Epic flooding in Thailand might not recede for more than a month - 23rd Oct 2011

Epic flooding in Thailand might not recede for more than a month - 23rd Oct 2011

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the country's worst flooding in half a century could take four to six weeks to recede in some areas.And Thailand is bracing for more high tides in the coming week, according to Thailand's Flood Relief Operations Command. High tides cause rivers to back up, subsequently raising water levels.
Yingluck said authorities are trying to drain water into the sea as quickly as possible, but the disaster has proved arduous.
"I would like to apologize to the public because it has been difficult to make advanced notice about the floods," she said, according to the Thai News Agency. "There are many factors beyond our expectation. Informing too early could cause panic and mistakes could happen easily, but people should be alert and closely follow up the situation."
The government has set up more than 1,700 shelters for victims of flooding in affected provinces, Shinawatra said, according to the agency. There are currently more than 113,000 people staying at the shelters, which can assist about 800,000, she said.Read More