Heavy Rain To Continue Throughout Country

[Lite Beer]

Heavy rain to continue throughout country

The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Forest runoff caused by heavy downpours inundated many areas of Kanchanaburi yesterday as the Meteorological Department warned of heavy to very heavy rain over much of Thailand.

Members of 300 families in tambon Salongrua in Kanchanaburi's Huai Krachao district were evacuated to higher ground. The tambon was badly hit by the forest runoff, with flood water levels reaching 1-1.5 metres in some areas. Around 7,000 rai of agricultural land has been damaged and 10 roads have been cut off, according to the district chief, Thotsaphon Chaiyakomin Tharot.

Reports yesterday said other flooded districts included Tha Maka, Tha Muang and Dan Makham Tia. However, the situation in these districts was not deemed to be critical.

According to a warning issued at 4.30pm, torrential rain and isolated heavy to very heavy downpours were likely in the lower Central region, upper South and in the East. This was due to an intense monsoon trough in those areas, while the strong southwest monsoon prevails over the Andaman Sea, Southern Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand.

The department urged people in at-risk areas to beware of severe conditions for the next one to two days. It said wind-driven waves were likely to reach two to three metres in the upper Gulf and the Andaman Sea. All ships should proceed with caution and small boats in the Andaman Sea were told to stay ashore today and tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the week-long 80-centimetre-deep floods from the overflowing Yom River ruined a blooming marigold plantation in Phichit's Pho Prathap Chang district. The owner said he had lost more than Bt100,000.

Flood water continued to recede at the famous border market of Rong Kluea in Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaew, where the situation was getting back to normal. Most of the shops at the market were able to resume trading. However, authorities found that garbage blocked the drainage channels and canals, so they would have to work with Cambodian authorities to clear the garbage from the canals on the border.

Authorities in Prachin Buri's Si Maha Pho district used three backhoes to put up a two-metre-high, two-metre-wide soil embankment to prevent floods from hitting more areas of the district. The embankment is being built along a road next to the overflowing Prachin Buri River. Today, they will put wooden poles behind the soil embankment to prevent it from collapsing. More than 10,000 rai of agricultural land in the district was submerged. Floods have hit seven districts of Prachin Buri so far.

Locals in Ranong's La-un district were worried that heavy rain would deepen existing sinkholes. Ten sinkholes have existed in the area for 10 years on fruit and coffee plantations. They said they saw movement of soil at the bottom of some of the sinkholes.

Police, inmates from Bangkok Remand Prison and Khlong Dan Prison, and officers from Watthana District Office yesterday dredged drainage channels in Sukhumvit Soi 39, while inmates from Samut Sakhon Prison also dredged drainage channels in a soi on Bang Khae-Bang Bon Road.

Meanwhile, a representative of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and his Royal Consort, Her Royal Highness Princess Srirasmi, yesterday handed out 1,000 relief bags to flood-affected locals in Bang Rakam district in Phitsanulok. Their Royal Highnesses also facilitated the provision of medical treatment to local residents by doctors.

-- The Nation 2012-09-30

[asiawatcher]

Thailand has been living with floods for centuries, only compounded by populated expansion without town planning. Hard to close the gate once the horse has gone.

[tomross46]

How will the government explain to the foreign manufacturing investers the flooding of industerial estates. Las Krabang industrial estate was flooded yesterday. Thr PM told Japanese investers that there would be no more flooding.

[kutjebu]

Thailand has been living with floods for centuries, only compounded by populated expansion without town planning. Hard to close the gate once the horse has gone.

Absolutely.

[lizardtongue]

According to the wife when clearing the drainage systems inmates found 'sand-bags' and crudely constructed dams. Cannot confirm or support this at the moment.

[lizardtongue]

Reported on Twitter, 'Prachinburi rushes to build earthen dikes to keep water from Prachinburi-Simahapote road'

'Earthen Dikes' does that equate to plies of mud?

I do feel sorry for the man in the street as they will no doubt be the ones to suffer the most, but no one appears to want to take an early initiative?

[ignis]

Where I live North West of BKK, Sunday night midnight to after 1 am was heavy rain and thunder storms........ yesterday at the local market talking to a stall holder, know her for years, they moved into a new house 2 years ago, have been to there house a couple of time is 3 km away from where I live........

Yesterday morning she got up to find water knee deep in the house downstairs, as was everyone's new house in the Moo Ban, the whole little Town was again flooded, shops and houses, and this was just 1 x Thunder storm and heavy rain.. not any Northern run off water.!!

Edited October 2, 2012 by ignis

[Thai at Heart]

According to the wife when clearing the drainage systems inmates found 'sand-bags' and crudely constructed dams. Cannot confirm or support this at the moment.

saw that ditto.

The thing is, why are they clearing it now with inmates? Shouldn't this have all been cleared already and i know it isn't a nice job, but isn't some somchai from the bma supposed to inspect this type of stuff?

[ResX]

How will the government explain to the foreign manufacturing investers the flooding of industerial estates. Las Krabang industrial estate was flooded yesterday. Thr PM told Japanese investers that there would be no more flooding.

I would say, with good faith, water management experts in Thailand need help from foreign experts. It doesn't seem they understand what they are up against. As I told this forum a few times, you can't beat the enemy that you don't know its strength.

As far as I can see all the initiatives to win the battle against floods this year were not strategically developed. Most of the initiatives were randomly executed. I mean they did not consider overall contribution for each initiative undertaken.

The over done "dug -in-defence" the two monsters in the north, I think one of the costly mistakes. The total drawdown of 8-10 billion cubic meters for these two monsters was pretty too high for the catchments that have the total annual average rainfalls of about 10 billion cubic meters. What odd that we can expect for a 8 billion cubic meters of rainfalls that normally take 9 months to accumulate to fall in < 30 days?

Without having detail about dams in the central region I spaculate that excessive draw down dams in the north caused high hold up volume of waters for the dams in central region. This probably explains why a few dams near central regions were beaten by floods so easily. On the other hands the two dams in north is safer than the safe levels.

[geriatrickid]

How will the government explain to the foreign manufacturing investers the flooding of industerial estates. Las Krabang industrial estate was flooded yesterday. Thr PM told Japanese investers that there would be no more flooding.

I would say, with good faith, water management experts in Thailand need help from foreign experts. It doesn't seem they understand what they are up against. As I told this forum a few times, you can't beat the enemy that you don't know its strength.

As far as I can see all the initiatives to win the battle against floods this year were not strategically developed. Most of the initiatives were randomly executed. I mean they did not consider overall contribution for each initiative undertaken.

The over done "dug -in-defence" the two monsters in the north, I think one of the costly mistakes. The total drawdown of 8-10 billion cubic meters for these two monsters was pretty too high for the catchments that have the total annual average rainfalls of about 10 billion cubic meters. What odd that we can expect for a 8 billion cubic meters of rainfalls that normally take 9 months to accumulate to fall in < 30 days?

Without having detail about dams in the central region I spaculate that excessive draw down dams in the north caused high hold up volume of waters for the dams in central region. This probably explains why a few dams near central regions were beaten by floods so easily. On the other hands the two dams in north is safer than the safe levels.

And where are these foreign experts with an understanding of Thailand's watersheds, topography, canals and assorted drainage systems to be recruited from? Please don't say the Netherlands, because keeping the ocean out is very different than dealing with a scenario where major cities and infrastructure have been plopped down on flood plains and on former marshland.

Thais do have the skills and expertise necessary to deal with some of the flooding. Unfortunately, the major stakeholders are unwilling to accept the changes that need to be made. One can bring in the greatest experts from wherever, but if major landowning interests refuse to let them do what needs to be done and pressure the government to allow development in flood prone areas, what can they do? Do you think millions of people would accept forced relocation? It would be more cost effective to move people out of some of the most flood prone areas than to try and build drainage systems. Those potentially displaced people would never accept such a move. A case in point is Bangkok. Insttead of allowing development, the BMA should be doing its utmost to contain the population growth. Bangkok is a doomed city. Whether it sinks into the muck now or later, it will sink.

[rubl]

How will the government explain to the foreign manufacturing investers the flooding of industerial estates. Las Krabang industrial estate was flooded yesterday. Thr PM told Japanese investers that there would be no more flooding.

I would say, with good faith, water management experts in Thailand need help from foreign experts. It doesn't seem they understand what they are up against. As I told this forum a few times, you can't beat the enemy that you don't know its strength.

As far as I can see all the initiatives to win the battle against floods this year were not strategically developed. Most of the initiatives were randomly executed. I mean they did not consider overall contribution for each initiative undertaken.

The over done "dug -in-defence" the two monsters in the north, I think one of the costly mistakes. The total drawdown of 8-10 billion cubic meters for these two monsters was pretty too high for the catchments that have the total annual average rainfalls of about 10 billion cubic meters. What odd that we can expect for a 8 billion cubic meters of rainfalls that normally take 9 months to accumulate to fall in < 30 days?

Without having detail about dams in the central region I spaculate that excessive draw down dams in the north caused high hold up volume of waters for the dams in central region. This probably explains why a few dams near central regions were beaten by floods so easily. On the other hands the two dams in north is safer than the safe levels.

And where are these foreign experts with an understanding of Thailand's watersheds, topography, canals and assorted drainage systems to be recruited from? Please don't say the Netherlands, because keeping the ocean out is very different than dealing with a scenario where major cities and infrastructure have been plopped down on flood plains and on former marshland.

Thais do have the skills and expertise necessary to deal with some of the flooding. Unfortunately, the major stakeholders are unwilling to accept the changes that need to be made. One can bring in the greatest experts from wherever, but if major landowning interests refuse to let them do what needs to be done and pressure the government to allow development in flood prone areas, what can they do? Do you think millions of people would accept forced relocation? It would be more cost effective to move people out of some of the most flood prone areas than to try and build drainage systems. Those potentially displaced people would never accept such a move. A case in point is Bangkok. Insttead of allowing development, the BMA should be doing its utmost to contain the population growth. Bangkok is a doomed city. Whether it sinks into the muck now or later, it will sink.

The problem in the Netherlands is 1.) keep sea at bay, 2.) let a few major rivers drain into the sea, 3.) protect from 'inklink (sinking).

The infrastructure to drain 'upwards' using various types of pumps can be used in Thailand, BUT needs a step-by-step, longterm implementation plan.