Thai people most satisfied with soldiers' flood relief operations

BANGKOK, November 26 (TNA) - People in all regions of Thailand have mostly praised soldiers for their flood relief mission, followed by all individual and organisational or grouped volunteers. According to a latest survey conducted by Bangkok University's Research Centre, known as the Bangkok Poll, from November 22-24, during which 1,087 people aged 18 and above in all regions of Thailand, including those having been affected and unaffected by floods, were interviewed on a random basis, the majority of the respondents, or 98.3 per cent, said that they were most satisfied with soldiers' roles in flood relief support, followed by 98.2 per cent and 96.6 per cent of them who said they were most satisfied with all fellow citizens and organisational or grouped volunteers. The survey found that 67.7 per cent of the respondents expressed their least satisfaction with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's roles; while 64.3 per cent and 51.8 per cent expressed their least satisfaction with the roles of the government's Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC) and relevant politicians respectively. The "Bangkok Poll" also found that 72.6 per cent of the respondents viewed this year's flood crisis since late July an uncontrollable natural disaster caused by unusually excessive downpours; while 58 per cent and 55.6 per cent of them viewed the adverse effects of flooding from mismanagement by relevant authorities and the country's limited potential in handling the national irrigation system in case of a great natural disaster. Meanwhile, Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said that he has no worries over a case filed against his Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) this week by flood-affected people of the capital's suburban Nonthaburi Province with the Administrative Court, alleging the BMA of mismanagement of the water situation. The Bangkok governor insisted that all his BMA's actions and decisions have been explainable based on legitimate mandate and authorisation endorsed by the government. (TNA)