Rainy season to come in late May, growing season to begin in July

BANGKOK, 2 May 3016 (NNT) - The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives plans to restructure the country’s water management system after the end of the dry season in a bid to prevent a recurrence of the present drought crisis.

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikulya, has disclosed that the government is awaiting the quantitative precipitation forecast from the Meteorological Department before announcing a starting time for the growing season.

According to Gen Chatchai, there have been more than 900 rainmaking operations outside the irrigation zones so far, adding more than 70 million cubic meters of water to reservoirs. Over 3,300 artesian wells have been dug to relieve the plight of drought-stricken residents. Remaining water supplies are considered sufficient for consumption and the ecosystem. However, the situation in non-irrigation areas remains worrying.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department forecasts that the rainy season will commence in the third week of May. The central and eastern regions will be the first to experience rainfall. Scattered thundershowers will arrive in all parts of the country from June until October. The amount of precipitation is likely to be greater than in the previous year.

The Royal Irrigation Department expects the growing season will start in July.


-- NNT 2016-05-02

Thank you, Captain Obviousnaporn.

What would the hapless farmers do without this critical guidance from the desk jockeys in Bangokok?

These guys are amazing. They have got it worked out that 900 rainmaking operations will equal 70 million cubic meters of water in the reservoirs.

This is cutting edge weather wizardry.

Restructure the system NOW.

Don't wait until it rains as it probably won't start when the TMD predict but I hope that the rainy season will start by July and that we will have more rain than last year.

IMHO it will take about 2 years or more to gets the dams and reservoirs back to where they should be.

The rain coming in late May - is that an article 44 decree?

"... in a bid to prevent a recurrence of the present drought crisis."

They can do plenty to avoid another "drought crisis" like the one we are presently experiencing. That will require serious planning of more water retention areas and dredging existing dam sites. Flooding can be diminished by proper water management.

What they cannot do is control the weather and the potential for another drought.. Mother Nature, and her kids Nino and Nina, can be a bitch and doesn't obey orders, even when issued by uniformed personnel..

Restructure the system NOW.

Don't wait until it rains as it probably won't start when the TMD predict but I hope that the rainy season will start by July and that we will have more rain than last year.

IMHO it will take about 2 years or more to gets the dams and reservoirs back to where they should be.

Right, people have short memories and a "Whew, it's raining, no more drought!" mindset.

I would like to see my Tesseban maintain water conservation policies even if we get a good dump from the predicted La Nina this Aug/Sep/Oct. Keep the belt tight through the next dry season then with next year's rain season, we might get ahead of the power curve. My local reservoir is pretty large and deep, and has been completely empty for months. Starting from rock bottom. Literally. I presume many dry/non-irrigated areas are in similar situation.

So now with the help of fortune tellers, we can say. The rain will start? Better tell the rest of the world. Because nobody else in the world can do this!

And the date of this information? BANGKOK, 2 May 3016

I thought it was expected mid-May only recently.

And the date of this information? BANGKOK, 2 May 3016

A very observant spot. Thailand, where the future's always just around the corner.

Mid-May. Late May. The Chief also predicts there will be 2 tropical storms 4 months from now. Not 1. Not 3. 2. A nice round number to be revised in approximately 4 months from now.

Restructure the system NOW.

Don't wait until it rains as it probably won't start when the TMD predict but I hope that the rainy season will start by July and that we will have more rain than last year.

IMHO it will take about 2 years or more to gets the dams and reservoirs back to where they should be.

IMHO a rain like Texas has had in the last month would fill the reservoirs to over capacity.