Siam I Am: Ayutthaya

As it starts to pour in Edina, MN, I reflect on my leaky office window, rejoicing Midwestern farmers, the price of corn futures, primarily though, I turn my attention to the flooded plains of my soon-to-be home, Thailand.

First and foremost I'd like to blame global warming, damn you global warming. After that, I don't have a lot of insight. Thais are frustrated with the national government's response.The new prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, has underestimated the scope of the floods at every turn, and according to her electorate, was not prepared to deal with the evacuations, factory shutdowns, food security risks, and flooding in the capital city.

Not yet knowing what to think of Thai politics, I mostly consider the human suffering. 280 are confirmed dead while the economy and agriculture go into shutdown. There is potential for the situation to get much worse if the waters again exceed expectations as they move into Bangkok.

I don't have a take-home message for this post, but it would be difficult to understate this situation (thanks Harry Gabe for pointing this out) and my deepest condolences are with the Thais, still smiling as they confront story-high waters.

The following article and blog offer a good look at the dire situation:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/12/thailand-floods-2011_n_1007093.html

http://womenlearnthai.com/index.php/ayutthaya-underwater-bangkok-now-bracing-for-floods/