Think further:

1. Why did they have to try their best to protect the CBD ?

From the perspective on population distribution, the CBD is the most densely populated area. From point of view of industry department, the CBD is where most job opportunities are offered. It’s the heart of a city, once it is paralyzed, the city will seem to be no more. Besides, the CBD is where most resources and properties are placed with proper infrastructure and high land value. It might cost a lot if the CBD were flooded.

2. Why did they protect the industrial park with all their efforts ?

Industrial park is different from normal industrial zone; the former has higher value added industry such as precision machinery, stronger agglomeration effect and is able to attract foreign capital. For example, the famous automobile manufacturer, Toyota, has founded three factories in Bangkok. Once the foreign businessmen feel risky and retrieve their investment. It will cause a serious recession and soaring unemployment rate.

3. Why did the water recede so slowly ?

In aspect of natural factor, Thailand‘s topography appears to be higher in the north, lower in the south, long and narrow from the north to the south. Last three months, a torrential rain keeps falling in the north Thailand. Devastating flood came through the Chao Praya River right to the sea. Bangkok is located in the delta of Chao Praya River, with an elevation of only 2 meters. Unfortunately, it came across a rip-tide; the flood can’t drain to the ocean. It contributed to the aggravation in the flooded area of Bangkok.

For the sake of human factor, people in upper reaches deforested for sell or agriculture, the government ignored the construction of flood control works, when facing flood disaster, the authorities only tried to prevent Bangkok from being submerged. They built temporary dikes, changed the stream way, but in vain. What’s worse, they make the outskirts away from the stream way become flooded.

4. Efficient and equity. Which should we choose when facing a flood disaster ?

The Thai’s government adopted the policy to sacrifice the citizens to protect the CBD and industrial park. It caused the citizens’ home to be flooded for more than one month. That seemed to be silly, but they just tried to distribute their limited resources to what they thought the most efficient way. They had a goal to minimize the loss of national finance and economic.

No matter to save everyone’s life and properties equally or to minimize the national economical loss efficiently, each government has its own answer. It is right or wrong depends on the people with different perspectives.

5. What can Taiwan learn in this disaster ?

Bangkok can keep its MRT system working properly during the flood. Compared to the Taipei MRT system, which became a reservoir in Nali Typhoon. We did have something to learn from Bangkok. Taiwan is a small island, the flood can quickly drain to the sea, but a torrential rail can always result in disasters all over the island. Now only Taipei has completed flood control works, other cities need to be improved significantly. It’s too late to build a temporary dike or pile sandbags in front of buildings when the flood is around the corner. Reinforce the construction of infrastructure, monitor the development of places prone to flood, forbid the deforestation on the upper reaches etc. They are truly effective methods to carry out to face the harder and harder climatical environment of near future.