Floods cause Bt1-bn damage in Nakhon Ratchasima

By Kawinthra Jaisue,

Nalin Viboonchart

The Nation

Flooding in Nakhon Ratchasima province has caused damage of around Bt1 billion, the provincial chamber of commerce said yesterday.

The businesses most affected were 8,000 factories, which had to cut down or halt their operations. This had caused 5,000 workers to be suspended temporarily, the chamber’s chairperson Subongkhot Wongwit-chayaphorn said yesterday.

Superstores and wholesale outlets were still open, but sales were low because few people could go shopping.

Subongkhot said the districts hardest hit were Pak Chong, Muang, Sikhiu, Sung Noen and Pak Thong Chai, which are all commercial and business areas.

She added that low-income earners were seeking monetary compensation from the government for damage done to their property and vehicles, as well as tax exemption and soft loans for certain industries such as silk.

Good news was the floods had not damaged manufacturing plants in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Navanakorn industrial estate.

The estate’s managing director Nipit Arunvongse na Ayudhya said yesterday that Navanakorn was only flooded for 24 hours when excess water from the Lam Phra Phloeng dam had to be released. The water had already drained away to the lowlands, such as Pak Thong Chai district.

“The manufacturing plants in the estate were not affected by the flooding. We are now cleaning out the muddy residue left by the flood. As far as I’m concerned, only Siam Fukoku has been affected from the flood, though other tenants have told us that they have already resumed their operations,” he said.

Navanakorn is home to several firms that manufacture electronic components and electronic products such as Siam Fukoku, Shin-EI High Tech and MMI Precision Assembly (Thailand).

Nipit said some potential investors visited the estate after the flooding, but they were confident their investments would not be wasted.

-- The Nation 2010-10-21

I can not remember the weather ever being this wet and cloudy for the last 10 years. Last night we had a whopper of a thunder and lightening storm at about 11pm. One thunder clap was so huge. About 3 seconds before it went off, all of our electric went out, and then silence, and then BAM. It shook the glass on our house. This is the wettest I remember. All of the water table in this area (already low in a normal season) is totally saturated. Strange.

Careful - all the greenies will run out and spew cause being global warming.....

Careful - all the greenies will run out and spew cause being global warming.....

It's called climate change nowadays, and during 20 months of traveling through Europe in the years 2005-06-07 I have seen strong evidence from Lapland to Southern Italy.

I do not know what is causing it, but one thing is 100% sure, the climate is changing all over the world, and it is doing so rapidly....

Careful - all the greenies will run out and spew cause being global warming.....

It's called climate change nowadays, and during 20 months of traveling through Europe in the years 2005-06-07 I have seen strong evidence from Lapland to Southern Italy.

I do not know what is causing it, but one thing is 100% sure, the climate is changing all over the world, and it is doing so rapidly....

Just a reminder for the "Greenies" NOT to get carried away - the world has been climate changing as a matter-of-fact for millenieums.

The now desert areas of our planet were previously lush green planes - now lush green planes previously deserts. The statistics have been scoured by scientific data that discounts the push for the band-wagon "Greenies " to support taxation of industries and public sector to pay for "Climate Change Control".

I agree with greener emissions to save our planet from ourselves - just not total nonsense that we are the REAL cause for the already historically documented climate changes.

Careful - all the greenies will run out and spew cause being global warming.....

It's called climate change nowadays, and during 20 months of traveling through Europe in the years 2005-06-07 I have seen strong evidence from Lapland to Southern Italy.

I do not know what is causing it, but one thing is 100% sure, the climate is changing all over the world, and it is doing so rapidly....

Climate change has happened since the birth of our planet, hot gases have erupted into the atmosphere for many millenia; much the same as the Thai PM's utterences about a general election and fair governance!

More speculative and sensationalist reporting -- a Thai tradition ! How is it possible to assess 1 billion baht of damage at this point . Everything is still under water.

Just pull any number that sounds good out of the air and report it. Actually the number is probably much too low, if the report from Maharat hospital has any truth. They claim 250 milion baht damage to medical equipment.

Hi, do you know if buses can go from BKK to UDON THANI today and tomorrow ?

Thanks.