Evacuation In Bangkok Set To Start

[webfact]

FLOODS

Evacuation set to start

PM Abhisit sets up committee to oversee relief efforts and rush aid to those affected by floods

A plan has been drawn up to evacuate residents from riverside communities in 13 districts as the flood crisis intensified in Bangkok yesterday.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday set up a high-powered committee to oversee flood-relief efforts and a centre to coordinate aid to victims in affected areas.

The move came as officials in Bangkok prepared to evacuate residents from areas at risk, including people living along the Chao Phraya River and areas outside the flood prevention embankments.

PM's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaey was appointed as chairman of the 28-member panel and former Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayodhin, who is an adviser to the premier, was appointed the panel's deputy chairman.

Other committee members include heads of the various departments - Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Irrigation, Meteorology, Local Administration and Public Relations - plus the Army chief, national police chief, Armed Forces supreme commander, heads of the Federation of Thai Industries, Thai Chamber of Commerce, and Thai Bankers Association.

The panel's duty is to follow up on assistance to flood victims and provide rehabilitation to those affected to ensure recovery as soon as possible. The prime minister said yesterday that the panel would begin operating today.

The centre to coordinate assistance to flood victims will be headed by Apirak. It will be staffed by representatives from 17 agencies, and its duty is to coordinate with public and private organisations for support of funds, personnel and machinery to aid the victims.

The centre also will receive complaints from those affected by flooding and gather information regarding the situation and assistance.

The prime minister met yesterday with the heads of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, the Royal Irrigation Department, and the Meteorological Department to discuss preparations for imminent flooding in the Central region.

The meeting took place at the state-run Channel 11, where the prime minister held his weekly programme "Confident in Thailand with PM Abhisit".

Abhisit said on his show that the government was expediting financial aid to areas affected by flooding although the principle of transparency would be retained. He said that as the problem was easing in the Northeast, there was concern for provinces in the Central region with water runoff from the North and the rising sea tide.

Later, the prime minister toured flooded areas in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani to inspect the situation and provide aid.

Separately, Deputy Premier Sanan Kachornprasart said Cabinet would discuss the provision of additional funds to affected areas at its weekly meeting tomorrow.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said the city administration has devised a plan to evacuate residents from riverside communities in 13 districts. Lodging would be provided at more than 20 schools, temples and mosques while their homes were flooded.

The governor urged residents in communities set to be flooded not to stay at home if it looks to be risky. He said their homes would be guarded by local police during their absence.

Sukhumbhand said the water situation in the city was "going to be critical" with rising levels of the Chao Phraya River due to water runoffs from the North and the rising sea tide.

He said the Meteorological Department also predicted more rain in Bangkok next week.

But he was still confident about city officials' flood prevention measures.

"The water level is expected to rise to a highest level of 2.3 metres on October 26 (Tuesday) - that is still well under Bangkok's flood prevention embankment, which is 2.5 metres high.

"Local residents should not panic. The BMA [bangkok Metropolitan Administration] is well prepared this year, better prepared than in the previous years," he said.

The governor also called on residents in some low-lying communities not to remove sandbags from temporary flood walls built to protect the inner city areas. He said that if they want sandbags to protect their homes, they should contact the local district offices, as there was still a large supply.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, Maharat Hospital will resume services in some sections today after severe flooding halted operations for over a week.

The clinic for outpatients, children's section, and the eye-ear-nose-throat section will reopen while the emergency and intensive care sections as well as operating theatres will remain closed due to a shortage of clean water and complex medical equipment.

A total of 38 people have been killed in flood-related accidents over the two weeks to yesterday, according to the Emergency Medical Institute. The deaths occurred in 15 provinces.

In all, 31 provinces have been hit by flooding, with 828,443 households and nearly 2.5 million people affected, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

In a related development, stress from severe flooding was believed to have caused a village head in Saraburi to commit suicide.

Duangjai Thongraya, 50, was found dead, hung from staircase at her flooded home in Saraburi's Sao Hai district.

Her husband Wiroj, a local administrator, said he thought the village head took her life after she failed to satisfy villagers who complained about insufficient aid.

-- The Nation 2010-10-25

[londonthai]

the last week the officials said that bangkok will be briefly but heavily flooded (including sukhumwit), now they are saying it should be ok.

I think they just don't want to create panic, but in my opinion they should warn people about the worst - move belongings to the upper floor, stock houses with drinking water, foods, emergency lighting, gas cookers etc for several days

Edited October 25, 2010 by londonthai

[JAS21]

Bangkok will be OK.

Just let the Khon Ban Nork (rural people) flood.

(I am a PAD supporter)

Yes...Nations tend to protect their capital cities..for obvious reasons..in case you don't know London, which is in the UK if you don't know that either, has the Thames Barrier.

[tomyummer]

Truly the Venice of the East.

Hopefully after this the government will finally take the upgrading of infrastructure seriously and budget for it. This does not include giant ferris wheels.

[chantorn]

Truly the Venice of the East.

Hopefully after this the government will finally take the upgrading of infrastructure seriously and budget for it. This does not include giant ferris wheels.

So it is just that the Thai Navy is buying submarine. To be able to bring tourist to see the Bangkok underwater.

[webfact]

Flood waters reach Bangkok

BANGKOK - Floodwaters from Thailand's north and north-eastern provinces reached the Thai capital yesterday, said Thai officials.

"Flood water has arrived in Bangkok," Mr Chalit Damrongsak, director-general of the Irrigation Department, which operates dams across the country, was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency.

Speaking on television, Mr Chalit said the floodwater levels in Bangkok are expected to rise further on Wednesday and Thursday.

But Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra reassured residents yesterday, saying he believes his officials would be able to prevent floodwaters from reaching key commercial areas in the inner city.

The death toll from the floods has risen to 38 as almost half the country's provinces have now been affected, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

Meanwhile, Cyclone Giri, which hit western Myanmar last Friday, has forced thousands of people from their homes, a resident said yesterday.

A senior official in the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement said there had been at least one death, a girl killed by a falling tree.

"We are still surveying the damage and casualties while carrying out relief work," said the official. "Relief goods are being sent by boat and air."

Residents of the coastal region said damage was extensive.

"Damage to property is huge. Nearly all the houses made of bamboo and thatch were completely destroyed," said businessman Ko Kyaw Khin. About 4,000 people were seeking refuge at shelters run by Buddhist monks and other citizens, he said.

He added that a number of villages on the islands of Kyunthaya and Ngapathon were completely covered with water.

On the mainland, embankments had been broken and low-lying areas inundated by a tidal surge, he said, adding that villagers faced a shortage of drinking water. AGENCIES

Source: http://www.todayonline.com/World/EDC101025-0000056/Flood-waters-reach-Bangkok

TODAYonline

-- 2010-10-25

[webfact]

Chao Phraya River Continues to Overflow in Phatumthani

Water levels of the Chao Phraya River continue to rise as currents overflow into Phatumthani province. Latest reports show that the fresh market in the center of Phatumthani has been hit with the floodwaters. The death toll from the nationwide flood, today, stands at 28. Lopburi province experienced the most number of deaths, 8.

-- Tan Network 2010-10-25

[Ricardo]

I don't think I would have described 2.3m as "well under" 2.5m, 'marginally below' perhaps, but it's also quite brave to assume that the embankment won't give way, under the pressure. Time to stop selling umbrellas, and start selling Wellington-boots, methinks !

[Thai at Heart]

Does any of the media have a concise map of where has been and where else is likely to be inundated? I know that the situation can change by the hour, but presumably the BMA has some reports somewhere that can give an hour by hour picture.

[tomyummer]

Does any of the media have a concise map of where has been and where else is likely to be inundated? I know that the situation can change by the hour, but presumably the BMA has some reports somewhere that can give an hour by hour picture.

The BMA reports will most likely be ready for download by the end of next week which actually means some time next month.

[spiderleghead]

Does any of the media have a concise map of where has been and where else is likely to be inundated? I know that the situation can change by the hour, but presumably the BMA has some reports somewhere that can give an hour by hour picture.

now that would be logical

[Thai at Heart]

Does any of the media have a concise map of where has been and where else is likely to be inundated? I know that the situation can change by the hour, but presumably the BMA has some reports somewhere that can give an hour by hour picture.

now that would be logical

Sorry, forgot where I was for a second.

[idiot farang]

Does any of the media have a concise map of where has been and where else is likely to be inundated? I know that the situation can change by the hour, but presumably the BMA has some reports somewhere that can give an hour by hour picture.

been looking for the same for a while to no avail.

[tomyummer]

Got this link from a another post. http://fb.me/vQGIRqoY

It's a Google Map link showing current floods. Still looking for projected areas of Bangkok.

[mdechgan]

Does any of the media have a concise map of where has been and where else is likely to be inundated? I know that the situation can change by the hour, but presumably the BMA has some reports somewhere that can give an hour by hour picture.

I bet the BMA doesn't even have a map or any idea of what to do or where it's going to flood.

[Bagwan]

Does any of the media have a concise map of where has been and where else is likely to be inundated? I know that the situation can change by the hour, but presumably the BMA has some reports somewhere that can give an hour by hour picture.

now that would be logical

Sorry, forgot where I was for a second.

I saw shopkeepers in Pathum Thani wading through water two feet deep on TV yesterday. To my surprise they were quite cheerful in their adversity. Now this excellent example of black humour has caused me to smile. 

Coming to live in Thailand is a bit like enlisting in the UK Armed Forces. If you can't take a joke, don't join. 

[rreddin]

Everybody I have spoken to in the area where I live, which is a rural area, has expressed concern about the flooding and its affect on people's lives and livleihoods wherever it is, including Bangkok. These Khon Ban Nork have more humanity and care more about the plight of their fellow countrymen and women than you appear to do.

Edited October 25, 2010 by Rimmer
Quoted reply removed from view

[Thai at Heart]

Does any of the media have a concise map of where has been and where else is likely to be inundated? I know that the situation can change by the hour, but presumably the BMA has some reports somewhere that can give an hour by hour picture.

now that would be logical

Sorry, forgot where I was for a second.

I saw shopkeepers in Pathum Thani wading through water two feet deep on TV yesterday. To my surprise they were quite cheerful in their adversity. Now this excellent example of black humour has caused me to smile. 

Coming to live in Thailand is a bit like enlisting in the UK Armed Forces. If you can't take a joke, don't join. 

Oh absolutely. However, when you hear "old timers" talking about floods on Silom and Sukhumvit in previous decades, hearing the BMA state that they are "prepared" isn't exactly reassuring. That was a little before my time in Thailand. With statements ranging from "the perfect storm", to "oh it happens every year" there is always somewhere in the middle, and having a simple map of the current highest risk areas would be too much of a leap of logic in the 21st century would it? I can just see the police running traffic lights actively pushing people into flooded streets and the such if it all goes completely tits up.

I hear they even have things like mobile telecommunicators that can connect to the interweb these days to give minute by minute reports by electronic message, and a thingamajig called google maps that is quite the rage these days. Thanks to whoever posted the links to maps earlier, it gives a little bit of an indication.

As far as I understand from old timers, the curved parts (Yannawa through to Song Khanong) of the river are at biggest risk? Is that the case?

[webfact]

Bangkok flood risk areas: http://twitpic.com/2zcsrg

[Bagwan]

This is just a tad off topic and probably not the thread to wax satirical in but nevertheless ..........

If the population is going to be evacuated this could be interpreted as giving everybody an enema. The report should read that areas of the city will be evacuated. Just a pedantic moment which will pass after a lie down. 

[inmysights]

Truly the Venice of the East.

Hopefully after this the government will finally take the upgrading of infrastructure seriously and budget for it. This does not include giant ferris wheels.

Oh that it was once again:) Imagine hopping the Thai version of a gondola up Silom! Getting to JJ in the blink of an eye! No more sitting for hours in taxis. No more petrol/diesel fueled non breathable air! No more taking your life into your hands when crossing a soi, let alone a six lane motorway. Heaven:)

Edited October 25, 2010 by inmysights

[webfact]

Nonthaburi reinforced protection wall against rising sea level

BANGKOK, 25 October 2010 (NNT) - As the water level in the Chao Phaya River continues to rise, Nonthaburi Governor has ordered related government agencies to raise sandbag water barriers higher to prevent flooding in the province.

Nonthaburi Governor Wichien Puthivinyu has ordered related local government agencies to add more sandbags to the flood protection walls, raising and reinforcing them at the same time to prevent the province from rising water levels coming on the heels the high tide expected today and tomorrow.

Meanwhile, hundred of homes on both sides of the Chaophaya River have been submerged under water which has overflowed the banks by up to 2.30 deep; a number of people have already evacuated as the water level is expected to rise further.

The Nonthaburi Governor has also instructed local administration officials to speed up relief operations.

-- NNT 2010-10-25

[bulmercke]

Bangkok braces for "perfect storm"

Oct 24, 2010, 8:16 GMT - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Bangkok - Bangkok authorities braced Sunday for a 'perfect storm' over the next three days as run-off from the country's worst flooding in decades in the central plains flowed towards the capital.

Heavy monsoon rains since October 10 have caused flooding in 28 of Thailand's 77 provinces, claiming up to 32 dead and an estimated 300 million dollars worth of damage.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said in his weekly Sunday broadcast Sunday that floodwaters had receded in the north-east but were they were still threatening the central plains and Bangkok.

The flooding has been mostly limited to the kingdom's central and north-eastern provinces, but as big dams in the affected region have filled to capacity, irrigation officials have been forced to release water into the Chao Phrya River that flows through the capital.

At the same time, the Gulf of Thailand is at high tide, forcing seawater up the river.

On Sunday, the Chao Phrya was measured at 1.98 metres in Bangkok, still below the 2.5 metre high walls erected to protect the capital from the river.

Heavy rain in coming days could result in a 'perfect storm,' Bangkok governor Sukhumphand Paribatra warned.

Smith Dharmasaroja, chairman of the Foundation of Natural Disaster Warning Council, said city authorities would be able to cope with the rising river as long as there was no heavy rain.

Bangkok was hit by massive floods in 1986 and 1995. The government has since invested heavily in flood-prevention measures.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority is using 200,000 sandbags to plug holes in the barrier, and has put 1,065 pumps on standby in vulnerable communities.

The crucial days will be Monday through Wednesday, when the Chao Phrya will be flowing at more than 3,500 cubic metre per second.

[Rimmer]

Some posts removed from view and a number of quoted replies

[Colabamumbai]

So now at the last minute "fools rush in."

[londonthai]

Bangkok flood risk areas: http://twitpic.com/2zcsrg

this map from the todays paper lists 15 areas in bangkok which will be flooded, if the rainfall exceeds 6cm. As bangkok is flat, the areas affected will be much wider, than just few khlongs and road intersections

Edited October 25, 2010 by londonthai

[whybother]

Bangkok flood risk areas: http://twitpic.com/2zcsrg

this map from the todays paper lists 15 areas in bangkok which will be flooded, if the rainfall exceeds 6cm. As bangkok is flat, the areas affected will be much wider, than just few khlongs and road intersections

That might be true if Bangkok was completely flat, but there are differences in heights by enough to keep the water at bay in most areas.

[SergeiY]

Bangkok flood risk areas: http://twitpic.com/2zcsrg

this map from the todays paper lists 15 areas in bangkok which will be flooded, if the rainfall exceeds 6cm. As bangkok is flat, the areas affected will be much wider, than just few khlongs and road intersections

That might be true if Bangkok was completely flat, but there are differences in heights by enough to keep the water at bay in most areas.

You are right, Bangkok isn't that flat flat.

But no worry, the water will come through the canalisation and street drains; some higher areas will becomes "islands" but are no barriers that keep the water at bay.

[Thongkorn]

I think about my friends who live on the outskirts of Bangkok , when i go and stay with them. i always notice that the main drains do not flow, they are stagnant , They have been that way for years , they are a recipe for a major decease out break ,All the years of filth that will come up and out of them ,The next thing is there will be an out break of cholera , hope that the Thai government who are making vast amounts of money start to pump some of it back in the infrastructure to help the people of Thailand and not just for the Big money Thais.

[Robby nz]

Was going to post an update on the river hight on the river topic.

But there is so much BS on there I will put it here instead.

CP is now up to 12.5m at singburi.

Has risen 25 to 30 cm today.

If it keeps rising at that rate we are likely to be in big trouble here.

And as I said earlier it is all heading for BKK.

There will be flooding in the big city.