More than half of Thailand short of water

[webfact]

More than half of the country are short of water



BANGKOK: -- About 59 percent of the total area of the country covering 548 districts are now classified as water shortage area, according to the National Water Resources Committee.

Of the 548 districts listed as water shortage, 138 districts are located in the Chao Phraya river basin and covered by irrigation system where second-crop cultivation is widespread.

The lower Chao Phraya river basin which covers Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani is badly in need of a lot of water for cultivation.

Area outside the irrigation system which covers 489 districts mostly in the Northeast and the Central Plains are in need of water for consumption and to preserve the ecological system.

For the rest of the area, they are placed under watch for possible water shortage.

The National Water Resources Committee and agencies concerned are to hold a press conference at the Government House to report on the latest water situation and the measures to cope with the water shortage situation.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/148757


-- Thai PBS 2016-01-29

[Reigntax]

No need for adequate storage when you the royal rainmaking squad. Just fuel up those biplanes and conduct a few more missions

[Hawk]

On the Friday tv show the PM said that he did not believe the drought was as severe as people are claiming, he wanted officials to show him proof of the severe water shortage. So how much proof does he need?

2 of the 3 monkeys comes to mind, see nothing, hear nothing.

[worgeordie]

It is also quite a time till the rains come back again,

but i am sure the Government has plans for the

situation,after all its only been building up to this

drought for about 3 years,with less and less rain

falling each year.

regards worgeordie

[ExpatOilWorker]

Pictures of the dams and rivers would be nice.

[DavisH]

The lower Chao Phraya river basin which covers Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani is badly in need of a lot of water for cultivation.

Weren't farmers told not to plant off-season rice?

[Emster23]

C'mon put the right spin on this, show that Thai optimism! Do they see the glass as 58% empty or 42% full?

[Artisi]

C'mon put the right spin on this, show that Thai optimism! Do they see the glass as 58% empty or 42% full?

Just about empty I think, or is that only 2 or 3% full ?

[SymS]

I went to Bueng Boraphet (lake) in Nakhon Sawan last September. It's a massive lake on the map, but I was there I was shocked to find out it was basically empty.

Edited January 29, 2016 by SymS

[tomross46]

If first came here 50 years ago, there was a water problem then and there is one now. I also remember a cartoon is one of the English news papers. It was made up of three frames, one with Nixon, caption Water Gate, second Bill Clinton, white water and the last PM Chuan Lek Pie, no water. when my home was built I had an underground water storage tank installed. It is called plan ahead.

[thesetat2013]

Everyone wants to blame Mr. P for this problem. But this has been happening for many years the same as farmers have been over planting and planting during off seasons to get as much profit from their land as possible. All of the flooding happened during previous admins and now! P has to fix it fast. A water shortage is not something that can be fixed fast. They should have utilized all of those times when they had flooding to go where it was needed the most. Lopburi and Ayutthaya were under over 2 meters of water a few years ago. Why is there a shortage here and HOW can anyone try to make the current gov to blame?

[springheeled jack]

half of Thailand is short of water, I wonder why that is, is it because they have no idea about water management , is it because they don't want to spend money on groundwater wells and boreholes or desalination plants or is it they just want to do what they have always done keep plodding on and hope something turns up.

[James T]

Always find it hard to believe that the cry of 'drought' goes out every year, in an area where we get at least 4 months with more rain than we can handle! Maybe they should look at the long, yearly 'flooding' season and work out ways to store all that water!

The Govvies might also want to check out how all the Mid-East countries (desert climate) always manage - they build desalination plants!

[Beng]

They are not mentionig the recent 3 days of rain in upper Thailand. I hope this will ease the situation and we will be able to get through this El Nino phenomen.

[DDbkh]

Always find it hard to believe that the cry of 'drought' goes out every year, in an area where we get at least 4 months with more rain than we can handle! Maybe they should look at the long, yearly 'flooding' season and work out ways to store all that water!

The Govvies might also want to check out how all the Mid-East countries (desert climate) always manage - they build desalination plants!

But they don't grow rice nor any other crops.

[rebelplatoon]

Unless Thailand gets early rain fall, this is going to be the worst hot season ever. Keep burning, keep building golf courses, keep cutting trees. We'll get there....

[Ulic]

Don't worry something will happen.

[elgordo38]

On the Friday tv show the PM said that he did not believe the drought was as severe as people are claiming, he wanted officials to show him proof of the severe water shortage. So how much proof does he need?

2 of the 3 monkeys comes to mind, see nothing, hear nothing.

He needs to fall into a Klong and be up to his neck in mud and then maybe he can say "I done seen de light no water" Is this guy a double dipper getting paid a pension and a salary?

Edited January 29, 2016 by elgordo38

[kiwikeith]

On the Friday tv show the PM said that he did not believe the drought was as severe as people are claiming, he wanted officials to show him proof of the severe water shortage. So how much proof does he need?

2 of the 3 monkeys comes to mind, see nothing, hear nothing.

Funny how this problem has esculated from 4% to 50% virtualy overnight.

[HHTel]

And still the locals spend half the day watering the concrete outside their restaurant, shop etc. Individual responsibility is alien here!

[williamgeorgeallen]

half of Thailand is short of water, I wonder why that is, is it because they have no idea about water management , is it because they don't want to spend money on groundwater wells and boreholes or desalination plants or is it they just want to do what they have always done keep plodding on and hope something turns up.

sucking up ground water and desalination plants are not the answer. it is more dams to catch the plentiful rain. water demand is increasing but dam capacity is not keeping up.

[jacko45k]

Time to start praying for rain at the local Banyan tree.

[rhythmworx]

It will get plenty worse nationwide once the dams on the Mekong are finished

[meatboy]

time to stock up with bottled water ready for SONGKHAN.

[Lingba]

Come around during Songkran...will be plenty of water around

[NongKhaiKid]

There's no water shortage, it's being secretly hoarded to make sure there's enough to be wasted at Songkran.

[ratcatcher]

This is the Nan river, outside my house, south of Phichit one week ago. Still a fair amount of water flowing.

They must keep releasing at the Sirikit dam to keep Bangkok afloat. The recent short period of rains has helped, but June is a long way off yet.

The Yom has practically dried up.

I am not sure about the Ping river from Chiang Mai or the Wang, but there are going to be even bigger problems in the coming months as some ignorant farmers here still flood fields to try and grow another rice crop, against all orders.

[aussieinthailand]

So sorting out the lotto had taken president over water shortages for half the country yeah,

and spending how much on the great fire wall and spying on people is far more important to spend money on than water for people to drink.

Microphones are far more important than water, sticker on line are, submarine's, giant bronze statues are more important.

One would think that the most important thing to address would be flood prevention, drought prevention, health, education, corruption, etc...

and after could come the stuff these people have been concentrating on???????

[HOOD Robin]

Always find it hard to believe that the cry of 'drought' goes out every year, in an area where we get at least 4 months with more rain than we can handle! Maybe they should look at the long, yearly 'flooding' season and work out ways to store all that water!

The Govvies might also want to check out how all the Mid-East countries (desert climate) always manage - they build desalination plants!

Simple explanation: Mid-East govvies are ruled by people with brains and less corrupted.... very hard to find in TH.....

[thesetat2013]

So sorting out the lotto had taken president over water shortages for half the country yeah,

and spending how much on the great fire wall and spying on people is far more important to spend money on than water for people to drink.

Microphones are far more important than water, sticker on line are, submarine's, giant bronze statues are more important.

One would think that the most important thing to address would be flood prevention, drought prevention, health, education, corruption, etc...

and after could come the stuff these people have been concentrating on???????

Hehee so first buy the subs.. The water to put them into will come later.