Floods Hit Southern Thailand, Foreigner Dies

[george]

Floods hit southern Thailand, foreigner dies

PRACHUAB KHIRI KAN: -- A foreigner was found dead and one injured from strong waves at Hat Rin in Surat Thani province where the famous full moon party is regularly held.

Meanwhile, the upper southern province of Prachuab Khiri Khan was hit by flooding after tropical depression brought strong rain to the southern provinces, leading the authorities to initiate evacuation procedures for villagers in at-risk areas.

The depression over the Gulf of Thailand especially impacted Prachuab Khiri Khan and the nearby by province of Chumphon Tuesday night, bringing heavy rain, throughout the province, especially Bang Saphan district.

Nopakhun sub-district and Pong Pra Sat were hit by flooding, as was the Nong Hassatai-Fai Tha Road and a kindergarten at Bang Sapan.

Bang Sapan canal overflowed, as its drainoff capacity was inadequate to carry away the excessive rainfall into the sea, and local authorities feared more severe floods could hit Bang Sapan district.

At Bang Saphan Hospital, airmen from Wing 5 at the Prachuab Khiri Khan Air Force Base rushed to build sandbag dykes to protect the hospital from possible flooding.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Kamnert Noppakhun subdistrict warned local residents to prepare for evacuation if the water level continued to rise.

At Chumphon, rain fell throughout the night but no flash flooding was reported, but Governor Pinai Anantapong ordered provincial emergency services to be on a round- the-clock alert and prepared for possible evacuation in case of emergency.

Small craft were recommend to not put to sea, as high waves made fishing or ferrying passengers too risky.

Surat Thani reported some flooding but not at critical levels.

However, a foreigner was found dead and one injured from strong waves at Hat Rin where the famous full moon party was regularly held.

Marine Police prohibited regular ferry boat services to Koh Samui, Koh Pa-ngan and Kho Tao until the storm has passed.

--TNA 2007-05-02

Related link:

Weather forecast for Thailand

[Kenn]

Any news on the identity of these guys? A couple of my friends are there.

[puipuitom]

Since I had my contacts with Thailand I see often: floods here, floods there.

We in the Netherlands started to build dikes for that, from about 11th century. Not against rivers , but also as protection against the sea.

When I see around in Thailand, I donot see anything of these.

Why ?

Without proper water defense, you will have wet feet always. Ask New Orleans.

[stevehaigh]

Marine Police prohibited regular ferry boat services to Koh Samui, Koh Pa-ngan and Kho Tao until the storm has passed.

what storm, the sea is as flat as holland! the boats are running fine (well i only checked raja).

steve

[qualtrough]

Since I had my contacts with Thailand I see often: floods here, floods there.

We in the Netherlands started to build dikes for that, from about 11th century. Not against rivers , but also as protection against the sea.

When I see around in Thailand, I donot see anything of these.

Why ?

Without proper water defense, you will have wet feet always. Ask New Orleans.

Take a gander at a map. For starters, the Netherlands is 41,526 SQ KM vs. Thailand's 514,000 SQ KM (more than 12 x smaller than Thailand]. Thailand has much, much more coastline than the Netherlands and many more rivers. Sure more could be done here, but there is no way they are going to entirely protect against flooding everywhere here as the job would be 1000s of times greater than that required in your country. Thailand also has elevated areas (hills, mountains) that are factors in flooding too, features that are sorely lacking in your vertically-challenged country. How about building some mountains now that you have conquered the sea?

Edited May 2, 2007 by qualtrough

[jii]

no the dutch boy is right. you have let thailand off the hook way to easily. while im not saying it could be 100 percent or even 50 percent flood proof alot more could be done or not done. but in thailand always short term greed always wins out. for one thing thaialand has a very serious deforestation problem. who is responsilble for that? thai pepole?

then there are a quite few of the klongs in bangkok that have been completely filled and are now roads. boy that was smart.

then there is the stupid new airport built in a flood plain. that was natural drainage for floods in bangkok. and they further are thinking of building a city in it.

the list goes on and on.

and just what have they done in the same ways to stop flooding as what holland has done? near zero i bet. also too holland aint the only country just off the top of my head japan has done alot as well.

Since I had my contacts with Thailand I see often: floods here, floods there.

We in the Netherlands started to build dikes for that, from about 11th century. Not against rivers , but also as protection against the sea.

When I see around in Thailand, I donot see anything of these.

Why ?

Without proper water defense, you will have wet feet always. Ask New Orleans.

Take a gander at a map. For starters, the Netherlands is 41,526 SQ KM vs. Thailand's 514,000 SQ KM (more than 12 x smaller than Thailand]. Thailand has much, much more coastline than the Netherlands and many more rivers. Sure more could be done here, but there is no way they are going to entirely protect against flooding everywhere here as the job would be 1000s of times greater than that required in your country. Thailand also has elevated areas (hills, mountains) that are factors in flooding too, features that are sorely lacking in your vertically-challenged country. How about building some mountains now that you have conquered the sea?

[farang2002]

Since I had my contacts with Thailand I see often: floods here, floods there.

We in the Netherlands started to build dikes for that, from about 11th century. Not against rivers , but also as protection against the sea.

When I see around in Thailand, I donot see anything of these.

Why ?

Without proper water defense, you will have wet feet always. Ask New Orleans.

New Orleans is 5-12 feet below sea level; Thailand is not below sea level. That's why the levees.

[MarcHolt]

Since I had my contacts with Thailand I see often: floods here, floods there.

We in the Netherlands started to build dikes for that, from about 11th century. Not against rivers , but also as protection against the sea.

When I see around in Thailand, I donot see anything of these.

Why ?

Without proper water defense, you will have wet feet always. Ask New Orleans.

Take a gander at a map. For starters, the Netherlands is 41,526 SQ KM vs. Thailand's 514,000 SQ KM (more than 12 x smaller than Thailand]. Thailand has much, much more coastline than the Netherlands and many more rivers. Sure more could be done here, but there is no way they are going to entirely protect against flooding everywhere here as the job would be 1000s of times greater than that required in your country. Thailand also has elevated areas (hills, mountains) that are factors in flooding too, features that are sorely lacking in your vertically-challenged country. How about building some mountains now that you have conquered the sea?

Lucky so many Dutch are tall. They don't need mountains in their vertically challenged country to they?

Frankly, I thought his question showed a distinct lack of imagination and knowledge of Thailand. Putting up dykes around the beaches in Thailand would be almost as stupid as erecting a fence to keep out the Mexicans from the USA.

Can you imagine the TAT posters if they built dykes?

Visit beautiful Thailand. We will issue you with scuba equipment so that you can dive and see what Thailand used to look like. We have the most beautiful dykes in the world too...we saved them from drowning when we built the walls around the coast.

.

[dude007]

Since I had my contacts with Thailand I see often: floods here, floods there.

We in the Netherlands started to build dikes for that, from about 11th century. Not against rivers , but also as protection against the sea.

When I see around in Thailand, I donot see anything of these.

Why ?

Without proper water defense, you will have wet feet always. Ask New Orleans.

Because all rivers in this part of the world are monsoon rivers, which run dry during 6-8 months but which can produce severe flooding during 3 or 4 months. Rainfall in the Netherlands is relatively equally spread all over the year, contrary to this part of the world where all the waterfall and discharge takes place during barely 4-5 months. Mekong water levels raise for instance with 9 to 11 meter... what sort of dikes could be contructed over there?

The obstructions of buildings and houses are hampering the normal run-off of the river and are holding up the water which levels continues to raise with the known consequence of flooding.

Flash flood is a phenomenon by which all the rainwater from a great number of effluants arrives into the river at a certain point simultaneously. When local heavy rainfall is matching the geometry of the basin to have this simultaneous arrival, then the result is a very surprising and sudden upsurge of water like the one which killed >40 people in Trang lately.

[jii]

well now that many have suggested that thailand is quite vunerably naturally then the why the hel_l has thailand been so recklessly making the problem even worse than it would be naturally? even a person with average intelligence realizes that if you naturally have a big problem youd certainly would be quite strict at anyone making it worse?

oh some people say bangkok will be competly under water in 10-15 years thanks to global warming. (and if you want to find those people they are at the UN building in bangkok some 200 scientists the last week for the international discussion on global warming.

what is the thai response on global warming. look at all the thais that just have a car most of reason being vanity. and just take a look at how many vechicles there are in bangkok. all belching tons of pollution as if you did not know the average speed in bangkok is only 10 km.hour. idling all the times if very very polluting.

what did the stupid thai goverment do on there forced 10 percent ethanol addied to gasoline was it that was to be law as of the start of the new year. they completly went back on there word. they have no crediblity. with people in power like this thailand is doomed to ecological disaster.

then there the islands and the coast line. i have read as the rampant tourism has already had a very negative effect on the water environment.

so really perhaps comparing holland and thailand is apples and oranges but thailand environmental record is anything to be proud of.

Since I had my contacts with Thailand I see often: floods here, floods there.

We in the Netherlands started to build dikes for that, from about 11th century. Not against rivers , but also as protection against the sea.

When I see around in Thailand, I donot see anything of these.

Why ?

Without proper water defense, you will have wet feet always. Ask New Orleans.

Because all rivers in this part of the world are monsoon rivers, which run dry during 6-8 months but which can produce severe flooding during 3 or 4 months. Rainfall in the Netherlands is relatively equally spread all over the year, contrary to this part of the world where all the waterfall and discharge takes place during barely 4-5 months. Mekong water levels raise for instance with 9 to 11 meter... what sort of dikes could be contructed over there?

The obstructions of buildings and houses are hampering the normal run-off of the river and are holding up the water which levels continues to raise with the known consequence of flooding.

Flash flood is a phenomenon by which all the rainwater from a great number of effluants arrives into the river at a certain point simultaneously. When local heavy rainfall is matching the geometry of the basin to have this simultaneous arrival, then the result is a very surprising and sudden upsurge of water like the one which killed >40 people in Trang lately.

[pyros]

The Dutch guy is wrong . I'm from Belgium , which is as you know , very close to Holland . We in Belgium do got a lot of dikes also for protection agains floods . They still occur but a lot less often !!! This is a very important statement which i will explain . In Belgium or Holland we have rain ... yes sometimes a lot ... ( very very dry this year ) but this is happening in long periods of time . I mean it starts to rain , sometimes hard ... then less then harder ....etc etc etc ... for long periods of time . Most of the flash floods in Thailand happen due to very very very strong rainfall in short time . There is no way any dikesystem can prevent that ( within reasonable costs , same in Holland/Belgium where they also have flood area's ). To much water in to less time brings on flash floods , in Thailand and in Holland also . It aren't the rivers which give the floods in many cases or the sea neither ( in Holland/ Belgium it is ) , it just does not have enough time to get to the river . BTW i don't call wet feet a flash flood ....

[mortenaa]

well now that many have suggested that thailand is quite vunerably naturally then the why the hel_l has thailand been so recklessly making the problem even worse than it would be naturally? even a person with average intelligence realizes that if you naturally have a big problem youd certainly would be quite strict at anyone making it worse?

oh some people say bangkok will be competly under water in 10-15 years thanks to global warming. (and if you want to find those people they are at the UN building in bangkok some 200 scientists the last week for the international discussion on global warming.

what is the thai response on global warming. look at all the thais that just have a car most of reason being vanity. and just take a look at how many vechicles there are in bangkok. all belching tons of pollution as if you did not know the average speed in bangkok is only 10 km.hour. idling all the times if very very polluting.

what did the stupid thai goverment do on there forced 10 percent ethanol addied to gasoline was it that was to be law as of the start of the new year. they completly went back on there word. they have no crediblity. with people in power like this thailand is doomed to ecological disaster.

then there the islands and the coast line. i have read as the rampant tourism has already had a very negative effect on the water environment.

so really perhaps comparing holland and thailand is apples and oranges but thailand environmental record is anything to be proud of.

Since I had my contacts with Thailand I see often: floods here, floods there.

We in the Netherlands started to build dikes for that, from about 11th century. Not against rivers , but also as protection against the sea.

When I see around in Thailand, I donot see anything of these.

Why ?

Without proper water defense, you will have wet feet always. Ask New Orleans.

Because all rivers in this part of the world are monsoon rivers, which run dry during 6-8 months but which can produce severe flooding during 3 or 4 months. Rainfall in the Netherlands is relatively equally spread all over the year, contrary to this part of the world where all the waterfall and discharge takes place during barely 4-5 months. Mekong water levels raise for instance with 9 to 11 meter... what sort of dikes could be contructed over there?

The obstructions of buildings and houses are hampering the normal run-off of the river and are holding up the water which levels continues to raise with the known consequence of flooding.

Flash flood is a phenomenon by which all the rainwater from a great number of effluants arrives into the river at a certain point simultaneously. When local heavy rainfall is matching the geometry of the basin to have this simultaneous arrival, then the result is a very surprising and sudden upsurge of water like the one which killed >40 people in Trang lately.

I have to ask u.. U have a car? Do u ever owned a car? How many times u fly an airplane every year? U eat meat? Maybe u are reponsible for GLOBAL WARMING!

Or are we responsible at all.. ? http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=44...=global+warming

[jii]

ok you are right. but if you want to do something there are many simple things that can be done.

BUT a very simple solution would be to be very strict on anyone that does anything that would make the problem worse such as deforestation, filling in klongs, filling in swamps, changing the characteristics of the natural flood plains. that does not cost anything. only about 1 hour of someone using their brain.

some countries know what they are doing. for example before at a frineds place in canada there was a river that every spring from the snow melting overfloed and many times alot of drity water went into people basements in their houses.

guess what they did they got dam tough on anyone changing the river flowing (hard to explain) and spent 10 million dollars and built additional artifical rivers to take the excess. guess what every since it was done which has been over 20 years the problem once a menance has been completely solved. 4 feet of snow melting could produce a ton of water.

the most idiotic thing the thai govmerent did was build the airport in bangkoks natural flood plain.

The Dutch guy is wrong . I'm from Belgium , which is as you know , very close to Holland . We in Belgium do got a lot of dikes also for protection agains floods . They still occur but a lot less often !!! This is a very important statement which i will explain . In Belgium or Holland we have rain ... yes sometimes a lot ... ( very very dry this year ) but this is happening in long periods of time . I mean it starts to rain , sometimes hard ... then less then harder ....etc etc etc ... for long periods of time . Most of the flash floods in Thailand happen due to very very very strong rainfall in short time . There is no way any dikesystem can prevent that ( within reasonable costs , same in Holland/Belgium where they also have flood area's ). To much water in to less time brings on flash floods , in Thailand and in Holland also . It aren't the rivers which give the floods in many cases or the sea neither ( in Holland/ Belgium it is ) , it just does not have enough time to get to the river . BTW i don't call wet feet a flash flood ....

[Jimjim]

Putting up dykes around the beaches in Thailand would be almost as stupid as erecting a fence to keep out the Mexicans from the USA.

There is a fence on many parts of the border, just not the whole thing.

[cm-happy]

Since I had my contacts with Thailand I see often: floods here, floods there.

We in the Netherlands started to build dikes for that, from about 11th century. Not against rivers , but also as protection against the sea.

When I see around in Thailand, I donot see anything of these.

Why ?

Without proper water defense, you will have wet feet always. Ask New Orleans.

The Netherlands is world renound for its water management engineering skills, & constant battle against the North Sea. The difference, you're industrious, can the same be said for Thailand?

How 'bout sharing those water management skills over here & while you're at it, teach cheese making.

[cm-happy]

well now that many have suggested that thailand is quite vunerably naturally then the why the hel_l has thailand been so recklessly making the problem even worse than it would be naturally? even a person with average intelligence realizes that if you naturally have a big problem youd certainly would be quite strict at anyone making it worse?

oh some people say bangkok will be competly under water in 10-15 years thanks to global warming. (and if you want to find those people they are at the UN building in bangkok some 200 scientists the last week for the international discussion on global warming.

Is THAT such a bad thing??c

[BFD]

I'm going to reiterate a question that was asked earlier in this thread:

Does anyone have any information on the identity of the foreigners? I also have some friends down in that area that I haven't heard from in a few days.

Thanks,

BFD!

[onlooker]

From a dead foreigner and floods in KPG to cheese making and an argument for Dutch engineering in 15 posts . . . only on Thaivisa :-)

[h5kaf]

On the issue of Dykes.

1. Thailand has a number of Dykes they just aren't as prominent as the lady boys.

2. If Thailand had the Dutch type sea wall dykes then every time they leaked they would need locals with fat thumbs to plug the hole. Thais, unlike the Dutch, are a delicate race with elegant slim fingers and thumbs. Alas this would not work.

Can only think that the original poster was having a laugh, either that or was exercising his second brain cell all on its own.

[jii]

funny enough today while reading the bangkok post here some expert does mention the global warming that i did say will completely put bangkok under water. i have read 10-15 years while this guy thinks 20 years. and again what is the thai govement doing about absolutely nothing positve and then making the problems worse. oh i dont want to get too much off track but that tsunami that 10 000 people died in thailand. everyone said oh mother nature cant do anything about that. that is crap they had 2 hours was it to warn people but did not want to as they were afraid it would hurt tourism. then there was the fact that many hotels in the tsunmai areas were built illegally way way to close to the ocean so they could get more money for the rooms. so once again so many of the apparent people dieing in natural diasters was totally preventable.

my carbon footprint on the world is so little compared to many you cant pin me as being responsible. i take the subway. have not taking a plane ride in over 5 years. ok i do eat meat. but its 100 percent is everyone had the same lifestystyle i had carbon released to the atmosphere would not be a problem now.

Bangkok gets that sinking feeling

BangkokPost.com from Reuters reports

Thailand's best known disaster prognosticator said on Wednesday global warming will put Bangkok a metre under water in less than 20 years, adding: "You will need a motorboat instead of a car."

Smith Dharmasaroja, head of Thailand's National Disaster Warning Centre, told the Reuters news agency that rising seas and natural sinking will put Bangkok under water by 2025 - unless work starts now on a huge dyke to protect the capital.

"If nothing is done, Bangkok will be at least 50 centimetres to one metre under water," Reuters quoted Mr Smith as saying during an interview in Bangkok.

Mr Smith gained notoriety 12 years ago when he predicted Thailand was in danger of being hit by a tsunami. Largely dismissed as a crackpot and retired from government service with the Meteorological Department, he was brought back as a disaster expert after the 2004 tsunami, which killed more than 5,000 people in Thailand alone.

The problem, he says, is two-fold.

The city is subsiding at a rate of 10cm per year, partly due to excessive pumping of underground water.

Global warming is causing seas to rise and there is evidence of severe coastal erosion just downstream from Bangkok.

To avert disaster, Smith said, the city needed to construct a massive dyke to protect it from rising seas and increasingly violent storms.

"The system has to be started right now. Otherwise it will be too late to protect our capital city," he said.

Mr Smith, as usual, was scathing when asked about how authorities are facing the threat.

"The government does not pay any attention at all."

well now that many have suggested that thailand is quite vunerably naturally then the why the hel_l has thailand been so recklessly making the problem even worse than it would be naturally? even a person with average intelligence realizes that if you naturally have a big problem youd certainly would be quite strict at anyone making it worse?

oh some people say bangkok will be competly under water in 10-15 years thanks to global warming. (and if you want to find those people they are at the UN building in bangkok some 200 scientists the last week for the international discussion on global warming.

Is THAT such a bad thing??c

[Bodi]

well now that many have suggested that thailand is quite vunerably naturally then the why the hel_l has thailand been so recklessly making the problem even worse than it would be naturally? even a person with average intelligence realizes that if you naturally have a big problem youd certainly would be quite strict at anyone making it worse?

oh some people say bangkok will be competly under water in 10-15 years thanks to global warming. (and if you want to find those people they are at the UN building in bangkok some 200 scientists the last week for the international discussion on global warming.

what is the thai response on global warming. look at all the thais that just have a car most of reason being vanity. and just take a look at how many vechicles there are in bangkok. all belching tons of pollution as if you did not know the average speed in bangkok is only 10 km.hour. idling all the times if very very polluting.

what did the stupid thai goverment do on there forced 10 percent ethanol addied to gasoline was it that was to be law as of the start of the new year. they completly went back on there word. they have no crediblity. with people in power like this thailand is doomed to ecological disaster.

then there the islands and the coast line. i have read as the rampant tourism has already had a very negative effect on the water environment.

so really perhaps comparing holland and thailand is apples and oranges but thailand environmental record is anything to be proud of.

Since I had my contacts with Thailand I see often: floods here, floods there.

We in the Netherlands started to build dikes for that, from about 11th century. Not against rivers , but also as protection against the sea.

When I see around in Thailand, I donot see anything of these.

Why ?

Without proper water defense, you will have wet feet always. Ask New Orleans.

Because all rivers in this part of the world are monsoon rivers, which run dry during 6-8 months but which can produce severe flooding during 3 or 4 months. Rainfall in the Netherlands is relatively equally spread all over the year, contrary to this part of the world where all the waterfall and discharge takes place during barely 4-5 months. Mekong water levels raise for instance with 9 to 11 meter... what sort of dikes could be contructed over there?

The obstructions of buildings and houses are hampering the normal run-off of the river and are holding up the water which levels continues to raise with the known consequence of flooding.

Flash flood is a phenomenon by which all the rainwater from a great number of effluants arrives into the river at a certain point simultaneously. When local heavy rainfall is matching the geometry of the basin to have this simultaneous arrival, then the result is a very surprising and sudden upsurge of water like the one which killed >40 people in Trang lately.

I understand your feelings towards Global Warming. Regardless of the many different oppinons on the matter, and our own feelings as individuals, we all should be doing something; for the mere sake of taking care of our home.

Interesting enough, Bangkok was recently the subject of an air quality study by Scientists(western) and found to be one of the top 3 most improved nations as far as air quality is concerned. Here is a quote from a recent New York Times article.

"The striking result is that, while the number of motor vehicles registered in Bangkok has increased by 40 percent over the past decade, the average levels of the most dangerous types of pollution — small dust particles that embed themselves in the lungs — have been cut by 47 percent, from 81 to 43 micrograms per cubic meter during the same period. Bangkok's air, on average, now falls within the limit set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of 50 micrograms per cubic meter, but is above the European Union limit of 40."

...it's news of course, so take it for what it's worth.

I believe that people are trying. 15 years ago, Thailand didn't have any air quality standards at all. Just to have them is a start. Enforcing the standards is another matter altogether. I don't believe that anyone here can argue over Thailand's enforcment issues. It's a start nonetheless.

[pentri]

As long as there is money in logging, people will rape the earth, so I don't see deforestation coming to a halt anytime soon. As long as the Thai government encourages its' people to be pimped out for profit, rampant tourism will continue. This is life: anthing goes to make money- especially when you don't have any! Better to concentrate on stealing a little happyness for yourself while you can, because the march of "progress" can't be stopped. There are too many people in the world and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger, more and more unmanageable. One good thing about being in this generation: we can still enjoy the last of the beauty that this world has to offer- a good part of it will die with us. I feel sorry for future generations.

[Scott]

Me thinks that someone in Holland is sitting in a coffee shop smoking wacky tabbacy and writing posts on Thaivisa!!

I've been to Holland (and I absolutely love the place), but I doubt that the same techniques would work quite as well here. Very different places, very different terrain, very different weather.

[mangostays]

Since I had my contacts with Thailand I see often: floods here, floods there.

We in the Netherlands started to build dikes for that, from about 11th century. Not against rivers , but also as protection against the sea.

When I see around in Thailand, I donot see anything of these.

Why ?

Without proper water defense, you will have wet feet always. Ask New Orleans.

Take a gander at a map. For starters, the Netherlands is 41,526 SQ KM vs. Thailand's 514,000 SQ KM (more than 12 x smaller than Thailand]. Thailand has much, much more coastline than the Netherlands and many more rivers. Sure more could be done here, but there is no way they are going to entirely protect against flooding everywhere here as the job would be 1000s of times greater than that required in your country. Thailand also has elevated areas (hills, mountains) that are factors in flooding too, features that are sorely lacking in your vertically-challenged country. How about building some mountains now that you have conquered the sea?

You're on a retirement visa right?

[turnip]

I live in Hua Hin and the house I live in has flooded. The water was just entering yesterday as I left, now at least a foot higher. The main problem why this particular street flooded was because the swamp area next to it has started to be land filled. No draining of water or clearing of the vegation, the contractors just dumped earth into the swamp raising a meter higher than surrounding land. Obviously the water had to go somewhere and the drains were full before the rain came. If they'd built drainage channels out to the main klong it wouldn't have happened. I was only staying there for a month before moving back to bangers but I really pity the people who own property on that street. No planning means this kind of thing will happen al the time. It seems the only defense against flooding is build your land higher than your neighbours and let them suffer.

[mangostays]

I live in Hua Hin and the house I live in has flooded. The water was just entering yesterday as I left, now at least a foot higher. The main problem why this particular street flooded was because the swamp area next to it has started to be land filled. No draining of water or clearing of the vegation, the contractors just dumped earth into the swamp raising a meter higher than surrounding land. Obviously the water had to go somewhere and the drains were full before the rain came. If they'd built drainage channels out to the main klong it wouldn't have happened. I was only staying there for a month before moving back to bangers but I really pity the people who own property on that street. No planning means this kind of thing will happen al the time. It seems the only defense against flooding is build your land higher than your neighbours and let them suffer.

Sure, I live on Koh Phangan, the locals fill in swamps at any given opportunity, and then .... build a ground level entry house on the 'raised' ground and wonder why their foundations wash away when the rains start.

I build a house here recently, and I made sure it was at least 2 meters off the ground on concrete stilts.

[Scott]

I moved into a housing estate and was careful to select a place that was nice and high. Unfortunately, they have built up the area around it and now we are the low area. Flooding wouldn't be too much of a problem, but they built part of the road higher and left the part leading into our estate not built up. This means the road is really flooded.

Oh well, that's the way things work here, I guess.

[sbk]

SriRacha John posted an update to the death on Koh Phangan here in the Samui forum.

[Sturbuc]

Just to think about: maybe they're making all the same mistakes as everywhere where people like to live on the banks. But there's no relation between high dikes and a few floodings. One possibility migth be some removable bulkheads and polder areas to give the water some space to cut the peaks of the floodings.

P.S.

Have you beent to Chaweng Beach (Koh Samui) after a big rainfall? Since the Beach road was reconstructed, it mutates to tube and might be used by boat. And the waves will run into the lower areas of the shops beside. Home made.

Edited May 4, 2007 by Sturbuc

[Andrew Hicks]

Since I had my contacts with Thailand I see often: floods here, floods there.

We in the Netherlands started to build dikes for that, from about 11th century. Not against rivers , but also as protection against the sea.

When I see around in Thailand, I donot see anything of these.

Why ?

Without proper water defense, you will have wet feet always. Ask New Orleans.

I agree. The Dutch are the tallest people in the world while the Thais are pretty short.

At least most of Thailand is above sea level, all except the new airport at Suvharnabhumi. Better hire some Dutchmen.