230 Highways Remain Closed And No Easing In Sight: Thailand Flood

[webfact]

230 highways remain closed and no easing in sight

The Nation

At least 230 interprovincial and rural roads - most of them in Northern provinces and the central plains - have become impassable because of flooding, according to senior highway officials.

Sixty-seven of them are highways in 14 provinces, including Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Lop Buri, Chai Nat, Saraburi, and Suphan Buri, Department of Highways acting directorgeneral Wanchai Phaklak said yesterday.

Floods have left 163 rural roads impassable and damaged 595 others although they are still passable, according to Department of Rural Roads acting directorgeneral Chartchai Thipsunawi. He said an estimated Bt5.4 billion in damage had been caused to the rural roads.

Meanwhile, a Phaholyothin Road section that links Ayutthaya and Saraburi was closed to traffic yesterday because of flooding on the road surface.

The Highway Police began closing the road in the morning for both inbound and outbound traffic and will allow only large cargo trucks or vehicles carrying relief items to flood victims, said Pol MajGeneral Noraboon Naenna, commander of the Highway Police.

The closed section covered Ayutthaya's Wang Noi district and Saraburi's Hin Kong elevated road. Phaholyothin links the Central region to the Northeast and the North.

Noraboon said parts of the closed section were flooded, with the water levels between 60 and 100 centimetres, causing severe traffic congestion for several hours before it was closed to traffic yesterday. He advised motorists to use bypasses and nearby roads, such as the Bangkok Motorway, RangsitNakhon Nayok Road, and Taling ChanSuphan Buri Road.

A motorist said that on Wednesday night her car was stuck in severe congestion for more than six hours as she was leaving Wang Noi.

In floodhit Nakhon Sawan, which connects the Central region to the North, the situation was still critical and its nine major interprovincial highways remained impassable for the third week, said Narin Suwanthana, a senior Highways Department official in the province. He said flooding also left Nakhon Sawan's 24 rural roads impassable.

He expects flooding on the roads to remain for at least a month, as it will take time for waters to recede.

-- The Nation 2011-10-14

[Smithson]

Does anyone know where we can get up to date info on which hwys are affected?

[skippero]

Is highway 1 from Chiang Rai to Bangkok closed? How do we find out highway information?

[rogeratkins]

Yesterday to reach Saraburi form Ayuutaya we had to travel to Rangsit first then Nakhon Nayok and then Saraburi .It took us 5 hrs to arrive at home .

Wang noi and Bang Pa in roads we used in the morning to go to Ayuutaya were closed in evening so situation changes by the hour and difficult to find information.

[dtaanic]

Had to drive from Bangkok to Korat yesterday. I guessed highway 1 would be closed and knew there was some flooding in saraburi. I chosed to drive a bit south on highway 7 to near Chachoengsao and then take route 304 all the way to Korat.

No water flood problems in that route, beside being stuck 2-3 hours in the mountain pass after Kabin Buri, with all those trucks trying to pass there.

What i regret is to be totally unable to get any info on which road is open and which is closed. with information like 595 damaged rural roads, 163 impassable some officials know how the road situation is. so where is the map? where is the link to the website with the info.

It is stupid to have no info on those matters, sending people on the road just to be stuck and make the situation even worth.

Edited October 14, 2011 by dtaanic

[SantiSuk]

Thailand needs a motoring organisation to act as lobbyist and catalyst for matters like this. Unfortunatley it seems that Thai culture supports the 'travek in hope' philosophy.

Thanks to the poster who updated us on 304 - I plan using that on Sunday having abandoned plans for a longer sojourn to Chiang Mai from Ubon. Anyone got any updates on Highway 24 between Surin and the 304 junction? I'm pretty sure it's ok between Ubon and the Surin west-bound junction. Water levels seem to be receding in Ubon and SiSaket provinces' rivers in recent days, though I'm writing this during the type of rain storm that we were getting too frequently a couple of weeks ago.

[dthomasss]

Scheduled to holiday in Pak Chong (driving from Bangkok) next week (Tuesday to Friday). How can I find update reports on highway closures.

It doesn;t look good for Hihgway 1 through Saraburi to open anytime soon.

Any suggestions?

[hhfarang]

How do we find out highway information?

The highway hotline information number is 1586. I haven't tried it but it is a (advertised as) 24 hour number so it is probably a recording, in Thai one would presume. If you have a Thai wife or GF, you may want her to give that a try.

[siampolee]

Drove back from the farm in Surin last night after a 4 day visit (Sangkha being about 15 kiometres from our farm) Traffic flow was fine, however a number of very heavy rainstorms were encountered on the way. problems though were simple until reaching Wang Noi where there was utter chaos. Torrents of water pouring over the highway

No police posted, no warning notices, and the information gleaned was courtesy of truck drivers who told us even our four wheel pick up with high clearance would probably be inundated with water in the cab.

Following the information gleaned from truck drivers we turned around, back tracked and diverted our journey home to Nam Dang Thepperak road Ban Phli) via Nakon Nayok, Rangsit and expressway to the Samrong turn off which is but 1 kilometer from our our bahn.

Total travel time was around 8 hours which under the circumstance was good.

May be easier today for travel in that direction inbound or outbound

[marquess]

I live in Don Muang and I am planning to drive to Khon Kaen, is it still possible to get there via Suraburi, or has the road situation gotten worse or better?

[graeme72]

We came from Lumpini to Khon Kaen early Friday. Apart from 120 mm of water on a small section of the road at Rangsit, no problem. Take Rangsit - Nakhon Nayok Rd (305), then route 3051, then route 3222 to Kaeng Khoi on Hwy 2 NE of Saraburi. Of course it may have changed since then.

I live in Don Muang and I am planning to drive to Khon Kaen, is it still possible to get there via Suraburi, or has the road situation gotten worse or better?

[marquess]

We came from Lumpini to Khon Kaen early Friday. Apart from 120 mm of water on a small section of the road at Rangsit, no problem. Take Rangsit - Nakhon Nayok Rd (305), then route 3051, then route 3222 to Kaeng Khoi on Hwy 2 NE of Saraburi. Of course it may have changed since then.

I live in Don Muang and I am planning to drive to Khon Kaen, is it still possible to get there via Suraburi, or has the road situation gotten worse or better?

Thanks!

[Napat9]

There is a hotline for highway/flooding updates. I have used it before. Catch is you have to speak very very good Thai, or let your Thai associate call for you.

[aonangj]

Two questions-

We are supposed to be picking up a friend from Suvurnabumi Airport. We live in Krabi. Does anyone know if we should expect to experience any problem getting into Bangkok from the South? Are there any areas within the city that we should avoid, road wise? Our planned route into BKK was to take Hwy 4 to Hwy 35 into the city. Should we expect major delays?

Secondarily, after we pick up our friend we are supposed to be traveling (by pickup truck) to Chiang Rai. Is that even possible? I understand that we wont be able to probably take the most direct route but is there a route that will even get us there? My potential route based on what I have heard here from the airport is Hwy 9 to Hwy 305 to the 33 to the 1 (near Saraburi) to the 11 (at Tak Fa, taking us around Nakhon Sawan) and then it sounds clear after I get past Phichit on the 11

Any help/advice is GREATLY, GREATLY appreciated.