Help with flood proofing?

[ajarnflower]

I've just moved into an 2 storey house in klong 4 Rangsit. Now I have to go away for a week.

Should I flood proof? Or am I being paranoid. Just an aside, all the people who live here were flooded in 2011 and didn't see it coming or prepare. Now they are the ones telling me I'm being paranoid.

To prepare can I just seal my sliding doors with silicone and black bags with duct tape. Or should I get sand bags. I figure if I prepare and nothing happens then at least I was prepared, right? I'm moving everything upstairs but I can't get my bike up there so if I can minimize the water in the house then it might be safe.

Thanks for your help in advance.

[Pacificperson]

Move the bike to some place that won't flood like a friend's house.

[h90]

Flood proofing your house on the way you suggest will in the best slow down the speed water will enter your house. And it will slow down the speed water will leave your house. It is useless when you do not install a pump. And because you will leave your property the pump must be switched on amd off with a level switch. For your motorbike. I will suggest to buy PS isolation material and make something what makes your bike float. A amount of PS with a volume from 200 liter should be enough for.most big bikes.. I prepared PS for our cars and the amount you need for lifting a car is amazing small. Good luck! Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I think it can be only done if you stay in the house......

I fought the floods in 2011 and if really a lot water comes, you must stay there see the weak points and adjust everything....

[kkerry]

"Just an aside, all the people who live here were flooded in 2011 and didn't see it coming or prepare"

Not sure where you got that idea from, many people tried to prepare for the floods but it's extremely hard to prevent your house being flooded when you have up to 2 metres of water outside your house for over a month.

Plenty of people went the silicon with black plastic and duct tape method... doesn't work for major flooding, same with all the mini concrete walls and metal barriers many shops tried. The only place that wasn't built above flood level I saw that survived with almost no damage was the Jusco shopping centre in klong 2. Huge amount of sandbags and other barriers but the key was industrial pumps to pump out any water that got past the barriers. Many villages had what seemed reasonable defences but then the waters came in under well established village concrete walls and up through the drains. People were blocking the drains inside their houses but the sheer volume of water was too much. Unless you are going to be around to fight floods then pumps have a habit of breaking down just when needed most.

If you're not going to be around then you are best off moving anything of value to the next floor and hoping this time it doesn't flood. Compared to 2011 the water level of Rangsit canal right now isn't anywhere near as high... so far.

[aussiebebe]

Are you renting the home? I live in Samut Prakarn which is the province just south of Bangkok and although it didn't flood in 2011, I was previously renting a home that suffered from a minor floor in 2009. If you are renting your home, the one thing I would recommend is that you get renters insurance, especially if the home has expensive furniture, fixtures of fittings supplied by the landlord that might get damaged.
All insurance companies sell policies but in Thailand you can't trust that the landlord will have insurance or that they won't try to make you pay for flood related damage. The minor flood I experienced was only 5" due to heavy rain and the home being on low-lying land but the flood water is filthy and gets absorbed into the concrete and brick walls and any furniture. You always want to have insurance.