NAKHON PHANOM – As the sun rose over the banks of the Mekong River here in the early hours of the morning, a dramatic event occurred which many observers believe will have implications for many years to come, although some question its importance in the big scheme of things, unless however it serves as the catalyst for a much larger series of events, which some experts are warning is a real possibility.
What exactly happened here is the subject of some debate, but certain facts are indisputable – it was major, it will have a lasting impact, and its aftershocks are still trembling across great distances, figuratively speaking.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes,” said Somchai Jarapoon, a local man who witnessed everything. “I asked my wife to pinch me to make sure it wasn’t a dream.”
Or a nightmare. Somchai said he felt like it could have been either, or possibly both.
Local emergency response teams are in high gear, and provincial governor Phiyayut Phuyoirot has asked police to plan for lots of overtime, until the aftermath can be fully assessed.
Pornluck Silikutikat, resident of a nearby village, said she fears for the future. “If this kind of thing can happen here in our quiet little province, we should probably take precautions,” she said. Ms. Pornluck suggested that people “try to put it out of our minds for a while and pretend like it didn’t happen.”
“It very easily could have been worse,” said Nirapol Chareonas, managing director of ThaiWatch, an NGO. “Unless we get organized and get serious about prevention, we can expect this sort of thing to happen in other provinces as well.”
Nakhon Phanom is certainly not special, agreed professor of sociology Kawli Mukhadan. However, he cautioned, “It is also somewhat unique.”
For now, news cameras and cable TV trucks continue to camp out at the scene, and the story shows no signs of letting up.
As the sound of another flash was felt in the distance, Professor Mukhadan looked concerned. “I have no idea what I’m talking about,” he said. “And I never have.”
