Illustration: Liu Rui

The building manager where I live tells me in Thai, mixed with some English words and dramatic gestures, that the flood will certainly reach my apartment block. However, according to the flood situation map on the official website of the Thai government, the high-risk area marked in orange is still far away from my flat. Who should I trust?

Since the middle of October, the residents in central Bangkok have been puzzled by the misleading information. Sometimes, a friend phoned to tell me the arrival of the flood, but at the same time, the administrative staff of my building informed me that the sandbags had stopped the flood. One day, I read a report in the newspaper that the government said that the whole of Bangkok might be flooded; however, the next day, an official from Bangkok government guaranteed on a TV program that most of Bangkok would be safe.

Information is life. Misleading information can aggravate natural disasters. Now, although the flood has been prevented from reaching downtown Bangkok, the suburbs of north, west and east Bangkok have been flooded, especially the low-lying areas. In some places of Ayutthaya, the flood rose two meters in two hours. In other Bangkok suburbs, the floods closed over people's heads overnight. The lack of early warning led to severe losses of life and property.

The flood needs scientific research and analysis and the information should be released by professional institutes. This way, the public can know the time they should leave, the ways they can leave and the places they should go to.

However, from the beginning of the disaster, the sources of information have been constantly changing. It seems that everyone can release "authoritative" information, including the media, different organizations, various parties and all levels of the government.

In the face of this confusion, locals choose to seek confirmation from Twitter and Microblog. People put photos on the Internet if a street is flooded. Others sound warnings about crocodiles or snakes borne along by the waters. However, the information from the Internet is a mixture of facts and rumors, which makes ordinary people more nervous.

For a vast metropolis like Bangkok, the most important part of dealing with natural disasters is timely, accurate and authoritative information. What do the normal people most need in the disaster? Except for food and water, the most important thing is information. Exact information can reassure residents and let them know what they should do next. For flood control and disaster relief, a calm public mood can be more important than the food and water.

The information chaos in Bangkok during the flood reflects the poor management ability of the government. If the government cannot ensure the accuracy and authority of information and cannot effectively control misleading rumors, the public won't trust the government.

Accurate and authoritative information is not only an essential factor for flood control and disaster relief, but also an important basis for maintaining social stability in developing countries such as Thailand.

While I was writing this article, I received a short text message, saying that the Bangkok mayor has warned that the flood will reach the Victory Monument in central Bangkok, less than 7 kilometers away from my flat. Should I trust the information?

The author is a senior reporter with the People's Daily. He is now stationed in Bangkok. dinggang@globaltimes.com.cn