Thai Floods To Last Four To Six Weeks More: Govt

[webfact]

Thai PM warns deadly floods to last weeks more

by Anusak Konglang

BANGKOK, October 22, 2011 (AFP) - Thailand's prime minister warned Saturday the kingdom would endure weeks more flooding, telling anxious Bangkok residents to prepare for possible metre-deep water as the inundation spread.

A high-stakes effort is under way to drain billions of cubic metres of water from upcountry out to sea through rivers and canals in and around the city, where floods were already waist-high in the northern outskirts.

"Bangkok must open all floodgates to allow the water through," said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who has invoked a disaster law to take full control of the emergency response.

"So during this long weekend residents should move belongings, cars and other valuable things to places at least one metre (three feet) high," she said in her televised weekly address to the nation.

More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in the northern Bangkok districts of Don Mueang and Lak Si, where the water was up to 70 centimetres deep, making roads impassable for small cars.

"It's an extremely serious situation that affects people's lives and property," said Yingluck, whose two-month-old government is racing to avert a humanitarian disaster.

Three months of heavy monsoon rains have killed at least 356 people in Thailand and damaged the homes and livelihoods of nine million people, mostly in the north and centre, the government said.

About 113,000 people have been forced to seek refuge in shelters, Yingluck said, adding that while the waters were receding in some areas of the country, the floods heading towards the capital were unstoppable.

"There is a huge volume of run-off water from the north and we can't effectively block it but can only slow the flow because our barriers are temporary," she warned.

The overall flood situation would continue for "four to six weeks", she added.

The centre of Bangkok was still dry on Saturday and sunny blue skies belied the sense of nervous dread in the city of 12 million people.

Supermarkets were busy with people stocking up on food and bottled water, while many motorists have moved their cars to the upper levels of multi-storey carparks or left them on bridges and elevated roads.

Tens of thousands of soldiers and police have been mobilised to maintain order, but the military warned people who refuse to leave their inundated homes not to rely on troops to bring them essential items.

"People must help themselves too. It's not practical if they just wait for relief workers who number in the hundreds of thousands, while there are millions of victims," army chief General Prayut Chan-O-Cha told reporters.

The opposition is calling on the government to declare a state of emergency to make it easier to control people and protect flood barriers, but Yingluck has ruled out such a move.

She said the authorities would secure important locations such as the palaces, government buildings, major utilities and key transport routes.

"The government will oversee the distribution of all consumer goods and ensure that they are sufficient and available for everyone."

"Bangkok residents must be prepared to cope with the situation because there is a lot of water, but don't panic and don't stockpile goods," Yingluck said.

A political novice before taking office, the sister of fugitive former leader Thaksin Shinawatra is facing the first major test of her fledgling leadership.

Her administration has been accused of initially responding slowly to the crisis and of giving contradictory information.

Her justice minister Pracha Promnog, who heads the government flood relief centre, said Saturday the water had not yet reached Bangkok, despite the inundation in at least two districts.

The disaster has dealt a heavy blow to Thailand's export-dependent economy, with hundreds of factories outside the capital flooded.

Some foreign governments have warned against non-essential travel to Bangkok, but most of Thailand's top tourist destinations as well as the capital's main airport have so far been unaffected.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-10-22

[siampolee]

Government spokeswoman Titima Chaisang told AFP the premier was referring to the overall flood situation in the country and not specifically in Bangkok.

Another spokeswoman ( spokesperson) .

Wow that one brain cell possessed by the government must be getting pretty travel sick by now

[zydeco]

Clarity. Can we have clarity, please? I know, I know . . . stupid question.

[BKKdreaming]

WOW 4 to 6 weeks.....

Since Bangkok is basically at the mouth of the river I do not see how it can handle this for 4-6 weeks,

My flight is in 16 days , I might need to rethink this ,

Or come over and help my friends move everything up 2 meters just for safety !

BK

[EyesWideOpen]

Let's see. A human being can last for three days with no water, and can last for three weeks with no food. So if this 4 to 6 weeks number is true, I sure as hell hope they have an intelligent plan to get water and food to all the stranded people.....

[EnSvenskTiger]

Government spokeswoman Titima Chaisang told AFP the premier was referring to the overall flood situation in the country and not specifically in Bangkok.

Another spokeswoman ( spokesperson) .

Wow that one brain cell possessed by the government must be getting pretty travel sick by now

Judging from your posts you have twice the braicells of the government. Must feel good!

Tiger

PS! I have search the forum for a wayto ignore posters but to no avail. Is it possible and if so how?

[givenall]

Government spokeswoman Titima Chaisang told AFP the premier was referring to the overall flood situation in the country and not specifically in Bangkok.

Another spokeswoman ( spokesperson) .

Wow that one brain cell possessed by the government must be getting pretty travel sick by now

May be they think they can spread the blame. No Way only one person in chargeand responsible all of these disasters

[webfact]

Plodprasop: BKK Will See 50cm-1m Flooding in All Districts for 1 Month

Science and Technology Minister Plodprasop Surasawadee said Bangkok residents should brace for 50 centimeters-1 meter of flooding in all districts for 1 month. He said electricity and tapwater will still be available while the authorities will provide food and any help needed.

He blamed the impending flooding to inefficient water drainage particularly the closure of floodgates to drain water out into the eastern part of Bangkok.

-- Tan Network 2011-10-22

[scotbeve]

To all the naysayers, lazy barstewards, and barstool generals, have a very close look at the pics in the following link and HONESTLY tell me anyone could have stopped the amount of this floodwater seen FROM SPACE(!!!!) could actually be stopped! If you have an answer I WILL HIRE YOU AS YOUR AGENT AND JOB YOU OUT TO THIS GOVERNMENT (high dayrate btw....). We will be called gods, superpeople, or whatever... Just have a look at the satellite pics>>>>>

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=76110

[Elwood62]

yes empty vessels make the most sound you know

[EyesWideOpen]

To all the naysayers, lazy barstewards, and barstool generals, have a very close look at the pics in the following link and HONESTLY tell me anyone could have stopped the amount of this floodwater seen FROM SPACE(!!!!) could actually be stopped! If you have an answer I WILL HIRE YOU AS YOUR AGENT AND JOB YOU OUT TO THIS GOVERNMENT (high dayrate btw....). We will be called gods, superpeople, or whatever... Just have a look at the satellite pics>>>>>

http://earthobservat...ew.php?id=76110

You are missing the point. There IS no magic solution that the Thai government could come up with, nor the ThaiVisa brain trust. The failure of the government was not to tell the people a lot sooner that an unstoppable wall of water was headed south. Instead the government is issuing an endless stream of moronic statements that everything will be fine, lulling people into a false sense of security. If you watch the Thai news, you will see people wading through the water with a few possessions on their back, telling the interviewer in amazement how they did not understand how quickly the water came up. This ongoing failure of communication is what the government will be defending itself over in the months to come.

[stevehaigh]

Let's see. A human being can last for three days with no water, and can last for three weeks with no food. So if this 4 to 6 weeks number is true, I sure as hell hope they have an intelligent plan to get water and food to all the stranded people.....

i doubt 1 meter of water is going to stop anyone getting to 7/11

[soomak]

To all the naysayers, lazy barstewards, and barstool generals, have a very close look at the pics in the following link and HONESTLY tell me anyone could have stopped the amount of this floodwater seen FROM SPACE(!!!!) could actually be stopped! If you have an answer I WILL HIRE YOU AS YOUR AGENT AND JOB YOU OUT TO THIS GOVERNMENT (high dayrate btw....). We will be called gods, superpeople, or whatever... Just have a look at the satellite pics>>>>>

http://earthobservat...ew.php?id=76110

Right now it probably can't be stopped.

If you started 10 years ago - it could have been avoided.

1. Define targets of the water management system

e.g. Ability to pass X million cubic meters of water per day to the sea through the bkk metropolitan area

or

Ability to handle X mm of rain during the rainy season without flooding of bkk metropolitan area

2. Define key infrastructure that has to kept dry at all cost

e.g. power plants, water treatment plants, hospitals, airports, major highways, key industrial estates, phone & internet infrastructure, government & police headquarters

3. Hire the best experts in the world (probably not Thai)

4. Implement their plans

5. Maintain the system and update plans as necessary

Can it be done? sure

Can it be done in Thailand? probably not

Will it be done? no

[drdoom6996]

WOW 4 to 6 weeks.....

Since Bangkok is basically at the mouth of the river I do not see how it can handle this for 4-6 weeks,

My flight is in 16 days , I might need to rethink this ,

Or come over and help my friends move everything up 2 meters just for safety !

BK

I just talked to a friend that just got home and the airport long term parking is full because it's above ground. So the airport is busy, but still fully functional.

[h90]

Let's see. A human being can last for three days with no water, and can last for three weeks with no food. So if this 4 to 6 weeks number is true, I sure as hell hope they have an intelligent plan to get water and food to all the stranded people.....

Well with a very little food and some vitamins people can last very very long (but get sick easily and in 2 weeks water you'll have 1 Zillion Mosquitos).

But water is super critical specially without aircon and heat. Don't know what is the absolute minimum people can live with for some time? 0.5 liter? 1 Liter? per day?

[SunDaRi]

From what I understand is Bangkok from tv is like a bowl, meaning rangsit and zeer is on the highland, this means the, one metre is meant for central bangkok.. But I'm sure they'll be blocking it.

[SunDaRi]

Typo, understand from tv.

[scotbeve]

To all the naysayers, lazy barstewards, and barstool generals, have a very close look at the pics in the following link and HONESTLY tell me anyone could have stopped the amount of this floodwater seen FROM SPACE(!!!!) could actually be stopped! If you have an answer I WILL HIRE YOU AS YOUR AGENT AND JOB YOU OUT TO THIS GOVERNMENT (high dayrate btw....). We will be called gods, superpeople, or whatever... Just have a look at the satellite pics>>>>>

http://earthobservat...ew.php?id=76110

Right now it probably can't be stopped.

If you started 10 years ago - it could have been avoided.

1. Define targets of the water management system

e.g. Ability to pass X million cubic meters of water per day to the sea through the bkk metropolitan area

or

Ability to handle X mm of rain during the rainy season without flooding of bkk metropolitan area

2. Define key infrastructure that has to kept dry at all cost

e.g. power plants, water treatment plants, hospitals, airports, major highways, key industrial estates, phone & internet infrastructure, government & police headquarters

3. Hire the best experts in the world (probably not Thai)

4. Implement their plans

5. Maintain the system and update plans as necessary

Can it be done? sure

Can it be done in Thailand? probably not

Will it be done? no

I won't dismiss the fact that it will never happen in Thailand mate.... I still have some optimistic views of this country even after being here 30 yrs. There may be some opportunistic barstewards (could be from ANY party) that may get the ball rolling. Better than not doing anything at all.....

[h90]

Let's see. A human being can last for three days with no water, and can last for three weeks with no food. So if this 4 to 6 weeks number is true, I sure as hell hope they have an intelligent plan to get water and food to all the stranded people.....

i doubt 1 meter of water is going to stop anyone getting to 7/11

Here the big BigC had already Sovjet flair.

Didn't saw water

instant noddles 99% sold out

caned fish: no have

SPAM and other caned meat: low stock

baby food, italian noddles sweets low stock

Any milk: no have

either empty or filled with some other product in a way to have it look good (everyone been in Communist countries knows what I mean).

[scotbeve]

From what I understand is Bangkok from tv is like a bowl, meaning rangsit and zeer is on the highland, this means the, one metre is meant for central bangkok.. But I'm sure they'll be blocking it.

Not really a bowl. Check this out>>>> http://flood.firetree.net/

[TAWP]

Minister Plodprasop:

BKK will see 50cm-1m flooding in all districts for 1 month; Electricity and tap water will still be available

All districts?

And is this official, or his normal blurting out of nonsense?

[Arkady]

To all the naysayers, lazy barstewards, and barstool generals, have a very close look at the pics in the following link and HONESTLY tell me anyone could have stopped the amount of this floodwater seen FROM SPACE(!!!!) could actually be stopped! If you have an answer I WILL HIRE YOU AS YOUR AGENT AND JOB YOU OUT TO THIS GOVERNMENT (high dayrate btw....). We will be called gods, superpeople, or whatever... Just have a look at the satellite pics>>>>>

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=76110

Can you interpret this map for us. It is hard to know what is what, e.g. what is the black stuff and where does the sea start? Is there a more up-to-date map than the latest here of 11 Oct?

[EyesWideOpen]

Let's see. A human being can last for three days with no water, and can last for three weeks with no food. So if this 4 to 6 weeks number is true, I sure as hell hope they have an intelligent plan to get water and food to all the stranded people.....

i doubt 1 meter of water is going to stop anyone getting to 7/11

:-) Was referring more to the people up north , that have been sitting in water for weeks now. According to the Thai tv news, there are a lot of people who are afraid to leave their flooded homes due to fear of theft of their remaining possessions.......

The 7-11 stores appear to be resupplied on a virtually daily basis. If there is a lot of water coming into Bangkok , with no means of resupply, the stores will be emptied in short order.

[chadintheusa]

"The outskirts - such as Nong Chok, Min Buri, Pathum Thani's Rangsit district and Nonthaburi's Bang Kruay and Pak Kret districts - will not suffer from floods for a long time, thanks to the city's well-designed flood-prevention and drainage infrastructure." Expert quoted by the Nation Oct 13

Thailand's prime minister warned Saturday that the kingdom would endure at least one more month of flooding, telling anxious residents in the capital Bangkok to prepare for possible metre-deep water. Oct 22

Wonder what will really happen, they don't seem to have a grip on reality or the ability to tell anyone the truth. If you are in the Bangkok area you are on your own, prepare for the worst because with this group in charge they will surely do their level best to see that it happens.

[givenall]

To all the naysayers, lazy barstewards, and barstool generals, have a very close look at the pics in the following link and HONESTLY tell me anyone could have stopped the amount of this floodwater seen FROM SPACE(!!!!) could actually be stopped! If you have an answer I WILL HIRE YOU AS YOUR AGENT AND JOB YOU OUT TO THIS GOVERNMENT (high dayrate btw....). We will be called gods, superpeople, or whatever... Just have a look at the satellite pics>>>>>

http://earthobservat...ew.php?id=76110

Just like everything else the government does , they lookalways for the rosy senior, so their reaction to the problem very slowincluding empty the dams earlier. So this is what you get when you get a inexperiencedgovernment and they put all their friends and family member in the importantposts.

[hammered]

To all the naysayers, lazy barstewards, and barstool generals, have a very close look at the pics in the following link and HONESTLY tell me anyone could have stopped the amount of this floodwater seen FROM SPACE(!!!!) could actually be stopped! If you have an answer I WILL HIRE YOU AS YOUR AGENT AND JOB YOU OUT TO THIS GOVERNMENT (high dayrate btw....). We will be called gods, superpeople, or whatever... Just have a look at the satellite pics>>>>>

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=76110

That is truly scary. Lets just hope whatever happens damage and life loss is minimized.

[Bagwan]

Let's see. A human being can last for three days with no water, and can last for three weeks with no food. So if this 4 to 6 weeks number is true, I sure as hell hope they have an intelligent plan to get water and food to all the stranded people.....

i doubt 1 meter of water is going to stop anyone getting to 7/11

But one metre of water that floods wholesale markets and food processing plants might make the journey pointless - unless you want to take photographs of empty shelves. Are you hinting that 7/11 stores be resupplied by helicopter?

[chadintheusa]

Let's see. A human being can last for three days with no water, and can last for three weeks with no food. So if this 4 to 6 weeks number is true, I sure as hell hope they have an intelligent plan to get water and food to all the stranded people.....

i doubt 1 meter of water is going to stop anyone getting to 7/11

:-) Was referring more to the people up north , that have been sitting in water for weeks now. According to the Thai tv news, there are a lot of people who are afraid to leave their flooded homes due to fear of theft of their remaining possessions.......

The 7-11 stores appear to be resupplied on a virtually daily basis. If there is a lot of water coming into Bangkok , with no means of resupply, the stores will be emptied in short order.

5 to 10 million bangkok residents in a city cut off from normal supplies of food and water for six weeks. Even a competent government couldn't be expected to handle that kind of emergency. There will be no place to evacuate a fraction of that number to. It seems that they keep relocating victims to the next likely place to flood so that they can have the opportunity to rescue them twice.

[pimay11]

Let's see. A human being can last for three days with no water, and can last for three weeks with no food. So if this 4 to 6 weeks number is true, I sure as hell hope they have an intelligent plan to get water and food to all the stranded people.....

Intelligent plan? Intelligent plan from this bunch of bufoons? The have not had an intelligent plan since they took office. The only plan they have had is getting the "Big Brother" back free of all charges and insuring he get his ill gotten gains back at any costs to the Thai people. Promise the moon to get elected and start reneging immediately. Supporting establishment of so called "red villages" like they have done here in Udon Thani plus a nationwide of red districts to insure any resistance to "Big Brother" will be dealth with swiftly and decisively.

[Disinto]

All districts flooded for 6 weeks?! I don't really believe that. There is a tremendous draining capacity in Bangkok (khlong, tunnels, pumps) to efficiently allow the water to be drained out south.