627 Bangkok Communities Under Water

[draftvader]

No further issue here in Bangplad. I have heard that Dusit has some flooding (opposite us) and there is plenty of flooding out in Bang Bua Thong, but this is all known. The view from my apartment window (about 3m from the river) is that we are still OK. Tomorrow morning will be more interesting as we will have the same tidal height as this morning but there will be increased flood water to add to it. If anything "exciting" happens I'll be sure to post a photo.

[Scott]

I have deleted several off-topic posts and replies to them. The situation in BKK is getting a little more serious. There are several threads where you can discuss politics.

Not here.

Not anymore.

[nicky1982]

Breaking news. Large parts of Wong wian yai now under water.

[BigBikeBKK]

The weather was beautiful this afternoon so I jumped on the bike to go exploring. Of course, no sooner had I hit the road it started pissing down. Ah well, whatcha gonna do?

I headed to Minburi since I read it's flooded and I used to live there.

Seems like all the major roads are fine. No flooding on Ramkamhaeng, Rom Klao, Chalong Krung or highway 304. Chao Khun Thahan road is rather badly flooded on the westbound side, but traffic was still getting through. Eastbound side is high and dry.

Many smaller roads are flooded and some are impassable.

A few pics-

Canals are full and overflowing.

Nice to see that not everyone is miserable- check out these kids jumping into a flooded canal-

Folks who've built their homes at canal level are getting their feet wet...

I was going to give this road a try (I think it's Rom Klao Soi 19?) but the Fortuner I was following U-turn'd when we got to a particularly deep section and I figured it I would be foolish of me to try and get through here.

Stopped in front of my old place on Kum Klao road and snapped this pic-

The water wasn't very deep here, but on other parts of the road it was a bit dicey- I'd say around 2-3 feet deep.

So, it's bad, but not as bad as I expected. No flooding at all in "downtown" Minburi. (Yet)

Good luck everyone! :jap:

Edited October 15, 2011 by BigBikeBKK

[Scott]

According to the information I got from a Thai friend, Minburi has been declared a disaster area. Where I live, we are still dry, but it has been raining off and on and some big khlongs.

[TJH]

According to the information I got from a Thai friend, Minburi has been declared a disaster area. Where I live, we are still dry, but it has been raining off and on and some big khlongs.

Just been out and looked at Sathorn Road (around the Ascott Hotel and Soi's 11 and 13). All ok for the moment.

[BigBikeBKK]

Hmmm, power went out here in Wang Thong Lang about 30 minutes ago. But still get DTAC 3G so must just be a local outage... Ah, power just came back.... Weird

[waza]

Floods to raise Thailand's inflation by 5%

Research Center of Thai Military Bank (TMB) predicted that if the current flooding carried on until the end of this year, inflation could rise by 5.1 percent while prices of fresh foods by 11.9 percent, local media reported on Wednesday.My link

[WAERTH]

Went from Huai Kwang through Meng Jai to Thong Lor at 22.00 and back same route 01.30 no flooding along the way. So far so good

Normally many of the small back sois on this route flood, now even after the heavy rains they were quite dry!

[Richard W]

Seriously, what's the military going to do with a state of emergency: use snipers to murder any residents who try to destroy embankments?

Though bodies can temporarily substitute for sandbags (Burmese tactic from the Burmese-Thai wars, I believe), the credible threat of being shot should suffice.

[BuckarooBanzai]

Hmmm, power went out here in Wang Thong Lang about 30 minutes ago. But still get DTAC 3G so must just be a local outage... Ah, power just came back.... Weird

Thanks for the photos and links BBB.

[diehard60]

It's all about face. No emergency will be declared.

Crazy, they should keep people from breaking down sandbag barriers. That is an army job.

No! You are wrong. It is not the army's job - it's the police. But the question is where are they?

[londonthai]

as the army builds some of those makeshift flood barriers (they do have resources and manpower), they should maintain it properly, including chasing off those trying to steal sandbags to protect their own homes and those, who try to vandalise barriers. That might involve even shutting at, using rubber bullets and aimed at legs.

army might be needed in the case of the widespread evacuation, first to move people to safety and than protecting the property left behind.

state of emergency might involve requisition of equipment, transportation (boats, buses) etc from the private companies to deal with the situation, if the army doesn't have enough of them themselves. That's probably the only justifiable reason, why the state of emergency might be introduced

[ExpatOilWorker]

Flooding in the Bang Mot area south of Thonburi on the west side of the river. This is in the "safe zone", but the water started to rise around midnight and klongs are now overflowing some roads.

Center of this map:

http://maps.google.co.th/maps?q=bangkok&hl=en&ll=13.652493,100.497093&spn=0.076983,0.131922&sll=13.0376,101.491373&sspn=38.791674,67.543945&vpsrc=6&hnear=Bangkok&t=m&z=14

[Markaew]

And that was my sole attempt to keep the thread from running completely off-topic.

TV is being hijacked by political extremists. Is there nothing that can be done to cut down the constant repetitive slander generated by those members who are so blinded by the colors of red and yellow that they cannot carry on a sensible discussion. These posts rarely include any factual information to add to an intelligent discussion and really diminish the content of the thread for the rest of us.

What has changed? That's pretty consistant here.

[maidu]

Lest we forget: here's a news item from June 2010, just 15 months ago titled;

Thailand Could Face Its Worst Drought In 20 Years

"The prime minister (Abhisit) has urged the Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives Ministry to come up with plans to tackle the ongoing drought, which is considered the worst in two decades.Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva expressed his concern about the drought situation in Thailand, saying that it could be the worst in 20 years." continued..........

Maidu's comment: drought/flood/drought/flood ....year after year. Only, the extreme fluctuations are getting worse year by year. Why? Because voracious development is pouring cement and asphalt over immense tracts of terrain that used to be fields and farms. There hasn't been exceptionally more rain this year, it's just that there's a lot less ground and trees for soaking up water. Guess which families are at the top of the heap re; investing in sprawling new real estate compounds? Yup, it's the Shinawatres and other Chinese/Thai families. Up where I live, it's the Sinthanee family (also from China), which build 2 to 3 gargantuan cookie cutter house estates per year.

Just to rectify. This year has been a lot of rain almost all over Thailand. It started with the South, with major amount of rainfall and devastating floods in March. Then, an unusually wet monsoon with high rainfall in many parts of Thailand, especially in the North and North-East. So far Nongkai got more than 2000 mm of rain this year. Also many northern and central parts got more than 2000 mm, Bangkok as well. It doesn't happen every year. This year is by far the wettest in the last decades. A link for the amount of rainfall so far in Thailand:

http://tmd.go.th/en/climate.php

I looked at the URL you mentioned, and the data is only good through 2010 which, according to them, was the wettest year on record. So how does this year compare? 2010 was also claimed to be the driest year on record, yet also the wettest! So, each successive year in Thailand, there is a record breaking drought and record breaking floods. Can you see a pattern here?!? It's partially due to global warming/shifting weather patterns, but mainly due to terrible planning by authorities, most particularly (in my view) irresponsible construction which covers millions of rai per year in cement and asphalt.

[looping]

I suspect that there's a lot more breaking down barriers than is being reported. The PM mentioned it several times in her speech the other day.

People who have been submerged for weeks are getting to be very resentful of their neighbors who are still dry and protected, so they are knocking down the barriers that keep the water on their land.

Yea there are two sides to the coin. But flooding others will only mean that the relief when it comes will cost more and take longer.

But people are resenting the PM for protecting BKK, will cost her votes.

Long time until the next election, she won't be worried about this, probably more annoyed that this flood is stopping her real purpose in life.

[khunkeith]

is there an interactive map that shows flooded areas or Thailand and highway closures? My wife and I live in Northern Thailand and have a flight out of BKK in a few days. My wife called the bus lines and they were really no help.

[looping]

It's all about face. No emergency will be declared.

Crazy, they should keep people from breaking down sandbag barriers. That is an army job.

No! You are wrong. It is not the army's job - it's the police. But the question is where are they?

Drinking somewhere...what's in it for them?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

is there an interactive map that shows flooded areas or Thailand and highway closures? My wife and I live in Northern Thailand and have a flight out of BKK in a few days. My wife called the bus lines and they were really no help.

This should help...

http://www.google.org/crisismap?crisis=thailand_floods_en

[whybother]

is there an interactive map that shows flooded areas or Thailand and highway closures? My wife and I live in Northern Thailand and have a flight out of BKK in a few days. My wife called the bus lines and they were really no help.

Bangkok flood info + maps in English on Google crisis page:

Go here: http://www.google.or...flood-2011.html

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I looked at the URL you mentioned, and the data is only good through 2010 which, according to them, was the wettest year on record. So how does this year compare? 2010 was also claimed to be the driest year on record, yet also the wettest! So, each successive year in Thailand, there is a record breaking drought and record breaking floods. Can you see a pattern here?!? It's partially due to global warming/shifting weather patterns, but mainly due to terrible planning by authorities, most particularly (in my view) irresponsible construction which covers millions of rai per year in cement and asphalt.

I'm not sure about the details that either of you are mentioning above... When I go to the TMD website, I find this chart on annual rainfall that appears to show that one year in the early 1950s was far higher than 2010 or any other year until then in terms of annual rainfall.... The chart doesn't cover 2011.

If you have info that shows something different, please post a link to the specific source/location for it.

http://tmd.go.th/en/...te.php?FileID=7

Also, the TMD's annual weather report for 2010 says rainfall for that year was only about 5% above the annual average for Thailand...

http://www.tmd.go.th/programs%5Cuploads%5CyearlySummary%5CE_weather2010.pdf

Edited October 16, 2011 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Scott]

Thailand is big country. This year the rainfalls seems to have been excessive and spread over a large area.

[khunkeith]

outstanding, thanks.

I guess we will be flying to BKK from Phitsanulok

It's all about face. No emergency will be declared.

Crazy, they should keep people from breaking down sandbag barriers. That is an army job.

No! You are wrong. It is not the army's job - it's the police. But the question is where are they?

Drinking somewhere...what's in it for them?

[h90]

Lest we forget: here's a news item from June 2010, just 15 months ago titled;

Thailand Could Face Its Worst Drought In 20 Years

"The prime minister (Abhisit) has urged the Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives Ministry to come up with plans to tackle the ongoing drought, which is considered the worst in two decades.Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva expressed his concern about the drought situation in Thailand, saying that it could be the worst in 20 years." continued..........

Maidu's comment: drought/flood/drought/flood ....year after year. Only, the extreme fluctuations are getting worse year by year. Why? Because voracious development is pouring cement and asphalt over immense tracts of terrain that used to be fields and farms. There hasn't been exceptionally more rain this year, it's just that there's a lot less ground and trees for soaking up water. Guess which families are at the top of the heap re; investing in sprawling new real estate compounds? Yup, it's the Shinawatres and other Chinese/Thai families. Up where I live, it's the Sinthanee family (also from China), which build 2 to 3 gargantuan cookie cutter house estates per year.

Just to rectify. This year has been a lot of rain almost all over Thailand. It started with the South, with major amount of rainfall and devastating floods in March. Then, an unusually wet monsoon with high rainfall in many parts of Thailand, especially in the North and North-East. So far Nongkai got more than 2000 mm of rain this year. Also many northern and central parts got more than 2000 mm, Bangkok as well. It doesn't happen every year. This year is by far the wettest in the last decades. A link for the amount of rainfall so far in Thailand:

http://tmd.go.th/en/climate.php

I looked at the URL you mentioned, and the data is only good through 2010 which, according to them, was the wettest year on record. So how does this year compare? 2010 was also claimed to be the driest year on record, yet also the wettest! So, each successive year in Thailand, there is a record breaking drought and record breaking floods. Can you see a pattern here?!? It's partially due to global warming/shifting weather patterns, but mainly due to terrible planning by authorities, most particularly (in my view) irresponsible construction which covers millions of rai per year in cement and asphalt.

yes forests can hold water while concrete just transports it to the deepest point....Trees have huge surfaces which brings moisture in the air and makes shadows.

One does not need to be minister to understand, that as more forest is replaced with concrete as more extreme both drought and floods will be.

Common sense. All that landslide is even more common sense.

[whybother]

Thailand is big country. This year the rainfalls seems to have been excessive and spread over a large area.

Not only that, but a lot of it has come in a relatively short period of time, with 3 or 4 hurricanes / tropical storms dumping water over the north and north east in a couple of months.

[khunkeith]

another question. My wife's son lives in Ayuttaya. My wife want's him and his wife to leave. how difficult would it be to get out and come to Phitsanulok? Buses look impossible, can one travel to the airport from the flooded areas? my wife called him just now and there is almost no food or water available.

[h90]

Thailand is big country. This year the rainfalls seems to have been excessive and spread over a large area.

Not only that, but a lot of it has come in a relatively short period of time, with 3 or 4 hurricanes / tropical storms dumping water over the north and north east in a couple of months.

And don't forget the big problems in the South before....I was there, pretty impressive.

[TAWP]

News some hour ago, think it was CH3 but don't remember (wasn't actively watching it), is that there are reports of thieves ransacking homes in deeply flooded areas as the owners have all left.

[whybother]

News some hour ago, think it was CH3 but don't remember (wasn't actively watching it), is that there are reports of thieves ransacking homes in deeply flooded areas as the owners have all left.

That's when you need the army.