Flood Disaster In North; Bangkok Braces For High Waters

[george]

Flood disaster in north; Bangkok braces for high waters

UTTARADIT: -- The northern province of Uttaradit has declared four districts as disaster zones due to flooding, while Bangkok residents brace for possible flood caused by high tide and heavy rainfall.

Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation chief Nithipat Pimpiriyakul, said that flooding triggered by incessant rain prompted provincial authorities to declare four districts, including the provincial seat, as disaster zones.

The declaration means that the province will be able to dispurse its local budget of Bt50 million to help flood victims immediately.

The province also warned local residents to be aware of landslides and further flooding.

Meanwhile, in Bangkok, Hydrograpic Department deputy director Nakhon Thanuwong said that the unusual overflowing of the Chao Phraya river on Thursday signaled an abrupt break from seasonal weather patterns, as high tides normally occur in September, but has happened sooner this year because of several circumstances.

Unseasonal high tides, run-off from the north, and heavy rainfall, Rear Admiral Nakhon said, together with strong southwesterly winds which have blown sea water into the river, means that the normal outflow from the Chao Phraya to the sea is temporarily not happening.

Water levels in the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok are expected to remain high until next week, so residents of low-lying areas must brace for possible flooding.

Deputy Bangkok governor Wanlop Suwandee said there are 14 flood-prone locations in Bangkok, so people living alongside the Chao Phraya river, the Bangkok Noi and Mahasawat canals, and in particular those living outside the flood-prevention zone should move their belongings to higher ground.

--TNA 2007-05-18

[digitalfreak]

Good day folks,

I don't want to create further panic or so, but a long-term question for all investors and residence here in Thailand, who also want to stay here for good, for life-time (as I do) but want to see this city being fixed by it's problems (less traffic, less noise, more green, more parks etc.) and in the long-term mostly by FLOOD-PROBLEMS from the North as well from the South by the rising sea levels and wind and weather patterns shifting.

I bought an apartment last year in Bangkok, with all my savings. Now with this weather pattern change and major global warming (which is more and more to be proved by most serious scientists), mixed with I believe currently non counteracting politicians (for the long term flood problems) don't you guys it's best to sell any condominium or property here based in Bangkok and find a new place to put ones money?

I mean even Khun Smith who predicted the Tsunamie several years before it really happened, just recently said:

"That Bangkok will be under water in 20 years and the government is not listening"

Read here: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP41869.htm

Are you guys leaving your investments in the hands of those politicians, who mostly only think about themselves (shuffle money abroad and try to buy football clubs etc. ). Why nobody is listening to Khun Smith and really deal with this problem??

Now we will have floods already in May/June instead of September. How will Bangkok be in 5 years if noone is doing something, or not enough

than they are doing currently?

I.m really thinking about to sell my condo (if possible at all) again and go back to rent only, so the other money stay's not in flood disaester zone!

Long-term of course. I don't think it will be a big problem for people in the city in the next 5-10 years, but see already the problems the upcountry people have each year. I feel sorry for them, they mostly have to let the Chay Phraya River be releaved in order to protect mighty Bangkok but they then hve to life in yearly floods to save our heads here in the capital.

No other solution?

Is there anything at all politicians could do?

What are your opinions and long-term plans?

Love Bangkok and Thailand

Nice day

Andy

Edited May 18, 2007 by digitalfreak

[Chiangmai Cheers]

First we had the smoke, then the earthquakes and now floodings. Disaster, disaster, disaster. Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf.

[Chiangmai Cheers]

Flood disaster in north; Bangkok braces for high waters

The declaration means that the province will be able to dispurse its local budget of Bt50 million to help flood victims immediately.

[KireB]

First we had the smoke, then the earthquakes and now floodings. Disaster, disaster, disaster. Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf.

Better too many warnings than too little!

[isaanbrit]

I just hope I'm gonna be able to clear all my firniture out without it getting water damaged

:-) lol :-) lol :-) lol :-) lol :-) lol :-) lol :-) lol

[isaanbrit]

But on a serious note - quite scary stuuf huh.

However, we (as ferangs) are ok cause we'll just move away, as always. the locals are the ones who'll get screwed over

[jdinasia]

But on a serious note - quite scary stuuf huh.

However, we (as ferangs) are ok cause we'll just move away, as always. the locals are the ones who'll get screwed over

This farang ... aint moving away

[digitalfreak]

don't worry jdinasia I will move away, when the bowl is full. Can you imagine Bangkok like Venice? It will smell like hel_l I guess.

Here is the full article which was also seen on THE NATION last week (same as link above):

By Gillian Griffith-Jones

BANGKOK, May 2 (Reuters) - Thailand's capital, Bangkok, will be under water in 20 years because of rising seas from global warming and subsidence, says a top Thai climate expert who warned of a tsunami years before the 2004 disaster.

"If nothing is done, Bangkok will be at least 50 centimetres to one metre under water," Smith Dharmasaroja, head of Thailand's National Disaster Warning Centre, said in an interview.

Bangkok, a sprawling city of more than 10 million people and criss-crossed by more than 1,000 canals, is between 1 and 1.5 metres (3 to 5 feet) above sea level and is sinking into its soft, loamy soil at an alarming rate, he said this week.

Smith, giving his scenario for Bangkok in 2025, is renowned in Thailand for controversial predictions.

He was dismissed as a crackpot for his tsunami warnings years before the 2004 Indian Ocean disaster which killed 5,395 Thais and foreign tourists on its Andaman Sea coast.

The problem, he says, is two-fold.

The city is subsiding at a rate of 10 cm (4 inches) 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.

His comments come as scientists and government officials from around the globe are meeting at a U.N. conference in Bangkok to work out ways to fight climate change and curb the growth of greenhouse gas emissions.

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.

FLOOD-FIGHTING NETWORK

As if to highlight the threat from flooding and bad weather, the capital has been hit by an unexpectedly early start to the rainy season. An intense storm has also caused widespread flooding in parts of southern and central Thailand.

Asked what was being done to avert disaster, Smith said: "The government does not pay any attention at all."

However, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says it has made flood control a top priority in recent years.

The BMA has more than 60 pumping stations and a network of water gates to regulate river and canal flows. Sewers and drains are regularly cleaned, waterways cleared of debris, and basins temporarily trap floodwaters.

Most Bangkok residents still remember the floods of 1995, among the the worst in decades.

Large areas of the capital were inundated as high tides on the Chao Phraya river, which runs through the city, collided with floodwaters flowing down from central areas of the country.

Rubbish-choked canals and drains were blamed for exacerbating the problem. Since then, the government has deployed prisoners to clear the canals and drains before the onset of the monsoon season.

However, Smith insists only a massive seawall would prevent his prediction of a paralysed city from coming true.

"You will need a motorboat instead of a car," he said.

---------------End ---------------

as you can see BMA is doing something, but on national even regional level, they should do some more.

Apirak is by the way at a global meeting with other majors from various big cities (London etc.)

currently which they are planning and trying to save electricity in our beloved city. Some new thinking for

Thais will have to be done here, on various ecological and economical levels.

We all should do our actions to use less electricity, which of course also triggers the global warming and then as a result results in flooding.

But I guess most have to be done by politicians, and here in Thailand they are fighting each other instead of moving ahead together.

PTV what's the point of stirring up more trouble, if you already started the trouble? Let the goverment work now! You also been only elected before by cheating and with vote buying - so what are you fighting for now? To get your cheatings back on the table? Really unbelievable these wanna be ex TRT politicians. They don't care about the people, the city, the care only for their own pockets.

Hope the politicians in all countries, finally get it: that we all have to do something: quick and fast!

The Democrats (Party) here in Thailand would guess be the best and only solution for Thailand.

30. May 2007 = good luck dems!

Cheerio

Edited May 18, 2007 by digitalfreak

[cdnvic]

First we had the smoke, then the earthquakes and now floodings. Disaster, disaster, disaster. Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf.

These things actually happened so it's not really a good analogy.

[Ned]

Realx and go Thai style. Don't worry about the problem till it's in your face. There's no problem till there is one.

[digitalfreak]

thanks to careless people like you (guess majority of the world), we'll all be sending our sons and daughters and their children into a lot of trouble. Great let's continue all like this, wait until the problem hit's our face.

This is exactly what we should try to teach ourselves and especially the Thai people. Let's start thinking ahead and stop being stupid!

[LaoPo]

Flood disasters [also in Bankok] happened before and very severe...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...p;#entry1290369

...and will happen in the future, probably more severe than ever due to global warming effects, heavy rainfalls and lack of previous/present/future governmental actions to protect Bangkok.

The economical outcome, if a Bangkok flood situation like 1983 (3 months!) happens again, will be disastrous.

LaoPo

[lazeeboy]

Realx and go Thai style. Don't worry about the problem till it's in your face. There's no problem till there is one.

this has got the makings of a great disaster movie ,its worrying times for bangkok residents

[Mid]

thanks to careless people like you (guess majority of the world), we'll all be sending our sons and daughters and their children into a lot of trouble. Great let's continue all like this, wait until the problem hit's our face.

This is exactly what we should try to teach ourselves and especially the Thai people. Let's start thinking ahead and stop being stupid!

welcome aboard ,

relax , slow down and smell the roses , you have the right ideas ,

but

no idea of the size of the mountain ............................yet

[digitalfreak]

thanks to careless people like you (guess majority of the world), we'll all be sending our sons and daughters and their children into a lot of trouble. Great let's continue all like this, wait until the problem hit's our face.

This is exactly what we should try to teach ourselves and especially the Thai people. Let's start thinking ahead and stop being stupid!

welcome aboard ,

relax , slow down and smell the roses , you have the right ideas ,

but

no idea of the size of the mountain ............................yet

Do you care about the size of the mountain, if you now it's going to hit your head anyway?

Edited May 18, 2007 by digitalfreak

[Mid]

of course i care , i've been climbing it for a long time and the ends nowhere in sight .......................................

[jdinasia]

thanks to careless people like you (guess majority of the world), we'll all be sending our sons and daughters and their children into a lot of trouble. Great let's continue all like this, wait until the problem hit's our face.

This is exactly what we should try to teach ourselves and especially the Thai people. Let's start thinking ahead and stop being stupid!

really ... relax a bit ... things are being done ... more and more to stop these kinds of things ... it will never be enough ...

overpopulation and famine are far worse issues ... not to mention malaria then AIDS etc etc ...

We as a species live and mostly learn ... Thailand is no exception to this <though some MIGHT argue that learning is a slower/different process here!>

[MaiChai]

Drove up to Zeers up the Rangsit and there is flooding either side and the klongs look very full and almost overflowing My girlfriend said to me that buying a house up there is a really bad idea; its always flooded up there in the rainy season and lots of people have to leave their homes. Isnt that where a large amount of the new housing developments are being built. Maybe the houses will only sell in the dry and cold season

[blizzard]

personal ivesting , my favorite topic besides bargirls.....lol.

to guy with condo and others who think like him. no sane individual would ever recommened putting all you r savings in a condo ina country like thailand. what were you thinking.

im assuming you not a high earner in los, dont have others assests like stocks, bonds,etc, a huge pension form whereever.

[Choscura]

this is kind of interesting to think about.

this being thailand, I think no authority will do anything until the people are leaving in boats for higher ground.

[aznyron]

this is kind of interesting to think about.

this being thailand, I think no authority will do anything until the people are leaving in boats for higher ground.

Open up a boat building factory get a thai bar girl as your partner give her 51% of the business and hire illegals from mymar (burma) if the bg dosen't rip you off maybe the goverment will LOL

[bloody tiger]

thanks to careless people like you (guess majority of the world), we'll all be sending our sons and daughters and their children into a lot of trouble. Great let's continue all like this, wait until the problem hit's our face.

This is exactly what we should try to teach ourselves and especially the Thai people. Let's start thinking ahead and stop being stupid!

welcome aboard ,

relax , slow down and smell the roses , you have the right ideas ,

but

no idea of the size of the mountain ............................yet

Do you care about the size of the mountain, if you now it's going to hit your head anyway?

Andy,

Whilst you bring up some points of concern, I don't think the problem is anywhere near as severe as you presume. During my first trip to Bangkok(but but first time to thailand) in april 1985, there was flooding that put sukumvit road 4 feet underwater....the locals were laughing it up and saying that it was much worse a couple of years earlier.

Thailand is full of rich fertile land and has always, and always will be, prone to flooding.

Will global warming further impact on bkk and thailand? Well this is question for all citizens of the planet, not just thailand.

don't worry too much andy, don't rush to sell your condo, come and enjoy thailand...it'll be here for some time yet!

The bloodied tiger from chiang mai

[toptuan]

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

Yeah, New Orleans-style.... A city below sea-level, relying on a system of dikes to protect it against the fury of nature. Wow, I'm breathing a sigh of relief already.

[justaphase]

There was some expert on the Discovery channel (it must be true!!) a while back explaining the same(ish) problems for Sydney before the year 2050.

Sea levels will rise there. So no beach. They'll also be stuffed for fresh water.

Hmm.. Global warming. I'm 35 now. 20 or 30 years time. No worries.

I've just left Bk anyway...

[mogoso]

thanks to careless people like you (guess majority of the world), we'll all be sending our sons and daughters and their children into a lot of trouble. Great let's continue all like this, wait until the problem hit's our face.

This is exactly what we should try to teach ourselves and especially the Thai people. Let's start thinking ahead and stop being stupid!

The Scientists are abandoning the man made global warming ship. A few of the more rabid and long term are French scientist DR. Claude Allegre who was sounding the claxon 20 years ago has sifted position, Canadian Dr. Bruno Wiskel Univ. of Alberta, who a few years back built a "Kyoto" home in honor of the UN accord has now authored the book "The Emporers new Climate,"Dubuking the Myth of Global Warming. Dr. Nir Shaviv a top Isreali scientist. Australian Dr. David Evans, Canadian Dr. Tad Murty, Dr. David Bellamy,a UK enviormental lecturer, Dr. Chris de Freitas, Univ of Aukland NZ, Dr Reid Bryson of the US, Dr, Zbigniew Jaworowski, UN scientist et al

Listing all the converts away from manmade warming bandwagon is a quite lengthy process needless to say. Most simply say the science is faulty and what ever the mechanism causing warming it isn't what the press and antiwestern pundits are decrying. Planck inst of Germany and top Russians scientists simply say the sun is hotter, I like that idea as it allows for the reason that Mars and a couple of other planets are getting warmer.

So while the Earth might be gaining a bit of heat, theres no reason for people to go Al Gore. Remember the warming period at the end of the Dark Ages brought us into the middle ages, allowing a longer growth period for food, allowing for more free time to expand mans knowledge, rather than scrabbling for food only.

[robenroute]

thanks to careless people like you (guess majority of the world), we'll all be sending our sons and daughters and their children into a lot of trouble. Great let's continue all like this, wait until the problem hit's our face.

This is exactly what we should try to teach ourselves and especially the Thai people. Let's start thinking ahead and stop being stupid!

The Scientists are abandoning the man made global warming ship. A few of the more rabid and long term are French scientist DR. Claude Allegre who was sounding the claxon 20 years ago has sifted position, Canadian Dr. Bruno Wiskel Univ. of Alberta, who a few years back built a "Kyoto" home in honor of the UN accord has now authored the book "The Emporers new Climate,"Dubuking the Myth of Global Warming. Dr. Nir Shaviv a top Isreali scientist. Australian Dr. David Evans, Canadian Dr. Tad Murty, Dr. David Bellamy,a UK enviormental lecturer, Dr. Chris de Freitas, Univ of Aukland NZ, Dr Reid Bryson of the US, Dr, Zbigniew Jaworowski, UN scientist et al

Listing all the converts away from manmade warming bandwagon is a quite lengthy process needless to say. Most simply say the science is faulty and what ever the mechanism causing warming it isn't what the press and antiwestern pundits are decrying. Planck inst of Germany and top Russians scientists simply say the sun is hotter, I like that idea as it allows for the reason that Mars and a couple of other planets are getting warmer.

So while the Earth might be gaining a bit of heat, theres no reason for people to go Al Gore. Remember the warming period at the end of the Dark Ages brought us into the middle ages, allowing a longer growth period for food, allowing for more free time to expand mans knowledge, rather than scrabbling for food only.

I think most people (apart from the ones with their heads up their bums ) agree that Earth is warming up. People just don't agree about the cause and rate of it. The Gore fanboys seek causality in CO2 emission. Loads of "proper" scientists blame the sun (for an interesting angle on this, watch "The great Global Warming Swindle"). That things will change is clear. How we deal with the changes is the real challenge. Goverments are meant to anticipate and take precautionary measures, and this makes things interesting as we all know how capable certain goverments are of this....

Edited May 18, 2007 by robenroute

[CHIANGMAITAI]

thanks to careless people like you (guess majority of the world), we'll all be sending our sons and daughters and their children into a lot of trouble. Great let's continue all like this, wait until the problem hit's our face.

This is exactly what we should try to teach ourselves and especially the Thai people. Let's start thinking ahead and stop being stupid!

welcome aboard ,

relax , slow down and smell the roses , you have the right ideas ,

but

no idea of the size of the mountain ............................yet

Or... you could open a surf shop..very popular in California.

[ding]

I saw them dredging the klong in Banglampu a few months ago. It's not like they're doing zilch really, even with an interim government. That said, There's an conspicuously tall building with a bit of a lean I noticed last month in Bangkok.

[ding]

From the Union of Concerned Scientists site, report from 6 years ago;

"... In its 2001 report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated, "There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities." [3] Carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning and land clearing has been accumulating in the atmosphere, where it acts like a blanket keeping Earth warm and heating up the surface, ocean, and atmosphere. As a result, current levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are higher than at any time during the last 650,000 years. [4,5,6] ..."

http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/scien...ngerprints.html

(scroll down, there's a graph that shows the sun in relatively constant and since 1960 our emissions have steadily gone up rapidly)

Side note;

China puts out about 1/10th per person what the average US citizen emits. SE Asia and Africa use less but will be hit hardest.

This book seems worth a read;

http://www.amazon.com/Heat-How-Stop-Planet...4051&sr=1-4

Heat: How to Stop the Planet from Burning

by George Monbiot (Author), Matthew, Dr. Prescott (Author)