Thailand to face worst drought in 20 years

[webfact]

Thailand to face worst drought in 20 years



BANGKOK: -- As Thailand is expected to face the worst drought in 20 years and that four million rai of paddy fields are expected to be affected, authorities are now urging people to use water economically and possibly using less water in celebrating the Songkran festival.

Royal Irrigation Department spokesman and director of the Water Management and Hydrology Office Mr Thongplaew Kongchan said if rain dies not fall, water in the irrigation system will be adequate only until early August this year.

He urged all the people to use water economically, notably during the Songkran festival.

If possible, he suggested that water playing days should be reduced and water volumes should be cut.

He said the people should not celebrate the water festival same as they used to be in the past but to celebrate appropriately or just splashing water at each other slightly to uphold as tradition so that there will be water left to survive the worst situation.

Meanwhile the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation director-general Mr Chatchai Promlert said a total of 12 provinces comprising 46 districts have been declared emergent drought-stricken disaster areas where immediate assistance is needed.

He said authorities have been despatched to inspect water sources and remaining water so that efficient water management will be implemented to enable water utilisation, particularly water for consumption will not be short.

He named areas where authorities will keep special monitoring as near Ubonrat dam in Khon Kaen where there are large rice cultivation and fish farms.

National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Commission secretary-general Dr Seri Suprathit said Thsiland will face the worst drought in 20 years and water crisis is inevitable.

He said that the 120-day critical period from March to June will be closely watched as seasonal rain will come late.

He said if there is no rain during the period, rice grown in over four million rai of farmland worth 12 billion baht will be all damaged.

The damage is estimated from just the cost of each farmer per a rai of rice farming, he said.

Besides, there might have a need to also shut water supply for household consumption periodically so as to ensure the people will have enough water for consumption throughout the critical period, he added.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/152557


-- Thai PBS 2016-02-26

[carstenp]

Besides, there might have a need to also shut water supply for household consumption periodically so as to ensure the people will have enough water for consumption throughout the critical period

Well the decision is taken. I have thinking about this, the last couple of months, but was unable to decide. I will order a well drilling team now. Problem solved.

Edited February 26, 2016 by carstenp

[NextStationBangkok]

Nice picture for the not nice news!

[Nicolas32]

These are happy faces

[jerojero]

Happy Songkran soon. Happy waste precious water. Happy dead rice fields later. Happiness to the People?

[PattayaAl]

Why not ban Songkran this year? Does the government really think people here understand the consequences when they not capable of thinking past 24 hours time frame.

[maewang99]

it ain't just Thailand. and it ain't just a drought.

Edited February 26, 2016 by maewang99

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

Besides, there might have a need to also shut water supply for household consumption periodically so as to ensure the people will have enough water for consumption throughout the critical period

Well the decision is taken. I have thinking about this, the last couple of months, but was unable to decide. I will order a well drilling team now. Problem solved.

Unfortunately not so easy. First you must find water and secondly you must pay for it - ours cost B 200 000 and thirdly the water must be safe to drink - tests here can costs thousands more. Then you must register the borehole at the local authorities and pay a levy on your water use.

[Searat7]

Why not ban Songkran this year? Does the government really think people here understand the consequences when they not capable of thinking past 24 hours time frame.

You are 100% right.....there should be no wet Songkran this year . If the government feels they need to do something they could limit water to one day only and ban the use of ice. The Thai people I speak to really do not understand the gravity of the situation.

[jaltsc]

"...urging people to use water economically and possibly using less water in celebrating the Songkran festival."

"...Possibly using less water..."??? That iron fisted approach sure worked well in cutting back the burning up north, alcohol and tobacco consumption, domestic violence, birth control, spreading of STDs, yadda, yadda yadda.

Do they think the begging approach will strike fear into those who have turned songkran from a religious and spiritual event into the national week of drunkenness and debauchery?

I am sure if this approach had any chance of succeeding, the alcohol industry would have seen to it that these officials would never hold office again.

Edited February 26, 2016 by jaltsc

[FourAces]

authorities are now urging people to use water economically and possibly using less water in celebrating the Songkran festival.

Urging immature, childish adults to stop playing in the water with all the other children at Songkran, is like telling a Fat kid not to eat the ice cream at Swensons

[alant]

By tomorrow there will be water a plenty with no problems at all for the rice crop or Songkran

[snowgard]

I don't believe my Thai neighbors would stop to wash their car 2 x daily!!!

[NoshowJones]

Expecting the Thai people with their mentality to cut down on using water during the Songcran Festival. is making the authorities sound just as stupid.

[rebelplatoon]

In 35 years here there are ponds, rivers and lakes I've never seen dry, now they are. Groundwater levels have subsided 2 1/2 meters! That's an incredible decline.

[Hawk]

A severe water shortage which will cause financial hardship to thousands of farmers and hurt the economy but the government will still go ahead and waste billions on tanks and other non essential mega projects.

[Lingba]

Do they really think the population is going to heed to the requests re' Songkran?...I doubt it very much..it will be waste water as usual

[Borzandy]

In the countryside behind my house, the magnificent golf course uses all the water, poor farmers around can not grow anything for 10 months now. No problem.

[bwpage3]

Besides, there might have a need to also shut water supply for household consumption periodically so as to ensure the people will have enough water for consumption throughout the critical period

Well the decision is taken. I have thinking about this, the last couple of months, but was unable to decide. I will order a well drilling team now. Problem solved.

Unfortunately not so easy. First you must find water and secondly you must pay for it - ours cost B 200 000 and thirdly the water must be safe to drink - tests here can costs thousands more. Then you must register the borehole at the local authorities and pay a levy on your water use.

This must be depending on where you are located.

Just had a well put in my father in laws house in Isaan.

Total project cost 25,000 baht including water filtering system on the pump

No registering of anything, no levy on water use.

[Mot Dang]

He urged all the people to use water economically, notably during the Songkran festival

Yeah sure. Do you really thinking anyone is listening out there ? Its the right of every Thai to be a pest during this festival, and they are teaching the back-packers well.

The usual Songkran chaos, as every year, will be assured. I'm getting out of Pattaya and going up-country for the 3 days. I'll still get wet, more in the traditional way, from a bucket, but I wont get drowned by those damn water guns. How many kids will get eye damage this year ?

[ratcatcher]

"....authorities are now urging people to use water economically and possibly using less water in celebrating the Songkran festival."

This is typical gentle, pussyfooting around "Thaispeak". Urging and pretty please

Given the fact that the country is facing a massive and critical water shortage in almost all areas, resulting in severe damage to the agricultural sector, the headline should read something like "Thai authorities will be ordering severe water restrictions during the upcoming Songkran period and police and other government officials will be monitoring water usage in all areas which will be limited to 2 days ONLY. Offenders will face heavy fines etc etc"

This isn't just an inconvenience, it is a disaster in the same way the floods were a disaster.Farmers should be given priority as well as making sure there are adequate domestic supplies.

Perhaps it would be a good lesson one day for Bangkok residents and the authorities to wake up to people walking across the dry bed of the Chao Phraya from the Grand Palace to Wat Arun.

Time for firm words and actions. Stop waffling.

[ratcatcher]

In the countryside behind my house, the magnificent golf course uses all the water, poor farmers around can not grow anything for 10 months now. No problem.

I suggest the farmers join the golf club.

[namatjira]

Well, the junta did say to the rice farmers stop growing rice...we have a little bit of it in the back shed...no need for anymore.

They should be happy, this will surely reduce rice production.....

[MaxLee]

Just another publicity stunt, to blame the public..........

[Jeremy50]

Why not ban Songkran this year? Does the government really think people here understand the consequences when they not capable of thinking past 24 hours time frame.

You are 100% right.....there should be no wet Songkran this year . If the government feels they need to do something they could limit water to one day only and ban the use of ice. The Thai people I speak to really do not understand the gravity of the situation.

If you could only think two days ahead neither would you.

[geriatrickid]

Why not ban Songkran this year? Does the government really think people here understand the consequences when they not capable of thinking past 24 hours time frame.

What are you, the Grinch? New Year will not, nor can it be banned.

Perhaps the wasting of water can be reduced in some areas, particularly Isan where the people are far more likely to understand the need to conserve water. In Hua Hin, it's somewhat tamer with the idiocy only lasting about 2 days and ending by 7 pm each night. The big siliness is the Market Village foam party. (Some locals finally get a bath, while some foreigners get a soapy - soapy without fear of the missus becoming angry.)

However, if you believe that the depraved perverts of Sodom and Gomorrah by Sea I & II (aka Pattaya and Patong) would help, it aint going to happen. They think only of themselves, particularly the low life tourists who go there for Songkran.

Would the fools of Chiang Mai who gather to throw polluted moat water on each other listen? I think not. How can you expect people who think it is fun to splash diluted human feces, toxic sewage, piss, and other effluent on each other, to listen to reason.

[little mary sunshine]

Feel bad for the farmers

[Fookhaht]

Just another publicity stunt, to blame the public..........

But if they could shift blame to foreigners in Thailand...well...that would be a coup de grace, would it not?

[TPUBON]

Besides, there might have a need to also shut water supply for household consumption periodically so as to ensure the people will have enough water for consumption throughout the critical period

Well the decision is taken. I have thinking about this, the last couple of months, but was unable to decide. I will order a well drilling team now. Problem solved.

Unfortunately not so easy. First you must find water and secondly you must pay for it - ours cost B 200 000 and thirdly the water must be safe to drink - tests here can costs thousands more. Then you must register the borehole at the local authorities and pay a levy on your water use.

We paid around $20,000 which included the pump to have the well drilled. Testing the water was free and I don't know what you're talking about registering the bore hole.

[crickets]

Make people learn the hard way.