Thailand braces for more floods as downpours continue

[webfact]

Thailand braces for more floods as downpours continue
By English News



BANGKOK, Sept 28 – Several parts of Thailand, particularly the eastern region, have been severely submerged by floods as train services were disrupted and disgruntled citizens protested against the closure of sluice gates.

Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan has empowered Prachin Buri governor to enforce the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act in case protests escalated.

Prachin Buri people whose homes have been flooded demanded that provincial authorities open three water gates at Petch Erm, Klong Ta Hae and Klong Had Yang to release waters into rivers and canals.

Water runoff from heavy downpours has inundated the municipality centre and government buildings in Ta Phraya district and train services in between Bangkok and Aranyaprathet district were suspended.

In nearby Sa Kaeo province, a major road between Ta Phraya and Ban Ko Klan has been submerged under 20-cm-high waters, which flowed into the municipality centre, police apartments, schools, post office and the office of the Provincial Electricity Authority. One villager in Ko Klan sub-district has been reported missing.

In the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, 80 km north of Bangkok, residents on both sides of the Pa Sak River were told to move their belongings to higher grounds, after a report that Pa Sak Cholsit dam was 93 per cent full and rainfalls have yet to cease.

The Irrigation Department has to release water into paddy fields in three rice-planting districts of Bang Ban, Sena and Pak Hai. Paddy from the second crop has already been harvested. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-09-28

[Redhawk]

Did not someone of the parliament said, Thailand is safe, floods are over, rains stopped?

[laurentbkk]

My sympathy to those affected with the floods , I know what it means ...... now I am scared about what will happen soon in Bangkok . Another 2011 despite the fantasy comments from the government ?

[angsta]

I think it was Noah?

[Tatsujin]

They couldn't organize a piss up in a brewery . . . why is it so damn hard to regulate the water flow????

[robblok]

What I dont understand is that they dont let the water in those canals. They did the same thing when we were flooded trying to protect others at the cost of us. They should not do that a bit of flooding is ok .. weeks or months is not.

Ah i see now they are again protecting Bangkok Eastern BKK this time. Stupid.. help those people and drain the water asap.

Edited September 28, 2013 by robblok

[Patje]

Did not someone of the parliament said, Thailand is safe, floods are over, rains stopped?

Yes, but the "Gods of clouds and rain" were not listening to them, probably had earphones on and listening to music.

[Scott]

A post has been deleted.

[culicine]

What I dont understand is that they dont let the water in those canals. They did the same thing when we were flooded trying to protect others at the cost of us. They should not do that a bit of flooding is ok .. weeks or months is not.

Ah i see now they are again protecting Bangkok Eastern BKK this time. Stupid.. help those people and drain the water asap.

Yes the problem is that they block flows. Water naturally finds the path of least resistance. They block and dam up these areas to protect other areas. Perhaps if they allowed central BKK to flood many of the surrounding areas would have been far less impacted. Stupidly, nothing was done to protect the government complex on Chaengwattana, but 100M was spent protecting Impact Arena! My school is in that area and was dry, but over the klong, Don Muang was under 1.5 M of water for weeks. Once the water builds up too much, people protest and destroy the barriers - hence flooding comes on very fast (within 12 hours our village went from bone dry to completely inundated. I had no time to move some furniture. If flooding is gradual, people can better make preparations for it.

[robblok]

What I dont understand is that they dont let the water in those canals. They did the same thing when we were flooded trying to protect others at the cost of us. They should not do that a bit of flooding is ok .. weeks or months is not.

Ah i see now they are again protecting Bangkok Eastern BKK this time. Stupid.. help those people and drain the water asap.

Yes the problem is that they block flows. Water naturally finds the path of least resistance. They block and dam up these areas to protect other areas. Perhaps if they allowed central BKK to flood many of the surrounding areas would have been far less impacted. Stupidly, nothing was done to protect the government complex on Chaengwattana, but 100M was spent protecting Impact Arena! My school is in that area and was dry, but over the klong, Don Muang was under 1.5 M of water for weeks. Once the water builds up too much, people protest and destroy the barriers - hence flooding comes on very fast (within 12 hours our village went from bone dry to completely inundated. I had no time to move some furniture. If flooding is gradual, people can better make preparations for it.

Can you blame them for going to destroy barriers. It really feels bad if your sacrificed for others. My flooding was real gradual, but it lasted real long because they did not want to open sluices. Only when they were threatening to destroy them did they open them a bit.Water should flow then it also won't buildup so much. 20 cm of water in my home it was not nice but you can survive it so others could too. It would have shortened the whole flooding by doing stuff like this you only build up anger. If you have flooding for a day its ok if you have it for a month you go crazy.

[noitom]

Close those sluice gates. Protect Bangkok, the center of Thai elite. Block the flow of water in to Bangkok. Flood the Thai people outside the city. No need to be concerned, Bangkok is safe. A few minor skirmishes at sluice gates by disgruntled little folk, but everyone will ignore them. The Thai press will flash a photo and that will be the last anyone will hear about flooding Thais outside Bangkok.

[robblok]

I can honestly say flood me for a day or 2 to help others i can accept that. But not like last time where I was flooded for 2 months to save others. Floods should flow then everyone hurts a bit and 2 days of flooding is nothing everyone can survive.

I do understand why Bangkok should not be flooded as the people there are the ones paying taxes and the rice farmers get their money already from tax paid in BKK. Actually all the bribes that brought the PTP in power are mainly paid by the middle class in BKK. So in a way I understand why they feel they have the right to stay dry it the only thing they get from this government.

So I am a bit split on this, but i feel that a few days of flooding everyone can survive.

[CWMcMurray]

Anyone know how things are in Koh Chang?

Planning on a family trip on 12 Oct

How is the Ferry crossing this time of the year ?

Anyone living in Koh Chang?

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[Sheryl]

I haven't heard anything but no reason to think Koh Chang is particularly affected nor Trat.

Bad time of year to visit weather-wise, though.

[klubex99]

Wife just got back from our land, it is fine but a lot of the land around it is up to 1.5M of water.

The local klongs can not be identified, they are small lakes.

On top of this we have tropical storm Wurlip bearing down.

This is going to be a 3 day affair, and its not categorize as a depression, its categorized as a storm.

Here is the tracking forecast. Hits Thailand on Monday

[Old Man River]

I can honestly say flood me for a day or 2 to help others i can accept that. But not like last time where I was flooded for 2 months to save others. Floods should flow then everyone hurts a bit and 2 days of flooding is nothing everyone can survive.

I do understand why Bangkok should not be flooded as the people there are the ones paying taxes and the rice farmers get their money already from tax paid in BKK. Actually all the bribes that brought the PTP in power are mainly paid by the middle class in BKK. So in a way I understand why they feel they have the right to stay dry it the only thing they get from this government.

So I am a bit split on this, but i feel that a few days of flooding everyone can survive.

I am in Bangkok and was dry last time. A good friend of ours is well versed in this and he advised PM Yingluck last time to do just what you are saying. He also is in Bangkok. Your suggestion makes the most sense. We live in a flood plain. Let it run its course and let's all move on.

Having said the above, the talk in 2011 about alligators and Black Mambas in the water did get our attendtion (whatever happened to the Black Mambas??). Anyway, the huge monitor lizards in the field next to us will take care of small things like alligators and mambas so we only have to worry about the lizards now.

[robblok]

I can honestly say flood me for a day or 2 to help others i can accept that. But not like last time where I was flooded for 2 months to save others. Floods should flow then everyone hurts a bit and 2 days of flooding is nothing everyone can survive.

I do understand why Bangkok should not be flooded as the people there are the ones paying taxes and the rice farmers get their money already from tax paid in BKK. Actually all the bribes that brought the PTP in power are mainly paid by the middle class in BKK. So in a way I understand why they feel they have the right to stay dry it the only thing they get from this government.

So I am a bit split on this, but i feel that a few days of flooding everyone can survive.

I am in Bangkok and was dry last time. A good friend of ours is well versed in this and he advised PM Yingluck last time to do just what you are saying. He also is in Bangkok. Your suggestion makes the most sense. We live in a flood plain. Let it run its course and let's all move on.

Having said the above, the talk in 2011 about alligators and Black Mambas in the water did get our attendtion (whatever happened to the Black Mambas??). Anyway, the huge monitor lizards in the field next to us will take care of small things like alligators and mambas so we only have to worry about the lizards now.

While wading through our flooded village every day (to walk / swim) the dogs there was a time that something big was in the water and moving towards me.. i was gone quite quickly. Other then that never saw a thing, they did catch a crocodile a few km from our village. Black mamba's are those not African snakes ? Must have been escapees don't think there were many.

[bkkgriz]

Didn't Plod say there is nothing to worry about? The flooding situation is not worrisome? This guy is in charge of water management? I doubt he can manage his own bladder.

[metisdead]

A flame post has been removed.

[Lobo4819]

But Plod said this isn't happening and won't happen. Carry on.

[dao16]

This is one of those issues....they freak out about it, and then it is forgotten the second the waters recede. I haven't seen any evidence that people are working year-round to prevent flooding, which is what it would take. I don't think these floods are inevitable, but somebody is eating up the cash (and, hence, the manpower) to do it.

[technologybytes]

Why do humans always assume we can control nature.... flooding is sometimes unavoidable, it happens even in the most wealthy and civilized counties.

[Just1Voice]

In my opinion, there is only one way that the government (any of them) is going to get off their collective elite butts and actually do something about the yearly flooding situation is if every province that get's flooded every year, get together and build solid, concrete barriers along the banks of every river in the north, thereby protecting their property, homes, lives, and forcing every drop of water possible into BKK, as well as leaving open every sluce gate.

Flood BKK with everything possible.

Yes, I understand that BKK is the industrial and business center for the country, and I would feel some pity for the poor and middle class there who were to suffer, but it might be the ONLY thing that would wake up the idiots in government and force their hands to act. Let the homes of the politicans, the wealthy (same same) and the Elite deal with 1-3 meters of water in their mansions and see what happens.

As for Plod, he couldn't regulate the float in my toilet, let alone anything relating to floods!

[Credo]

Building flood walls that protect the towns and villages at the expense of Bangkok would never be allowed to happen. It would be a declaration of war to even try it and the army would be out in full force bombing those dykes and walls.

For all intents and purposes, Bangkok is Thailand and Thailand is Bangkok. The rest of the country exists at the pleasure of Bangkok residents.

[Just1Voice]

Well, we can always wonder if the "fortune teller" during the time of King Taksin is going to be 5 for 5. He's 4 of 5 right now. #1 - King Thaksin would be murdered by his own Generals. Happened a year later. #'s 2-3-4 can't be discussed. #5 was that the area of "Siam" where BKK now sits, would be swallowed by the sea in a single night, and be no more. Ok, this was supposed to happen last year between November and December, so maybe he's off a year.

[Muhendis]

Why do humans always assume we can control nature.... flooding is sometimes unavoidable, it happens even in the most wealthy and civilized counties.

Yeh! You're right. So the officials should stop making unachievable promises and statements, but then, if they did that what would be left for us to laugh about?

(answers please in a book of not more than 5,000 pages)

[Bagwan]

You can't control nature in many instances but you can ameliorate its consequences. Ever hear of the Thames barrier? The UK East Coast floods of 1953 will not reach the same scale again after sea walls were raised.