Sue the government

Class action suits over government mismanagement of the floods are being planned while Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra pledges to stay and do the job she was elected to do.

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143 housing estates in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces have been inundated. Seven industrial estates in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani have been flooded, while 700,000 workers are expected to lose their jobs. Now some people are considering filing a class action suit against the government for mismanagement. RATTASEEMA PONGSEN

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Embattled PM refuses to quit

Scholar threatens class action suit against govt

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Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra rides a non-air conditioned bus to visit flood victims at Prachaniwet School in the Chatuchak district. APICHART JINAKUL

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has pledged to stay on and tackle the floods, despite mounting criticism of the government's handling of the disaster.

Pressure is opening on a new front as academics and activists threaten class action suits against the government and state agencies for their "mismanagement" of the floods.

An economist said yesterday he could launch a class action lawsuit which will seek compensation for people who lost their homes and income in the crisis.

However, Ms Yingluck said stepping down had never crossed her mind because she was given a mandate to run the country.

She dismissed speculation the flood problem was getting the better of her and shrugged off the legal threats.

The prime minister was on the verge of tears at times when prodded about the floods. She said crying was not a gesture of weakness or hopelessness, or she would have called it quits long ago.

"People pin their hopes on us. I would be dressed down thoroughly if I quit because of this problem.

"I might have cried but it isn't weakness. It could be hard to understand unless you're there. It's a surge of sympathy when seeing others' suffering," she said.

The prime minister yesterday took a bus ride to visit a flood shelter in Chatuchak district.

She cooked phad wun sen for flood evacuees before heading back to Parliament to attend the budget bill debate.

Ms Yingluck played down reports about lawsuits which will be lodged against the government for its handling of the floods. She said all parties concerned have made concerted efforts to tackle the crisis.

She was not interested in being part of a political game and hoped her sincerity in working for the country would be returned in kind.

"I am the prime minister but I don't know everything about water. But I am not left to handle this on my own.

"Why don't we help build confidence and overcome the crisis?" she said.

Among those who are exploring the feasibility of holding the government responsible for the crisis is Assoc Prof Narong Phetprasert, a Chulalongkorn University economist.

Mr Narong said he has discussed the matter with lawyers and found a couple of legal points that can be pursued.

He plans to make it a class action suit which will cover not only those who are directly affected by the flood, but those who lost income as well.

"The lawsuit is not limited to people whose houses are submerged. It will also include those whose houses aren't flooded but who lost income due to the flood," he said. He insisted he is not after the government alone, but every agency which should be held responsible.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Agriculture Ministry, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and Egat Plc could also be targeted by the suit.

He had yet to decide how much compensation to demand for flood-affected people.

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housing estate – residential estate; an area containing a large number of houses or apartments built close together at the same time บ้านจัดสรร
neighbouring – located or living near or next to a place or person  ติดกัน, ที่อยู่ใกล้เคียง, ที่ตั้งอยู่ใกล้เคียง
inundated – flooded ถูกน้ำท่วม, จมลงใต้น้ำ
industrial estate – an area of land where industrial companies have their buildings นิคมอุตสาหกรรม
consider – to give careful thought to something before making a decision พิจารณา
file – to take official action like making a complaint  ยื่น
class action lawsuit – a type of court case that is started by a group of people who have the same problem การฟ้องคดีในนามกลุ่มบุคคล
mismanagement – organising or controlling something badly การจัดการผิด
embattled – experiencing a lot of problems ที่ถูกโจมตี
refuse – to say you will not do something that someone has asked you to do ปฏิเสธ
scholar – someone who studies a particular subject and knows a lot about it, especially a subject that is not scientific นักวิชาการ
threaten – to say you might or will do something bad or harmful, especially in order to make someone do something ขู่
pledge – to make a serious promise to do something สัญญา
tackle – to make an organised and determined attempt to deal with a problem จัดการกับปัญหา
mounting – increasing ที่เพิ่มขึ้น
criticism – comments that show that you think something is wrong or bad การวิจารณ์
disaster – an unexpected event, such as a very bad accident, a flood or a fire, that kills a lot of people or causes a lot of damage ความหายนะ ความล่มจม ความโชคร้าย
pressure – trying to make someone do something by forcing, threatening, or persuading them in a determined way ความกดดัน, แรงกระตุ้น, การบีบบังคับ
front – a particular area of activity ด้าน
academic – relating to education เชิงวิชาการ
activist – someone who takes part in activities that are intended to achieve political or social change, especially someone who is a member of an organisation นักกิจกรรม
state – government รัฐบาล
launch – to start something เปิดโครงการ, เริ่มต้น, เริ่มทำ
compensation – money that someone receives because something bad has happened to them  เงินชดเชย
income – money that someone gets from working or from investing money รายได้
crisis - a situation that has reached and extremely difficult or dangerous point ช่วงวิกฤต
cross your mind – to come into your mind; to think of  นึกถึง, คำนึงถึง
mandate – the authority to do something mandate  การให้อำนาจ
dismiss – to refuse to accept that something might be true or important ไม่สนใจ,แย้งกลับ
speculation – ideas or discussion about what might happen or has happened or why something has happened without having complete information การคาดการณ์
get the better of – to defeat somebody/something or gain an advantage ชนะ, ทำให้พ่ายแพ้
shrug off – to show that something does not worry or upset you ไม่เอาใจใส่, ไม่สนใจ
legal – relating to the law or lawyers เกี่ยวกับกฎหมาย
on the verge of – to be about to do something very soon; to almost be ready to do something very near to the moment when somebody does something or something happens เกือบจะทำบางสิ่ง
on the verge of tears – to be almost crying น้ำตาปริ่มขอบตา
prod – to push someone/something quickly or to try to get them to do something แหย่, แยง
gesture – something that you do or say to show a particular feeling or intention ท่าที
pin their hopes on – to depend on someone or something to succeed ไว้วางใจใน, เชื่อใจใน
dress down – to criticize or be angry with somebody because they have done something wrong ว่ากล่าว,  ดุด่า (คำไม่เป็นทางการ)
surge – a sudden increase in something การเพิ่มขึ้นอย่างรวดเร็ว
sympathy – a natural feeling of kindness and understanding that you have for someone who is experiencing something very unpleasant ความเห็นอกเห็นใจ
suffering – physical or mental pain or problems ความทุกข์ทรมาน
shelter – a temporary place to stay ที่พักชั่วคราว
evacuee – a person who leaves a place of danger ผู้อพยพ
budget – an amount of money able to be spent on something งบประมาณ
bill – a written document containing a proposal for a new law พระราชบัญญัติ
play down – to discount; to try to make something seem less important or serious than it really is ลดความสำคัญ
party – one of the people or groups of people involved in an official argument, arrangement or similar situation คู่กรณี
concerned – involved in something, or affected by something เกี่ยวข้องกับ ที่สัมพันธ์กับ
concerted – involving a lot of people or organizations working together in a determined way ที่กระทำร่วมกัน
sincerity – (of a person, feelings or behaviour) not pretending or lying; honest ความจริงใจ, ตรงไปตรงมา
in kind – with the same thing ในประเภทเดียวกัน, อย่างเดียวกัน
confidence – the quality of being certain ความมั่นใจ
overcome – to succeed in controlling or dealing with something ต่อสู้อุปสรรคจนสำเร็จสำมารถดำเนินการต่อไปได้
feasibility – the possibility that something can be achieved ความเป็นไปได้
responsible – deserving to be blamed for something that has happened มีความรับผิดชอบ
pursue – to try to achieve something ดำเนินตาม, พยายามเพื่อให้ได้มาซึ่ง
submerged – under water  จมน้ำ อยู่ใต้น้ำ
due to – because of เนื่องจาก
insist – to keep saying very firmly that something is true ยืนกราน ยืนยัน
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) – the local government of Bangkok กรุงเทพมหานคร
target – to direct something at someone or something ตั้งเป็นเป้าหมาย