Despite the severity of the floods that have affected hundreds of thousands of people in the provinces, the plight of the people affected seems to gain little media coverage. Perhaps it's because the Bangkok-centric media is complacent as the capital is mostly dry, and city residents can live a normal life.
"Never again" is a promise of government officials make who seem intent on scoring points against the former Yingluck administration which is accused of handling the big floods of 2011 badly. Few dare to mention that the success in keeping Bangkok dry comes at the expense of those in the provinces and it's the poor who suffer the most.
As the country battles an enormous volume of water, the government has resorted to an anti-flood strategy called nam tuam tung (releasing water to the fields), which mainly protects Bangkok and key economic areas.
Paritta Wangkiat is a reporter, Bangkok Post.
This means a large amount of water from the upstream Chao Phraya is diverted into low-lying farmland north of Bangkok. But it's not just farmland that is turned into water-retention areas -- several hundred communities are under water as well.
If that is not enough, flood water in some communities in Ayutthaya has lingered as it is blocked by dykes and roads which were raised higher following the 2011 flood.
Should I mention that floods are chronic problems for some communities in particular? They have suffered a loss of property, and the right to lead a normal life, something most Bangkokians can safely avoid.
While the government claimed the amount of water which flowed into the Central Plains was close to that of the 2011 flood, it is apparent the media has treated the issue as if it were a normal situation.
But the plight is real. Flooding makes their lives more difficult. Many poor families, particularly low-paid workers and farmers, cannot go out to earn a living. Some have to use their meagre savings to survive, and take out loans.
Only some deaths were able to draw media attention. Visut Boontieng, 51, a Sing Buri villager, drowned while swimming out of his village to buy food on Oct 26. His body was discovered the next day, with his hand grasping a 100-baht bank note.
Another man with one leg drowned as his boat capsized while on the way home in Lop Buri after his mother's funeral.
In Phichit, the water inundated schools in Pho Thalay district for a month, forcing schools to delay the new school term which is supposed to begin this week. These schools offer basic education to poor children of farmers who couldn't send their kids to study in urban schools which mostly remain dry.
These people die or lose opportunities because they are poor or because their communities are in the provinces rather than an economic hub such as the country's capital. Their voices are rarely heard by the leaders.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha thanked them for their sacrifices which helped keep the country's economic hub functional. Though he never said it, the fact is these poor villagers' sacrifices enables the military regime to remain popular among the urban population, and keep its hold on power.
During his visit to the flood-hit provinces of Ang Thong and Khon Kaen on Oct 30 and 31, Gen Prayut urged local people to "adjust" and resign themselves to the fact the floods could not be avoided. They had to "develop" to cope with flooding.
The prime minister even suggested the northeastern people listen to warnings from the Meteorology Department rather than mor lam -- northeastern traditional music. He may have intended it to be a joke. Yet it has sparked debate over his lack of political correctness.
Overall, his speech reflects the mindset of a top bureaucrat or politician in an ivory tower; it shows how state water management is inefficient, and the disparity between the rich and the poor who are made even poorer during such a difficult time.
A resident in flood-hit Ayutthaya told me the people could cope with annual floods as it's part of their life. But the fact is flooding is made more severe by humans. It is a result of poor urban planning, bad construction projects that block water flow or ineffective water management. This is not a natural incident but a man-made disaster.
What they need for their sacrifice is not nice words, nor gratitude, but a long-term plan against flooding. They need a voice in any water management policy, and state support to make them more resilient, not to make them victims of development that favours the urbanites.
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