'Big Bag' Barrier To Stem Northern Overflow To Bangkok Completed

[webfact]

'Big Bag' barrier to stem northern overflow to capital completed

BANGKOK, Nov 5 -- The building of a six kilometres long 'Big Bag' barrier was completed to curb the deluge from the north from overflowing into inner Bangkok, according to Transport Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat.

The operations using 1-2 tonne sandbags piled up as a makeshift flood prevention dyke for six kilometres on Rangsit Muang Ek Road has been completed, he said.

The action is expected to reduce water overflowing into Don Muang, Lak Si and Bang Khen districts, including the two key roads - Phaholyothin and Vibhavadi-Rangsit - and Khlong Prapa, the main source of tap water for the capital and neighbouring provinces.

ACM Sukumpol said the authorities were giving 'finishing touches' to the barrier with small sand bags to fill in some points that may have holes and leaks.

In a related development, the Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC) which is located at the Energy Ministry inside the Energy Complex is operating normally on Saturday even though there is one metre of flooding on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road.

Sand bags were placed as anti-flood barriers and officials were closely monitoring the level of water as it continued to overflow from the drainage system.

Water pumps have also been prepared in case of emergency. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-11-05

[geovalin]

By the way, you can have sand bags for free at Army Stadium on Vipawadee. You have to show your ID card, then you are given EMPTY bags, then you go to the sand heaps then DIY.

[frodo]

The operations using 1-2 tonne sandbags piled up as a makeshift flood prevention dyke for six kilometres on Rangsit Muang Ek Road has been completed, he said.

For the people living in the Muang Ake area who are already living like this:

More Muang ake and Rangsit university pics.

It's a real mess and no signs of the water going down.

will just have to contend with even more water buildup. How much longer can people's patience possibly hold out? All that water still has to come down and it will be more massive now that they've opted to stop the flow.

[finnomick1]

So, the water builds up behind this amazing 6km long wall of giant sandbags and won't do anything ??? What a crock of sh1t ! The water will just level out and find the lowest or weakest point and flow through. If there's no lowest level or weak point, it'll go around the ends. You cannot stop water -- simple. How long will it take these simpletons to realise this ?

[otherstuff1957]

Have they sealed up all the drains that go under the barrier? This looks like a big exercise in futility to me.

The time, effort and expense involved in making this barrier would have been better used dredging klongs & installing pumps! Bangkok is essentially flat. Some areas, like Klong Sam Wa, are no more than 20 or 30 cm above sea level. The water is going to get into these low lying areas and it isn't going to leave on its own.

[rubl]

So, the water builds up behind this amazing 6km long wall of giant sandbags and won't do anything ??? What a crock of sh1t ! The water will just level out and find the lowest or weakest point and flow through. If there's no lowest level or weak point, it'll go around the ends. You cannot stop water -- simple. How long will it take these simpletons to realise this ?

The other newspaper has an article from 10AM saying that a Royal Irrigation Dept official on an NBT broadcast rejected the rumour that the Big Bag levee would harm Thonburi. The water is only 'slowed down' and will be drained off to the east

Edited November 5, 2011 by rubl

[marquess]

I thought we had it bad in Don Muang, but it Muang Ait it is much much worse!

[h90]

So, the water builds up behind this amazing 6km long wall of giant sandbags and won't do anything ??? What a crock of sh1t ! The water will just level out and find the lowest or weakest point and flow through. If there's no lowest level or weak point, it'll go around the ends. You cannot stop water -- simple. How long will it take these simpletons to realise this ?

And if it can't find a weak point it will rise and rise and the people on the wet side of the sandbags will surely love it when it reaches 2, 3 Meter instead of 0.5-1 Meter in their houses.

[frodo]

So, the water builds up behind this amazing 6km long wall of giant sandbags and won't do anything ??? What a crock of sh1t ! The water will just level out and find the lowest or weakest point and flow through. If there's no lowest level or weak point, it'll go around the ends. You cannot stop water -- simple. How long will it take these simpletons to realise this ?

And if it can't find a weak point it will rise and rise and the people on the wet side of the sandbags will surely love it when it reaches 2, 3 Meter instead of 0.5-1 Meter in their houses.

It's already happened, a few weeks ago. I have a few students in the Mueang Ake area and they have told me the hell they're living in with no help whatsoever. Water up to the second floor, no way in and no way out. Before anyone gets on their high horse and say's they could have left, I ask you, where? These are not rich people and have nowhere to go. Regardless, the blame now is clearly on ALL government officials from the top, down. FROC seems to be playing petty political games at the people's expense. Yes, Yingluck is very much part of FROC as well.

A nice breaking news story from TAN: http://www.tannetwork.tv/tan/

Edited November 5, 2011 by frodo

[GentlemanJim]

Have they sealed up all the drains that go under the barrier? This looks like a big exercise in futility to me.

The time, effort and expense involved in making this barrier would have been better used dredging klongs & installing pumps! Bangkok is essentially flat. Some areas, like Klong Sam Wa, are no more than 20 or 30 cm above sea level. The water is going to get into these low lying areas and it isn't going to leave on its own.

otherstuff1957

You have just pi**ed on their party LoL!

[culicine]

Rather than blocking it shouldn't they be trying to drain it as fast as possible, making use of the current low level of the tides. We will be back into larger high tides about mid month. The educational system in this country has a lot to answer for.....

[Skorz]

Have they sealed up all the drains that go under the barrier? This looks like a big exercise in futility to me.

The time, effort and expense involved in making this barrier would have been better used dredging klongs & installing pumps! Bangkok is essentially flat. Some areas, like Klong Sam Wa, are no more than 20 or 30 cm above sea level. The water is going to get into these low lying areas and it isn't going to leave on its own.

I totally agree. They're completely wasting their time. I live in Asoke, I see all the sandbag walls outside the Banks and hotels, many of which have basement shops/car parks. I've followed a few of the sandbag walls to their ends, only to find that they stop at a crappy wall or in one case, a tree!

Even if these structures remained water tight, if the water rises more than a few feet the weight of the water itself will simply push these single bag width walls right over. Without sounding like a defeatist, if the water gets into Sukhumvit then we're defeated before its even started.

[maidu]

Did you know that 1 liter plastic bottles (the clear ones, not the cloudy ones) don't bio-degrade? I built a raft with those, and a few pieces of bamboo, and floated down a large river for 60 Km. It's a chapter in my book: Farmsteading in Thailand. I have a new design for a raft built with 1 liter plastic bottles, which might lessen some of the suffering going on. It might even be adapted to raising a car. Who wants to see the plans? Ok, no one, and certainly not anyone in the Thai gov't, as they're myopically against any new or innovative concepts, - particularly any suggested by farang. Ok, well, I'll go an build one or two prototypes, and take some photos, and maybe we'll get a few built in time for next year's flood season. BTW, the 2M x 2M rafts, using recycled plastic bottles and some bamboo, would cost about as much as a McD's dinner for two. They can be expanded to nearly any dimension.

below is the earlier version which took me down the river 6 years ago.

[Skorz]

Earlier poster mentioned sealing drains. Bloody good point.

Unless all the sewers, drains, overflows etc etc are totally air tight, then water level will quickly reach equilibrium, perhaps even with 'shit spraying explosive results' regardless of sand barriers and all the rest of that rubbish.

Basically, if your toilet is below the level of the local flood height and is connected to the main sewer network (which is probably is unless you have a cesspit in the garden) then basically your toilet will overflow and back flood all the poo from the sewer into your house when the weight of the water above is greater than the air pressure in the u-bend.

[Skorz]

Earlier poster mentioned sealing drains. Bloody good point.

Unless all the sewers, drains, overflows etc etc are totally air tight, then water level will quickly reach equilibrium, perhaps even with 'shit spraying explosive results' regardless of sand barriers and all the rest of that rubbish.

Basically, if your toilet is below the level of the local flood height and is connected to the main sewer network (which is probably is unless you have a cesspit in the garden) then basically your toilet will overflow and back flood all the poo from the sewer into your house when the weight of the water above is greater than the air pressure in the u-bend.

unless of course Bangkok sewers have back-flow prevention which is possible.

[h90]

Did you know that 1 liter plastic bottles (the clear ones, not the cloudy ones) don't bio-degrade? I built a raft with those, and a few pieces of bamboo, and floated down a large river for 60 Km. It's a chapter in my book: Farmsteading in Thailand. I have a new design for a raft built with 1 liter plastic bottles, which might lessen some of the suffering going on. It might even be adapted to raising a car. Who wants to see the plans? Ok, no one, and certainly not anyone in the Thai gov't, as they're myopically against any new or innovative concepts, - particularly any suggested by farang. Ok, well, I'll go an build one or two prototypes, and take some photos, and maybe we'll get a few built in time for next year's flood season. BTW, the 2M x 2M rafts, using recycled plastic bottles and some bamboo, would cost about as much as a McD's dinner for two. They can be expanded to nearly any dimension.

below is the earlier version which took me down the river 6 years ago.

Rising cars can be done with foam boards, my neighbor did that.

[h90]

So, the water builds up behind this amazing 6km long wall of giant sandbags and won't do anything ??? What a crock of sh1t ! The water will just level out and find the lowest or weakest point and flow through. If there's no lowest level or weak point, it'll go around the ends. You cannot stop water -- simple. How long will it take these simpletons to realise this ?

And if it can't find a weak point it will rise and rise and the people on the wet side of the sandbags will surely love it when it reaches 2, 3 Meter instead of 0.5-1 Meter in their houses.

It's already happened, a few weeks ago. I have a few students in the Mueang Ake area and they have told me the hell they're living in with no help whatsoever. Water up to the second floor, no way in and no way out. Before anyone gets on their high horse and say's they could have left, I ask you, where? These are not rich people and have nowhere to go. Regardless, the blame now is clearly on ALL government officials from the top, down. FROC seems to be playing petty political games at the people's expense. Yes, Yingluck is very much part of FROC as well.

A nice breaking news story from TAN: http://www.tannetwork.tv/tan/

Well I sit in Thaveewattan, not hi-so area and not red....

Information: Zero

Help:

Army truck

Once Democrats bought a care package, without political advertisement or sticker

In the village is one police boss, he got 3 policemen staying in his house, taking care of everything while he is in a nice dry place with his 3 new Mercedes.

No government tried to sandbag here anything. We are clearly expendable.

[travelmann]

Rather than blocking it shouldn't they be trying to drain it as fast as possible, making use of the current low level of the tides. We will be back into larger high tides about mid month. The educational system in this country has a lot to answer for.....

There is no educational system.

[erobando]

Rather than blocking it shouldn't they be trying to drain it as fast as possible, making use of the current low level of the tides. We will be back into larger high tides about mid month. The educational system in this country has a lot to answer for.....

They don't just block it. They direct it to lower land to the east and as much as possible to the gulf via canals and the Bang Kapong.

The diameter of the flooded area is much bigger than the 6km big bag barrier. Water is flowing slowly south from Pathum Thani, Ayuthaya, Nonthaburi and Nakhom Pathom. Waterways to the east and the Chao Phraya and Tha Chin to the west can only carry so much water.

[frodo]

So, the water builds up behind this amazing 6km long wall of giant sandbags and won't do anything ??? What a crock of sh1t ! The water will just level out and find the lowest or weakest point and flow through. If there's no lowest level or weak point, it'll go around the ends. You cannot stop water -- simple. How long will it take these simpletons to realise this ?

And if it can't find a weak point it will rise and rise and the people on the wet side of the sandbags will surely love it when it reaches 2, 3 Meter instead of 0.5-1 Meter in their houses.

It's already happened, a few weeks ago. I have a few students in the Mueang Ake area and they have told me the hell they're living in with no help whatsoever. Water up to the second floor, no way in and no way out. Before anyone gets on their high horse and say's they could have left, I ask you, where? These are not rich people and have nowhere to go. Regardless, the blame now is clearly on ALL government officials from the top, down. FROC seems to be playing petty political games at the people's expense. Yes, Yingluck is very much part of FROC as well.

A nice breaking news story from TAN: http://www.tannetwork.tv/tan/

Well I sit in Thaveewattan, not hi-so area and not red....

Information: Zero

Help:

Army truck

Once Democrats bought a care package, without political advertisement or sticker

In the village is one police boss, he got 3 policemen staying in his house, taking care of everything while he is in a nice dry place with his 3 new Mercedes.

No government tried to sandbag here anything. We are clearly expendable.

Speaking of care packages, a few Thai friends who have received them have mentioned that the government tells them each is worth 500baht. Here is a photo of one of those care packages. 500baht.

[Netfan]

Speaking of care packages, a few Thai friends who have received them have mentioned that the government tells them each is worth 500baht. Here is a photo of one of those care packages. 500baht.

Translation = the government is paying someone 500 baht each to make these up.

[janverbeem]

Did you know that 1 liter plastic bottles (the clear ones, not the cloudy ones) don't bio-degrade? I built a raft with those, and a few pieces of bamboo, and floated down a large river for 60 Km. It's a chapter in my book: Farmsteading in Thailand. I have a new design for a raft built with 1 liter plastic bottles, which might lessen some of the suffering going on. It might even be adapted to raising a car. Who wants to see the plans? Ok, no one, and certainly not anyone in the Thai gov't, as they're myopically against any new or innovative concepts, - particularly any suggested by farang. Ok, well, I'll go an build one or two prototypes, and take some photos, and maybe we'll get a few built in time for next year's flood season. BTW, the 2M x 2M rafts, using recycled plastic bottles and some bamboo, would cost about as much as a McD's dinner for two. They can be expanded to nearly any dimension.

below is the earlier version which took me down the river 6 years ago.

[NCFC]

So, the water builds up behind this amazing 6km long wall of giant sandbags and won't do anything ??? What a crock of sh1t ! The water will just level out and find the lowest or weakest point and flow through. If there's no lowest level or weak point, it'll go around the ends. You cannot stop water -- simple. How long will it take these simpletons to realise this ?

And if it can't find a weak point it will rise and rise and the people on the wet side of the sandbags will surely love it when it reaches 2, 3 Meter instead of 0.5-1 Meter in their houses.

It's already happened, a few weeks ago. I have a few students in the Mueang Ake area and they have told me the hell they're living in with no help whatsoever. Water up to the second floor, no way in and no way out. Before anyone gets on their high horse and say's they could have left, I ask you, where? These are not rich people and have nowhere to go. Regardless, the blame now is clearly on ALL government officials from the top, down. FROC seems to be playing petty political games at the people's expense. Yes, Yingluck is very much part of FROC as well.

A nice breaking news story from TAN: http://www.tannetwork.tv/tan/

If there's no way in and no way out, how did your students tell you? Just curious...

[Thaddeus]

Speaking of care packages, a few Thai friends who have received them have mentioned that the government tells them each is worth 500baht. Here is a photo of one of those care packages. 500baht.

Translation = the government is paying someone 500 baht each to make these up.

Between the lines translation .... we already paid you 500 Baht, what more did you expect?

[DP25]

Did you know that 1 liter plastic bottles (the clear ones, not the cloudy ones) don't bio-degrade? I built a raft with those, and a few pieces of bamboo, and floated down a large river for 60 Km. It's a chapter in my book: Farmsteading in Thailand. I have a new design for a raft built with 1 liter plastic bottles, which might lessen some of the suffering going on. It might even be adapted to raising a car. Who wants to see the plans? Ok, no one, and certainly not anyone in the Thai gov't, as they're myopically against any new or innovative concepts, - particularly any suggested by farang. Ok, well, I'll go an build one or two prototypes, and take some photos, and maybe we'll get a few built in time for next year's flood season. BTW, the 2M x 2M rafts, using recycled plastic bottles and some bamboo, would cost about as much as a McD's dinner for two. They can be expanded to nearly any dimension.

below is the earlier version which took me down the river 6 years ago.

There have been loads of plastic bottle boats shown on Thai tv

[DP25]

Speaking of care packages, a few Thai friends who have received them have mentioned that the government tells them each is worth 500baht. Here is a photo of one of those care packages. 500baht.

That doesn't even look like 200 baht worth of supplies

[Thaddeus]

Speaking of care packages, a few Thai friends who have received them have mentioned that the government tells them each is worth 500baht. Here is a photo of one of those care packages. 500baht.

That doesn't even look like 200 baht worth of supplies

They may be allowing for inflation.

[noitom]

Speaking of care packages, a few Thai friends who have received them have mentioned that the government tells them each is worth 500baht. Here is a photo of one of those care packages. 500baht.

That doesn't even look like 200 baht worth of supplies

They may be allowing for inflation.

500 baht allows plenty for the various levels of skim off and graft. Many people are in line for a kickback/payoff on every step of the process of getting this package in to the hands of an end user. It's the Thai system.

[noitom]

The big bags won't stop the rats.The ones that don't drown on the way down from Lop Buri are making their way to dry inner Bangkok. if they are not dead and decomposing in the floodwater with other dead animals and human fecal matter, they are armying down to Sukhumvit and dry sois where they can feed easily on decayed garbage, rotted food and work they're way through sewage backup in al the buildings. They will be able to dine on billions of giant cockroaches trying to escape the flood seepage and work their way on to the sois and walls. Has the government prepared for massive health crisis, rat rabies, dog rabies, and disease from all sorts of contamination in the flood water? Check this out from last April 2009 rain and flood in Bangkok. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP87SETbTIg&feature=related Imagine what the current flood crisis will bring by way of genus Rattus.

[GentlemanJim]

The big bags won't stop the rats.The ones that don't drown on the way down from Lop Buri are making their way to dry inner Bangkok. if they are not dead and decomposing in the floodwater with other dead animals and human fecal matter, they are armying down to Sukhumvit and dry sois where they can feed easily on decayed garbage, rotted food and work they're way through sewage backup in al the buildings. They will be able to dine on billions of giant cockroaches trying to escape the flood seepage and work their way on to the sois and walls. Has the government prepared for massive health crisis, rat rabies, dog rabies, and disease from all sorts of contamination in the flood water? Check this out from last April 2009 rain and flood in Bangkok. http://www.youtube.c...feature=related Imagine what the current flood crisis will bring by way of genus Rattus.

Thanks for that video I won't even bother trying to sleep for another 30 mins now LoL.