Bangkok Floods

[Beetlejuice]

Living up here in Chiang Mai, I can only try and grasp the situation from viewing the televised news reports and reading the online news. It appears that the whole of Bangkok has become a catastrophic disaster area.

So what about those of you that are living in the flood affected areas and even those who have not been affected by the floodwaters? Can you give us some reports of what is happening in your areas and how bad the situation is where you live?

[bkkjames]

Lots of threads in newclippings incl a pinned one called 'where is it flooding.

Most of the flooding on north side of city but the cbd is being slowly surrounded. They say today is a big day because of extra high tides affecting the river.

For areas not affected yet_its like a disaster in slow motion. Major issue is drinking water.

[spud1]

I reside in the Suan Luang district of Bangkok,and although I don't want to tempt fate,there's not a puddle in sight.Long may it remain.

[TheFishman1]

Does any one know if the big airport in BKK will be open like in 7 days need to fly out of there?Is it on higher ground?

[jimbeam1]

Does any one know if the big airport in BKK will be open like in 7 days need to fly out of there?Is it on higher ground?

First to o/p I live on the Eastern side of the city Prawet, near Bang-Na dry hot and dusty.

Fishman1

Big airport, called Swampy! Will it be open?

jb1

[maiphedmaiaroi]

Everything news related about the flood seems to be about the choapraya river and high tides, mainly about central bkk then.

Im living just outside minburi and have been on high alert for 2 weeks now but nothing. It was even declared a diaster zone over 2 weeks ago

Is this 18 billion cubic metres of water still north of bangkok or what? why is there no info about this?

Why is it taking so long. Everyone seems to think it will happen around here but they keep saying next week blah blah.

As james bkk said its like a diaster in slow motion.

[Arkady]

Does any one know if the big airport in BKK will be open like in 7 days need to fly out of there?Is it on higher ground?

No its on low ground around sea level. In fact, it was foolishly built on a swamp that used to be a watershed area that retained a huge volume of water during floods. Now it is part of the problem. It is protected by 3 metre levees, polders, underground water tunnels pumping stations designed to inundate the communities to the South. The consensus is that it will hold but then no one thought the Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate's (just to the North of Bkk in Pathum Thani's) 5.2 metre levees would be breached. Now it is a study for marine archeologists. The government also assured they could protect Don Muang Airport but now they are moving out of there themselves.

[wintermute]

The problem is with ground water. Even with walls it seeps underneath and goes through crevices. There's very little you can do with that.

[Arkady]

Everything news related about the flood seems to be about the choapraya river and high tides, mainly about central bkk then.

Im living just outside minburi and have been on high alert for 2 weeks now but nothing. It was even declared a diaster zone over 2 weeks ago

Is this 18 billion cubic metres of water still north of bangkok or what? why is there no info about this?

Why is it taking so long. Everyone seems to think it will happen around here but they keep saying next week blah blah.

As james bkk said its like a diaster in slow motion.

I think it is spread out over a broad area is still filling up places on the way to Bkk and in the North of the city and this process seems to be taking longer than the many "experts" predicted. Also some is been diverted to the West and East. Right now the diversion to the West seems quite successful, as witnessed by the devastation taking place around Nonthaburi, Thonburi and Nakorn Pathom. The diversion to the East is not working very well and the Irrigation Dept, known to be one of Thailand's most spectacularly corrupt for decades and currently in the hands of one of the more venal politicians, is making statements that sound very suspicious to explain this failure. (The refusal to cut roads to facilitate drainage via the East is also highly suspicious.) This is resulting in more pressure on the levees in the North of Bangkok which now run a critical risk of breaking and inundating Bkk with a savage torrent worse than what Don Muang has been experiencing. On the other hand, the failure of the diversion to the East is probably good for you in Minburi.