Plodprasop Proposes Flood-Prevention Dam For Bangkok

[techboy]

WTTTTTTFFFFFFFFFFFF Where do they want to place the dam??? On Baiyoke Sky Tower???

Stupid is as stupid does or in other words:

"We protect Bangkok city, by sh*****loading more on the other provinces, have a nice day, province-scum!!!!"

BLOCK BLOCK BLOCK they know nothing else.

But we all know blocking the water isn't the answer

What a classic entry. Another post post from someone who is raving with assumed mirth and implying that he has depth of knowledge about something of which he is clueless.

[OzMick]

One intelligent post out of nineteen....................

Thank you LaoPo.

Pity about the rest of you.

Perhaps YOU can tell me where ~6000m³ /sec of water will go when the mouth of the river is closed.

Don't be silly, the Chaophrya cannot handle ~6000m³ /sec of water weren't you here during the Great Flood? It can only handle 25% of that flow without causing floods. That is why the bypasses and flood ways have to be built above Bangkok to hanlde the excessive flows. The tidal barrier is for the other problem which causes flooding during excessively high tides, which occur for a few hours several times a year.

Length 372 km (231 mi) Basin 160,400 km² (61,931 sq mi) Discharge for Nakhon Sawan - average 718 m³/s (25,356 cu ft/s) - max

5,960 m³/s (210,475 cu ft/s)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chao_Phraya_River

[OzMick]

Replace the word "dam" with "storm surge barrier" or similar, then the idea is fine. Build a gate system at the mouth of the river, and install a series of giant pumps next to the gates (yes pumps large enough do already exist). Then when the tide is high and the river is flooding at the same time, simply close the gates, and pump water from the river into the sea. The electric bill will be large, but since it is only a few days or weeks a year, that does not matter much.

This method works, and it has already been done in both the US and in europe. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel, and certainly no reason to continue with the "water pushing machines" they invented during the last flood, and which any engineer worth his salt, or just a person with common sense, could have told the government would not work at all!

Do you have any idea of the amount of electrical energy required? Where does it come from - the Chinese nuclear power station(s) mentioned early perhaps? What do you do with all that generating capacity for the rest of the year?

Around 10 New Orleans size pumps will do the trick, and they are each equipped with 5,000 hp diesel generators, which is the cheapest solution when they are not supposed to run all year. Yes, both the pumps and the diesel are expensive, but still cheaper than the losses incurred when Bat could be done ngkok is flooded, especially when considering the pumps will last for many years, and will potentially save Bangkok from many floods.

Remember also we know in advance when floods will come and when the tide is high, so we can both empty the dams upriver in advance, and use the pumps to lower the level in the river well in advance of the floods, making the whole riverbassin one giant buffer. Calculating a bit on this would probably mean we could do with fewer pumps, thus lowering the cost.

Lifting 6,000,000 litres/sec of water 1 metre would require at least 60MW, or 80,000+ UKHP. Yes it could be done, but as you say bloody expensive.

As for your second paragraph, I refer you to recent history.

[khunken]

This has been around for a while & it's not Plodprasop's idea at all. Unfortunately when he opens his mouth, usually idiotic 'ideas' emerge. I don't think it's a bad idea in itself but completing a project like this in a few years is up (down) to his normal standard.

The problem is: which is more urgent - solving the flooding which affects numerous other provinces as well as Bangkok, or protecting Bangkok from the sea? As a resident of Bangkok, I would argue the former. The government is not capable of supervising one large project (e.g.FROC) let alone two. So, unless these large water-control projects are put under a non-political body with power to call on outside assistance - they'll be riddled with corruption & have a second-rate result. The debt incurred (on top of the various subsidy scams, high-speed trains & BOT under-the-carpet debt) will point to one at a time.

I sometimes wonder if there is a competition between Plod & Chalerm to see whose crazy idea gets the most media coverage.

[Halion]

Alice in Wonderland. All this clown wants is the money for this project released during his term in office. It would take at least one or two years in the design stage and most probabaly 5 years or more to complete the construction to boom the neck of the river. They would aslo need a similar boom dam north of Bangkok . Does anyone think that this Government has the credibility let alone the capability to handle such a project. Just another scam to get money released into the control of the corrupt .

The bottom line is that this city is doomed and there is little that can be done about it. When you try to build a metropolis on esturine swampland and even in the face of mounting evidence you continue to develope without due dilegence , then you are going to get what you deserve. Sadly the people of Bangkok deserve better however, they get what they voted for.

[Mosha]

Chalerm would have it ready in 90 days though.

[skorchio]

Obviously something needs to be done. If I was in charge the first thing I would do is call the Dutch and have their polder n dyke people conduct a feasibility study, as they know what they are doing, and the Thais don't, regardless of good intentions etc.

I have sailed in and out of the Chao Phraya river a few times on survey ships. The mouth of the river is not exactly cutting a gorge through mountainous terrain. The topography surrounding BKK at the coast each side is strikingly flat. It may well be the case that the scale of the task (protecting BKK from the seas) is impossibly large. I would love to see a contour map of the city's elevation above the spring high tide. If a sea level rise of 2m (might be seen in my lifetime) is going to inundate half the city, then BKK has no hope, and the Capital must be moved, or adapt to an aquatic existence.

I am sure BKK would easily adapt to an aquatic existence, Thais just get on with life in general. Gondolas for tuktuks etc...

If anyone has an accurate contour map of BKK metropolitan area, I would like to see it.

[madmitch]

WTTTTTTFFFFFFFFFFFF Where do they want to place the dam??? On Baiyoke Sky Tower???

Stupid is as stupid does or in other words:

"We protect Bangkok city, by sh*****loading more on the other provinces, have a nice day, province-scum!!!!"

BLOCK BLOCK BLOCK they know nothing else.

But we all know blocking the water isn't the answer

You don't understand, it is not a dam per se, but a tidal barrage.

Don't say "We all know blocking the water isn't the answer" most of us are not stupid. You don't understand, it is not a dam per se, but a tidal barrage. blocking the water at exceptionally high tides which coincide with excessive rains and storm surges to prevent disasterous flooding.

The dam is a barrage across the entrance from the sea at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River. This barrage is similar to the Thames barrier in London, and in those in Holland. Bangkok continues to sink, and already 100's of sq. kms of land around the mouth of the river on the west side has already been lost including several villages. Unless the barrage is built Bangkok will be under water every year by 2020.

Japanese, Dutch and British experts including myself have recommended this solution for many years and was to have gone ahead in 2006 but the coup stopped work on the final phases of the King's Master Plan to prevent flooding in Bangkok and its environs. The barrage will only be closed under exceptional circumstances to prevent Bangkok being flooded by exceptionally high tides. Most of Bangkok is less than 2 metres above mean sea level as it is. Pictures and explanations are available on the internet.

Remember also that Bangkok is known as the Venice of the East because it was built on swamp land on the mouth of a river and is much like Venice in Italy. Venice also continues to sink and currently floods regularly as they still have not built a barrage.

The original article, probably poorly translated does indeed state a dam. My initial thoughts were that a dam would be of no use at all as the last floods were caused mainly from rainwater from the north of Bangkok and not the tidal flow from the south, however I understand the concept you have described and this makes much more sense.

But that timescale? I assume he expects this Government to be in power for a very long time.

[monkeycountry]

Replace the word "dam" with "storm surge barrier" or similar, then the idea is fine. Build a gate system at the mouth of the river, and install a series of giant pumps next to the gates (yes pumps large enough do already exist). Then when the tide is high and the river is flooding at the same time, simply close the gates, and pump water from the river into the sea. The electric bill will be large, but since it is only a few days or weeks a year, that does not matter much.

This method works, and it has already been done in both the US and in europe. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel, and certainly no reason to continue with the "water pushing machines" they invented during the last flood, and which any engineer worth his salt, or just a person with common sense, could have told the government would not work at all!

Do you have any idea of the amount of electrical energy required? Where does it come from - the Chinese nuclear power station(s) mentioned early perhaps? What do you do with all that generating capacity for the rest of the year?

Around 10 New Orleans size pumps will do the trick, and they are each equipped with 5,000 hp diesel generators, which is the cheapest solution when they are not supposed to run all year. Yes, both the pumps and the diesel are expensive, but still cheaper than the losses incurred when Bat could be done ngkok is flooded, especially when considering the pumps will last for many years, and will potentially save Bangkok from many floods.

Remember also we know in advance when floods will come and when the tide is high, so we can both empty the dams upriver in advance, and use the pumps to lower the level in the river well in advance of the floods, making the whole riverbassin one giant buffer. Calculating a bit on this would probably mean we could do with fewer pumps, thus lowering the cost.

Lifting 6,000,000 litres/sec of water 1 metre would require at least 60MW, or 80,000+ UKHP. Yes it could be done, but as you say bloody expensive.

As for your second paragraph, I refer you to recent history.

Don't think water has to be lifted anywhere. Pump inlet and outlet can be at the same level. Anyway, the 5000 hp pump can pump 150.000 gallons/sec, so 10 of those would just about do, even if none of the other measures I mentioned were not taken, which they probably will be in the future - even in Thailand. 50.000 hp = 37 MW. I pay around 3.5 baht/kWh, so that would be 3 million baht/day if the power was from a powerplant. That is peanuts compared to the amount of money saved by not flooding Bangkok.

[Estrada]

One intelligent post out of nineteen....................

Thank you LaoPo.

Pity about the rest of you.

Perhaps YOU can tell me where ~6000m³ /sec of water will go when the mouth of the river is closed.

Don't be silly, the Chaophrya cannot handle ~6000m³ /sec of water weren't you here during the Great Flood? It can only handle 25% of that flow without causing floods. That is why the bypasses and flood ways have to be built above Bangkok to hanlde the excessive flows. The tidal barrier is for the other problem which causes flooding during excessively high tides, which occur for a few hours several times a year.

Length 372 km (231 mi) Basin 160,400 km² (61,931 sq mi) Discharge for Nakhon Sawan - average 718 m³/s (25,356 cu ft/s) - max

5,960 m³/s (210,475 cu ft/s)

http://en.wikipedia....ao_Phraya_River

I have made several presentations on the problem over the years, the most recent for Amcham. The problem is that the flow over the river at Nakhorn Sawan is indeed 6,000m³/s but the stretch through Bangkok can only handle 2,000m³/s. The Chaophraya through Bangkok has never been able to handle storm flows above 2,000m³/s(A quart into a pint pot will not go!).

FYI the history of the flooding problem is as follows:

•Until 1767 Capital of Thailand was Ayutthaya

•1767 – 1782 moved to Thonburi

•1782 Capital Established in Bangkok

•1785 Major Flood 4.5metre deep

•1819 Major Flood 3.2metre deep

•1831 Top of the City flood defence wall

•1917 Major Floods all roads submerged 1mth

•1942 Major Flood 1.5metre deep for 3 months

•1975 Flood caused by depression, 4,000 m³/s flow, 1,100 MB damage

•1980 4 days of more than 200 mm. rain, 700 MB damage

•1982 1,093 MB damage

•1983 Several cyclones, flooded for 3-5 months, 6,600 MB damage

•1995 5,400 m³/s flow, recorded high water level in Chao Phraya River at +2.27m MSL, flood dike overflowed, 3,000 MB damage within Bangkok, 50,000 MB damage outside

Bangkok. Total 72 Billion Baht.

•1996 +2.14 m MSL water level, flood dike overflowed, 1,500 MB damage

•2002 Affecting Ayutthaya, Angthong, Singburi, and Bangsai

•2006 Affecting Singburi, Angthong, Ayutthaya, Bangsai, Tai Chen Districts: Banglen, Krathumban and Ampur Muang Samut Sakhon

•2010 October due to overflow of Chaophraya River

So many Billions of Baht have been lost due to flood damage over the years that the cost of the barrage and the floodways will be recouped very quickly. On the other hand without the barrage and floodways, if the Factories, Airports and homes are flooded once more as recently happened

That is why we recommended bypass rivers and floodways to divert the excess flows around Bangkok to the West and East to stop the flooding

The correct figure for the Chao Phraya through Bangkok is a maximum of 2,000m³/s from modeling done by JICA, AIT and so on, However that is theoretical based on computer models, realistically the practical figure is more like 1,700m³/s The flow during the floods in 2011 recorded at Ayuthaya was 3,900m³/s therefore the Chaophraya overflowed. Similarly in the 1995 floods in Bangkok, which I can remember being up to 1 metre deep in Pratunam, the river flow was only 2,800m³/s and the Chaophraya overflowed then. So it is definitely not capable of handling the 5,960 m³/s you calculate from Wikipedia.

[renaissanc]

Politicians love dams. Just think, (50%) commission shared around. No wonder they don't want the flood prevention funds used.

[hellodolly]

Replace the word "dam" with "storm surge barrier" or similar, then the idea is fine. Build a gate system at the mouth of the river, and install a series of giant pumps next to the gates (yes pumps large enough do already exist). Then when the tide is high and the river is flooding at the same time, simply close the gates, and pump water from the river into the sea. The electric bill will be large, but since it is only a few days or weeks a year, that does not matter much.

This method works, and it has already been done in both the US and in europe. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel, and certainly no reason to continue with the "water pushing machines" they invented during the last flood, and which any engineer worth his salt, or just a person with common sense, could have told the government would not work at all!

Do you have any idea of the amount of electrical energy required? Where does it come from - the Chinese nuclear power station(s) mentioned early perhaps? What do you do with all that generating capacity for the rest of the year?

Around 10 New Orleans size pumps will do the trick, and they are each equipped with 5,000 hp diesel generators, which is the cheapest solution when they are not supposed to run all year. Yes, both the pumps and the diesel are expensive, but still cheaper than the losses incurred when Bangkok is flooded, especially when considering the pumps will last for many years, and will potentially save Bangkok from many floods.

Remember also we know in advance when floods will come and when the tide is high, so we can both empty the dams upriver in advance, and use the pumps to lower the level in the river well in advance of the floods, making the whole riverbassin one giant buffer. Calculating a bit on this would probably mean we could do with fewer pumps, thus lowering the cost.

You have to be new here. They release the water out of the dams when they are just about in flood situation.

As for the 5,000 hp diesel generators, Well you might have some thing there but I believe 10 would not do the trick as Bangkok is a much larger city than New Orleans.

[AleG]

I´ve been living in Bangkok for 6 years and I have never heard or seen that flooding from high tides and storm surges was such a big problem, not at least to grant billions upon billions to "fix" it.

[hellodolly]

Alice in Wonderland. All this clown wants is the money for this project released during his term in office. It would take at least one or two years in the design stage and most probabaly 5 years or more to complete the construction to boom the neck of the river. They would aslo need a similar boom dam north of Bangkok . Does anyone think that this Government has the credibility let alone the capability to handle such a project. Just another scam to get money released into the control of the corrupt .

The bottom line is that this city is doomed and there is little that can be done about it. When you try to build a metropolis on esturine swampland and even in the face of mounting evidence you continue to develope without due dilegence , then you are going to get what you deserve. Sadly the people of Bangkok deserve better however, they get what they voted for.

I believe that any new buildings should be waterproof on the lower levels.

[LaoPo]

I am not a huge fan of Plodprasop by any means, but this is not such a bad idea.

Something like the Thames barrier would be quite suitable. It's designed to prevent floods that are caused by a combination of high tides / storm surges, together with higher than usual river flows.

http://en.wikipedia..../Thames_Barrier

Exactly; The Thames Barrier was also built after the 1953 North Sea Flood.

[LaoPo]

You don't understand, it is not a dam per se, but a tidal barrage.

Don't say "We all know blocking the water isn't the answer" most of us are not stupid. You don't understand, it is not a dam per se, but a tidal barrage. blocking the water at exceptionally high tides which coincide with excessive rains and storm surges to prevent disasterous flooding.

The dam is a barrage across the entrance from the sea at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River. This barrage is similar to the Thames barrier in London, and in those in Holland. Bangkok continues to sink, and already 100's of sq. kms of land around the mouth of the river on the west side has already been lost including several villages. Unless the barrage is built Bangkok will be under water every year by 2020.

Japanese, Dutch and British experts including myself have recommended this solution for many years and was to have gone ahead in 2006 but the coup stopped work on the final phases of the King's Master Plan to prevent flooding in Bangkok and its environs. The barrage will only be closed under exceptional circumstances to prevent Bangkok being flooded by exceptionally high tides. Most of Bangkok is less than 2 metres above mean sea level as it is. Pictures and explanations are available on the internet.

Remember also that Bangkok is known as the Venice of the East because it was built on swamp land on the mouth of a river and is much like Venice in Italy. Venice also continues to sink and currently floods regularly as they still have not built a barrage.

Thank you for your comment!

Only few here understand the enormous problem of Bangkok, as explained by you and some others.

Mr. Plodprasop is under attack for this plan because of his past but that's not the point.

The point is that the Government has to do something, and fast, before a huge drama unfolds for the eyes of the Thai...and the world

The cheap comments by some, laughing their brains out, about this plan do not realize the horrific dangers.

Instead of giving laughable comments, they could read and study a little more before they comment since this is a very serious problem.

[LaoPo]

Bangkok and the areas to the south are very flat and sloping very gently towards the GoS - water made them that way.

Building a 1.3km closable barrier will just push the high tides around the sides.

You better study the tidal dams in The Netherlands and the Thames Barrier and other similar systems around the world before you give a comment like this.

[LaoPo]

Obviously something needs to be done. If I was in charge the first thing I would do is call the Dutch and have their polder n dyke people conduct a feasibility study, as they know what they are doing, and the Thais don't, regardless of good intentions etc.

Even the Americans called in the Dutch Water Management Engineers after the New Orleans flood due to Katrina and I believe they were involved in Thailand also but I'm not sure about the follow up.

Must have been a political issue since the Engineers won't run away so soon after the deal has been made to build or draft a plan for Bangkok's problem.

I really hope, for the sake of Thailand, that something can be done ASAP.

[Buchholz]

Don't you hate how the "elite" are just worried about protecting the shopping centres in Bangkok.

I'm just stunned that he is apparently abandoning his plan for relying on a thousand boat propellers to control the raging river.

Although it is understandable that this elite billionaire could be enticed to change plans in light of the "hundreds of billions baht" that can be earmarked for his latest great idea.

.

Be very very careful, Foreigner, if you want to stay in Thailand, or Thai, if you want to stay out of jail.

The thousand boat propellers was

All plodprasop's innovation.

[davejones]

TV posters complain when the government don't do anything, but also complain when they do something. So not surprised at the silly comments so far.

[LaoPo]

I have made several presentations on the problem over the years, the most recent for Amcham. The problem is that the flow over the river at Nakhorn Sawan is indeed 6,000m³/s but the stretch through Bangkok can only handle 2,000m³/s. The Chaophraya through Bangkok has never been able to handle storm flows above 2,000m³/s(A quart into a pint pot will not go!).

FYI the history of the flooding problem is as follows:

•Until 1767 Capital of Thailand was Ayutthaya

•1767 – 1782 moved to Thonburi

•1782 Capital Established in Bangkok

•1785 Major Flood 4.5metre deep

•1819 Major Flood 3.2metre deep

•1831 Top of the City flood defence wall

•1917 Major Floods all roads submerged 1mth

•1942 Major Flood 1.5metre deep for 3 months

•1975 Flood caused by depression, 4,000 m³/s flow, 1,100 MB damage

•1980 4 days of more than 200 mm. rain, 700 MB damage

•1982 1,093 MB damage

•1983 Several cyclones, flooded for 3-5 months, 6,600 MB damage

•1995 5,400 m³/s flow, recorded high water level in Chao Phraya River at +2.27m MSL, flood dike overflowed, 3,000 MB damage within Bangkok, 50,000 MB damage outside

Bangkok. Total 72 Billion Baht.

•1996 +2.14 m MSL water level, flood dike overflowed, 1,500 MB damage

•2002 Affecting Ayutthaya, Angthong, Singburi, and Bangsai

•2006 Affecting Singburi, Angthong, Ayutthaya, Bangsai, Tai Chen Districts: Banglen, Krathumban and Ampur Muang Samut Sakhon

•2010 October due to overflow of Chaophraya River

So many Billions of Baht have been lost due to flood damage over the years that the cost of the barrage and the floodways will be recouped very quickly. On the other hand without the barrage and floodways, if the Factories, Airports and homes are flooded once more as recently happened

That is why we recommended bypass rivers and floodways to divert the excess flows around Bangkok to the West and East to stop the flooding

The correct figure for the Chao Phraya through Bangkok is a maximum of 2,000m³/s from modeling done by JICA, AIT and so on, However that is theoretical based on computer models, realistically the practical figure is more like 1,700m³/s The flow during the floods in 2011 recorded at Ayuthaya was 3,900m³/s therefore the Chaophraya overflowed. Similarly in the 1995 floods in Bangkok, which I can remember being up to 1 metre deep in Pratunam, the river flow was only 2,800m³/s and the Chaophraya overflowed then. So it is definitely not capable of handling the 5,960 m³/s you calculate from Wikipedia.

Good to read a report from an insider !

[Moruya]

Bangkok and the areas to the south are very flat and sloping very gently towards the GoS - water made them that way.

Building a 1.3km closable barrier will just push the high tides around the sides.

You better study the tidal dams in The Netherlands and the Thames Barrier and other similar systems around the world before you give a comment like this.

I'm a fluids engineer. I'm very familiar with the Thames barrier.

If you think water will wait at a barrier rather than find its own level then Plodprasop has a role for you

[finnomick1]

Think he want copie Netherlands engineering with his chinese friends, the worst scenario will be the nuclear Powerplant for the giant pumps. Time to plan a bunker...

Well you may laugh, but I know of a Swiss guy in Kalasin who is selling his house -- complete with a nuclear bunker !!! Maybe he isn't as crazy as we first thought.....

[Thai at Heart]

Think he want copie Netherlands engineering with his chinese friends, the worst scenario will be the nuclear Powerplant for the giant pumps. Time to plan a bunker...

Well you may laugh, but I know of a Swiss guy in Kalasin who is selling his house -- complete with a nuclear bunker !!! Maybe he isn't as crazy as we first thought.....

Why would you give up a nuclear bunker if you fear a nuclear explosion? the thing is, by the time the government here would have tried to cover up any leak here for a few weeks, we would all have hadmore than a good dose. the first we would here about it would be from the international news , whilst all the pooyais would have legged it days ago

Edited January 8, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[Stradavarius37]

I'll sleep better tonight, knowing that so many experts in water related issues are living and working in LOS, and such active posters on TV.

[rubl]

What one should keep in mind is that the Dutch Delta Works and the British Thames barrier are mainly mean to keep out storm surges, exceptionally high tides, and combinations of the two. It is not (really) meant to protect from flooding caused by river water coming downstream.

http://en.wikipedia..../Thames_Barrier

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Delta_Works

BTW the wiki page on Delta Works has an interesting paragraph "Delta law and Conceptual framework" on 'acceptable risk', 'costs', 'legal framework'. Also the "current status" is interesting "The works were declared finished after almost fifty years in 1997" followed by what needed to be done since.

Exactly the longterm vision and planning Thailand is a well known hub of :-)

[LaoPo]

Bangkok and the areas to the south are very flat and sloping very gently towards the GoS - water made them that way.

Building a 1.3km closable barrier will just push the high tides around the sides.

You better study the tidal dams in The Netherlands and the Thames Barrier and other similar systems around the world before you give a comment like this.

I'm a fluids engineer. I'm very familiar with the Thames barrier.

If you think water will wait at a barrier rather than find its own level then Plodprasop has a role for you

Good to know you are a "fluids"" engineer and that you are familiar with the Thames Barrier; does that mean you actually participated in the construction of massive built water controlling systems like the Barrier and Dutch waterworks ?

The (rather flat) sloping towards the sea is the same as in The Netherlands and Thames area and they managed to control the enormous water masses so they can do the same in Thailand provided they also control the watermasses from up north by leading and steering them towards large valleys and other means.

The problem is that Thailand's water management is NOT centralized but divided in many different managements on local levels and everybody is claiming to know the best way for it's own area but not the total delta bay- and river-systems.

There should be a centralized upper level water management system for the whole country and delta in particular.

And, who was talking a dam barrier of a mere 1,3Km ? I certainly didn't.

Edited January 8, 2013 by LaoPo

[whybother]

Good to know, but the sloping towards the sea is the same as in The Netherlands and Thames area and they managed to control the enormous water masses so they can do the same in Thailand provided they also control the watermasses from up north by leading and steering them towards large valleys and other means.

The problem is that Thailand's water management is NOT centralized but divided in many different managements on local levels and everybody is claiming to know the best way for it's own area but not the total delta bay- and river-systems.

There should be a centralized upper level water management system for the whole country and delta in particular.

And, who was talking a dam barrier of a mere 1,3Km ? I certainly didn't.

Neither Holland or England have the amount of rain that Thailand has. When the Thames Barrier and the Dutch Delta works keep water out, they don't need to worry about letting water out either. The problem for Bangkok isn't the high tides, it is the amount of water coming down the river.

[rubl]

...

The (rather flat) sloping towards the sea is the same as in The Netherlands and Thames area and they managed to control the enormous water masses so they can do the same in Thailand provided they also control the watermasses from up north by leading and steering them towards large valleys and other means.

...

"steering them towards large valleys". Minor flaw. Above the (curvy) line Sukhothai - Utteradit - Phitsanulok we already have various dams and below that line the water moves into the "Central Plain". Not too many large vallies there

Edited January 8, 2013 by rubl

[metisdead]

Some obvious nonsense posts have been removed.