BANGKOK: The water flows over the feet. Thapsikan looks slowly at his farm, flooded and not workable. He is noticeably frustrated as he hops up about half a meter onto a bench, allowing water to continue to move below, but for now, he is able to begin to dry. “It is frustrating that this is happening because we just went through a horrible flood,” he told Bikyamasr.com at his farm north of the Thailand capital of Bangkok on Thursday. “I know it's not really the government's fault, but we are going to suffer and I doubt they will give us much help.” He is quiet as he simply sits, watching and waiting. He hopes it will end and the water will begin to recede. Floods are wracking much of the country's northern area villages, where they are being cut of from access to the outside world. And there are little signs it will end soon. In Petchabun province, heavy floods in the Muang Lom Sak municipality have submerged over 1,000 houses and 8 square kilometers of farmlands, forcing local residents to commute by boats. In nearby Pitsanulok province, disaster prevention and mitigation authorities warned of possible flash floods with landslides from the Petchabun mountain range, which may affect households in 9 districts. In Lampang province, where floodwater in seven inundated districts was receding, high water levels from the Wang River carried garbage and branches down to a bridge across the river, prompting workers to clear the blockage with machines. Farmers in Umphang district in Tak province have begun collecting their crops as flash floods flowed into local canals which may overflow to their farmlands. For farmers like Thapsikan, there is little they can do but be patient. They are used to that, he said. “We will sit still and wait and hope,” he added.
