Drought disasters declared in 23 provinces 

By The Nation

 

 

Drought disasters have been declared in 23 provinces, legally obliging the government to provide assistance, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reported today (March 10).

 

DDPM director-general Monton Sudprasert said the disaster areas are Chiang Rai, Phayao, Nan, Uttaradit, Sukhothai, Phetchabun, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Sakon Nakhon, Kalasin, Maha Sarakham, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Chaiyaphum, Si Sa Ket, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Kanchanaburi, Suphan Buri, Chachoengsao and Prachin Buri.

 

“The department has cooperated with the Army and related authorities to help drought victims by pumping water, digging wells, drilling and cleaning artesian wells, and organising water trucks to fill village central water tanks and water distribution points to make sure people have sufficient water during this drought season,” he said.

 

“Also, we have asked every sector to use water wisely and change the way of agriculture to suit the present situation,” he added.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30383768

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-03-10

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It's going to get a lot worse before it get's better. No water for planting rice, or other crops, this year. Poor farmers are going to be devastated and ruined. And in reality, there's not much the government can do to help. We could see a record year for suicides from depression in the lower classes. 

17 minutes ago, webfact said:

the disaster areas are Chiang Rai, Phayao, Nan, Uttaradit, Sukhothai,

A few days ago, I was fortunate enough to take a short helicopter trip from Phitsanulok province to the adjoining province of Sukothai. The predominate color on the ground was brown. Sorry about the pilot in the shot. Aerial photography is not easy, well that is my excuse...

 

Edited March 10, 20206 yr by missoura

Water is also off here in southern Pattaya, PWA said on 8th it's closed temporarily due to drought. Maprachan is under dead water limit, Nong Kho as well. After Bang Phra dries out, which at current rate would seem to be in April, Chonburi/Pattaya will join the disaster areas.

Never mind in April mindless fools will be throwing water away in droves. The mayor of Pattaya announced that he cannot stop people in Pattaya throwing water at songkran. It would be easy just fine the owners of bars with customers throwing water 20,000 baht and give the local police a 25% cut. 

14 hours ago, JusticeGB said:

Never mind in April mindless fools will be throwing water away in droves. The mayor of Pattaya announced that he cannot stop people in Pattaya throwing water at songkran. It would be easy just fine the owners of bars with customers throwing water 20,000 baht and give the local police a 25% cut. 

 

“Also, we have asked every sector to use water wisely

 

 

Yes the Governors of Chiang Mai and Pattaya say they are powerless to stop water fights at Songkran this year. Well dont bleat about drought issues if you cannot control what water you have.

They are not powerless to stop the water fighting, just too bloody lazy and scared to stop large groups from doing it. Would turn into a real fight ! Why not just turn off the water during the day ?  Give everyone a warning to stockpile water for the day. Oh No !  I have just solved the problem for them without forming 6 sub committees to look into it for a month.

I predict lots of loans for farmers to help their financial situation due to drought. I also predict a boom thereafter of pickups !

Does anyone have any idea how much water is 'wasted' during Songkran?  Many commentators on TV seem to think it is a tremendous amount - any numbers to back-up these claims?

Reading the comments some may not be aware it gets this dry every single year. Most of Thailand is classified as a tropical savanna which you can read about. It can go half a year without raining. Just part of the normal every year climate.

 

Water reserves are chaotic. They bleed off too much water from dams so they can be sure to prevent Bangkok from flooding again at the expense of not having enough water to make it through the dry season. This is exacerbated by the population and farming increasing, thus so is water usage. More dams get made, but never enough. Deforestation and government sponsored cloud seeding are reducing rains in the rainy season creating a more arid climate. A solution is for everyone to plant trees to hold more water and release moisture. Trees around villages, trees in forests, farmers growing trees rather than  vegetables. But this goes against the culture of burning everything and encroaching and destroying ever more forests. We can look forward to a more arid climate in the decades to come.

 

During a drought any amount of water wasted is too much, and Pattaya must waste more than any other city during Songkran yet the mayor says it can't be stopped, he is evidently in the wrong job...!!!!

Notice Chonburi/Pattaya is not on the list.

 

17 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Water is also off here in southern Pattaya, PWA said on 8th it's closed temporarily due to drought. Maprachan is under dead water limit, Nong Kho as well. After Bang Phra dries out, which at current rate would seem to be in April, Chonburi/Pattaya will join the disaster areas.

Don't worry, hopefully we are playing Songkran very soon.

17 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Water is also off here in southern Pattaya, PWA said on 8th it's closed temporarily due to drought. Maprachan is under dead water limit, Nong Kho as well. After Bang Phra dries out, which at current rate would seem to be in April, Chonburi/Pattaya will join the disaster areas.

Join the rain dance...

They will be throwing their water Think about today dont worry about tommorrow plus they might worry that their holidays might be cancelled and they have to go to work So they will definetly be throwing water

2 minutes ago, ubon farang said:

They will be throwing their water

 

Maybe this year they can throw dirt and rocks at each other?

 

 

1 minute ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Maybe this year they can throw dirt and rocks at each other?

 

 

20 hours ago, webfact said:

“Also, we have asked every sector to use water wisely and change the way of agriculture to suit the present situation,”

Excluding April 11th-15th [Songkran] and farmers who grow water intensive rice crops.

3 hours ago, Prairieboy said:

Does anyone have any idea how much water is 'wasted' during Songkran?  Many commentators on TV seem to think it is a tremendous amount - any numbers to back-up these claims?

Stating actual fact that it is a "mere drop in the ocean" is pointless, Songkran has its haters and this forum lets them vent, Pattaya is a pain admittedly, but the festival was extended there over 20 years ago, maybe they should have considered that when they moved there rather than the constant bitching and griping.

 

In previous years I have looked on https://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/rid_dam_1.php?lang=en there has been no noticeable/record able change in levels compared to before & after Songkran, but they don't want to hear that - wait for it 

 

Wasted water, it doesn't disappear, if people were dying of thirst on the streets then you could say that, or is that now happening? The water stays in the environment regardless.

Where I am living there is no shortage of water for consumption, sure some sort of celebration of Thai New Year will happen, much to the Disgust of many here.

20 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

It's going to get a lot worse before it get's better. No water for planting rice, or other crops, this year. Poor farmers are going to be devastated and ruined. And in reality, there's not much the government can do to help. We could see a record year for suicides from depression in the lower classes. 

Always look on the bright side of life!Last year we had the worst drought in twenty years and the same predictions were made then not long after we had the worst flood in my wife's memory.This seems to happen a lot in the media.

21 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

It's going to get a lot worse before it get's better. No water for planting rice, or other crops, this year. Poor farmers are going to be devastated and ruined. And in reality, there's not much the government can do to help. We could see a record year for suicides from depression in the lower classes. 

If that will cause them to burn less, then it is good news. Endless rice fields fires around the area where I live, that along with corn of course (Yes fires too). As much as I do pity them, I would rather pay more for stuff or to them to stop or at least make them burn less. 

22 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

It's going to get a lot worse before it get's better. No water for planting rice, or other crops, this year. Poor farmers are going to be devastated and ruined. And in reality, there's not much the government can do to help. We could see a record year for suicides from depression in the lower classes. 

quote "We could see a record year for suicides from depression in the lower classes."

 

Sadly I have to agree with you on this.

 

To be a fairly successful farmer you need 24/7 access to water, at least 100 rai of your own land, equipment and fertilisers, weedkillers, your own tractor/rice cropper, your own work team preferably family, NO debts at all and hopefully a reasonable amount of cash in the banks. Certainly enough to see you through this coming wet and/or dry season  (hollow laughter).

 

If you don't have that, then you will have to rely on the generous government to help you.

2 hours ago, CGW said:

Stating actual fact that it is a "mere drop in the ocean" is pointless, Songkran has its haters and this forum lets them vent, Pattaya is a pain admittedly, but the festival was extended there over 20 years ago, maybe they should have considered that when they moved there rather than the constant bitching and griping.

 

In previous years I have looked on https://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/rid_dam_1.php?lang=en there has been no noticeable/record able change in levels compared to before & after Songkran, but they don't want to hear that - wait for it 

 

Wasted water, it doesn't disappear, if people were dying of thirst on the streets then you could say that, or is that now happening? The water stays in the environment regardless.

Where I am living there is no shortage of water for consumption, sure some sort of celebration of Thai New Year will happen, much to the Disgust of many here.

Try looking at these 2 links for large and medium size dams and look at the difference between 2020, 2019 and 2018.

 

http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/rid_dam_1.php?lang=en

 

http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/show_sm_dam.php?lang=en

 

This link is for the Bhumibol dam in Tak province. So far this year the water level has not even reached the lower rule curve yet. Just slide the cursor along the X axis to the date you require and you will get the levels in 2020, 2019 and 2018 for comparison.

 

http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/rid_lgraph3.php?dam_id=1&lang=en

1 minute ago, billd766 said:

Try looking at these 2 links for large and medium size dams and look at the difference between 2020, 2019 and 2018.

No need to "try" I look regularly and have done for many years! (My point, which you appear to have "misunderstood" is dam levels before and after Songkran, or did you choose to ignore as there is no difference and doesn't "fit' your narrative?)

Go back 50 or a hundred years you will see the same variations - feast or famine, its always been that way in this country & always will be, farm land in the country areas isn't cheap because it is guaranteed to reap profit, its cheap due to the uncertainties of farming here.

 

Farming will "sustain" people here as it has done historically, it wont maintain a lifestyle that so many are driven to aspire to with new pick ups and debt to service. 

It will continue to profit the "Elites" and their high profit business of funding farmers with high interest rates and profit their distribution network, where the real money is made.

21 hours ago, JusticeGB said:

Never mind in April mindless fools will be throwing water away in droves. The mayor of Pattaya announced that he cannot stop people in Pattaya throwing water at songkran. It would be easy just fine the owners of bars with customers throwing water 20,000 baht and give the local police a 25% cut. 

 

Great suggestion!

 

Give the police more fantastic ideas to cheat and rip off the public.

 

Furthermore, do you think that a bar owner can stop drunken lunatics throwing water when it has been the norm forever and gradually got worse and far more dangerous?

 

The police are powerless to stop it, in fact they join in.

No, there are no droughts like this every year. I have lived near Mabprachan for about 15 years, and its never been this low! Another great idea, plant trees an not vegies! hahahaha. Who is going to eat trees? 

On 3/10/2020 at 4:29 PM, JusticeGB said:

give the local police a 25% cut. 

they get more than this anyway in 'protection money.'

13 hours ago, Tonyt00 said:

Who is going to eat trees?

Uhh...fruit trees?

 

In my area it is popular to grow hydroponic lettuce. This isn't used in Thai cuisine. It isn't sold at local markets. I am not sure what countries get it. Thailand imports wood from other countries. Wouldn't it be nice to let those other countries grow the cheap lettuce and let Thailand be the one to grow highly profitable timber in this ideal SE Asian climate where so many are native and grow so well?  Thailand needs more trees in the forests, trees around villages, trees being farmed, trees everywhere. Oranges, teak, mangosteen, macadamia, just any such greenery makes a positive difference on climate and the environment. Don't worry though, no one wants that. Thinking up excuses is easier.

 

Edited March 12, 20206 yr by canopy

I'm certain that the intelligent BMW will find water as it found all the overstayers. 

  

   Scary news at the beginning of a very hot summer. Farmers will get credits they can never pay back and the suicide rate will skyrocket. 

 

  

 

Shai Hulud!