Thailand to Face the Worst Drought in over a Decade

Bangkok, Feb 6 (Prensa Latina) Thailand could face its worst drought in more than a decade, which may affect rice crops and the economy of that country that has become a major exporter of that product, warns the irrigation department.

In view of such an eventuality the interior ministry allocated the equivalent of $ 280 million dollars to alleviate the situation in eight of the 76 Thai provinces, but 31 others remain under strong risk of requiring emergency assistance.

The funds will be used to install water pumps and provide mobile water tanks in affected areas, said the director general of that department, Lertwiroj Kowattana.

According to the official, in 2015 water levels are the worst recorded in 15 years, but he tried to convey confidence to the population that there will that there will be no problems regarding water shortages.

In the meantime, the Office of Agricultural Economics fears that drought will cut by 30 percent the rice crop for export in 2015.

Source: http://www.plenglish.com/index.php/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3510811&Itemid=1

--Prensa Latina 2015-02-06

"Thailand could face its worst drought in more than a decade...The funds will be used to install water pumps and provide mobile water tanks in affected areas..."

Only forgot one little detail. If it's the worst drought in more than a decade, where will they get to water to pump and fill the water tanks?

"Thailand could face its worst drought in more than a decade...The funds will be used to install water pumps and provide mobile water tanks in affected areas..."

Only forgot one little detail. If it's the worst drought in more than a decade, where will they get to water to pump and fill the water tanks?

They saved it from last years floods.

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"Thailand could face its worst drought in more than a decade...The funds will be used to install water pumps and provide mobile water tanks in affected areas..."

Only forgot one little detail. If it's the worst drought in more than a decade, where will they get to water to pump and fill the water tanks? alt=blink.png>

Under ground aqufiers

every year again...prevention an unknown term...

Thailand might have to start introducing rules covering water shortages, like in the out back of Australia you never have a shower any longer than 10 mins regardless of the water situation, start introducing water restrictions.

Excuse me while I move my lawn sprinkler.....

Thailand might have to start introducing rules covering water shortages, like in the out back of Australia you never have a shower any longer than 10 mins regardless of the water situation, start introducing water restrictions.

Wow! Who showers for 10 minutes?

every year again...prevention an unknown term...

And in 10 months time they will be telling people up north it will be cold.

Looks like they will have to cancel Songkran this year

It's already happened where I live. The well in the local village ran dry yesterday which usually doesn't happen until late March or April!

In other unrelated news. This years Thai NewYears celebrations will last for one month. The worlds largest waterfight will be attracting quality tourists from arond the globe.

every year again...prevention an unknown term...

And in 10 months time they will be telling people up north it will be cold.

...and try to purchase last minute some blankets or warm clothes...dam'n that i can't open a business here...

They are as good a water management as what they are where most other things are concerned...........'kin useless !

Looks like they will have to cancel Songkran this year

I was in Samui at a time when they said it was the worst drought (there) in 20 years.

The reservoirs were at 25%.

Songkran commenced full bore the next month.

Thais told me the celebrations would bring more water.

Yup.

So will dam building become more popular? Nope. Just like after the floods, they'll stop worrying about it until it happens (surprise!) again.

every year again...prevention an unknown term...

And in 10 months time they will be telling people up north it will be cold.

...and try to purchase last minute some blankets or warm clothes...dam'n that i can't open a business here...

You know you could sell coats and blankets up north, only after the warnings mind. They wont be able to work out it is going to get cold until they get the warning.

Then when it starts to warm up, buy them all back a quarter of the cost. Then sell them again the following year.

Has no one really never done this yet ?

every year again...prevention an unknown term...

And in 10 months time they will be telling people up north it will be cold.

...and try to purchase last minute some blankets or warm clothes...dam'n that i can't open a business here...

You know you could sell coats and blankets up north, only after the warnings mind. They wont be able to work out it is going to get cold until they get the warning.

Then when it starts to warm up, buy them all back a quarter of the cost. Then sell them again the following year.

Has no one really never done this yet ?

this was the plan...but i'm not Thai national...

another year, another drought...yet for Songran, there will be no shortage of water...and about a month after Songran, we will have our yearly flooding with no where to put the deluge of water

What happened to their Patented rain making?

Thailand to Face the Worst Drought in over a Decade

No, no, Thai officialdom does not face things...the official head will be in the sand and the official rear will be in the air, transforming the official into a butt-breather.

cheap loan to substitute the loan shark for the 4x4 loan,

gvt help for the cold,

gvt help for the flood,

gvt help for the drought,

gvt help for the samplings,

gvt help for the fertilizer,

gvt help for gasoline,

I think this population is the worst parasite you can have,

no, election will come up !!

They will help you !!

Ash the Shinas , they have experiance with this matter !!

"Thailand could face its worst drought in more than a decade...The funds will be used to install water pumps and provide mobile water tanks in affected areas..."

Only forgot one little detail. If it's the worst drought in more than a decade, where will they get to water to pump and fill the water tanks?

Insiders know: They are going to propel it upstream.

Thailand should not have a problem if the activists, opposition parties and the friendly courts do not put obstacles to the water and irrigation projects. Coups are of no help too as it disrupt continuity of the projects and re-set the tasks.

Sure we live in a climate which has plenty of rainfall, our area gets over 1600 mm a year but December January and February combined we barely get 20 mm. This sustained dry period is a regular annual event as most of us who live here know. It can be somewhat more intense especially when it is an El Nino event as at the moment and if the rainy season is delayed or finishes early. Have a look at any climate chart for a town in Thailand especially up in isaan en.climate-data.org is a good start point. But despite what the above poster says with regards to Australia here in Thailand in just the two months of August and September, more rain falls than in an entire year in the drier parts of southern Australia, such as Adelaide.

So here it is just a matter of either holding water on the surface from the times of oversupply or tapping those water resources as ground water for the dry season. In our area water is around 6 m below soil surface at the moment, on one of our farms is is as little as 4 m currently. It will reduce further over the next few months until the rains set in but not much - a couple of meters max. We have 5 wells, ranging in depth from 35 to 50 meters, so between 30 and 45 m of ground water depth till we run dry. These bores cost about 15,000 baht to drill and then buying and connecting a pump on top of that around 5-8,000 baht, so whilst not cheap, not overly expensive. With careful choosing of crops and a suitable irrigation system one can pump and farm profitably in what is a great time of the year for growing with the relatively low humidity, cooler temps and high sunshine hours.

Holding surface water or harvesting valley bottom stream flows again is a relatively inexpensive matter to construct here in Thailand. Not much in the way of permissions needed ( try doing it in US, NZ, Oz, Europe etc it will drive you nuts getting the planning and water consents ) and cheap to hire the contractors. We added two large ponds last dry season with a digger and driver ( a decent sized pond 20 x 20 x 3-4 m about 25,000 baht around this area ). We now have three large ponds in the valley bottom which we pump from alternately, and because of the underground water flows, they just refill within a day or so. We have been pumping from one over the last 10 days, and thoroughly irrigated our 15 rai crop finishing yesterday. That irrigation dropped the pond level about 0.5 m, and that pond will be full again in the next day or so. The crop land is now wet enough to see the crop through to maturity, and once harvested the land will then remain barren until the rains come thus avoiding cropping in the two very hot months.

Whilst I think that one of the best ways to raise the living standard of much rural Thailand and most especially Isaan would be for the government to invest in small scale irrigation schemes. I hold out little hope of this coming to fruition at least in the next few years, they are not even focused on the large scale schemes which politicians usually like. It just does not seem to have any priority, but in my mind would serve the people of the area much better than high speed rail inks. So really it is up to individual farmers to work out what opportunities they have with their land. Unfortunately lack of educational opportunity and hence lack of ability to evaluate opportunities let alone pay for them leave many farmer in a pretty sorry and dry situation.

Thailand might have to start introducing rules covering water shortages, like in the out back of Australia you never have a shower any longer than 10 mins regardless of the water situation, start introducing water restrictions.

TEN minutes. Make it THREE !

Time to dust off thé rain planes.

Thailand might have to start introducing rules covering water shortages, like in the out back of Australia you never have a shower any longer than 10 mins regardless of the water situation, start introducing water restrictions.

TEN minutes. Make it THREE !

Shipboard showers for all! And remember, conserve water, shower with a friend

There is no excuse for a drought except plain stupidity

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"Thailand could face its worst drought in more than a decade...The funds will be used to install water pumps and provide mobile water tanks in affected areas..."

Only forgot one little detail. If it's the worst drought in more than a decade, where will they get to water to pump and fill the water tanks? alt=blink.png>

Under ground aqufiers

Shhhh. Certain farmers will DEMAND they can have it for their second rice crop.