EVACUATION ORDER: Residents In And Around Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate

[webfact]

Nava Nakorn factories told to stop machinery, evacuate after flood protection dyke ruptures

BANGKOK, Oct 17 -- Factories in the Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate in Pathum Thani have been advised to stop their machinery, evacuate their workers, and move important office files and other belongings to higher ground after the primary flood prevention dyke ruptured at two locations and floodwaters are pouring into the Thailand’s oldest such estate.

Flood Relief Operations Centre Director Pol Gen Pracha Promnog has instructed factories in the Nava Nakhon Industrial Estate to stop production and take their workers and critical supplies and industrial support equipment to higher ground after 10 per cent of the overall area has started flooded.

The ruptures occurred at two locations -- the first six metres long and a second at the second row of flood wall with a 30 metre break. Floodwater is pouring into the estate as 500 local residents and military rush to pile more sandbags to plug the broken wall.

Two factories were initially affected by the flood - -a steel rod factory and the Kubota machinery facility.

Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate Director Nipit Arunvongse Na Ayudhya said the water has flooded certain area and believes the situation is under control at the moment.

He said each company has built its own flood prevention around its factory, and the point where water is pouring in is the pond, not breaching into the factories themselves.

The Flood Relief Operations Centre reportedly planned to use Chinook transport helicopters to drop four tonnes of cargo containers to back up the dyke.

The Centre announced that floodwater is flooding into the Nava Nakhon Industrial Estate and urged staff and local residents around the area to evacuate.

Two hundred buses have been provided for them to go to temporary shelters at Thammasat University, the Dhammakaya Temple, the Thanyaburi district office and Thailand’s national government centre on Chaengwattana Road. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-10-17

[webfact]

Navanakhon Industrial Estate evacuated

The Nation

The National Flood Relief Centre Monday ordered an urgent evacuation of workers in the Navanakhon Industrial Estate and nearby residents.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra immediately said she was sorry that the government could not protect the Navanakhon Industrial Estate.

She said the government was rushing to inspect and bolster other embankments following the collapse of the second flood barriers defending Navanakhon in Pathum Thani.

The evacuation order was issued live on TV at 12:30 pm. But before the national relief centre went on TV to announce the order, Justice Minister Pracha Promnok, the head of the relief centre, issued the evacuation order to government agencies concerned at 11:45 am.

Evacuees will be sheltered Thammasat University's Rangsit Campus, Dhammakaya Temple, Thanayburi district office and the government Complex in Chaeng Wattana.

Deputy Police Commissioner-General Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen and Wim Rungwattanachinda, the spokesman of the relief centre, went on TV at 12:30 pm to announce the evacuation order.

Wim said on TV that al the factories in the industrial estate were ordered to stop their operations and evacuate their workers immediatley.

The spokesman said nearby residents, factories owners and workers were told to comply with the government's evacuation order strictly.

Wim said the local residents should get prepared for evacuation once the officials reach them.

Pongsapat said the Dhammakaya evacuation centre could shelter some 5,000 evacuees while the centre at the Thanyaburi district office could accommodate 20,000 people.

The deputy police chief said the Government Complex could shelter 1,000 more evacuees while the Rangsit campus of Thammasat could shelter 3,000 more people.

-- The Nation 2011-10-17

[webfact]

PM regrets Nava Nakhon Industrial Estate cannot be protected from floodwaters, to rescue as soon as possible, pledges to fully protect Bangkok /MCOT

[webfact]

Bangkok not yet safe; northern suburbs at risk of flooding: BMA Governor Sukhumbhand

BANGKOK, Oct 17 - Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra on Monday cautioned that the capital is not yet safe from flooding as the city's northern suburbs remain at risk of being inundated, even as defences are being shored up against the oncoming waterflow.

Reporting on the progress of efforts to respond to the flood situation, the Bangkok governor said although the situation is not yet critical, it must be closely monitored. The areas most at risk are Sai Mai and Klong Sam Wa districts with 127,728 households, after the Royal Irrigation Department closed half of sluice gate at Rangsit Klong 1.

City Hall is adding an additional half metre of height to seven kilometres earthen dykes protecting the capital. In addition to raining the city’s primary dykes by 50cm, some 30cm height is being added to the embankment at Sai Mai district. Some city workers have been shifted to keep watch on the water level.

Governor Sukhumbhand warned city residents not to lower their guard as the capital has not yet completely passed through the flood danger zone.

City workers are now building barriers along sections of Phaholyothin Road bordering Rangsit Canal and Suwinthawong Road to prevent the deluge from flowing into Bangkok, the governor said.

So far only 81 persons have evacuated their homes in Bangkok for temporary shelter elsewhere. Most come from Dusit, Lat Krabang, Sai Mai and Bang Kapi districts, Mr Sukhumbhand added.

Bangkok has averted inundation so far after the main runoff from the North has passed through the Chao Phraya River or has been diverted into the Gulf of Thailand by skirting the city in the east and west. However, if the city's floodwalls and barricades fail, floodwaters could flow into the capital. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-10-17

[webfact]

Privy councilor Surayuth has called for meeting of various agencies to discuss ways to protect eastern Bkk from floods. via@tulsathit

[snooky]

It would be nice if they would provide maps of locations when writing these articles as they do in Western publications, but I guess the local logic ( ) is that if you don't already know where something is, it should be of no interest to you!!

[Scott]

One off-topic post has been removed.

[Scott]

Replies to deleted post have been removed from view.

Please stay on topic.

[AllenSeese]

Should've had fixed it along time ago

Edited October 17, 2011 by AllenSeese

[thaicbr]

PM regrets Nava Nakhon Industrial Estate cannot be protected from floodwaters, to rescue as soon as possible, pledges to fully protect Bangkok /MCOT

Well a few days ago she pledged and promised that this estate would not get flooded.

[webfact]

It would be nice if they would provide maps of locations when writing these articles as they do in Western publications, but I guess the local logic ( ) is that if you don't already know where something is, it should be of no interest to you!!

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=218138482391059342984.000492e56b7863b0ebfb7

Type any location in the search box

[kevbap]

*edited out* They knew it was on its way down to Bangers after we got flooded up here in Chiang Mai, but not much in the way of media attention, which i thought was somewhat strange being the second city!

Edited October 17, 2011 by Scott
reply to deleted quote edited out

[webfact]

Water seeps into Nava Nakorn

The Nation

The Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC) has ordered industrial plants in Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate to cease operations and evacuate workers, as water seeps into the industrial estate's sewage pool near Siam Kubota Co Ltd's plant.

Water level around the industrial estate heightens due to rain last night.

FROC spokesman Pol Lt Gen Pongsathat Pongcharoen said at the press conference around noon that residents living near the industrial estate should also leave their home. Dhammakaya could accommodate 5,000 flood victims, a shelter in Thanyaburi 20,000, and Government Centre on Chaeng Wattana Road 1,000.

Hattachit Nunbhakdi, executive director of Navanakorn Co Ltd, the operator of the industrial estate, said that it is now upto the military to handle the situation. The sandbag embankment is being heightened, reinforced by steel sheets. Containers are lined up as the second barrier.

Rain prevented the Army from construction the third layer of flood barrier.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra expressed her sorrow over the situation at Nava Nakorn, attributing that to heavy rain and higher sea level. She added that it is important that the government focuses on helping the affected businesses and individuals. While some of the businesses have no insurance, the government also needs strategies to fix flooded machinery and equipment. While she is waiting for information on this, she plans a meeting with representatives from the industrial sector.

-- The Nation 2011-10-17

[jamora]

PM regrets Nava Nakhon Industrial Estate cannot be protected from floodwaters, to rescue as soon as possible, pledges to fully protect Bangkok /MCOT

Well a few days ago she pledged and promised that this estate would not get flooded.

Even this morning, the science minister was confident that it would not flood:

"Science Minister Plodprasop confident Navanakorn won't flood because it's elevated; if it doesn't flood in 7 days, BKK will be safe /TAN_Network"

And yesterday Bangkok was safe and today maybe not...

[webfact]

Evacuations ordered as Nava Nakorn defences breached

The Nation

The National Flood Relief Centre Monday ordered an urgent evacuation of workers in the Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate in Pathum Thani and nearby residents after the primary flood prevention dyke ruptured in two locations and floodwaters started to pour into the estate.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra immediately said she was sorry that the government was unable to protect the industrial estate.

She said the government was rushing to inspect and bolster other embankments following the collapse of the second flood barriers defending Nava Nakorn.

National Flood Relief Centre director Pol Gen Pracha Promnog instructed factories in the Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate to stop production and remove their workers as well as critical supplies and industrial support equipment to higher ground after 10 per cent of the overall area started to flood.

The ruptures occurred at two locations. The first breach was six metres long while the second in the second row of the floodwall was of 30 metres in length. Floodwater continued to pour into the estate as 500 local residents and the military rushed to pile more sandbags to plug the broken wall.

Two factories were initially affected by the flood - a steel rod factory and the Kubota machinery facility.

The evacuation order was issued live on TV at 12.30pm by Deputy Police Commissioner-General Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen and Wim Rungwattanachinda, the spokesman of the relief centre. At 11.45am,even before the national relief centre went on TV to announce the order, Justice Minister Pracha Promnok, the head of the relief centre, issued the evacuation order to government agencies concerned.

Evacuees will be sheltered at Thammasat University's Rangsit Campus, Dhammakaya Temple, Thanayburi district office and the government complex in Chaeng Wattana.

Residents, factory owners and workers were told to comply with the government's evacuation order and local residents should be prepared for evacuation once the officials reach them.

Pongsapat said the Dhammakaya evacuation centre could shelter some 5,000 evacuees while the centre at the Thanyaburi district office could accommodate 20,000 people.

He added the Government Complex could shelter 1,000 more evacuees while the Rangsit campus of Thammasat could shelter 3,000 more people.

The factories in the Nava Nakorn have been also advised to move important office files and other belongings to higher ground.

Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate Director Nipit Arunvongse Na Ayudhya said the water has flooded certain area and believes the situation is under control at the moment.

He said each company had built its own flood prevention around its factory and that water is pouring into the pond rather than breaching the defences of the factories themselves.

The Flood Relief Operations Centre reportedly planned to use Chinook transport helicopters to drop four tonnes of cargo containers to back up the dyke.

-- The Nation 2011-10-17

[wallswod]

"Science Minister Plodprasop confident Navanakorn won't flood because it's elevated; if it doesn't flood in 7 days, BKK will be safe/TAN_Network"

Nothing a long boat and a prop can't fix.

[whybother]

How to Cope with Flooding

The Thai company Coverage has sent out advises to companies about how to cope with flooding.

Background for the flooding

Essentially this is the run-off from the North of 3 major storm/typhoon events that crossed Vietnam and China and dumped large volumes of rain onto the mountains in Thailand’s Northern areas. This run-off can only find its way out to the ocean via the river systems, and unfortunately, all the major river systems run through the very flat areas of central Thailand. The only outlets to the ocean for these river systems are through the major Port (Samut) towns and Bangkok. Obviously, the tidal flows of the Gulf of Thailand have an effect on the speed of this natural drainage system – when the tide is high less water can flow out, and when the tide is low, more water can escape.

The Risk

In a normal year with a normal volume of rain and run-off the river systems can manage the water as it passes through central Thailand, but this year the sheer volume of water (from 3 storms rather than just 1 or 2) has placed enormous pressure on dams and river banks, designed to protect towns, villages, farm land and the cities. When the build- up of water reaches a certain level the banks of these structures collapses due to the weight of the water, or they simply overflow and water starts drain to lower areas. Once this process starts, the power (speed times weight) is usually too great for any immediate human intervention, and thus Ayuthaya and other towns have already been inundated, and some lives lost. Many factories have been closed down, and much economic damage has been done.

It now seems as though the relentless flow of the water will mean that significant parts of the capital Bangkok will also be affected. At this stage, no one can predict exactly what areas will be affected, how badly or for how long. Some locations may not be affected at all. The water will drain at some point in time.

What you can do – Tips for businesses

For business owners, there may be little or no interruption. Coverage and Andrew specialize in preparing companies for these types of events. This flood could not have been stopped, but the effect on any business can be lessened by taking proactive steps, being organized and developing and implementing a recovery plan.

Utilities

We all know electricity and water do not mix, and that telecommunications relies on electricity to operate – with this knowledge we can reasonably assume there may be some interruptions in various areas of the city to power or telephone (including internet and pay TV systems) operations. Simple candles and old fashioned battery driven radios can be useful in these situations at a personal or family level. Tap water contamination is unlikely but possible.

A good supply of water, and food, along with considered opening and closing of refrigerators can ensure these supplies can easily last longer than any anticipated power outages or floods draining. Consider how you will heat food in the event of no electricity.

Moving Equipment

Ensuring valuable assets or equipment are kept away from ground level is advisable. Many companies within the city operate in office towers so this may not be an issue, but for factories or ground floor businesses, this is something that should be considered now. Sandbags, if available, can limit the entry of water, and there are some good designs available on the internet – the key is considerable weight and a plastic sheet cover to limit leakage.

Operations and Staff

For some companies staff access will be an issue, and safety should be considered at all times. If staff can work from home, then this may be advisable. Ideally you will have tested this previously to see what technology and management is needed. In a planned situation, your business could have a second location from which to operate. If this is the case, plans should be made to move decision making to these locations now, so they can be implemented quickly and as needed. If this is not the case, consideration of alternate sites should be made. Hotels are good for temporary offices.

Contact lists for home telephones, mobiles (remember to keep them charged up while electricity is available) or email addresses should be quickly reviewed now.

Insurance

If you have insurance that may or may not cover flood damage, it would be advisable to speak with your broker and keep a copy of the policy document available. Photographs of key items that may be damaged should be taken if possible.

IT

Back-ups are often not taken, or recovery tests not performed. It may be too late for these things at this stage, but some discussions with the IT staff or suppliers would be a good step to see what may or may not be available in certain events.

Supply Chain Interruptions

Many companies will not be affected directly by the floods, but some will have key suppliers that cannot operate, or even be limited by transport issues due to closed roads, trains or possibly airports. In these cases it is critical to be considering “stocking up” or sourcing alternate suppliers. If your company is affected by these supply chain issues, you should be pro-actively informing your key (or all) customers, to ensure they are informed, and show them your commitment to them. The last thing you will want after the water has gone is to find out your key customers have considered replacing you due to the “flood” risks in Thailand. Trust us - we have personal experience of winning the whole Coca-Cola delivery deal for Australia because our plan worked, when our competitors didn’t even have a plan.

Make the Plan – Communicate!

Whatever your location or circumstance, the key is to think now and develop a plan (and keep reviewing the plan to ensure flexibility) so that you can quickly respond as required. Keeping key (or all) staff informed of events, the plan and any actions being taken is always good management, but even more important during these type of situations.

Who can help you?

Andrew Durieux is an Australian Citizen, Director and Principle Consultant for BCP at Coverage. For more than 10 years Andrew has focused on BCP, Crisis Management and Risk Management, providing these services on 4 Continents and for a wide variety of clients which range from small Thai operations to US Stock Market listed companies operating across many countries. Andrew is a qualified member of the Business Continuity Institute of the UK, and is a regular consultant to the UN, WHO, International Federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies, ASEAN Ministries of Health, and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre in the area of Human Pandemic Influenza, similar scenarios and Crisis Management in general.

Source: http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?coun_code=th&news_id=9640

[bkkjames]

2nd flood barrier at Navanakorn Industrial Park repaired but evacuation still continues; warnings about flood water being contaminated /

Contaminated with what?

[OzMick]

2nd flood barrier at Navanakorn Industrial Park repaired but evacuation still continues; warnings about flood water being contaminated /

Contaminated with what?

Crocodiles?

[zakk9]

I just looked at some photos I took in Ayuttaya last year. It was 20 October, and the water had just started intruding the city. It got much worse after that. Today is 17 October, and there have already been several predictions about this or that area, Bangkok included, being safe. Thailand's defamation laws prevents me from characterizing those in charge of this mess, but I was in Thonburi earlier today and water was raising, at least where I was.

[Buchholz]

Evacuations ordered as Nava Nakorn defences breached

The Nation

PM apologizes for failure to protect Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate from flooding

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255410170014

Edited October 17, 2011 by Buchholz

[SICHONSTEVE]

PM regrets Nava Nakhon Industrial Estate cannot be protected from floodwaters, to rescue as soon as possible, pledges to fully protect Bangkok /MCOT

Well a few days ago she pledged and promised that this estate would not get flooded.

Since when does Yingluck mean what she say's????.

[SICHONSTEVE]

"Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra immediately said she was sorry that the government was unable to protect the industrial estate".

Don't worry!!!! Just think how proud this government is going to feel when it gets something right!!!

Might be a while off yet though as they seem to find it difficult to get anything right, such is the sheer incompetence of her so-called ministers!!!!.

Edited October 17, 2011 by SICHONSTEVE

[Thormaturge]

2nd flood barrier at Navanakorn Industrial Park repaired but evacuation still continues; warnings about flood water being contaminated /

Contaminated with what?

Crocodiles, amongst other things.

ThB 1,000 reward each.

Don't all rush now...

[bkkjames]

2nd flood barrier at Navanakorn Industrial Park repaired but evacuation still continues; warnings about flood water being contaminated /

Contaminated with what?

Crocodiles, amongst other things.

ThB 1,000 reward each.

Don't all rush now...

No seriously, any idea what was being made in this park that would have people worried?

[Thormaturge]

2nd flood barrier at Navanakorn Industrial Park repaired but evacuation still continues; warnings about flood water being contaminated /

Contaminated with what?

Crocodiles?

Must be true if two of us noticed....

[whybother]

No seriously, any idea what was being made in this park that would have people worried?

The Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC) has ordered industrial plants in Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate to cease operations and evacuate workers, as water seeps into the industrial estate's sewage pool near Siam Kubota Co Ltd's plant.

[bkkjames]

No seriously, any idea what was being made in this park that would have people worried?

The Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC) has ordered industrial plants in Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate to cease operations and evacuate workers, as water seeps into the industrial estate's sewage pool near Siam Kubota Co Ltd's plant.

thanks! for a minute there I was worried about chemicals and now that it's only turd : i feel more assured.

Edited October 17, 2011 by bkkjames

[webfact]

277 factories in Nava Nakorn affected

The Nation

A number of 277 factories in Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate are initially flooded, said Industry Minister Wannarat Charnnukul.

The factories employ 180,000 workers.

Still, he said that the government would try its best to fight floods in the industrial estate in Pathum Thani, after the first barrier collapsed. Construction works are now quickened to restore the second barrier and construct the third barrier.

He also assured that flood prevention at other industrial estates in Bang Phli, Lat Krabang and Chachoengsao is in place.

-- The Nation 2011-10-17

[grennor]

It would be nice if they would provide maps of locations when writing these articles as they do in Western publications, but I guess the local logic ( ) is that if you don't already know where something is, it should be of no interest to you!!

i couldnt agree more