honda factory is full of new vehicles which have been left looking like rusting wrecks ready for the scrapyard.

In the centre of Ayuttaya’s UNESCO designated town, archaeological experts and engineers have begun the gargantuan task of assessing damage to historic temples, stupas and religious edifices. The town was a regional capital from the 14^th to the 18^th centuries and its structures mostly date from this period.

In Bangkok where floodwaters have ebbed away, city sanitation workers are fumigating houses and districts, while residents have reported spotting crocodiles that have escaped from reptile breeding farms in flooded areas.

The ramifications of the floods have not been limited to Thailand as computer hard-drive and hardware retailers in countries around the world are increasing prices to make up for the shortfall caused by Thailand’s failure to produce the articles.

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