Thai Rath Columnistmae Look Chan | Bangkok Post: opinion

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Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's five-day tour of eight flood-hit provinces can be deemed successful only if she gets first-hand information from both local officials and the people affected by last year's inundation.

I am afraid that some officials might only show her what is favourable, thus turning the fact-finding mission into a window-dressing exercise.

The people in these provinces want to know whether their homes and farmland will be turned into water-retention areas, and how much money they will receive if they are to be relocated. This information is crucial for rice farmers, who are now preparing to plant the year's first crop. The same is true for people living in urban areas that may be turned into floodways.