Bangkok Hobbles During Morning Rush Hour After Heavy Downpur

[webfact]

Bangkok hobbles during morning rush hour after heavy downpur

By The Nation

Published on March 24, 2011

Bangkok traffic flows during morning rush hours yesterday became paralyzed after the city was hit by heavy rains and gusty wind causing three traffic lanes to be blocked by fallen trees and flooding condition covering 23 spots of main roads.

Following heavy downpours since 4.30am until late morning yesterday traffic jams became severe especially in Thon Buri's Kanchanapisek, Borommaratchachonnani, Arun Amarin roads as well as Phra Pinklao Bridge, Rama 8 Bridge as heavy rains caused slippery roads resulting several accidents. The Paholyothin's Lat Phrao Intersection until the Victory Monument, Din Daeng, Ratchadapisek and Rama 9 areas as well as Bang NaTrat, Sri Nakarin, Sukhumvit, and Ramkhamhaeng roads also suffered heavy congestion as some roadsurface spots were flooded.

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Department of Drainage and Sewerage director Sanya Chenimit said the amount of rainfall in Bangkok yesterday early morning was measured as 70120 millimeters hence many flooding conditions especially at Paholyothin, Chaeng Wattana and Ngamwongwan roads but all should be back in normal two hours after.

Bangkok traffic police chief Pol MajGen Panu Kerdlarppol said the traffic police report of morning rush hours stated there were flooding condition covering 23 spots of main roads including the Asoke Montri Intersection, the Soi Sukhumvit 11 to Rajaprasong Intersection, the Sutthisarn Road, the Suwinthawong Road, the Soi Sukhumvit 101105, and the Interior Ministry Intersection to Soi Lat Phrao 64 and Thium Ruammit Intersection. Three traffic lanes; one at Khamphaengpetch 2 Road behind Chatuchak Park, the other at Thium Ruammit Road in front of True Building and another at the mount of Soi Silom 9, were blocked by fallen trees causing traffic jams.

Meanwhile, Chon Buri's Pattaya City residents were frighten of 'tsunami like in Japan' after the city was hit by heavy rains and gusty winds early yesterday morning, causing signboards and trees to collapse, a blackout, flooding condition in various areas and subsequent traffic jams while many resident homes were also damaged by strong wind - but the authority affirmed there was no such tsunami gathering in the Pattaya Bay.

In Ubon Ratchathani, a storm which had hit the Muang district area since Tuesday evening damaged a total of 81 houses in Tambon Khilek including the tambon administrative organization's office, the Tambon Khilek president Pramuan Pimlor said yesterday. He added that he initially requested for construction materials to help repairs the affected homes.

In related news, Meteorological Department yesterday warned the lower Northern, central and upper Southern Thailand of summer storms, possible hail storms and temperature drop during the March 2325 period.

While Director South Eastern Coast Meteorological Center Wanchai Sakundomchai urged small boats to shore due to strong wind/high wave in the Gulf of Thailand and warned eastern coastal people of heavy rains during this period until March 26, Pattani provincial governor Nipon Narapitakkul said that Pattani's 12 districts would be affected with heavy rains this period and many areas already had flooding conditions, thus disaster prevention and mitigation officials now watched out for flash flood and landslide while 1,000 small fishing boats were told to stay ashore at the Pattani Bay port until the situation went back to normal.

-- The Nation 2011-03-24

[londonthai]

"news" delayed for some 24h, but have some historical value, so worth mentioning.

it's difficult to believe, taking into consideration the hot season, but houses were flooded as well - nothing that serious, like during proper wet season floods. People were taken by surprise, nobody expected it and there were no preparations, like sandbags etc.

in thalling chan, on thonburi, it was raining the whole night and strong gusts - difficult to sleep with noise from the tin roofs.

strange times indeed

Edited March 24, 2011 by londonthai

[whybother]

Chon Buri's Pattaya City residents were frighten of 'tsunami like in Japan' after the city was hit by heavy rains and gusty winds early yesterday morning

Since when have storms been accompanied by 10 metre tsunamis? OK, hurricanes can cause storm surges, but this was no hurricane. And where was the earthquake that caused this tsunami?

[londonthai]

what some thai think about natural happenings is beyond logic - they do prefer supernatural explanations

[toybits]

I must agree with the OP that 70120 mm of rain is a lot. Why thats over 70 meters of rain. Oh! Was that supposed to be 70-120 mm of rain?

"Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Department of Drainage and Sewerage director Sanya Chenimit said the amount of rainfall in Bangkok yesterday early morning was measured as 70120 millimeters hence many flooding conditions especially at Paholyothin, Chaeng Wattana and Ngamwongwan roads but all should be back in normal two hours after."

[Thunder26]

I must agree with the OP that 70120 mm of rain is a lot. Why thats over 70 meters of rain. Oh! Was that supposed to be 70-120 mm of rain?

You are right, 70-120 mm, which is really a lot. Luckily Bangkok is flat, otherwise would have been hit by severe floods.

[jimbeam1]

Someone forget to rod the drains again?

I can understand the many accidents, they are always there waiting to happen. Don't need no help from nature.

jb1

[exbelg]

and rain season did not even start... good old town management I guess

so, more than possible that Krungtep will be flooded completly by 2020

[khaowong1]

what some thai think about natural happenings is beyond logic - they do prefer supernatural explanations

Logic? Thai Logic?

[housepainter]

Hobble?

Cars have legs in Bangkok then?

Why don't they just give us cartoons and let us colour them in rather than persist any longer trying to be a newspaper.

Or do birds walk, fish jog, tigers dive, insects pirouette, rabbits hover, crocodiles blow, pigs dance, worms write novels, buildings compose music, rockets cook spaghetti, tennis rackets cure cancer and five sided coins recite Shakespeare?

Perhaps they do according to The Nation.

note to self: buy bicycle so I can hobble to work.

[anterian]

Thailand never gets it right, it is either floods or drought. The only place you get drizzle is in the Thai media

[Bagwan]

I will never forget the classic from Samak. These are not floods. This is just heavy rainfall.

The situation might improve if they cleared all the spoil out of the drains that was deposited there when they were built.

[lungmi]

It's the work of "devas", they push away the red and yellow mob, but others have to accept.

[snooky]

I used to see them cleaning the street drains here in Saphan Kwai every few months using prisoners to do the work, however, I have not seen that being done in my neighborhood for well over a year. Hope this will spur them into action again but I doubt it.

Edited March 24, 2011 by snooky

[whybother]

Thailand never gets it right, it is either floods or drought. The only place you get drizzle is in the Thai media

That's drivel.

[anterian]

Thailand never gets it right, it is either floods or drought. The only place you get drizzle is in the Thai media

That's drivel.

Nope, I meant drizzle, " a light , monotonous precipitation", like the flow of real news from the media.

[aussiebebe]

Thailand never gets it right, it is either floods or drought. The only place you get drizzle is in the Thai media

That's drivel.

Nope, I meant drizzle, " a light , monotonous precipitation", like the flow of real news from the media.

Shouldn't that be English-language media? You can't knock the Thai media - all photos are uncensored and international news is just filmed directly off a TV showing BBC or CNN. It's true about floods or droughts though; China is building a huge aqueduct to move water north, Thailand needs one of those too. Maybe China will build them one once it assumes control.

[MaiChai]

Well it woke me up. We live in a condo with two balconies that only get a little wet when it rains; that is the fronts of the balcony. I had to rush around bringing in washing and when I opened the balcony doors I got drenched and had to run around mopping up the water I dribbled around the apartment running between the two balconies!!! Thus it was very unusual weather; pressure had really been building up and rain was violent with strong winds.

We have had some very unusual weather recently; I can't help thinking it has something to do with all the recent volcanic activity around the region?

[electrozebra]

Maybe it is the 'wrong type of rain' a bit like the wrong type of snow in the UK?

We used to be told the snow is too wet and that caused problems. Maybe here the rain was also too wet?

[londonthai]

Maybe it is the 'wrong type of rain' a bit like the wrong type of snow in the UK?

We used to be told the snow is too wet and that caused problems. Maybe here the rain was also too wet?

with 12cm of rain, very unusual for this part of the year, bangkok hobbled for a few hours and water was pumped out from the low houses the same day, with 12cm of snow during expected cold winter the uk airports were immobilised for days, because they forgot to buy enough antifreeze fluid for air planes.

with weather not everything can be projected and prevented, but often it's just negligence