Chao Phraya River Hits Record Level Of 2.53m

[IsaanUSA]

Since the biggest threat is supposedly over, may I know what will the next big threat regarding this flood be?

Regarding the flood I think the current threat is that the flood walls hold. Cracks are not good! Also they have to protect the temporary walls from angry citizens.

Next biggest threat is disease, closed roads/logistics, and aid distribution.

If the worst is over (meaning the highest levels of water), then as long as the walls hold we just have to wait. Several weeks. Hopefully the water will be gone by Christmas.

[Gweiloman]

"The BMA has already informed the Flood Relief Operations Centre about this many times," Sukhumbhand said in a thinly veiled attack on the body established by the central government.

Guess he has never heard the term, "United we stand, divided we fall (in this case, sink)"

It's hard for governments (and even harder for incompetent ones) to do the right thing when facing opposition every step of the way. Shame.

You mean how the FROC seem to work against or disregard what BMA advices?

I don't care - I'm not a flood risk expert. All I'm saying is that all the relevant authorities should work as a team to resolve the crises as best as it can for the country as a whole. I don't put a political slant onto everything, unlike what you are obviously trying to do.

[connda]

Please leave my beloved home country out of the sarcasm game. :jap:

Yeah!!! You understand! Excellent!

I'm having a good laugh this evening reading today's replies. However, good sarcasm is a Farang past-time. Well honed sarcasm, is priceless, especially when situations simply defy solutions, and not because they can't be solved, but because political, societal, and cultural forces combine to defy a solution. Sarcasm is born of frustration. It's a farang way to blow off steam without being overly serious. Thais smile and say, "Mai Bpen Rai." Farang smile and write sarcasm.

Read some American history for background, and then read commentary by Mark Twain. His writings may open your world a little bit more. When you understand that sarcasm helps you laugh at hopeless situations, then from a cultural perspective you'll understand why we farang indulge in it.

Anyway, it's been a good day. I jerked a reaction out of a few people. Got some brain cells firing. That's good! Now off to bed.

[erobando]

Neither of the bolded statements are true.

Pourquoi mon vieux?

The flood water from the north can't drain NATURALLY to the sea which is south of Bangkok. Or did I miss something?

Admittedly the floods are not over yet, but so far the city's batting average against all the worst forecasts and prognosis since the middle of the month is pretty impressive. Or did I miss something else?

Yes, you did miss something. Water is being drained via the Chao Phraya. Water is also being drained to the east of Bangkok, and then down to the gulf.

The "protected area" is pretty small. It's not holding back anything. Also right below the "protected area" is another bend in the Chao Phraya, not the gulf.

Your statement about Bangkok avoiding flood damage is false. There are quite a few areas of Bangkok that are currently flooded.

[DeepInTheForest]

deleted, somehow my post didn't make it through the editor.

Edited October 31, 2011 by DeepInTheForest

[hhgz]

"Thailand! Send your civil engineers over to the Netherlands. "

That's a great idea! Two days ago, the engineers from the Netherlands predicted that my neighborhood would be covered by 3 meters of water. Since the streets are dry, they missed it by 3 meters. Our Russian dancing bear governor predicted a meter of water. His guess was more accurate. Too, except for the wet meter deep quagmire of sludge, debris, and silt, the nearby klongs are empty. Despite the rains, floods, and your dire predictions, less than 200,000 people are living in temporary housing. Considering that Thailand has a population of 68.9 million, it's a problem, but not the end of the world. All in all, the Thais have learned how to move on with their lives, something that many faring men should learn to do.

[NanLaew]

Neither of the bolded statements are true.

Pourquoi mon vieux?

The flood water from the north can't drain NATURALLY to the sea which is south of Bangkok. Or did I miss something?

Admittedly the floods are not over yet, but so far the city's batting average against all the worst forecasts and prognosis since the middle of the month is pretty impressive. Or did I miss something else?

Yes, you did miss something. Water is being drained via the Chao Phraya. Water is also being drained to the east of Bangkok, and then down to the gulf.

The "protected area" is pretty small. It's not holding back anything. Also right below the "protected area" is another bend in the Chao Phraya, not the gulf.

Your statement about Bangkok avoiding flood damage is false. There are quite a few areas of Bangkok that are currently flooded.

Then why is there a pretty big effort to extend, heighten and generally beef up the existing flood defenses including the barriers on the banks of the Chao Phraya river as it meanders through the inner city? Why are so many flood barriers and locks feeding so many canals mainly to the north of the city being kept closed or being only partially opened? In effect constraining the natural flood drainage that the Chao Phraya provides.

There's a massive area of Bangkok that lies west of the Chao Phaya river that is being freshly inundated and to a lesser degree, the same will happen on the east side of the city. So far, flooding inside the 'protected' areas of Bangkok is minimal. You brought up 'flood damage', I didn't but there's no comparison between the 5 industrial estates in Ayuthaya under up to 2 m of water and the ankle deep water last night in Soi 50?

Or maybe you are talking about some other Bangkok in another, different place called Thailand.