The Thai economy braces for another challenge as impending drought threatens its critical export sector, following last month’s extensive flooding. Despite an improvement in exports in August, marking a recovery from an 11 month decline, the impending drought could significantly impact food manufacturing and shipments.

 

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) highlighted concerns over the potential repercussions of water shortages on exports, purchasing power, GDP growth, and food security. The local agricultural sector, reliant on water supplies, could see reduced harvests, impacting food manufacturers and exporters dependent on farm produce.

 

Kriengkrai Thiennukul, FTI’s chairman, emphasised the importance of the government’s preparedness and strategic response to mitigate the drought’s impact. He highlighted that “Thailand is a major food exporter globally. Its rice and sugar cane are among the famous agricultural products.”

Among crops likely to be affected by the drought is sugar cane. FTI anticipates a reduction in sugar cane output in the new crop year 2023 to 2024 to 80 tonnes, a fall from the initial projection of 100 to 105 tonnes. This reduced yield could influence not only farmer earnings but also the country’s sugar production.

 

by Alex Morgan

Photo: Cory Wright/ The Diplomat

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-10-23

 

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Impending drought? We have had about 2-3 weeks of very regular warnings of heavy rain and thunderstorms... and it was actually correct yesterday in the Pattaya area....I really don't know what to expect.

21 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Impending drought? We have had about 2-3 weeks of very regular warnings of heavy rain and thunderstorms... and it was actually correct yesterday in the Pattaya area....I really don't know what to expect.

So should we raze Pattaya to the ground and turn it into rice fields?

1 minute ago, tomazbodner said:

So should we raze Pattaya to the ground and turn it into rice fields?

Not the first time that has been suggested....much of it started as a marsh! 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The Thai economy braces for another challenge as impending drought threatens its critical export sector, following last month’s extensive flooding.

This speaks volumes for Thailand as a developing nation; it isn't.  I've been here 18 years and read this every year.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

the impending drought could significantly impact food manufacturing and shipments.

More importantly is the devastating effect on farmers and their families. 🥺

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The Thai economy braces for another challenge as impending drought threatens its critical export sector

Floods or droughts... is there ever any middle ground?

The main concern for many Thais is that. in the event of a severe drought, their demi-God, currently isolated in a police hospital, will no longer be able to walk on water... lol

Water security! Keep saying it because it is true. Thailand needs another 3-6 huge new reservoirs to help stabilise water supply in coming years. No room for NIMBY's

4 hours ago, mikebell said:

This speaks volumes for Thailand as a developing nation; it isn't.  I've been here 18 years and read this every year.

That’s because most Thai governments have absolutely no comprehensive views or plans on how to develop the country. It’s all ad hoc decisions, often poorly thought through. Then there is the enormous corruption, which goes all the way to the top and is crippling every effort to actually do something worthwhile.
And last but not least: I often get the impression that none of the bigwigs give a damn about anything other than lining their own pockets. The same problems keep coming back every year: floods, droughts, smog in the north and in the BKK metropolitan area, and so on and so forth, and no one in power seems to have any interest at all in actually dealing with those problems. It’s all talk and forming committees and ‘closely monitoring the situation’, but in the end, nothing actually gets done.

Cut the military budget for 15-20 years and spend it on water conservation ! The chances of war for thailand is far more remote than drought

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Floods or droughts... is there ever any middle ground?

There is no middle ground - but there should be

Billions upon billions of Bahr have been waisted on building  roads, which are totally insignificant compared to an adequate and consistent water supply to Farms, Industry and Households

 

7 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

So should we raze Pattaya to the ground and turn it into rice fields?

Sounds good to me. 😀

11 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Impending drought? We have had about 2-3 weeks of very regular warnings of heavy rain and thunderstorms... and it was actually correct yesterday in the Pattaya area....I really don't know what to expect.

Earth's oceans are in the midst of an El Nino, one that is forecast to be a strong one. As noted in this article, El Nino has strong consequences for Asia.
• https://www.eiu.com/n/el-nino-south-and-south-east-asias-2023-wild-card/


El Nino / La Nina conditions are forecast each year around early June for the coming 12 months. The peak ocean conditions occur in the following December- February, which for Thailand means warmer weather during the seasonal dry season, often extending the duration of the typical hot, dry season of March through May (in 2019 the monsoons didn't arrive until June).
We should be happy the current rainy season in topping off the reservoirs. The impending dry season is forecast to be worse than usual.

If only the drought wiped out the entire sugar cane industry. It is a plague. Such a horrific crop. The burning causes countless hospitalizations, lung disease and horrific air for months on end. The trucks result in the local roads getting torn up each year. Thailand would be better off without this horrendous industry, and farmers should be assisted and encouraged to switch to crops that are less heinous. 

 

As far as the corporations who create the sugar, who cares?