Rinse Cycle

Bangkok is now mostly drained. Only a few low-lying neighborhoods await pumping out. But for lots of homeowners on the edges of the city, now starts the hard part.

Ankle-high muck in the kitchen! Mold in the walls! Trash in the street! Mosquitoes everywhere!

Schools just opened up again yesterday after being closed for more than six weeks. That milestone will reveal how many people ended up fleeing the scene for good. If Hurricane Katrina is any guide, some Bangkokians will have decided that somewhere else suddenly looks lots better than home stench home.

The people I know who are returning to formerly flooded homes are trying to emphasize the positive—“I never liked that old refrigerator anyway,” or “the place has been needing a good scrubbing.” But their expressions give them away. The famous Thai smile looks a little forced these days.

And who can blame them?

Like the colleague pictured here, they lived out of a suitcase for as long as two months. They managed to avoid drowning and electrocution. They’re about to spend a boatload of their own money and time on supplies and scrubbing. Even when they decide they’re done, their place will still look lousy and smell worse.

At least the waiting is over, and we’ll all be able to talk about something else for a while. Let’s hope it’s a long while.