Bangkok floods after night of heavy rain

BANGKOK: -- The local authorities had promised an end to flooding in the capital, but flood it did yesterday, after a night of torrential rain left the city's defence systems unable to cope.

Commuters yesterday were forced to wade their way through water on several roads throughout the capital, after 80 millimetres of rain fell during the night.

Mr. Teeradej Tangpraprutkul, Director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)'s Drainage and Sewerage Department, blamed the situation on three consecutive days of rain in the capital, and admitted that it had left the capital's drainage system unable to cope.

The capital's drainage pipes have been designed to accept rainfall of only 60 millimetres, compared to the 82 millimetres of rain which fell on the afternoon of 30 May in Nong Jok district alone.

By last night, several roads were already inundated, including sections of Lat Phrao Road, Nawamin Road, Happy Land Road and Charoen Krung Road.

Although most of the water was drained off by 21.00hrs, the pumps were still at work in some places, with several areas waiting for water to drain out of canals and into the Chao Phraya River before the main water run-off could begin.

The Meteorological Department has forecast further torrential rain for 2-5 June, but the BMA claims that it has already made preparations and will be able to cope.

--TNA 2005-06-01

The Meteorological Department has forecast further torrential rain for 2-5 June, but the BMA claims that it has already made preparations and will be able to cope.

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It will be interesting to hear what the 'preparations' are. If the pipes are only designed for 60mm, then short of upgrading them all by tomorrow night, what on earth are they going to do...?

I guess they will probably just remove all the manhole covers as usual - always a good fall-back (or fall-down) option in BKK

Same same every year.....

I wonder how the new subway coped with all that water?

Please any water you don't want send down to Pattaya, we badly need rain and water down here.

Please any water you don't want send down to Pattaya, we badly need rain and water down here.

Absolutely... it's strange how the thunderstorms seem to be bypassing Pattaya this year... Rayong, Sri Ratcha, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Surin, and of course BKK have all had good heavy rain recently (from what I've read on TV anyway), and Pattaya is bone dry with water restrictions.

Lat prao...AKA MO chit area of N Bus Station and Mo Chit Market and places of great pools as much for pipes as for the pavement.....######, 2 hours after rain there are .75m pools between e Bus Station and Sky Train.....&lt;deleted&gt;, you want to power shop at Cahtuchack (sp) aster a good rain you'll need a jst ski..

How about some news???????

"Although most of the water was drained off by 21.00hrs, the pumps were still at work in some places, with several areas waiting for water to drain out of canals and into the Chao Phraya River before the main water run-off could begin"

The government should check on the canals for debris and clear the blockage, this would help the flood to subside faster. As further torrential rain is expected within the next few days, the Drainage and Sewerage Department should prepare contingency plans to handle these situations.

As always - smoke and mirrors - nothing changes.

One could say "Som Nam Na" - this is what happens when you build a city on a former swampy estuary and then infill the drainage canals dug by the city founders..... in order to build dual carriageways for fat cats' Mercs and BMWs.

Similar problems in Chiangmai, which used to have two major swamps just outside the city walls

- one to the northeast at Kham Tieng which was the bathing pools for the Royal Elephants, and until 2-3 years ago was open grasslands, but is now (yet another) massive "ethnicity" concreted-over market zone, mixed amongst flat-pack furniture outlets and car salesrooms.

- the other is now below Airport Business Park, but at least there they have left some areas as grasslands and flowerbeds to absorb some of the rain as it falls.

Thailand's habits of concreting over everything and constructing buildings up to the footpath's edge, instead of leaving open unconcreted areas for natural drainage by absorbtion, is at the root of most of these flooding problems in urban areas.

I often cogitate on the difference between Thailand and the rest of the world, in that only in Thailand were medieval cities NOT founded on high ground nearest to the river. Can anyone name any Thai city whose original centre was on high ground within the plain it now occupies? Even Mae Hong Song was built on the valley floor instead of on a hill. Chiang Rai, despite having a hill in the middle of the modern city, was built originally on the valley floor. Chiangmai, instead of being built on the gentle footslope of the mountain was built on the flood plain. Ayutthaya was built on a low lying river island. Bangers on a marsh. Khorat on a flat flood plain, Phimai - same, Lopburi - same etc etc etc.

As I said - som nam na.

Please any water you don't want send down to Pattaya, we badly need rain and water down here.

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don't worry, in a few weeks I will be in pattaya, and then there will be rain....

but will it rain water?????

Hmmmmmmm. Nice avatar, I wonder how long it will last

I often cogitate on the difference between Thailand and the rest of the world, in that only in Thailand were medieval cities NOT founded on high ground nearest to the river.  Can anyone name any Thai city whose original centre was on high ground within the plain it now occupies? 

As I said - som nam na.

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Thought about Gaz's observations and wonder if the fact that the main staple of the Thai diet is grown in wetlands has anything to do with the original locations of Thai cities. IMHO it would make a lot of sense to live near one's food source for obvious reasons.

Hmmmmmmm. Nice avatar, I wonder how long it will last

Maybe a bit longer on another forum...

Well fearless leader wants us all to turn off one light today to save electric. So maybe - if the roads become impassable - he will ask everyone to remain at home "to alleviate congestion".

I wonder how the new subway coped with all that water?

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That exactly what I concern about, because I use this kind of transportation everyday now.

Please any water you don't want send down to Pattaya, we badly need rain and water down here.

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Absolutely... it's strange how the thunderstorms seem to be bypassing Pattaya this year... Rayong, Sri Ratcha, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Surin, and of course BKK have all had good heavy rain recently (from what I've read on TV anyway), and Pattaya is bone dry with water restrictions.

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H'mm intelligent thunderstorms

Please any water you don't want send down to Pattaya, we badly need rain and water down here.

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Absolutely... it's strange how the thunderstorms seem to be bypassing Pattaya this year... Rayong, Sri Ratcha, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Surin, and of course BKK have all had good heavy rain recently (from what I've read on TV anyway), and Pattaya is bone dry with water restrictions.

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H'mm intelligent thunderstorms

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Punishment?

Hmmmmmmm. Nice avatar, I wonder how long it will last

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Maybe a bit longer on another forum...

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Now that is an eyeball pleaser!

Lat prao...AKA MO chit area of N Bus Station and Mo Chit Market and places of great pools as much for pipes as for the pavement.....######, 2 hours after rain there are .75m pools between e Bus Station and Sky Train.....&lt;deleted&gt;, you want to power shop at Cahtuchack (sp) aster a good rain you'll need a jst ski..

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But will you get a ticket if you don't wear a helmet?

Please any water you don't want send down to Pattaya, we badly need rain and water down here.

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Absolutely... it's strange how the thunderstorms seem to be bypassing Pattaya this year... Rayong, Sri Ratcha, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Surin, and of course BKK have all had good heavy rain recently (from what I've read on TV anyway), and Pattaya is bone dry with water restrictions.

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H'mm intelligent thunderstorms

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Punishment?

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The sulphur and brimstone are on the way!!!!!!

Theres a notice at the entrance to the Pahonyothin Subway reading......BYO snorkel gear !!!

It been rainning every night and cannot go for my golf........sad.

Im a qualified Plumber and if I did drainage work like Thais do I would be deregistered immediately and made to pay to to restore the work to the appropiate standards. Take Pattaya for instance, all the new road works and no rain for ages and if you look down an open manhole of recently completed work, they are 50% full before any rain comes. Im certain Thais have no idea how to grade a drain, they seem to install them level.

Posted this in another topic but more suitable for here.

The Transport for Bankoks future

Hmm....intelligent thunderstorms you say.

Six o'clock Wednesday: the commuting hour.

I wonder how many are forced to ride out the storm in bars and restuarants?

I wonder how many bars and restuarant owners own small planes with cloudseeding capabilities?

Lat prao...AKA MO chit area of N Bus Station and Mo Chit Market and places of great pools as much for pipes as for the pavement.....######, 2 hours after rain there are .75m pools between e Bus Station and Sky Train.....&lt;deleted&gt;, you want to power shop at Cahtuchack (sp) aster a good rain you'll need a jst ski..

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But will you get a ticket if you don't wear a helmet?

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And will you be checked for compliance with regard to the new noise restriction crackdown?

I wonder how the new subway coped with all that water?

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No problems - request has already been to the good germans that designed it - they're going to convert it to a submarine service. There will be a yellow version for farangs from Liverpool.

Please any water you don't want send down to Pattaya, we badly need rain and water down here.

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Absolutely... it's strange how the thunderstorms seem to be bypassing Pattaya this year... Rayong, Sri Ratcha, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Surin, and of course BKK have all had good heavy rain recently (from what I've read on TV anyway), and Pattaya is bone dry with water restrictions.

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The storms are mssing Pattaya because you are EVIL HAVN'T YOU GUYS REALIZED THAT YET

Please any water you don't want send down to Pattaya, we badly need rain and water down here.

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Absolutely... it's strange how the thunderstorms seem to be bypassing Pattaya this year... Rayong, Sri Ratcha, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Surin, and of course BKK have all had good heavy rain recently (from what I've read on TV anyway), and Pattaya is bone dry with water restrictions.

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The storms are mssing Pattaya because you are EVIL HAVN'T YOU GUYS REALIZED THAT YET

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IN FACT MAYBE THE GODS JUST WANT YOU TO DRY UP AND BLOW AWAY

Im a qualified Plumber and if I did drainage work like Thais do I would be deregistered immediately and made to pay to to restore the work to the appropiate standards. Take Pattaya for instance, all the new road works and no rain for ages and if you look down an open manhole of recently completed work, they are 50% full before any rain comes. Im certain Thais have no idea how to grade a drain, they seem to install them level.

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I'M A PLUMBER TOOOOO I HAVE BEEN CHECKING THE GIRLS PLUMBING FOR YEARS