Science Minister Plodprasop: Bangkok Will Not Be Flooded This Year

[Moruya]

Plodprasop...

He reminds me of a song. "I really love your tiger feet".

Can't remember who sang it.

Appropiately or not. It was sung by Mud

Sung or slung?

[abq2020]

If true, then which provinces and districts will be the 'sacrificial lambs' this year?

[steveyinasia]

Bangkok was not flooded this year, they kept all the water out for the poor people outside Elite...I mean...Bangkok City

[Thunder26]

As I've said elsewhere, already over 2.5M of rain with a possible 4 more months of (heavy) rain to come in Ranong. It's not every day like it was last year but when it rains it's heavier than last year. The stream behind the house broke it's banks 2x last year, which wasn't normal. Usually a weekly event, as it is this year. 4m plus rain in totak last year v average of 3.3m. I hope it doesn't flood, wife's cousin had enough problems in BKK

Yeah you are right that it rains more in Ranong this year, but way less in the center, less in the North and North East. That is why the officials are being so positive that this year will be no floods. But!!! There are another 4 months of rain and nobody knows how much will rain. The real picture will be known in August, by the end of it, and with no certainty as it can rain a lot in a couple of days in September or October that can bring major floods. So far just speculation or who will outsmart someone else. Just daily observe and be ready!

[khaowong1]

Run, Run, Run for your lives.. the Science Minister has spoken. Bangkok is doomed..

[cowslip]

Wasn't worried.....'til NOW!

[drdoom6996]

I hope the crystal ball works this year!

[Screws]

I have got this enlarged,copied and pinned to the wall in front of me.----------- Just in case I start worrying in the near future

How high on the wall?

[surangw]

time to stock up on sand bags

[PoodMaiDai]

Is this one of the guys who is going to set up shop in Utapo to do what NASA was planning to do?

Looking forward to that disaster.

[Estrada]

How did he calculate 'only a 1% chance'? does he know exactly how much rain will fall? Most Thais I come across can't do mental arithmatic, clearly he is the exception! A very clever man ! I'm glad I live in Chiang Mai.

He graduated from Oregon University U.S.A.

[Estrada]

To be honest, much as me thinks the man is a clown, I doubt very much there'll be floods this year. Up here in the north, reservoirs are fairly low, rainfall has been low. Totally different from last year, when reservoirs were full not long into the rainy season, the rains were very heavy early, continuing throughout the rainy season.

The monsoon season is not over yet, nobody can predict the amount of rainful in the coming weeks, who knows. If Bangkok has set up it's barriers and resources then ares north of Bangkok will suffer greatly. The main issue is deforestation in the north on both sides of the border, without all of thr plantation to soak up the rains it runs of into rivers etc. I personally think there will be flooding of some kind this year, and the future for Bangkok isn't rosey anyway, it is sinking. in 50 years time I doubt it will be what it is today, 100 years maybe it won't even exist.

I was in Bangkok this week as I was coming back from Surin and everytime I am in Bangkok I feel depressed. I cannot understand why farang choose to live there, I really can't. To each their own of course, but I would prefer to live in a rural village with no farang, bars or showers than Bangkok, just my opinion there

To be honest, much as me thinks the man is a clown, I doubt very much there'll be floods this year. Up here in the north, reservoirs are fairly low, rainfall has been low. Totally different from last year, when reservoirs were full not long into the rainy season, the rains were very heavy early, continuing throughout the rainy season.

The monsoon season is not over yet, nobody can predict the amount of rainful in the coming weeks, who knows. If Bangkok has set up it's barriers and resources then ares north of Bangkok will suffer greatly. The main issue is deforestation in the north on both sides of the border, without all of thr plantation to soak up the rains it runs of into rivers etc. I personally think there will be flooding of some kind this year, and the future for Bangkok isn't rosey anyway, it is sinking. in 50 years time I doubt it will be what it is today, 100 years maybe it won't even exist.

I was in Bangkok this week as I was coming back from Surin and everytime I am in Bangkok I feel depressed. I cannot understand why farang choose to live there, I really can't. To each their own of course, but I would prefer to live in a rural village with no farang, bars or showers than Bangkok, just my opinion there

The main issue is not deforestation. Bangkok has been flooding regularly since it was built in the 17th Century when it flooded to 4.5 metres deep shortly after the Capital was relocated in 1782. In 1819 it flooded to 3.2 metres deep. This was at a time when Thailand was covered in forests. The main issue has always been that the Chaophraya river is incapable of handling the excessive flows caused by the monsoon rains and until additional floodways are built from above Ayuthaya to the sea it will continue to flood.

The problem is that the Chaophraya can only handle 2,000m3 to 3,000m³ second whereas the monsoon run off last year averaged 4,000m³ to 5,000m³ per second i.e. "A Quart Into A Pint Pot Will Not Go!".

The problem last year was not the dams since the rains fell mainly downstream of the existing dams, so the dams were not receiving the bulk of the rains. However, the rains were excessive in the Yom river basin where a dam was to have been erected as part of the 3 stage King's Master Plan which was approved and proclaimed in the year 2000. Due to the overthrow of the Thaksin Government in 2006 all the construction work on the Yom river dam and the floodways was put on hold. Had the Government continued its work the construction would have been completed and last year's devastating floods would not have happened.

The current plan is to flood Ayuthaya to a depth of 3 metres, which is deeper than last year and will be devastating.

[Richmeister]

The wheel is running but the hamster is dead!

[Baerboxer]

Bangkok will not be flooded. What about Lamlokka, Pathumtani? Or are we a monkey cheek?

A good point - I guess we in Pathumthani are expendable ............. and we should be willing to have our lives screwed for the greater good of the Bangkok elites. I remember seeing one news release last year saying that the Government had spoken to the people of Pathumthani who understood the need for them to be deliberately flooded to protect Bangkok! Must have been out when they came to ask us!

[Skywalker69]

I bet you Bangkokians all feel a lot safer now.

You bet we do He is the Sience and Technology Minister for God´s sake Edited July 6, 2012 by Skywalker69

[Skywalker69]

next time i better hold on to my chair now i fell off it from laughing

Hope you didn´t hurt yourself.

[Skywalker69]

I have got this enlarged,copied and pinned to the wall in front of me.----------- Just in case I start worrying in the near future

How high on the wall?

[JohnAllan]

I wonder which part of the formula, PTPvsH²O the science minister doesn't understand.

[MaxLee]

Well actually great point of the title, "Bangkok will not be flooded", but the rest of Thailand will????!