Another update from our friend in Bangkok:

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Hey Brendan,

I imagine the floods must be a confusing story in the west. I say this as it is very confusing here. No-one really seems to know what is happening.

The water is still here and everything is getting rank with the smell of chlorophyll. We live on an island, 10 kilometers or so wide and long, connected by the freeway, and surrounded by puddles of water 1-3 feet deep that stretch for hundreds of miles. Everything is so flat that the water has to evaporate to to go, I guess. Although some people are buying boat motors and running them in their neighborhoods to make the water move away. This is crazy, but supported by some branches of the government. The disease and animal situation is what concerns us most.

Diseases have to come soon—there is just too much standing water for them not to.

Although people are not talking about it much, cholera, mosquito-borne illnesses, and respiratory illnesses that accompany mold are sure to make the poor suffer more. More than 500 have died so far. Interestingly, people are making these weird little "EM ['effective microorganism'] Balls," which look like dirt clods and are thrown in the filthy water and supposedly clean it up. Great, if they work.

The animals are a little more personally disturbing but less serious of a threat. Lots of snakes, crocodiles and dogs have been driven to our "island." My coworker saw a massive cobra outside of Starbucks yesterday.

The new-to-this-area, mangy-looking country dogs make bicycle rides a little more restricted.

Last week, a man who had an illegal private snake farm (welcome to Asia!) in the flooded part of this neighborhood reported that all 15 of his seriously poisonous African Green Mambas had escaped. [From an article on the mambas in question: "Mambas are excellent climbers and are very fast. Do not try to kill or capture one, you will almost definitely be bitten, and probably die from it."] The government has flown in African anti-venom in case someone is bit. Not that it it could be administered fast enough but it is nice to know that they have it.

This website is typical of the attitude of many Thais I talk to. In it, the author, whose house has been inundated with water for more than a month (he is father north than us), states on the main page that "We are thankful for this learning opportunity." What a nice guy—his house is ruined and he is thankful.

Later on, he has my favorite post and picture:

My fighting office. Work 60 minutes per hour, 24 hours a day. A rifle is for snakes and rats. Luger 11/22 use for a day time. Night time, I use a Shotgun for crocodiles. Remington 870 tactical with a good surefire flashlight. So far, there is no crocodile to shoot at yet but many snakes and rats.