• Published: 11/02/2012 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

The government's 10-million-baht party to thank people involved with flood-relief operations drew anger among flood victims, many of whom have yet to receive the 5,000-baht assistance they were promised.

"I wonder, what does the government use as an indicator to measure the success of its Flood Relief Operations Command to the point it had to hold such an event," asked Ms Passawan Joradol, 33, who had to vacate her house in Bangkok's Bang Khen area for more than a month when it was metres deep in floodwater.

The Froc was heavily criticised for its failure to give advance warnings and coordinate relief measures.

The Flood Relief Operations Command and City Hall will hold talks with residents from Pathum Thani's Lam Luk Ka district today to solve a dispute over the Khlong Hok Wa flood barrier.

The three-way talks follow the demolition of a 70-metre section of the sandbag wall by angry Lam Luk Ka residents on Thursday in a bid to drain floodwater from their area.

The breach caused floodwater to surge into areas in Bangkok's Sai Mai district.

The government has apologised to people affected by its slow response to the flooding crisis as water levels began to recede in some affected areas.

Highway bail-out begins: Highways Department workers begin salvaging Bangkok-Suphan Buri Highway 340 in Pathum Thani yesterday. The road will be used as a detour to the South in case the Rama II Road, which is the main route to the South from Bangkok, is made impassable by floods. — TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD

Justice Minister Pracha Promnok, director of the Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc), yesterday issued the apology in parliament.