Water shortage possible in Thailand this year
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, July 9 -- The water supply in Central Thailand's large reservoirs will not last more than two weeks if no rain comes at the beginning of August, according to Royal Irrigation Department.

Royal Irrigation Department (RID) deputy director-general Suthep Noipairoj said Tuesday that Thailand's rainfall so far this year is the lowest recorded in 20 years, resulting in a critically low volume of water in reservoirs across the country, especially in the Chao Phraya watershed of Central Thailand.

It is estimated that the water supplies will last for only another 17 days if there is no rain in early August.

Mr Suthep said there is about 280 million cubic metres of water or 2 per cent left in the Bhumibol Dam, the lowest on record, and 350 million cubic metres or 4 per cent in the Sirikit Dam, 80 million cubic metres or 9 per cent in Kwai Noi Bamrungdan Dam and 72 million cubic metres or 8 per cent in the Pasak Jolasid Dam.

Although more rain is forecast, the RID has begun reducing the amount of water released from several dams to ensure there is enough water until the beginning of next month--or until no more water can be discharged.

The RID official added that water levels in several dams in the Northeast have also gone low, noting that water in 33 dams across the country is expected to drop to less than 60 per cent of capacity by the end of rainy season which will then affect the upcoming off-season rice farming and next years’ water management plans. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-07-09

If they close all the massage parlors in Thailand, they will have plenty of water and than some...

Not another scaving country us Brits are gonna have to pay for I hope.

It's bone dry up here in Korat. Hardly any rain at all and the dams here are running pretty low... lowest I have ever seen actually.

Drought........flood.........drought...........flood.......

Maybe time for some forward planning ? Thailand is starting to

look like a poor province in India...

What an illogical misinformation, with flood season around the corner, think twice...

Drought........flood.........drought...........flood.......

Maybe time for some forward planning ? Thailand is starting to

look like a poor province in India...

Forward planning?? that would burn some brain cells over here..

Oh boy, no water in Thailand.

As of yesterday evening in Ranong 24hrs rain 113.2mm, ytd 1,633.6mm

Its been raining daily in Chiang Mai

we should all be grateful for the save water campains that have been going on

I know my in-laws who are farmers are quite concerned (Korat) as the rainfall is much lower than normal. They keep asking me if it is raining in Bangkok when I come home on the weekends as they have received so little. My father-in-law told me last weekend "without rain, Thailand will die" showing how concerned he is.

In Nakhon Nayok approximately 4 hours rain in the last 8 months.

When talks of water shortages arise everyone starts talking about dams.......this is not really the solution.

Thailand's problems are not unique but they stem from water distribution and usage.

wastage in supplies is MASSIVE - leaks etc can account for 30% of all water - OR MORE! - in the system.

then how it is used is also highly questionable - there is little help give to major users on how to reduce overall consumption....it's just cut off when there's not enough.

basically by talking about "dams' and improved storage the water nabobs are trying to cover their own incompetence.

What an illogical misinformation, with flood season around the corner, think twice...

Think E-Nino, the American weather experts have given timely warning,just Google it.

What an illogical misinformation, with flood season around the corner, think twice...

Sadly it's not as simple as that.

It's bone dry up here in Korat. Hardly any rain at all and the dams here are running pretty low... lowest I have ever seen actually.

Here in Prasat near Surin we get half an hour of rain every 4 days, i'm so glad i only planted 20% of our land after reading the American report about El-Nino.

I'm surprised at the complacency. With just 17 days' supply in storage, not conservation measures have been introduced. Even some mild measures, like a two hour daily cut off would change public behavior and have major knock-on effect, reducing overall usage.

T

Yesterday i counted all visible leaks as i rode my bike through the local villages, something i've done numerous times. Yesterday's count was 27 leaks, some of them major leaks in just five villages. Don't forget this is only what i can see from the road so it will be well below the 'actual' number. Many of these leaks are on the ''village side'' of the supply pipe so the occupants of the house can get it fixed for free but they still do not bother.

Education, education, education at all levels of society is what's needed. Only when people here run out of something completely do they 'think' about what's happened. Completely reactive and never proactive.

Whilst down in Pathum Thani they were warning there would be floods, so why not send every tanker truck in the country, fill it with the water that might flood PT and take it to the dry areas ? Win win. But that would be too simple wouldnt it......

What an illogical misinformation, with flood season around the corner, think twice...

Think E-Nino, the American weather experts have given timely warning,just Google it.

Absolutely. This is an El Nino result. The Indians are already saying that this monsoon has failed with only 40% or less of the rainfall expected. I read somewhere the other day that Thailand is the 4th biggest water waster in the world. Thailand is blessed with plenty of water, which is why they have a culture of being careless with it. It needs improvement in the storage & re-diversion infrastructure to minimise unwanted run-off (floods) and prevent leakage from dams & pipes.. I fear that this year they will start planning to fix it and then the next couple of years will be La nina years and it will all get forgotten again. Hopefully the general puts this ahead of listening to idiots wanting him to cancel soaps.

Poor water management is to blame. Thailand did invite advisors from the best country for the job, which is Holland but nothing materialized.

The major " leaks " are from the constant need to wash the family pickup, and to wash the front porch every morning so the mutt doesnt get dirty feet

When talks of water shortages arise everyone starts talking about dams.......this is not really the solution.

Thailand's problems are not unique but they stem from water distribution and usage.

wastage in supplies is MASSIVE - leaks etc can account for 30% of all water - OR MORE! - in the system.

then how it is used is also highly questionable - there is little help give to major users on how to reduce overall consumption....it's just cut off when there's not enough.

basically by talking about "dams' and improved storage the water nabobs are trying to cover their own incompetence.

I live in Suthep, on the jungle side of Canal Rd, and when I moved here a few weeks ago, I noticed that a car had pulled into the side of the road and damaged the plastic water pipe a few inches below.

It's been pouring water now for weeks, and no one seems to have reported it or repaired it.

I planned ahead, the locals thought I was nuts, two wells 80metres deep, one one rai pond 8 metres deep, Ill be selling em water soon!!

Wife at bottom of hole for scale

As of yesterday evening in Ranong 24hrs rain 113.2mm, ytd 1,633.6mm

As of this morning in Khampaeng Phet the rainfall was 0.1mm this month. YTD 324.3 mm.

30 year average to end of June. 443.3mm.

We have had no government water for about 2 weeks now.

When talks of water shortages arise everyone starts talking about dams.......this is not really the solution.

Thailand's problems are not unique but they stem from water distribution and usage.

wastage in supplies is MASSIVE - leaks etc can account for 30% of all water - OR MORE! - in the system.

then how it is used is also highly questionable - there is little help give to major users on how to reduce overall consumption....it's just cut off when there's not enough.

basically by talking about "dams' and improved storage the water nabobs are trying to cover their own incompetence.

I live in Suthep, on the jungle side of Canal Rd, and when I moved here a few weeks ago, I noticed that a car had pulled into the side of the road and damaged the plastic water pipe a few inches below.

It's been pouring water now for weeks, and no one seems to have reported it or repaired it.

They coudlnt care less, then when there is no water they will all be protesting in the street, the pipes are buried ( sic joke) so shallow its laughable, should be at least 60cm+

And what's the groundwater situation like? If that runs dry then they're buggered.

Yesterday's rainfall in Chiang Mai, 6.6mm. Hardly enough to keep the holy basil alive, yet alone fill a humongous reservoir.

Ban water throwing at Songkhran for a start!!