Bangkok residents running out of patience as flood continues

At first, many people in Bangkok were not so worried with the flood as they could swim and even catch fish in the water. But two weeks of continuous flooding, the water becomes stinky with garbage and oil floating on it. No living fish can be found now and no parents allow their children to play on the inundated streets. Trapped by dirty water for weeks, the residents of Bangkok, the most densely-populated city in Thailand, "the kingdom of smile," are starting to run out of patience. Zhuang Mali, over 60, runs a coffee stand outside her home, but few people pass by her stand in the ankle-deep water. "No business, no money for food. Our life is ruined," she said. Respondents of a recent survey by Bangkok University scored Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra 4.98 out of ten. People complain of losses, and difficulties in communication, transportation and buying goods. Academics and activists are threatening class action suits against the government and state agencies. Some analysts even predicted Yingluck would step down, a speculation rejected by the rime minister as baseless. "Stepping down has never crossed my mind. People pin their hopes on us. I would be dressed down thoroughly if I quit because of this problem," Yingluck said. Floods are expected to continue plaguing Bangkok for weeks. About 1.7 million people in Bangkok's 17 districts were told to evacuate. But many of them chose to stay. Nopawan Techasenee and her aunt used to be among them. In early October, Nopawan and her aunt, like most Bangkokians, were told not to worry about the flood. However, on Oct. 27, water came gushing out of the sewer and inundated the first floor of their two-story house in northwest Bangkok's Taweewattana district. Fortunately they knew better than getting confused by the mixed message from experts and politicians. They stored food and water enough for two weeks and moved furniture, TV, fridge and everything else onto the second floor. Nopawan declined to go to a nearby shelter when soldiers came to pick them up on a raft. Government messages led them to believe the flood would soon recede after the five-day special holiday from Oct. 27 to 31. Some of her neighbors took the leisure to go boating and picking bananas. But water just kept rising, 30 centimeters deep on the first day, 50 on the second and 100 on the third day. When Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the worst had passed on Oct. 31, water in Nopawan's house showed no sign of receding and was reaching the electric brake Of the more than 500 people killed in the floods, dozens of them died of electrocution. So Nopawan and her aunt decided to move to her mother's small apartment in the dry inner Bangkok. Ten days have passed, Nopawan still can not return to her house as neighbors told her the water in her house did not recede. And the neighbors can no longer face the disaster with light hearts as they are surrounded by piling trash and polluted water. While trash collectors struggle to do their job on boats instead of trucks, tonnes of garbage are floating and piling in the flooded area, about one-fifth of Bangkok, home to 12 million people. People start to worry about health hazards. Poisonous food and contaminated drinking water are found in random tests across Bangkok. Health authorities have also reported some cases of leptospirosis, a potentially fatal infectious disease often found in flooded area. To students, they have another concern. Nopawan, a student of the prestigious Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, worries her new semester may be delayed by the flood. "When can we get our normal life back?"