No Megaflood In Thailand This Year: Water Committee Chair

[spidermike007]

I think the floods that will come this year will have people wishing for last years floods to take the edge off the pain!! These are not singular events......get used to extremes of weather for years to come!!

Alot of the best minds in science, believe that global warming brings great inconsistency in weather patterns. It is not a consistent rise in temperatures, nor a consistent rise in precipitation. It is up and down. Colder winters, warmer summers, followed by anything but. An interruption in the patterns. So, one never knows what to expect. It is foolhardy to think every year will be equally wet, or hot. Global warming is not that simple. Only mans mind is.

[tragickingdom]

Virabongsa Ramangkura is either a moron or he has a crystal ball. Hopefully they do not make him the new director of the lottery, he might be fired too for predicting the winning numbers way too often.

Edited April 26, 2012 by metisdead
Bold font removed.

[NoshowJones]

In the village where I live in Phichit province, the main road running through it and surrounding roads,are in a dreadful state caused by last years floods. There is a water tanker that drives through the village several times every day spraying water on the road surface presumably to keep the dust away, then it dries up after about five or ten minutes, then about two or three hours later this gets repeated again, I ask my wife why the local authority won't fix the roads as it is now about six months since the floods went away, she says it is because the floods will come back again this year so it is not worth while to get them fixed.

Drive on to the small town about ten miles on and the roads have all been resurfaced. there have been roads resurfaced all around this part of the province.

So, as we are now officially told there will be no floods this year, I can now look forward to the roads in and around my village being resurfaced. Somehow I don't think this will happen as "this is Thailand" and the people are non confrontational. They will put up with anything. Like I said "this is Thailand".

[dluek]

Thailand is filled with fortune tellers, and they're pricey too. The palm reader lady near Sala Daeng told my GF the same thing the other day - no flood at her house in Pathum Thani. Boy was she relieved.

"350 Billion baht is a LOT of money for dirt ditches and dredging canals! Where exactly is all that money?"

Come on, this loot obviously went to the gov's high priced fortune tellers. Where it else would it need to go?

[MaxLee]

The next thing we have to worry about is earthquakes. It might just be a question of time when they reach the capital of Thailand 'cause the megaflood of last year has softened the surface of the ground. That several roads were inspected to be identified with craters doesn't sound so good for years to come.

Big buildings are gonna fall hard big time because with the help of earthquakes the water can come from beneath now not only frontal...

[laurentbkk]

As a victim of the 2011 flood ( house under 2m of water for 6 weeks nearly) I am very suspicious about the announce from the government , first reason no one can predict how much rain it will fall this year .... no one can predict if the same mistakes was be done again this year. I never get any money from anyone beside the 5,000 per person scheme that exist only in news paper but not in my pocket.

[DonHo]

He also added if major floods do happen, neither this government nor himself in his position could last long.

See, you can't call them stupid!

350 Billion baht is a LOT of money for dirt ditches and dredging canals! Where exactly is all that money?

That is a HUGE amount of money.

Consider B350 Billion is about £7b or over $11b, is it possible to build new canals for such a huge amount of money? Surely Thailand would be one HUGE canal?? SHOCKING.

Exactly! Has anyone seen any evidence of all of this construction/maintenance? Was this said in error? A misprint? Or maybe they paid a few billion dollars to purchase some black magic to stave off the floods?

[blackthorn2005]

I wonder how much rain and the effects thereof are forecast by the fortune teller in Chiang Mai. He is close to the Shinawatra clique and I harbour thoughts that his prognosis will figure in the reckoning.

Is there any water in your harbour?

[Arkady]

What does this guy know? He has no experience in water management. In the 80s as an adviser to Prem, he used to advocate extreme fiscal and monetary responsibility and jacked up interest rates to prevent inflation. In the 90s he did the same thing and engineered a stock market collapse by jacking up interest rates in the few weeks he was finance minister. Now he seems to have a become a bagman for Thaksin's growth at any price policies and is advocating all kinds of fiscal and monetary incontinence, including the ultimate basket case policy of spending international reserves, as well as dubious water management projects. He seems poised to become chairman of the Bank of Thailand soon but will retain his important flood prevention duties.

[tgeezer]

Personally I don't think there will be bad floods this year because we just haven't had anything like the rain in the North that we had already had by this time last year. Last year it started raining on March 1st and rained almost every other day in large volumes until October. All that water ran South and became the top up for what had already accumulated there. This year it has barely rained at all yet.

In the final analysis nature will decide the issue and if there are no floods it will certainly not be due to the efforts of the current Government. Of course if there are no floods we all know that they will be congratulating themselves for a magnificent job done !

That and the initial statement is very reassuring. I don't follow news much when I am in England and didn't realize that the very unusual rainfall in the North.

It would seem that neither did the powers that be consider it a problem, or as was the rumour, had not the will to stop it or the power to lessen its severity.

I think that we should be happy that the rains are likely to be less this year and that if not, that the government has the means and the will not to let the floods happen again to the same extent.

I got the impression that some people actually wanted Bangkok to be disrupted and that for those who camped in the capital before, it was considered divine intervention in support of their's and what they consider the government's main task.

[allan michaud]

I think the floods that will come this year will have people wishing for last years floods to take the edge off the pain!! These are not singular events......get used to extremes of weather for years to come!!

The likelihood of another huge flood this year is very small. Historically these happen every decade or so. Yes the weather will get more extreme and these extremes will happen more often, but we are not likely to see such extremes every year.

[allan michaud]

As a victim of the 2011 flood ( house under 2m of water for 6 weeks nearly) I am very suspicious about the announce from the government , first reason no one can predict how much rain it will fall this year .... no one can predict if the same mistakes was be done again this year. I never get any money from anyone beside the 5,000 per person scheme that exist only in news paper but not in my pocket.

Sorry to hear of your suffering with the floods. It does say above that the govt has hardly spent any of it's 50billion insurance fund. Maybe you (and half the country) can make a claim. However, I'm guessing that money is only for rich people and businesses.

[h90]

As a victim of the 2011 flood ( house under 2m of water for 6 weeks nearly) I am very suspicious about the announce from the government , first reason no one can predict how much rain it will fall this year .... no one can predict if the same mistakes was be done again this year. I never get any money from anyone beside the 5,000 per person scheme that exist only in news paper but not in my pocket.

The answer is concrete.....Concrete enforcements, Concrete walls etc etc and pumps.

But 2 Meter is hell.

1 Meter: children play

1.5 Meter: serious

1.7 Meter: hell

2 Meter on the edge to hopeless, if you don't have an retired German 2 Worldwar bunker-builder on hand.....

[RichardinBKK]

I have only lived here a few years, and do have a serious question.

In last years flood, I thought part of the problem was, despite good advice from a high authority on water management and a suggestion water levels in dams be lowered...when the record rains came...there was no where to "store it." The reservoirs were already full.

I live right on the Chao Phraya and yesterday was absolutely the lowest I have ever seen it. You could walk 40 meters on a mud flat to the main channel. I saw the remains of old piers, etc...i had never seen before.

What is the current water level of reservoirs this year compared to last? And, is there any relationship between the river low level and those dams? it would be a sad irony to have this year be short on much needed rain fall, and find his "guarantee" is simply an extension of the knowledge that the reservoirs are already drained far below last years level, to insure that any amount of rainfall can be contained. Hence, a statement that there will be no flood. It almost sounds like a message to industrial investors to say, "Per your request, we are gambling our 2012 - 2013 rice harvest on a normal rainfall, so your factories have zero chance of damage,"

I do not blame anyone for having a bit of fun at the expense of a person who claims to be able to forecast the weather six months form now. I mean...it is funny in a silly way.

So, back to my question. Is there a relationship between reservoir levels, and is the level of the Chao Phraya an indicator?

[bigbamboo]

It took the Netherlands approx. 45 years to complete their defense-system (the Delta works) in order to protect the country from high-tide and storm-floods. THEY are considered as THE experts.

Thailand has solved the problem in merely 3 months!

Chapeau............Thai experts will be consulted in due course.

There you go......... it's not called Miracle Thailand for nothing!

[puipuitom]

Thai people must be very blessed with a government always speaking the truthg, warn in time, and do their upmost for the Thai nation.

Only: abroad they are so very busy..

I tried several times to contact the Thai agricultural attachee at the EU in Brussels, as importer of Thai food products, but.. since 1994... only an automatic receipt of message back. Never any relevant reply.

[robia6]

The next thing we have to worry about is earthquakes. It might just be a question of time when they reach the capital of Thailand 'cause the megaflood of last year has softened the surface of the ground. That several roads were inspected to be identified with craters doesn't sound so good for years to come.

Big buildings are gonna fall hard big time because with the help of earthquakes the water can come from beneath now not only frontal...

The most recent earthquake of note was 40km below the surface, so I wouldn't imagine that any floods would affect or could cause an earthquake.

[louse1953]

This year i think i'm gunna win the lottery.

[david555]

Until the wheater changes ......!

[theanimaster]

If government pronouncements on flood are anything to go by, it's time for me to start stocking up the extra bottled water again.

Water isn't a problem, also the Democrats and the Army brings you water.

But beer is a big problem.....Sitting alone on your private island and nothing to drink at home......

To add:

Last time, the flood was coming, lot water on the street already, 7/11 open but basically empty, specially no water and no beer......

I took the bacardi breezer Thought that is better than not drinking anything.

No no no....not between 2-5 pm....

That sounds like a joke, or?

You silly farang. Only 14-year old Thais can buy during those times.

[BudRight]

Wow! The backwards, low-tech muppets at NOAA and NASA can't predict the weather a week in advance - but the Thais can do it MONTHS ahead of time!

I would love to purchase a Thai Earthquake Predictor and sell it for a fortune in California!

The world should be scrambling to send it's weathermen and seismologists to be trained by the distinguished experts here in The Magic Kingdom!

And if they're wrong, they can just push all that water down the river using boat propellers - sheer genius!

As for earthquakes, some elephants on trampolines at key positions will cancel out any aftershock the fault lines can shake!

Oh I feel so happy knowing we're all safe. Good thing the government was here to tell us; I wouldn't know what to do or think otherwise.

Edited April 26, 2012 by BudRight

[belg]

if that the ministery of cristal balls ?

and, last year, did they predicted that they would have a flood ? due to incompetence by opening all the dams at once during high peak rain season ?

[h90]

If government pronouncements on flood are anything to go by, it's time for me to start stocking up the extra bottled water again.

Water isn't a problem, also the Democrats and the Army brings you water.

But beer is a big problem.....Sitting alone on your private island and nothing to drink at home......

To add:

Last time, the flood was coming, lot water on the street already, 7/11 open but basically empty, specially no water and no beer......

I took the bacardi breezer Thought that is better than not drinking anything.

No no no....not between 2-5 pm....

That sounds like a joke, or?

You silly farang. Only 14-year old Thais can buy during those times.

my favorite lawless Chinese shop was already 1/2 meter under water.

[draftvader]

Wow! The backwards, low-tech muppets at NOAA and NASA can't predict the weather a week in advance - but the Thais can do it MONTHS ahead of time!

I would love to purchase a Thai Earthquake Predictor and sell it for a fortune in California!

The world should be scrambling to send it's weathermen and seismologists to be trained by the distinguished experts here in The Magic Kingdom!

And if they're wrong, they can just push all that water down the river using boat propellers - sheer genius!

As for earthquakes, some elephants on trampolines at key positions will cancel out any aftershock the fault lines can shake!

Oh I feel so happy knowing we're all safe. Good thing the government was here to tell us; I wouldn't know what to do or think otherwise.

"Elephants on trampolines" You do realise that I am now wondering when a leading Thai politician will say this.

[daviddrinkell]

King Canute springs immediately to mind. According to legend, Canute’s courtiers flattered him into believing that his word was so powerful that even the tide would recede at his command. Canute is said to have taken this compliment literally and had his throne placed by the shore and vainly attempted to command the waves to recede until he almost drowned.

Edited April 26, 2012 by metisdead
Formatting

[dude007]

How can this incompetent flood-management Government that has proven to be totally incompetent, be so self assured of this populist forecasts that this year there will be no flooding... There has not been done anything essentials on this: NOT ANYTHING!!! The situation is as bad as it was last year and the money disbursed has been used on patchwork useless projects which will not do anything to the seize of the flood waters coming down the river. Even if the same scenario as last year would be repeated, the same disaster would occur again except for a few areas (industrial?) now sufficiently well protected from flooding. Does this Government controls the rainfall, the weather patterns, the timing of the rainfalls? NO, no way they can. They hardly can coordinate the release of water from the big dams upstream the Chao Phraya.

The only method to get rid of these flood waters has not even been thought of: get the floodwaters out of Bangkok by a huge bypass canal, half the size of the Chao Phraya! Such project will cost huge amounts of money (more than 1.4 trillion THB) as they are the ONLY SOLUTION to these ever coming back-problems! I wonder how much from the 350 Billion THB has really been spent on the "FINAL SOLUTION"... Even dredging is a total waste of money as they never can reach a "wet river section" which can cope with the volumes of water coming down the river.

Populism is really going on...

[RichardinBKK]

I have only lived here a few years, and do have a serious question.

In last years flood, I thought part of the problem was, despite good advice from a high authority on water management and a suggestion water levels in dams be lowered...when the record rains came...there was no where to "store it." The reservoirs were already full.

I live right on the Chao Phraya and yesterday was absolutely the lowest I have ever seen it. You could walk 40 meters on a mud flat to the main channel. I saw the remains of old piers, etc...i had never seen before.

What is the current water level of reservoirs this year compared to last? And, is there any relationship between the river low level and those dams? it would be a sad irony to have this year be short on much needed rain fall, and find his "guarantee" is simply an extension of the knowledge that the reservoirs are already drained far below last years level, to insure that any amount of rainfall can be contained. Hence, a statement that there will be no flood. It almost sounds like a message to industrial investors to say, "Per your request, we are gambling our 2012 - 2013 rice harvest on a normal rainfall, so your factories have zero chance of damage,"

I do not blame anyone for having a bit of fun at the expense of a person who claims to be able to forecast the weather six months form now. I mean...it is funny in a silly way.

So, back to my question. Is there a relationship between reservoir levels, and is the level of the Chao Phraya an indicator?

Note to self...move on, nothing to see here. Did i really expect a reply? Edited April 26, 2012 by RichardinBKK

[BazilFox]

This year I think drought is going to be a problem.

With even higher price´s on crops, fruits and God knows what else.

Have no fear the Pardon Thaksin Party will come to the rescue. I'm suprised they are not using boats to force the water back up the rivers to the drought areas for irrigation.

Yes that was fantastic, I still snigger when crossing the river.. Anyone know who ordered this. Is he still in a job????

Edited April 26, 2012 by BazilFox

[animatic]

The ONLY thing predictable inThailand from the government Ministries is HOT AIR.

[canuckamuck]

Meanwhile dam levels seem to be getting mighty low.

Methinks they have orders to get rid of the water to stem the threat of floods. So if this is a drought year, they will be two for two on water mismanagement.

Welcome to Circus Thailand.