The overflowing rivers and high tides in Thailand have brought more than flooding. With over 200,000 crocodiles kept in 30 farms over a large area of the country and with over 900 small breeding operations near Bangkok, it was a foregone conclusion that some of these would escape and pop up in residential areas of the city. Thailand is one of the world's main exporters of crocodile products, hence the high numbers of farms and breeding operations.
Escaped Crocodiles. Are Pedestrians Safe?
Numbers of escapee crocs are not known although an earlier report mentioned 100 that had escaped in Ayutthaya province last week. Despite being farm raised and used to the presence of people the crocodiles are still afraid of humans (as humans should still be afraid of them) but they are not expected to attack anyone with whom they come in contact. Their cousins in the wild are much more aggressive. The government has offered a reward of $100 or 1000 Baht (about $30) depending on which newspaper you read, for the capture of each crocodile and with the 5-day holiday declared it is quite possible that a crocodile hunt will be on the cards for some members of the public.
Two days ago a captured crocodile in a boat was posted on You Tube and there will be many more over the course of the next few days. Many websites have also photographs of captured crocodiles with their smiling captors.
The Nation (Bangkok) newspaper has reported the crocodile escapes but it has also mentioned that illegally kept wild animals have also escaped. They give figures of 3 tigers, between 20 and 30 monkeys and gibbons as well as 300 tortoises of several endangered species.
Danger to Agricultural Crops in Thailand's Floods
It is estimated that the worst floods in more than half a century may have wiped out as much as 14% of paddi fields in Thailand, the world's biggest rice exporter. This follows on a predicted global glut.
Tropical storms which inundated 62 of the country's 77 provinces, have destroyed 3.5 million acres containing 7 million tons of rice and one seller of packaged rice estimated that the price may climb to $750 a metric ton, a 21% rise on the current price.
For many small farmers the loss of their crop can mean the loss of a year's income. Entire crops have been wiped out and they must wait for the waters to recede before replanting in December at the earliest – that is if all is well with the land and that no damage has been done to the fertile soil.
Thailand had been on course to contribute 31% of all rice exports this year and many countries were relying on the Thai crop to help feed their people.
Rationing of Food and Water
Meantime, certain foodstuffs have been rationed to prevent hoarding. Customers at one Big C Supermarket in Bangkok found that bottled water had run out, toilet paper was being rationed and they were being restricted to one packet of rice and one tray of eggs. The Metropolitan Waterworks Authority admitted that floodwater had got into canal water used for its supply but they said that chemicals were being used to purify it.
SOURCES
Bloomberg,
The Nation English Language Newspaper, Bangkok
Bangkok Post, Bangkok
Wall Street Journal, USA.
Mari Nicholson - Award Winning travel writer and historian, member of British Guild of Travel Writers.Travelwriters.co.uk, and Society of Women Writers and ...
