Today’s Conversation

Today’s Conversation – Pray for Thailand

Update about the flood situation: (as of 11 Nov 2012)
Though the threat of tidal flooding has receded, Thailand’s worst floods in five decades are still sweeping closer to central Bangkok, causing more and more residents to evacuate their homes and flee to drier land. Bangkok’s governor has declared 16 of the city’s 50 districts as evacuation zones, but the water continues to flow southward, attempting to drain into the Gulf of Thailand.

On Sunday, the waters reached the northernmost point of the city’s rail system. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) ordered residents to evacuate in all zones of Chatuchak, home to tourist landmark Chatuchak Market. The market was flooded as of late Sunday and essentially closed for business, though you could still find a few brave vendors trying to earn their living.

The major concern now is contamination of floodwater caused mainly by uncollected garbage which is widespread.

Bangkok’s Health Ministry of Medical Sciences has warned of possible leptospirosis in flooded areas. In their recent survey of 21 food samples, collected in four flooded provinces including Bangkok, results yielded food poisoning manifestations, while 17 out of 57 samples of drinking water possessed germs which caused diarrhoea. It has been known that this bacterial disease will usually be present even three weeks after the floods have receded. There is already a case of leptospirosis being reported.