When learning that Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang daringly announced he would take sole responsibility for the catastrophic flood that slammed most parts of Bangkok on Saturday morning, I thought he wouldn't make it to his first anniversary as head of City Hall this week.
I was wrong. He has kept his job, though battered by floods of criticism. Political responsibility, which means resigning if he was to observe the international standard, cannot be applied to this country. "I will not deny responsibility," the governor said before the TV cameras, after offering apologies to city residents. He asked the people not to blame the rain -- according to him, it's the heaviest downpour in three decades -- but him.
Sirinya Wattanasukchai is a columnist, Bangkok Post..
A bold remark, really. This is not the first time the capital city under Pol Gen Aswin, who replaced MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra last October, has been flooded after rains. It's a rare and nasty surprise for those living in better-off areas such as Sukhumvit, Asok and Thong Lor who, without warning, were left to cope with the unwanted water. People living outside the dyke along the Chao Phaya River are used to such conditions as they know the best option to move their belongings to higher ground.
The damage inflicted by the Saturday incident was enormous. Hopefully Bangkok residents will be allowed to call it a "flood" as it is a more accurate term than "water waiting to be drained", which was MR Sukhumbhand's invention.
According to the Thai General Insurance Association, the owners of 2,009 vehicles claimed damages. But the number of damaged vehicles must be much higher, given that natural disasters are covered for drivers only with first-class insurance. And even so, the damage can be claimed only for parked vehicles. Insurance firms will not pay if the owners drive into a flooded area.
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A bigger question is how the governor would take responsibility. I'm afraid I was naïve for one second when I expected the international standard of accountability to be applied in Thailand. Interestingly, I read from a news report this week that a team leader in charge of anti-flooding maintenance of underground trains in Singapore was removed after his team failed in its work.
A recent failure caused floods that resulted in train disruptions, affecting more than a quarter of a million commuters. Apart from the team leader being fired, his team members will also have their bonuses cut. This is full responsibility. But I should have known that Thai-style accountability is unique. Taking responsibility in Thailand means the person is allowed to hold on to his position and keep fixing the problem -- even if s/he doesn't know how.
Don't be surprised if the idea of resignation never occurred to the governor. How could he step down, he may say, when he still has so much to handle? Besides, don't forget that he did not volunteer for the job but was appointed by the regime as a replacement for his predecessor. Therefore, it's his "responsibility" to hold on his position and continue his work.
That's why before making that bold remark on Saturday, Pol Gen Aswin posed for a photo op, standing by a roadside whirlpool, surrounded by staff, acting as if he was busy fixing the drainage system on Vibhavadi Road. But is this the job of a governor? Instead of busying himself with such a mundane thing, I expect him to get busy finding a way to improve flood prevention, fix the town plan, or remove regulations that hinder anti-flood measures.
I don't agree with a work culture in which the boss feels he must show his face at the scene. But this is a Thai way of working which also gives the boss a chance to milk a crisis for publicity. After the photo op at weekend, the governor took responsibility by issuing a warning to Bangkok residents of more possible heavy downpours, similar to those on Saturday morning. Does that mean residents should get a disposable poncho from a convenience shop and a pair of boots as the city administration can't help keep the roads dry?
Should I be glad we have such a dedicated governor who is determined not to leave his job but stay with us doggedly despite such failures? I am sure the governor still can't think of a solution to the floods. I'd like to suggest he resort to an old tradition -- a little sexist but widely practised until today -- in which a virgin girl is assigned to put into the soil stems of lemongrass upside down as a ritual to fend of rain. But who knows? In despair, Pol Gen Aswin might have just done that. Though the scale of downpour last weekend suggested the governor might have picked the wrong person for the job.