Floods dampen ASEAN meeting

Floods dampen ASEAN meeting

BANGKOK (AFP): Heavy rains have flooded the northern Thai city
of Chiang Mai on the eve of the Association of South East Asian
Nations (ASEAN) Economic Ministers meeting (AEM) and sent
organizers scrambling for emergency transportation, local reports
said yesterday.

The ancient capital, often called the "Rose of Thailand," was
under a meter of water yesterday, following a week of downpours
from tropical depression Luke which swept uncollected refuse
along the streets, Thai radio said.

Some of the worst flooding was near the five-star Westin
Hotel, where the economic ministers of Brunei, Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand are to meet
Monday for annual talks, The Nation daily said.

Thai organizers had considered moving the meetings from the
Westin to a hotel in a less flooded part of town, but decided
Friday that preparations at the Westin were so advanced that the
meetings would be held there.