Venice of the East - massive deluge plunges Bangkok into chaos

[eggers]

1 hour ago, shady86 said:

Was this Sukhumvit 42 near Gateway? Very close to my place. 

Looks very much like it, yes, the BMA 's drainage management leaves a lot to be desired!! Same every year! 

[lopburi3]

10 minutes ago, JRUSA said:

Can anyone tell me if this area was affected.. Theparak District. My GF was heading back to Bangkok early this morning and I haven't heard from her..

We are talking about Bangkok Province - Theparak District is in Nakhon Ratchasima Province.  Traffic into Bangkok from the North was indeed a mess most the the day and there are still flooded area on the main inbound route.  But all/most Thai have mobile phones and they should be working OK - but if playing games stuck in traffic might not have any battery power.

[JRUSA]

3 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

We are talking about Bangkok Province - Theparak District is in Nakhon Ratchasima Province.  Traffic into Bangkok from the North was indeed a mess most the the day and there are still flooded area on the main inbound route.  But all/most Thai have mobile phones and they should be working OK - but if playing games stuck in traffic might not have any battery power.

Possibly...I been messaging her since about 10 am...she was returning from ubon ratcithani

Edited October 14, 2017 by JRUSA

[lopburi3]

1 minute ago, JRUSA said:

Possibly...I been messaging her since about 10 am...

It was so bad they had to make a U turn on the tollway into Bangkok because flooding was too deep at exit to get off.  Expect travel was not a pleasant experience and many hours spent stopped so easy to have lost phone battery.

[bazza73]

4 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

It was so bad they had to make a U turn on the tollway into Bangkok because flooding was too deep at exit to get off.  Expect travel was not a pleasant experience and many hours spent stopped so easy to have lost phone battery.

Why is the phone battery important to you?

[Happyman58]

Common sense see a flooded road dont drive through it

[JRUSA]

1 minute ago, bazza73 said:

Why is the phone battery important to you?

It's important to me, it's my GF I'm trying to find...she was returning to Bangkok from ubon ratchathani this morning...

[khunPer]

8 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

Depends where you are in Thailand...

We are just coming into our rainy season in Suratthani !!

Yes, but this thread is about Bangkok – Samui-side (normally) gets heavy rain in October-December, whilst Phuket-side have their rainy season from May till October – Surat Thai rain-season is October-November.

Edited October 14, 2017 by khunPer

[Basil B]

9 hours ago, kotsak said:

I see the much touted drainage tunnel has been working quite well.. 

Would help if they knocked down some of the buildings encroaching on former klongs and opened up the blocked klongs...

[owl sees all]

It's only water! Soon drain away.

[ballpoint]

2 hours ago, malibukid said:

why can't the fix this mess like the did in KL?

Really?  Having spent a lot of time in KL, flash floods are a frequent event there.  One of the biggest happened two years ago when a sudden downpour flooded parts of KL stranding over 100 cars that were stuck in the evening traffic jam.  

And this year alone there have been two, one in May and another just last month:

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/05/30/evening-downpour-brings-flash-floods-traffic-jams-to-kl-and-pj/

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2017/09/275610/evening-downpour-brings-traffic-stop-flash-flood-hits-jalan-kuching  They really fixed it alright. 

 

As others have said, the amount of rain we had last night in such a short time would have flooded most, if not every, city in the world.  What is impressive is that, from the water being pumped out of shops along lower Sukhumvit this morning, the level on the street must have been rather high, as they all have built up frontages, yet the street was dry when I walked along it at 10:00.  All that water on the street drained away in a few hours.  And as for those trying to compare a localised flash flood caused by a torrential downpour with the long term floods of 2011, your comprehension and evaluation skills are an embarrasment to you.

 

[Airbagwill]

2 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

Venice with a population of 264 thousand and no vehicles so yes foot and boat traffic goes on in the rain.

Bangkok with a population of 8.2 million and 4 million vehicles also normally has traffic in the rain.

Venice still has canals - BKK has covered or filled them in.

[thaianon]

9 hours ago, sidgy said:

Quite. But it is a story on the flooding in Bkk, on the Bkk forum.


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

I live in Bangkok. In 2011, we had our worst flooding during the month of October. School was actually closed until about the middle of November.

[sidgy]

I live in Bangkok. In 2011, we had our worst flooding during the month of October. School was actually closed until about the middle of November.

I lived in Nonthaburi in 2011 and luckily for me in a rented house, as the water level came above the height of the downstairs light switches completely ruining all the furniture etc and making the house uninhabitable for over six weeks. However, this is irrelevant as that flooding was not the consequence of a 200mm plus deluge overwhelming the capacity of the local drainage system.


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[peterpop]

But this is false photos and malicious propaganda, quote from on high ''There will be no flooding in Bangkok this year''.

[shady86]

Can anyone tell me if this area was affected.. Theparak District. My GF was heading back to Bangkok early this morning and I haven't heard from her..

I think you are talking about Theparak road in Samut Prakan. This place do get some minor flood...

[katana]

Thai guy making the best of it by fishing in Silom Rd, BKK.

 

 

[tryasimight]

Did have its good points though...the storm combined with the bars on Soi 4 being shut saw quite a few girls seeking refuge  under cover at the Nana Hotel.

And very negotiable in the buyers market at the time.

Worked for me!

I did see a first though...a deaf and dumb 'lady' walking around with a hand written note saying 'I'm deaf and dumb and cannot speak. if you want to have sex. I'm a ladyboy"!

I declined with thanks.

[Scott]

A post with an unflattering description of the gov't has been removed.  

[whaleboneman]

9 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

And not all areas north of BKK are flooded either! Nothing like a bit of hyperbole.

 

Areas of BKK regularly flood after a severe torrential downpour and will continue to do so until someone sorts the drainage system out.

I wonder if the "drainage" system would actually help if it wasn't completely clogged with trash.

[Scott]

Years ago, the situation with clogged drains was severe.   There was very little effort to stop people from throwing trash on the streets and sidewalks.   When they 'cracked down', it got a lot better.   It's far from good, but much better.   At that time a small rainfall would result in flooding.

 

I suspect that a lot of the garbage on the roads was a result of trash being washed on the roads from other locations.  

[bruceamstutz]

15 hours ago, kotsak said:

I see the much touted drainage tunnel has been working quite well.. 

Yes, but it has taken a few real good rains to flush out the beggars, drunks, trash, dead people, dogs and other animals pushed into the Chao Phraya to get a good flow......

[XBroker]

17 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

Depends where you are in Thailand...

We are just coming into our rainy season in Suratthani !!

The comment was about BKK getting more, not 'where you are'.

[jgarbo]

18 hours ago, Kerryd said:

 

Actually we are at the end of the rainy season, which generally goes from May/June to October, give or take a couple weeks.

Right. Ok Phansa (last week) is the (official) end of the Rainy Season. Seems the gods changed their minds. Someone's been thrifty with the offerings.

[XBroker]

Lots of flood cars coming on the market all over the world, it seems.

[jgarbo]

1 hour ago, Scott said:

Years ago, the situation with clogged drains was severe.   There was very little effort to stop people from throwing trash on the streets and sidewalks.   When they 'cracked down', it got a lot better.   It's far from good, but much better.   At that time a small rainfall would result in flooding.

 

I suspect that a lot of the garbage on the roads was a result of trash being washed on the roads from other locations.  

Rubbish is still a problem. At my regular by Khlong Saen Saeb, opposite the Elephant Head bridge pier, they fished out a nice sofa. We're waiting for arm chairs to make a set. The flood tunnel under the road is working overtime, emptying into the khlong. Compared to recent floods in UK, Italy, Germany - Bangkok's doing OK. 

[jgarbo]

2 minutes ago, XBroker said:

Lots of flood cars coming on the market all over the world, it seems.

Caveat emptor...

[jacko45k]

20 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

The areas north of Bangkok are already flooded, more is running off from central and northern Thailand and we are just in the beginning of the rainy season. Could be a wet few months to come.

Usually the end of it but certainly the wettest month. And this year it surely has been.

[lvr181]

10 hours ago, owl sees all said:

It's only water! Soon drain away.

555 You have a good memory.

[cornishcarlos]

2 hours ago, XBroker said:

The comment was about BKK getting more, not 'where you are'.

 

Yeah thanks for that observation. You are only the fourth person to point that out :)