Floods all over Thailand! Homes evacuated as dams release excess water.

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Tourists assured of travelling convenience


The Nation November 4, 2011

The Tourism and Sports Ministry has come up with measures to facilitate foreign tourists' travelling to Suvarnabhumi Airport.
First, TAT and Thai Hotels Association should jointly check the number of tourists departing for the airport and provide transportation to Airport Rail Link Makkasan Station. State Railway of Thailand should be alerted, if train services are insufficiently provided.

Second, from the station, travellers should be escorted by police officers to the airport. Suvarnabhumi police should be alerted for the fast-track service.

Third, tourist police must work with Airports of Thailand in allocating special rest area for the travellers and facilitating late check-ins, flight changes, or others. The Immigration Office should also be contacted for fast-track service.

Tourism and Sports Permanent Secretary Suwat Sidthilaw, chairing a meeting on Wednesday when the measures were agreed upon, said that the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s data showed that as of Oct 27, tourist attractions in 20 provinces have been affected by the floods.


Though October marks the beginning of Thailand’s tourism high season, tourist arrivals to Thailand have slowed down sharply in October with the daily peak of 40,528 on Oct 1. The number slumped to 22,197 on Oct 31.

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Bangkok likely to flood, water expert

THE NATION ON SUNDAY November 6

The promise that the 20 districts in Bangkok which remain dry would not flood was now hardly credible, according to a lecturer from King Mongkut Institute of Technology Lat Krabang with expertise in water and flood management.
Drainage of flood water on both sides of the capital was disproportionate compared to the colossal mass of water threatening the capital, he said.

An attempt to drain flood water towards the east of Bangkok was in difficulty, as the eastern areas were higher than the inner city, and water tended to flow west. But the network of canals and drains in Bangkok's west were not able to cope with the volume of water, Asst Prof Khomsan Maleesee, of the KMITL's Faculty of Engineering, said.

Saen Saeb canal in eastern Bangkok was not capable of taking a huge amount of water south through Sam Wa canal and the watergate with the same name. He said that the much-reported dispute at the gate and demolition of both shoulders of the structure should not be solely blamed for the swelling of Saen Saeb Canal or possible inundation of Bang Chan Industrial Estate.

"Whether the issue can be sorted out, flooding in inner city areas is likely. Don't make the villagers [who demolished the watergate] scapegoats. Let's get ourselves ready to cope with coming floods," he said.

Even the giant flood tunnel, five metres in diameter and five kilometres long, could only drain 5 million cubic metres (units) a day. But the amount of water sitting north of Bangkok totalled around a billion units.

"The two amounts between the drain-out and the fill-in volume are incomparable," he said.

"The only truth we must face now is that water must run down from north to south, and inevitably through Bangkok.

"It's now difficult to believe that 20 Bangkok districts earlier declared safe will not be flooded, even the crucial locations like Bang Chan and Lat Krabang industrial estates, which are located in areas where water [previously] flows. Both estates must watch out first for flood water coming via underground sewerage drains," he said.

Flood drainage was underway around the clock and hopefully expected to be sufficient to drain the flood water away, according to Suthep Noiphairoj, a deputy director-general of the Royal Irrigation Department.

Another 10 water pumps will be installed and working near Sam Wa Canal, in addition to five at Rangsit canals 12 and 13, and another 16 in Nakhon Nayok.

Garbage and water weeds are obstructing waterways and slowing down currents along with riverside slums and illegally-built structures on them, according to Chote Trachoo, permanent secretary of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, who cited a recent ministry study.

The slowest current speed that had been detected was 1 metre per second, at the beginning of the 26 canals surveyed, he said. Dredging of canal beds had been ordered along with collection of water-weeds. That work was expected to be done within the next few days.

Underwater structures called stop-logs were also found along with other debris at the bottom of Canals 9 to 12, and at six small watergates. They were another obstacle slowing the water flow.

He said the ministry had documented illegal buildings on the canals and would refer those details to the Marine Department (Transport Ministry) so the buildings could be demolished or moved as part of post-flood restoration work. "There should be a major overhaul of this issue after the flooding," he said.

The survey of 26 canals, mostly in eastern Bangkok, found various types of obstacles. Some do not have water-weeds but the current was slow due to canals being shallow. Some with stop-logs would be dredged so the current would flow quicker

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VW flood solution?

TBWG

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Flood Crisis
More residents ordered out



The Nation November 8, 2011



Key link to South under threat, as more water pumps delivered to BMA
Flooding yesterday forced the evacuation of more Bangkok residents and threatened to cut Rama II, another key inter-provincial road.

The latest evacuation order was issued to people in Bang Chan, in Bangkok's Klong Sam Wa district.

To date, evacuation orders have affected 15 of Bangkok's 50 districts. Flooding is so serious in at least 12 districts that all residents have been advised to leave their homes.

But not all residents have agreed to move out of their homes in spite of the record flood and evacuation orders.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday that some 800,000 people had chosen to stay in seriously flooded areas.

"We are trying to help them by delivering relief items," he explained.

Inundation has shown no signs of easing in the capital. On Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road, floodwater has already reached the Thai Rath newspaper office.

On Phaholyothin Road, it has already covered the area in front of Channel 7 TV station.

Although Skytrain services continue to operate as normal, passengers have found it hard to get buses to their destination after reaching Mor Chit station in the flooded Chatuchak district.

Run-off water from the north of the country has caused Bang Sue Canal to overflow in some areas. Some lanes of Ratchadaphisek Road, for example, had about 10cm of water.

On Lat Phrao Road, floodwater was much deeper. At Paowana Intersection, the water was about 80cm deep. Even buses were found stalled in the high water.

In Bangkok's east, officials at Bang Chan Industrial Estate were trying to pump out water that began to seep in.

In Bangkok's west, water on Phetkasem Road was heading toward Tha Phra Intersection. On the Ekachai-Bang Bon Road, water was about 15cm deep.

Floodwater was also heading toward Rama II Road, which serves as a main link between the capital and the South.

Motorists have already had to switch from major routes to secondary, circuitous roads to go to other parts of the country.

If Rama II is cut to traffic, transport between the South and other parts of the country will be much more difficult.

Deputy Bangkok City Clerk Jumpol Sampaopon, however, gave hope to people affected by the flood, saying it would end soon with the arrival of more pumps.

"We are due to get 71 pumps from the Flood Relief Operations Centre (Froc) today and will get 500 more from China soon," he said at a press conference.

He explained the installation of pumps at key spots would direct water to main canals like Thanon, Premprachakorn, Saen Saeb, Samsen, Bang Sue and Bang Khen.

"With cooperation from people and damming to prevent the influx of more run-off water from the northern part, we should be able to control the situation in 10 days," Jumpol said.

Also at the press conference was Froc director Pol General Pracha Promnok, who is also the justice minister.

Pracha said Froc and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) were working closely to try to drain floodwater out of Bangkok as fast as possible.

"We are channelling run-off water from the upper part of the country to the east and using pumps to drain floodwater in the capital," he said.

Pracha said Froc had spent between Bt40-50 million on pumps for the BMA. Some pumps from China had been bought while others were donated by China.

He said when all pumps were working, the authorities should be able to deliver good news to Bangkok residents.

Meanwhile, officials at the Hydrographic Department, said the Chao Phraya River level in Bangkok had risen from 1.63 metres to 2.07 metres above normal sea level.

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Thailand Flood Slow-moving tsunami