Heavy rain and flooding bring chaos to Bangkok

[webfact]

Heavy rains and floodings turn Bangkok traffic to complete chaos today



BANGKOK: -- Heavy rains throughout Bangkok after midnight until before dawn today caused floodings on several major roads in and around the capital, and turned the morning traffic into a complete chaos.

Many schools were ordered by their school masters to close down, while most office employees complaining they could not make it to offices on time.

Some motorists have to abandon their cars at homes and took motorcycle taxis to the nearest electric train stations instead.

All subway and skyway train stations were jammed by commuters as it was the only choice that could make them move, rather than trapped unmovable at cars, taxis, buses on the roads where some have turned into canals.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Flood Prevention Centre reported 30 main roads in both Bangkok and Thonburi sides of the Chao Phraya river are affected by floodings.

Until late today, flood prevention teams are still racing with time to drain floodwater from many major roads, particularly Ratchadapisek, Lat Prao, before another round of rain comes.

The MCOT Soi off Rama 9 were submerged with water of up 50 centimetres, thus making the entire Soi impassable for vehicles except truck.

The Soi lies many offices, particularly MCOT Plc, the Government Housing Bank headoffice.

A section of the Ratchadapisek road in front of the Criminal Court has turned into a small canal.

Traffic police has shut down the flyover to divert traffic to other road instead as many cars were knocked down by floods of up to 30-40 centimetres as they were unaware of the floods ahead.

Long traffic jams were reported on many roads into the inner capital as many inner zones are still under water.

The hardest hit by rain with up to 90 millimetres of rainwater dumped into the area is in Huay Kwang district.

The heavy downpour began lashing Bangkok at about 1 am and ceased around 4 am.

The Meteorological Department today forecast daily rain and thunderstorms for the rest of the week.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra was on Ratchadapisek road in front of the Criminal Court this morning to direct the draining of water from the road.

Earlier in the morning he posted on his Facebook page advising the public to avoid Ratchadapisek, Navamin, Ngam Wong Wan, Lat Phrao, Phahon Yothin, Phetchakasem and Pracha Suk as authorities were hastily draining water out of these areas

By 10.30 am today traffic jams are still heavy at many inbound roads, particularly Lat Prao.

One motorist reported driving from The Mall Bangkapi to Big C Lat Prao (formerly Imperial World) at 7 am but by 9 am, he still has not get to it, though it is just less than two kilometres.

Many public bus passengers have decided to leave the buses and walk instead as the bus could just snail only less than 50 metres in an hour.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/heavy-rains-floodings-turn-bangkok-traffic-complete-chaos-today/

-- Thai PBS 2016-06-21

[smutcakes]

Nice that many office workers struggled to get to work, but managed it albeit late.

Tax payers funded schools just give the day off.

[Cuchulainn]

.......Some motorists have to abandon their cars at homes and took motorcycle taxis to the nearest electric train stations instead..........

Good. Why not do that every morning?

An extensive underground and Skytrain ashould havew been built yyyyyyyyeeeeeaaaarrrrrsssssss ago.

[Agent Sumo]

.......Some motorists have to abandon their cars at homes and took motorcycle taxis to the nearest electric train stations instead..........

Good. Why not do that every morning?

An extensive underground and Skytrain ashould havew been built yyyyyyyyeeeeeaaaarrrrrsssssss ago.

Gotta love barstool infrastructure planning

[kaorop]

I dont think I would like to be wading knee deep in that cesspool of feces, rats, toxic organisms, chemicals and pollution.

[Andrew65]

.......Some motorists have to abandon their cars at homes and took motorcycle taxis to the nearest electric train stations instead..........

Good. Why not do that every morning?

An extensive underground and Skytrain ashould havew been built yyyyyyyyeeeeeaaaarrrrrsssssss ago.

Agreed, but then people need to be encouraged to abandon their cars, by providing park & ride type schemes. Also, by making tolls prohibitively expensive (also encircled the whole of central Bangkok with toll-plazas).

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

.......Some motorists have to abandon their cars at homes and took motorcycle taxis to the nearest electric train stations instead..........

Good. Why not do that every morning?

An extensive underground and Skytrain ashould havew been built yyyyyyyyeeeeeaaaarrrrrsssssss ago.

Agreed, but then people need to be encouraged to abandon their cars, by providing park & ride type schemes. Also, by making tolls prohibitively expensive (also encircled the whole of central Bangkok with toll-plazas).

And stop so many taxi's from driving around cluttering up the traffic. Most of them are empty around sukhumvit as they cause more traffic while they stop and negotiate extortionate amounts from unsuspecting tourists.

Everyone behind them has to wait then watch as the taxi drives away empty just for the next one to stop and negotiate again.

I blame the BIB for all of it, they are useless and do more harm to society then they prevent. Fire them all and start over. The military can fill the void until new ones are trained and hired based on their performance, not how much they pay for their positions.

[gandalf12]

.......Some motorists have to abandon their cars at homes and took motorcycle taxis to the nearest electric train stations instead..........

Good. Why not do that every morning?

An extensive underground and Skytrain ashould havew been built yyyyyyyyeeeeeaaaarrrrrsssssss ago.

Gotta love barstool infrastructure planning

That is the problem in Thailand there is no 5, 10 or 20 year planning.

[whatproblem]

Who would of thought it might rain one day ,now they will sort it out after setting up a committee to look in to it

[MaxLee]

Every year same BS............

[SOTIRIOS]

....as for all the 'planning'.....???

[Emster23]

"The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Flood Prevention Centre reported 30 main roads in both Bangkok and Thonburi sides of the Chao Phraya river are affected by floodings."

Officials caught totally unawares, as this has never happened before in their memories.....

[KhunBENQ]

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra was on Ratchadapisek road in front of the Criminal Court this morning to direct the draining of water from the road.

Help from such a competent expert is invaluable

A nice rubber boot publicity stunt I guess?

[exalll]

.......Some motorists have to abandon their cars at homes and took motorcycle taxis to the nearest electric train stations instead..........

Good. Why not do that every morning?

An extensive underground and Skytrain ashould havew been built yyyyyyyyeeeeeaaaarrrrrsssssss ago.

Hmm, I thought the sky train was unusually quiet this morning, which I ascribed to the heavy overnight rain!

[Razzler1973]

Isn't the heavy rain a bit early this year?

Many a July/August I spent in BKK and Thailand with no hassle at all with regards to rain, bit here and there but that's all

[ardokano]

...

Good. Why not do that every morning?

Maybe because it's hot and not comfortable?

I do not see any problems without the car moving well(with comfort) in Singapore or Hong Kong.

But Bangkok is extremely not comfortable..

[Rayk]

Had a whole year to prepare for the obvious rains that would come, but I suppose it's much easier to sit on your lazy ass in your office playing with your smartphones.

[Redline]

Oops! Forgot to clean the sewer lines AGAIN. Even though we had an extra few months

[Ulic]

Floods fast, then drains quickly as well. Happens every year many times with every heavy

rain. They can post the same story 10-15 times a year I am sure.

[northernphil]

In the 12 years I have lived in LOS I have been to BKK about 6 times , never seen it rain there but chaos on the roads in the morning every time , can't imagine the scene after such heavy rain.

[WishWashMan]

.......Some motorists have to abandon their cars at homes and took motorcycle taxis to the nearest electric train stations instead..........

Good. Why not do that every morning?

An extensive underground and Skytrain ashould havew been built yyyyyyyyeeeeeaaaarrrrrsssssss ago.

Those 2 uni girls are not the best ambassadors of thai uni girls.....................hahahaha.

[webfact]

Bangkok lashed with 200mm of rains in the past 24 hours



BANGKOK: -- Over 200 millimetres of rains were dumped into Bangkok in the past 24 hours on Monday and early Tuesday morning, causing widespread flooding in the city, Bangkok Governor

He disclosed that average rainfalls for 21 days this month was double those in the same period 25 years ago which he described as the heaviest rainfalls in history.

36 spots were flooded today but, by about 6 am, excess water were drained out of 27 of the spots with areas such as Lat Phrao, Ratchadapisek and Vibhavadi Rangsit still flooded after 6 am.

But the governor said that he didn’t want to call the situation today whereby 36 spots were inundated as a flood situation but would prefer to describe it as condition of excess water awaiting to be drained out”. He cited the situation five years ago as the real flooding.

The governor explained that the main priority of the City Hall was to drain water out of the main arteries first to clear them for traffic after that district officials would deal with the excess water in the secondary roads.

But he admitted that he was not satisfied with the City Hall’s performance in dealing with the flooding on Tuesday but assured that they would try their best. He also apologized Bangkokians for the inconveniences caused by today’s flooding and future flooding.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/bangkok-lashed-200mm-rains-past-24-hours/


-- Thai PBS 2016-06-22

[slipperylobster]

As the water gets higher, the skirts get shorter...

Hardly worth the other inconveniences.

[Thian]

Do i see a policeman stopping motocycles who drove onto the flyover bridge?

[Freakin Musashi]

As the water gets higher, the skirts get shorter...

Hardly worth the other inconveniences.

Speak for yourself. I'll get it where I can.

[Don Mega]

Was it only a few years someone claimed "it will never flood in BKK again".

Or did I imagine that ?

[Freakin Musashi]

...

Good. Why not do that every morning?

Maybe because it's hot and not comfortable?

I do not see any problems without the car moving well(with comfort) in Singapore or Hong Kong.

But Bangkok is extremely not comfortable..

Would it be a cunning stunt to supply AC for public transit? Gee, that wouldn't encourage ridership would it?

[WishWashMan]

Was it only a few years someone claimed "it will never flood in BKK again".

Or did I imagine that ?

the guy who said if you dont like flood live elsewhere Does H ave a point.............................................hahahaha

[zappalot]

where do they have the 200 mm from?

at least not from the Thai meteorological department...

http://tmd.go.th/en/province_weather_stat.php?StationNumber=48455

Edited June 22, 2016 by zappalot

[aonangkrabi]

They have it from the Thai Meteorolical department TMD. Both 20 and 21 June had Bangkok stations with way more than 100 mm per day.

http://www.tmd.go.th/programs/uploads/ReportsGenMetnet/RainAmphor/RainAmphorNational-en.pdf