Ayutthaya Braces For Flooding In Business Area; Nakhon Sawan Under Water

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Ayutthaya braces for flooding in business area; Nakhon Sawan under water

PHRA NAKHON SI AYUTTHAYA, Sept 13 – Thailand’s central province of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya on Tuesday was preparing for flooding likely to hit the provincial seat while overflowing waters of the Chao Phraya River flooded communities in upriver in Nakhon Sawan.

To prevent floodwater from flowing into Ayutthaya municipality’s business district and transport routes, municipal workers and border patrol police were placing sandbags near the base of the Wat Dusitdaram bridge.

The operation came after overflowing water from the Pasak River flooded the Ayutthaya-Hantra Road and carrying away parts of the bridge and eroding nearby areas Monday night.

In Nakhon Sawan, waters from the Chao Phraya River overflowed into three communities in the provincial seat. About 800 houses and some household belongings were under three-metre-deep floodwaters.

Electricity has been cut off and military personnel from Chiraprawat Army Camp are aiding the flooded communities by flat-bottomed boats.

In Uttaradit, Provincial Public Health Office chief Dr Paisan Thanyawinichkul said three mobile medical units were sent to flood devastated Nam Pat district to treat victims.

Apart from physical illnesses, some residents are facing mental health stresses and insomnia.

Fifty flood victims are depressed, while 12 others are considered at risk of hurting themselves.

Dr Paisan said medical personnel and psychologists at the site have closely observed patients and given health advice. So far, about 153,000 flood-related patients have been reported. Most of them suffered from athlete’s foot, common flu and skin diseases, Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri on Tuesday said during his visit to flood-hit Singburi province.

The ministry dispatched mobile medical units to the area to treat patients and monitor possible epidemics as well as giving psychological advice for the patients.

Over a quarter milltion medical kits have been distributed in 13 flooded provinces.The flooding continued in 21 provinces and affected some 693,000 residents, according to Interior Permanent Secretary Vichien Chavalit.

Nearly 3.7 million rais (some 1.5 million acres) of crops are estimated to have been destroyed while the traffic on eight highways and 41 rural roads has been disrupted in 14 provinces due to the floods.

Mr Vichien, as director of the emergency operations centre for floods, storms and mudslide, warned residents in seven flood-prone provinces to beware of possible mudslides and forest run-off triggered by heavy incessant rain.

The at-risk provinces included Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Tak, Kanchanaburi, Rayong, Chantaburi and Trat. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-09-13

[AmeriThai]

Just came across a couple of recent videos on YouTube, posted by Forrest450, showing some of the flooding at Ayutthaya. I'm not sure exactly where the first one was taken, but it looks like the main road going into Ayutthaya off the expressway from BKK. The second one is around Rojana Plaza, near Ampo Mall. Thanks for providing these views Forrest!

Edited October 8, 2011 by AmeriThai

[draggons]

Our house in Maharat now under 6 feet of water!!!!! The whole place now cut off.

[AmeriThai]

Another video of the flooding at Ayutthaya. It mostly shows berms of soil and rock, as well as sandbag berms, in a effort to try to hold the rising water back. The water still broke through. The conclusion shows a still taken from the air.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKmBKxwbMT0&feature=channel_video_title

[AmeriThai]

Just a note about the last video. It's not current, but dated of the conditions last month, September 6, 2011. I'd like to see some more current views of the city. Anyone?

[AmeriThai]

Latest video by Forrest450 is that water in the building is shut off where he is, but the electricity is still on. The flood water had gone down a day ago, but is now rising again, at least in the area where he's located. He says the news is that all of Ayutthaya may have to be evacuated.

[Spee]

Bloody awful sights. My partner and her daughter have had to abandon their flat near Bang Pa-In, and head to our house up north. Her daughter's school is closed indefinitely, over a week now and probably one or two more ahead. No electricity and food shortages. Good luck to everyone. Be safe. Stay safe.

[tutsiwarrior]

yeah...I was at the Suphanburi tescos yesterday and all the bottled water and instant noodles are gone...on the drive up from Songphinong the road was clear but just barely with klongs and fields literally brimming...and that wasn't there two weeks ago and there hasn't been enough rain to cause that much difference...the water was obviously diverted from elsewhere...

tutsi shall be organizing the 'Suphan Defence League' (SDL) to prevent these outrages from happening again...this happened a few years ago and low lying areas were turned into a flood plain...

'ya! basta!...'