Bangkok Floods, 4th November, 2011-Flood water claims more areas of capital

Flood water claims more areas of capital - The Nation

Flood water claims more areas of capital

The Nation November 4, 2011 12:55 pm

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Flooding continued to batter the capital yesterday, with more areas succumbing to runoff water from the upper part of the country.

As of press time, flood water had reached the Samiannaree Temple on VibhavadiRangsit Road. The Major Ratchayothin Complex at the Ratchayothin intersection has suspended services indefinitely. In front of Siam Commercial Bank headquarters on Ratchadaphisek Road, floodwater was nearly kneedeep. About 1 km from there, Lat Phrao Intersection was expected to flood soon.

Chatuchak District Office director Isaramate Kachanukool yesterday said flooding had already wreaked havoc in four of five subdistricts under his jurisdiction: Lat Yao, Sena, Chatuchak and Chandrakasem subdistricts.

"We are monitoring and assessing the situation," he said. The famous Chatuchak Weekend Market remained dry but flood water was getting very close to the area.

The outbound lanes of VibhavadiRangsit Road were closed to traffic from the Samiannaree Temple onward. Due to severe inundation, 29 roads in Bangkok were now offlimits to traffic, including Ngamwongwan, Paholyothin, Songprapha, RamIndra, Cherdwuttakart and Sukhapibal 5.

In Lat Phrao district, residents of the Senaniwet 2 housing project were evacuating as the water there was rising. Flooding looked set to affect more areas in the district as the water level in Lat Phrao Canal rose by at least 5 cm yesterday.

"We are forming higher sandbag walls so as to delay the overflow," Lat Phrao District Office director Bophit Saengkaew said.

In eastern Bangkok, a portion of Suwinthawong Road from the Min Buri Post Office to Romklao Road was under 50cmdeep flood water. The entire stretch of Rasutit Road was swamped with flood water measuring between 20 and 30 cm.

In western Bangkok, a long stretch of Phet Kasem Road was so heavily flooded that it resembled a canal. Many cars stopped dead in the body of water.

Flood victims had to flag down large vehicles to move on, as they feared that staying could endanger their lives as the water continued to rise.

Flood water on Phet Kasem Road was flowing from Kanchanaphisek and the Borommaratchachonnanee roads.

As of press time, floodwater had reached TescoLotus Bang Khae and Soi Phet Kasem 68.

Apart from runoff water from the upstream provinces, the rising seawater level also caused floods in Bangkok at certain times yesterday, inundating parts of Bangkok Noi and Bangkhunnon.

According to the Royal Thai Navy's Hydrographic Department, rising seawater pushed the water level in the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok up to 2.13 metres above sea level yesterday evening.

Many city canals 'illegally blocked' - The Nation

Many city canals 'illegally blocked'

Janjira Pongrai
The Nation November 4, 2011 1:03 am
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Close inspection has uncovered that many structures have been built illegally on 26 waterways in eastern Bangkok, leading to estuaries being redirected or blocked altogether - one of the key reasons why it is taking so long to drain the floods, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said yesterday.

According to most uptodate maps, the Chuad Ta Thim canal in Bang Na district seems to have disappeared altogether and has been replaced by a luxury housing complex. In addition, many golf courses and apartments have allegedly been illegally built on canals, not to mention several slums along the riverside, sources involved with the inspection said. Suvarnabhumi Airport and several roads are also allegedly blocking waterways and water catchment areas.

The ministry's permanent secretary, Suphoj Towichukchaikul, said the inspection had been conducted before floods had arrived at key watergates south of Bangkok, and officials had discovered that stoplogs designed to control the flow of water had been used on several canals and that many were overgrown with weeds.

Obstacles like stoplogs were found in seven locations in the lower Sam Wa canal and have now been dismantled, he said, adding: "But there are several similar obstacles in all canals that contribute to slower drainage and flow. A proper inspection will have to be conducted soon."

The ministry, along with its Department of Water Resources (DWR), conducted an inspection of 26 canals across Bangkok, including those leading to estuaries in Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon provinces, from Monday to Wednesday.

He added that a number of sluice gates built and operated by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) were also narrowing canals and should be dismantled.

An inspection team led by deputy DWR directorgeneral Chaiyaphorn Siriphornphaibool demonstrated how canals were surveyed using the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) - a sonar device that can determine the depth, speed and velocity of the current and obstacles under water. Chaiyaphorn said this device was also used to survey most major rivers in the country and had produced accurate results.

The 26 canals inspected were categorised as Zone 1 comprising 16 canals, 35 per cent of which were covered with weeds and 31 per cent had blockages; Zone 2 consists six canals, 61 per cent of which have been intentionally narrowed; and Zone 3 has four, of which 17 per cent are overgrown.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk said directing water through channels partly associated with the Khlong Dan wastewater management project was being considered because this way, as much as 700,000 cubic metres of water could be drained out of Bangkok daily. "But since the project is currently part of a criminal investigation into alleged corruption and has been impounded under court orders, a careful study is needed prior to implementing the idea," he added.

Sluice gates closed to save Bangchan industrial estate - The Nation

Sluice gates closed to save Bangchan industrial estate

The Nation November 4, 2011 1:06 am

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The flood menace to the Bangchan Industrial Estate and its 93 factories in eastern Bangkok eased yesterday after the sluice gates of Canals 8, 9 and 10 in Pathum Thani were closed, but not without protest.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra indicated that the action was taken to reduce the risk to the 677-rai industrial park.

However, locals have demanded that the Flood Relief Operation Centre open Canal 9's gate immediately.

The massive flood has already wiped out all industrial parks in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani and is now invading the capital.

The management of the Bangchan Industrial Estate and its factories as well as authorities are trying to put up the best defence possible.

Soldiers and workers from the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand are now monitoring water level in canals and Kratiam Pond near the estate all the time.

On its eastern side lies Saen Saeb Canal, whose nearest gate is now open. Boats are being used to expel the water as fast as possible to lower the canal's level.

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A source said the estate's executives noticed that the water in the Bangchan Canal, which runs right into the heart of the estate, was flowing fast.

Most manufacturing facilities here are producing food and beverages for familiar brands such as Farmhouse and Hanami.

Residents of Pracha Ruamjai Road also rallied to demand that a sluice gate of Saen Saeb Canal near their neighbourhood be lifted by one extra metre.

The locals said if the gate was higher, flooding in their community, which is now submerged under 30 centimetres of floodwater, would subside.

Sources said if the gate was opened wider, Bangchan Industrial Estate and Bang Kapi, Ramkhamhaeng and Hua Mark roads would all be inundated.

Govt vows to defend canal - The Nation

Govt vows to defend canal

The Nation November 4, 2011 1:04 am

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The government yesterday pledged tough measures to defend the highly vulnerable Waterworks Canal as concerns kept growing over the hygiene of tap water in Bangkok and its suburbs.

Police have been deployed along sensitive spots of the canal to protect them from possible destruction by angry flood victims. Laws will be stringently enforced to deal with those who pose threats to the canal, which is the key source of tap water to millions of people.

Repair works were completed at 17 barriers earlier demolished by angry flood victims, and a large number of sandbags were reinforced at those locations and others where the barriers were weakened by increasing pressure from rising floodwater. A location behind Wat Phai Kheo community where garbage storage areas are connected to a canal section required another night to complete.

Survival kits and relief supplies have been provided to local residents in the community after senior waterworks officials and senior police, including national police chief Pol General Priewpan Damapong and deputy MWA governor Wisit Wongwiwat, met with them. They later reached understanding with the angry flood victims. Medical services and two shuttle trucks were made available to them.

There was a confrontation on Wednesday night between a group of residents and officials working on repairs to a prapa canal section near Chaeng Wattana road, but the incident ended without problem.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said legal action would be taken against barrier destroyers while pleading for understanding from flood victims. Asked whether special laws were required, she said provincial governors were authorised already under normal law to impose measures and enforcement of law against demolition.

Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha said deployment of soldiers at flood barriers was not needed, as local and Bangkokbased police were now supported by Border Patrol policemen.

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He said immediate restructuring of the government's Flood Relief Operations Centre was not needed and declined to comment further except on the military's affairs and the ministry's authority.

According to a police statement, a 1983 law imposes a threeyear prison term and/or a maximum Bt60,000 fine for any act that leads to damage to barriers, water or sluice gates which belong to any waterworks agency, or are part of the prapa canal or its connecting pipes, or any bridges over it.

Article 228 of the Criminal Code also subjects those who cause flooding, or health hazards to waterworks or production facilities, to a fiveyear prison term and/or a maximum Bt10,000 fine. A police commander said a number of people had been arrested under both laws.

The Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) has reduced daily production volume by 200,000 cubic metres (units) after the Dissolved Oxygen (DO) index had dropped as a result of contamination following leakage from demolished barriers, MWA governor Charoen Phassara said.

He said quality control of tap water production, which serves around 10 million people in Bangkok, had been constant and no heavy metal, Ecoli contamination or any germs causing digestive diseases had been found. But consumers should boil tap water before drinking for extra precaution.

Yingluck, speaking during an inspection trip with Charoen, pledged government support and funding for the MWA to build permanent concrete barriers along the entire prapa canal.

Bangkok water officials make grisly find - The Nation

Bangkok water officials make grisly find

The Nation November 4, 2011 1:00 am

Part of a human leg was found floating at Bangkok's Bang Sue Water Pump Station yesterday morning.

Officials manning a garbage sluicescreen alerted Tao Poon police after finding torn camouflage pants that contained a decomposing human thigh. A black Nokia cellphone minus the SIM card was recovered from the right pocket of the pants. Suspecting that the victim died at least two months ago, police have sent the human remains for forensic examination.

Other Nation updates....click the link to view the article in full...

Ministry seeks to extend fuel tariff
The fuel adjustment tariff or Ft will be extended at its current rate for all or part of next year to help flood victims under a proposal from the Energy Ministry.

BMA orders Bang Khae residents to evacuate
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) yesterday declared evacuation for residents of Bang Khae district - while Chatuchak, Bang Bon, Bangkok Noi and Phasi Charoen districts have been named as..

Services may move from Mor Chit 2 Bus Terminal
Transport Co president Wutthichat Kalayanamit said yesterday that if flood waters inundated the Mor Chit 2 Bus Terminal, the company would run its bus services either from Pathum Thani's Pratunam..

Launch of BTS extension faces delay
Flooding in Bangkok could delay the planned opening of the BTS Green Line extension (Wong Wian YaiBang Wa).

Support and a scolding for Yingluck on flood tour
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was both cheered and jeered by people affected by the flooding during an inspection trip to Bangkok's Don Muang district yesterday.

Runaway Animals: Thailand

Runaway Animals: Thailand’s Wild Flee as Flood Waters Invade Their Haven [PHOTOS]

By IBTimes Staff Reporter | Nov 03, 2011 08:45 AM EDT

It was a "water, water, everywhere" situation, on Wednesday, in a wildlife park in Thailand; flood waters entered the animals' territories, making them anxious and panicky, forcing many of them to run away. Huge herds of deer at Safari World in Bangkok jumped and sprinted over flood waters until they were taken to higher ground.

Dubbed as the worst the country had seen in decades, the floods that began in July and devastated large parts of the central Chao Phraya river basin have claimed the lives of at least 400 people and disrupted the lives of more than two million people.

The rising waters alarmed wildlife at city-based parks and zoos and, according to a Reuters report, almost half of Safari World was, overnight, submerged in water.

Though all the animals were evacuated to higher ground, their fright was quite obvious.

Check out the photographs below that show just how scared they were, before being saved.

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Zebras walk through the flood waters at the Safari World wildlife park in Bangkok, on November 2, 2011.
Source: REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

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Animals jump over water at the partially flooded Safari World wildlife park, in Bangkok on November 2, 2011.
Source: REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

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Deer stand in the flood waters of the Safari World wildlife park in Bangkok, on November 2, 2011.
Source: REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

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Birds stand in the water at the partially flooded Safari World wildlife park in Bangkok, on November 2, 2011.
Source: REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

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Animals jump over the water at the partially flooded Safari World wildlife park, in Bangkok on November 2, 2011.
Source: REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Foul waters head for inner Bangkok

Lindsay Murdoch

November 4, 2011

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Afloat ... residents sit on a large piece of polystyrene foam during flooding in Bangkok Photo: AFP

BANGKOK: Thailand's government is preparing what it calls a ''master'' plan to manage water flows to prevent a repeat of the most damaging floods in decades, as foul water creeps along Bangkok's major roads towards the capital's commercial centre.

''The plan would mobilise all real experts to work in the same direction,'' said the Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, who has come under heavy criticism for mishandling the disaster, which has killed more than 427 people, affected the lives of 3 million others and crippled industry and crop production. ''To date we have taken many directions that never worked.''

Ms Yingluck's government has proposed that part of a $US26 billion recovery fund be used to better manage water systems and flood defences.

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Wet walk ... a woman walks with her dog, in a floating box, across floodwaters in a street next to the Chao Praya river in Bangkok Photo: AFP

Analysts said when the floods receded the government would have to act quickly to reassure foreign companies, which have operated there since the 1980s.

Seven of Thailand's main industrial estates are flooded, knocking as much as two percentage points off the country's economic growth this year, analysts said.

An estimated one-quarter of the world's hard-drive output is under water in factories north of Bangkok, where the most severe flooding occurred.

Honda Motor Co has had to cut production by almost a third.

The United Nations is monitoring the potential for food shortages in parts of south-east Asia after flooding devastated rice and other crops in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines.

After saying inner Bangkok would probably escape flooding, Ms Yingluck conceded ''we cannot prevent flooding in all locations''.


Read more: Foul waters head for inner Bangkok

• NOVEMBER 3, 2011, 10:58 A.M. ET

Thai Flooding Causes Threat of Disease

By SHIBANI MAHTANI and WILAWAN WATCHARASAKWET

BANGKOK—Authorities grappling with Thailand's worst flooding in decades are now facing a new threat: the potential spread of disease as contaminated waters spread deeper into Bangkok.

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Associated Press Skin diseases and fungal infections are the flood's biggest plague, so far, with nearly 100,000 cases of athlete's foot reported. Bouts of diarrhea and respiratory infections are also common. Above, a doctor provides a health check for a flood victims at a shelter in Bangkok Tuesday.

Aid workers say at least two people have died from leptospirosis, a bacterial infection spread through rat urine, and the risk of other diseases is expected to rise in the coming weeks whenever floodwaters recede, leaving standing pools of water behind.

The floodwaters that have inundated northern parts of the city and surrounding areas contain human waste, animal carcasses and other sources of disease. Garbage trucks are no longer able to collect trash from some areas, and many homes don't have running water or functioning toilets, leaving residents to defecate in the open.

Managing the spread of disease is particularly hard given the number of people who can't avoid wading through polluted waters. And despite warnings from parents and health officials, children continue to play in the waters.

As many as 200 new cases of diarrhea are being reported daily, along with a total of roughly 100,000 fungal infections and widespread infections from cuts, according to Thailand's Ministry of Health. Illnesses, including the flu, are appearing in evacuation centers, which now house 100,000 people at 160 locations and are likely to be occupied for weeks.

No epidemics have occurred. The vast majority of the 437 deaths reported have been caused by drowning or electrocutions.

"People are falling ill now with diarrhea and nausea," said Sukanya Wimutipphan, a 36-year-old resident in a part of Bangkok where city authorities have erected a flood barrier that immersed about 1,000 households.

"The water is polluted from all the factories upstream and there are no toilet facilities—when you need to go, you just have to wade off to some other place and do it there," she added.

Thai authorities are deploying mobile paramedic units into some communities and setting up field hospitals where possible, especially in areas where ordinary hospitals have had to close or curtail service because of the floodwaters. Mobile teams are providing mosquito nets and portable toilets, and are handing out 50,000 medical kits with antiseptic creams and other medicines.

"We have a good plan for disease control that meets the best standards," said Porntep Siriwanarangsun, director-general of Thailand's Department of Disease Control at the Ministry of Public Health. "Every unit in our department is working to make sure disease is under control."

Volunteer groups, meanwhile, are handing out thousands of so-called decontamination balls hand-made from sand, rice husks and various micro-organisms they say kill germs in small areas of water. Hundreds of Thais gathered at a shopping mall in the center of city Thursday to make the baseball-size balls, with a goal of making 100,000 of them in the next three days. It wasn't immediately possible to determine any efficacy of the items.

Although floodwaters have started to recede in some areas north of Bangkok, they continue to rise in the capital itself, spreading into new neighborhoods each day. Many parts of the central city remain dry, including many areas frequented by tourists, but government officials have provided conflicting reports about which other areas may be inundated, and it isn't known when the waters will peak. Experts say some areas could be submerged for weeks.

Until now, the biggest health problem for authorities has been keeping children from drowning or preventing electrocutions, which have increased as the waters move deeper into densely populated areas.

Officials say at least 36 of the deaths reported so far have come from electrocutions, with people unplugging refrigerators, charging their mobile phones, connecting water pumps or performing other tasks in places where waters have inundated power sources. One victim, Filipino teacher Arnulfo Fernandez, died while trying to protect his home against the flood as waters poured inside on Oct. 31, according to a statement from the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs.

Authorities are hopeful they can curb the number of unnecessary deaths through public-awareness campaigns on the dangers of electrocution.

Leptospirosis also remains one of the biggest concerns. Although rare, the disease can spread when humans drink water or eat food contaminated by infected animal urine, or absorb it through skin cuts or open wounds. According to World Vision, a relief organization, two deaths from leptospirosis have been reported in flood-affected areas.

Thai officials are telling people to wear shoes and socks when wading through floodwaters to help prevent the spread of disease, but many residents, especially in poorer communities, go barefoot.

Controlling the spread of human waste is proving difficult. Although black plastic bags aimed at containing human waste have been distributed in many communities, collection of the bags is imperfect, with residents tending to throw them into the floodwaters, relief workers say.



Thai Flooding Causes Threat of Disease - WSJ.com

Bangkok flooding sparks exodus Photos | Bangkok flooding sparks exodus Pictures - Yahoo! News

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A boy sit in floodwater next to garbage bins at Salaya district in Bangkok, Thailand Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011. Skin diseases and fungal infections are the flood's biggest plague so far with nearly 100,000 cases of athlete's foot reported. Bouts of diarrhea and respiratory infections are also common, especially with many flood victims sheltering together in hot, cramped sites that may not have electricity or clean water. (AP Photo/Karntachat Raungratanaampon)

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Thai residents are transported in a truck through a flooded street in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011. Thailand's worst floods in more than half a century continued to creep into Bangkok. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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BANGKOK,THAILAND - NOVEMBER 3: Men pull eggs in a small boat through the floodwater at the closed Don Muang airport November 3, 2011 in Bangkok,Thailand.

veen_NT veena T.

Ratchayothin intersection is reportedly busy tonight as many people are evacuating.

(1.13am) floodwaters seen in front of Hor Wang school on Pahonyothin Rd

(1.06am) Water at 80 cm at Petchkasem 2 on Buddhamonthol 2/Petchkasem, many want to evacuate but no boats.

(1.02am) cars in Sua-yai Uthit Soi (Ratchada 36) should b moved NOW b4 water level is higher in the morning. via [at]Rawangpai

(00.45am) Floodwater is seen in front of the Chao Phaya Park Hotel on Ratchadapisek Road. #ch7

TAN_Network TAN News Network

Jatujak district chief declares 5 areas as emergency disaster areas; Lad Yao, Sena, Jatujak, ChanKasem. Chomphol still dry.

Here's a pic of inbound Lad Prao at 7.30 this morning. Credit goes to K.Yordkamon Yordi for the pic yfrog Photo : http://yfrog.com/h8jb8hej Shared by JenRevadee

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Bangkok Post : Lat Krabang estate at risk

Lat Krabang estate at risk

Expert tells Froc it must hasten runoff drainage

• Published: 4/11/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Lat Krabang Industrial Estate in the east of Bangkok will be swamped by floods if rapidly advancing runoff cannot be drained quickly enough.

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Yingluck lends a hand
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is surrounded by flood victims who turned up in large numbers to receive food donations from her on Song Prapha Road yesterday. The premier visited the residents of flooded areas in Don Muang and handed them flood survival necessities. CHANAT KATANYU

Somchet Thinaphong, chairman of the board of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, yesterday urged the Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc) to speed the drainage of runoff threatening the estate or it would be flooded by overflow from the Saen Saep canal.

Mr Somchet, the former governor of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, said that overflow from the Saen Saep canal had now inundated Rat Uthit Road and swept into the fields in the north and the west of the estate.

The runoff was also flowing into canal networks around the estate, Mr Somchet said.

• New southern route needed
• Flood-hit factories 'down for months'
• Top-down doesn't work
• Relieve, restore, rebuild and revive
• Retailers plead for help

He said the water has continued to surge and advance towards the estate even though the sluice gates at Khlong 8-10 at the lower line of Khlong Hok Wa in Pathum Thani were ordered closed by the Froc yesterday.

The sluice gates are intended to regulate the water flow in the Saen Saep canal.

The Froc must drain the water as quickly as possible otherwise Lat Krabang Industrial Estate would be hit by floods within 24 hours, Mr Somchet said.

However, more than 100 nearby residents yesterday turned up to protest the closure of the Khlong 9 sluice gate _ one of the three sluice gates _ at the lower line of Khlong Hok Wa.

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A mother and child live underneath the expressway near Chaeng Watthana Road yesterday. They and several other families have moved out of their flooded houses along Khlong Prapa. PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD

They said the gate closure would put vast areas of their farmland and catfish breeding ponds in danger of flooding.

More than 100 policemen were sent to maintain order and the Pathum Thani deputy governor arrived shortly afterwards to negotiate with representatives of the protesters.

An agreement has been reached that the Khlong 9 sluice gate will remain open and that the Royal Irrigation Department must install 27 water pumps to drain floodwater in their communities by Monday.

The residents agreed to disperse after their demands were met. Their representatives said they would meet for talks about the closure of the sluice gate with authorities again if and when flood levels in their communities receded.

A source at the Froc said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and authorities at the command were confident the Froc would be able to control the flood situation at Lat Krabang Industrial Estate.

Experts at the Froc believed that when construction of the flood barrier using giant sandbags is completed, it will help stem the flow of the northern runoff on Vibhavadi Rangsit and Phahon Yothin roads in the capital.

The 6km levee will run alongside the railway track from Chulalongkorn sluice gate in Pathum Thani's Thanya Buri district to Don Muang railway station.

The source also said the height of the controversial Khlong Sam Wa sluice gate must be lowered from the current 100cm to 80cm in order to spare the Lat Krabang and Bangchan industrial estates from the deluge.

Froc director and Justice Minister Pracha Promnok said the repairs of the Khlong Sam Wa sluice gate by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) have been completed.

Froc has fully cooperated with the BMA in handling the flood problem.

The BMA needed sandbags and workers to fight the floods and the Froc has made sure all these demands from the BMA are met.

Pol Gen Pracha said the Froc had no problems in working with the BMA as the BMA's drainage director was working at the Froc.

Asked why floodwater is spreading in the capital, Pol Gen Pracha said floodwater from upper areas was massive and attempts to divert it to the western and eastern outskirts of Bangkok were not successful, so the rest had to run through the capital.

He admitted it was difficult to cope with the floodwater that is flowing through the drains.

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Volunteers hand out drinks and food to soldiers who assist flood-affected motorists and commuters near the Major Ratchayothin cineplex on Phahon Yothin Road yesterday. APICHIT JINAKUL

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Vehicles reduce speed as they drive on the flooded Phahon Yothin Road near the Major Ratchayothin cineplex. RATTASEEMA PONGSAN

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Many people arrive at the Thai Red Cross head office in Bangkok to donate blood after hearing that the supply of blood is running low. PHRAKRIT JUNTAWONG

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Residents gather in a protest against the opening of Khlong 9 sluice gate in Rangsit area. They insist the opening will worsen floods in their communities. KITJA APHICHONROJAREK

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Armed security guards patrol Ratiro Park housing estate on Suan Phak Road in Taling Chan district. JETJARASNARANONG

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Volunteers help roll up effective microorganism balls at the Amarin Plaza shopping complex near Ratchaprasong Road yesterday. The making of the EM balls will continue until tomorrow. CHUNPORN SANGVILERT

tukky_nt tukky_nt

8.32am: MRT still operate as normal but it won't stop at some stations where high flooding TR [at]Neaw_NBC #smsThaiPBS

8.11am: Jatuchak district declared disaster zone; Jatuchak weekend market is still dry: district chief. via [at]MatichonOnline

8.10am: CPN has announced closure of Central Lad Phrao today due to flooding around the shopping mall. TR [at]js100radio

7.45am: Vibhavadi outbound in front of FROC is still dry but water starts rising up from drainages #ch3

7.06am: 90cm high flood at Kaset intersection. Impassable for small vehicles. RT [at]Aim_NT via [at]MrVop [at]fm995radio

7am:Floodwater on Vibhavadi inbound,beside Central LadPhrao, is 60cm high in some spots: http://lockerz.com/s/153007549 RT [at]ittipat_Rw

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6.39am: Lat Phrao intersection on Phaholyothin Rd heading to Central Lat Phrao: http://lockerz.com/s/153003056 via [at]Cake_NBC

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6.25am:Floodwater around Ratchayothin is still high;small cars should avoid; Lad Phrao Rd inbound fr Chokchai4 is still dry TR [at]js100radio

6am: Floodwater has reached FROC and Lad Phrao intersection; water level is 15cm high: http://www.thairath.co.th/content/region/214158 [at]Thairath_News

Bangkok Post : City police vow to arrest Khlong Prapa dyke breakers

City police vow to arrest Khlong Prapa dyke breakers

• Published: 4/11/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Bangkok police have vowed to arrest the people who destroyed the dykes protecting Khlong Prapa canal that feeds raw water to Bangkok's tap water production facilities.

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Anuchai: ‘Impact on city folk far-reaching’

They also warned of harsh prison sentences and fines.

Bangkok deputy police chief Anuchai Lekbamrung said yesterday the destruction of dykes, bridges, pipes and sluice gates along Khlong Prapa canal violated the 1983 Khlong Prapa Protection Act and offenders were liable to up to three years in prison and/or a fine of up to 60,000 baht.

Any acts that cause flooding or disruption of the water supply which is a public utility in a way that will harm individuals and others' properties also violates Section 228 of the Criminal Code.

The sentence is up to five years in jail and/or a fine of up to 10,000 baht.

Pol Maj Gen Anuchai said the destruction of the dykes would have a far-reaching impact on the population of the capital and many people had been arrested in connection with the incidents.

Justice Minister Pracha Promnok, who is also director of the Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc), said yesterday the 17 recently destroyed sections of dykes of Khlong Prapa canal had been repaired on Wednesday night.

Workers are racing to reinforce the weak sections of the dykes.

The Irrigation Department, Italian-Thai Development Plc and the Public Works and Highway departments have supplied backhoes for the task.

The Engineering Institute of Thailand yesterday expressed its concern that a collapse of the tap water system in Bangkok would force a mass exodus of people from the capital.

Suwat Chaopreecha, the institute president, urged people in flooded communities along the raw water canal not to tamper with the dykes. If more polluted water drains into the canal, it could halt the city's water production, he said.

"If the main purifying facility [in Bang Khen] ceases operation, we won't survive. I wish to appeal to the government to take care of the canal at all costs," he said.

Apart from man-made destruction of the dykes, there is also the risk of permanent barriers along some sections of the canal caving in from the pressure of floodwater.

More dirty water would rush into the raw water canal if the flood barrier at Khlong Hok Wa collapses.

He said floodwater must be diverted to other canals. "Bangkok residents may be able to withstand flooding for a month or so, but they can't live without tap water that long," Mr Suwat said.

The city would descend into chaos without tap water and people would scramble to get out of Bangkok, he added.

Thanes Veerasiri, the institute secretary-general, said flood-prone spots near the Bang Khen facility have been reinforced and embankments have been erected.

Tulip_Oum Tulip Naksompop

8:50am LadPrad soi 64 to soi 130 are still dry.~[at]happy_mammy

8:49am in front of Major Ratchayothin on Paholyothin road.~[at]ittipat_Rw

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LadPrao intersection at 6:45am..not so dry any more. cc [at]BkkFari #thaifloodeng RT [at]Visith_Chuan

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Bangkok Post : New southern route needed

New southern route needed

Rama II expected to go under within three days

• Published: 4/11/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

The government should prepare alternative routes of transport and logistics to the South as Rama II Road is expected to be flooded within three days, Seri Supparathit, a Rangsit University expert on natural disasters, said yesterday.

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Bussing out
A family with small children wait for a bus to take them away from their flooded home on Phetkasem Road in Bang Kae district yesterday. WISIT THAMNGERN

The northern runoff has already passed Khlong Phasi Charoen in Bang Kae district and was about 5km from Rama II Road, which is one of the major roads linking Bangkok and the southern region, he said.

The water mass travels 1-2km a day, Mr Seri said in his update on the flood situation on Thai PBS television last night.

Since Rama II is crucial for logistics and transport between the South and other regions, Mr Seri urged the government to prepare alternative routes in case the road was cut by the deluge.

Meanwhile, City Hall yesterday issued an announcement for the evacuation of the whole of Bang Kae district because of the rising level of water in waterways in western Bangkok.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said the levels in Khlong Thawee Watthana and Khlong Maha Sawat were high and water in Bang Kae district rose rapidly by 20cm yesterday.

The governor is most concerned about western Bangkok as floodwater is rising and continues to spread to fresh areas. It also reached Nong Khaem and Phasicharoen districts yesterday.

He asked the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry to open sluice gates and operate pumps to quickly discharge water from western Bangkok into the Tha Chin River.

He also issued a special flood watch order in Bang Bon, Bangkok Noi and Phasicharoen districts.

In eastern Bangkok, water flowing in from the Khlong Sam Wa sluice gate raised water levels in flooded areas north of Ram Intra Road by 5-20cm. They included Nong Chok, Min Buri and Klong Sam Wa districts. Some areas were 1.50 metres under water yesterday.

In the middle zone of the capital, floodwater flowing from northern Bangkok forced the closure of Phahon Yothin Road in front of the Major Ratchayothin cineplex yesterday. It also spread to Ratchadaphisek Road in front of the Criminal Court.

People in Chatuchak district have been warned of flooding. Northern runoff from the vast Rangsit field and Khlong Rangsit 2 canal was still surging into Don Muang, Laksi, Bang Khen and Chatuchak districts.

MR Sukhumbhand said water was overflowing at many spots along the Khlong Prem Prachakorn, Khlong Bang Khen, Khlong Bang Sue and Khlong Lat Phrao canals.

He said he hoped a barrier of big sandbags installed at the southern sluice gate of Khlong Prem Prachakorn canal to Phahon Yothin Road would contain water flow into the areas.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and some cabinet members distributed food, medicine and effective microorganism balls to flood victims in Don Muang district yesterday morning.

She was touring flooded communities and passed Wat Phai Luang temple, the Kosum Ruamjai market and Song Prapha 7 community. Some areas there were submerged by 1.5m of water.

During the visit, the premier faced complaints from residents about inadequate relief assistance. So many flood people turned up to receive food donations from Ms Yingluck that she ran out of supplies.

About 1,000 people waited for donations from her group. Some of them expressed disappointment and said they had been invited to receive aid from the prime minister but had to go home empty-handed.

Ms Yingluck urged people to be patient. Authorities today expect to finish placing large sandbags weighing about 2.5 tonnes each along Khlong Rangsit Road to slow water flow into Vibhavadi Rangsit Road.

A source in the Froc said the bags will stretch over six kilometres along the canal. The big bag embankment will slow the water flow, allowing the authorities to pump more water from Khlong Rangsit into Khlong Phra Pimol through Pathum Thani.

tukky_nt tukky_nt

[at]BTS_SkyTrain: BTS SkyTrain operates every stations from 06.00 - 24.00 hrs as normal

9am: Phaholyothin Rd in front of Central Lad Phrao; water level is 10-15cm high: twitpic.com/7am51h TR [at]LyNGinG

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Bangkok Post : Froc staying put, says Yingluck

Froc staying put, says Yingluck

• Published: 4/11/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra says she will not move the Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc) to a new location even though water continues to move closer and closer to its present site.

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Yingluck: Has no plans to budge

The prime minister said yesterday she has not yet planned any move.

Froc moved from Don Mueang International Airport to the Energy Ministry's Energy Complex at the Lat Phrao Intersection on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road on Oct 29, after floodwater rushed into the airport terminals.

"Let us think about it. Actually, I don't want to move yet. We still want to fight the floods for a while," said Ms Yingluck, adding that Froc has not yet selected another venue for its new headquarters.

"I'm confident the situation will ease," said the prime minister.

As a precaution, Froc yesterday raised the road surface of the tollway exit in front of its new headquarters with gravel and began building a bridge between the Energy Complex and the adjacent PTT building.

The raised road surface and the bridge are intended to help Froc staff if floodwater starts lapping at Froc's new headquarters.

Energy Minister Pichai Naripthaphan said the headquarters is 2.4m above street level. The Energy Complex also has a very good flood prevention system. He was confident that floodwater would not flow into the complex.

Ms Yingluck yesterday also gave assurances that inner Bangkok would remain safe as large sand bags had been laid to provide added protection.

She also said the government will take heed of the King's advice to improve the country's water management systems to help prevent future flooding problems.

TAN_Network TAN News Network

City waterworks chief:discovery of a body in Prapa Canal will not affect quality of water, investigation underway. Will soon build a permanent barrier along canal to secure/prevent future breach via #INN

Thailand floods: floating toilets, makeshift jet skis, and doggie lifejackets - CSMonitor.com

Thailand floods: floating toilets, makeshift jet skis, and doggie lifejackets

The Thailand floods are the worst the country has seen in decades, but Thais are showing their resourcefulness.

By Gabrielle Paluch, Contributor November 3, 2011

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Thai flood victims get aid package from officials at their flooded apartment at Salaya district in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday. Floods continue to inch closer to Bangkok's business district as Thailand experiences it's worst floods in more than half a century.
Karntachat Raungratanaampon/AP

Bangkok, Thailand

Ask people living in the flooded suburbs of Bangkok where they go to the bathroom, and you’ll likely get answers such as "the school over there," "in a plastic bag," or the rather implausible "I just hold it."

Thousands of people in Thailand have been living in filthy floodwater for some three months – the most devastating flood the country has seen in decades caused by unusually heavy monsoon rains. More than 400 people have died in the Thailand floods, and hundreds of thousands have fled their homes.

As a protracted battle to stay dry unfolds until the massive pool of stinking water and garbage drains into the Gulf of Thailand, which could take months still, even simple things like disposing of human waste can become complicated.

But when it comes to adapting to flood complications, Thais are getting inventive, frequently joking in Thai spirit, that they have become amphibians.

Cotto, a Thai sanitation company, has designed floating toilets people can use safely and – believe it or not – hygienically, no matter how deep their own lavatories are submerged, and treat the waste water with micro organisms before it’s discharged.

And some jury-rigged contraptions have become Internet sensations through Twitter and Facebook. From jet skis made out of a barrel, bike parts, and a lawnmower; to improvised flotation devices made from styrofoam blocks to float cars to safety, and ideas for do-it-yourself doggy life-jackets made from empty plastic bottles, old t-shirts, and rubber bands; people are utilizing the Internet to create useful ways to ameliorate their situation and then help share the know-how.

Baan Arsa Jaidee, an organization borne of the Thai Health Foundation, has been holding workshops at its headquarters in Bangkok, which also doubles as a food and water storage and distribution center.

“They’ve been very inventive with minimal resources, using plastic bottles and polymer piping to create very sturdy rafts," says volunteer and operations manager Brian Beattie. He adds that he’s impressed by the creativity of people experiencing a crisis who are even inventive with how they spreading information through social networks and cartoons.

Students at the technical university are especially amazing he says, making incredibly simple, incredibly useful items using what’s at hand. “And they’re trying to pass the knowledge on.”

Students from Mongkhut University in Bangkok with Baan Arsa Jaidee have created a flood alarm using piping and a ping-pong ball. Rising water presses the ball up, which triggers an alarm, says Beattie. “Rather than having to stay awake every night because you’re worried the water will arrive when you’re asleep, you can rest easy, and you can have enough warning to get your family to safety.”

The center has also been distributing homemade toilets made from plastic footstools and plastic bags and holds classes on how to make EM (Effective Microorganisms) balls, which can be put in pools of standing water to treat bacteria and microbes.

As the Thai government seems to continually miscalculate flood related risk – Thailand’s Disease Control Department announced today that though communicable diseases have been detected, the stinking flood water posed, “no serious threat” – victims are turning to groups such as Baan Arsa Jaidee and with a little resourcefulness, remain self-reliant.

Tulip_Oum Tulip Naksompop

9:30am Vipavadee Rungsit inbound rd. in front of Horwang.~[at]suebsak1 twitpic.com/7amj8r #ThaiFloodEng ---outbound looks dry

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MCOT_Eng MCOT English News

Water overflows from drains, sewers in front of Chao Phraya Park Hotel on Ratchadapisek Road, Central Plaza Latprao closed

Embassy briefs British residents on Bangkok floods

Embassy briefs British residents on Bangkok floods

03 November 2011

Representatives from 16 British businesses, schools and other interest groups attended a briefing at the British Ambassador’s Residence this morning to hear the Embassy’s assessment on the flood situation in Thailand.

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With over 51,000 British citizens resident in Thailand, the UK has a close connection to the country. Flooding in the centre of Bangkok could seriously disrupt everyday life for communities living in and around the affected areas. The risk of flooding, possible contamination of tap water and disruption to some services are the main difficulties reflected in our Travel Advice which currently advises against all but essential travel to Bangkok and flooded areas.

At the briefing today, HM Ambassador Asif Ahmad and Deputy Head of Mission Danny Pruce gave a full and open analysis of their understanding of the flood situation. This was based on information gathered from the Embassy’s own monitoring including, discussions with FROC, BMA and other experts on the ground.

The Ambassador advised British nationals in Thailand to continue to follow media reports for regular updates and refer to the FCO’s travel advice. He also advised them to contact family and friends who may be concerned about their wellbeing.

The Ambassador assured the representatives at the briefing that the Embassy would continue to do all it could to inform and support British nationals affected by the floods. Essential services at the Embassy such as consular and visa were still running and a dedicated team, which includes support from other British missions, will continue to work with the Thai authorities and experts to monitor the situation and provide up to date travel advice.

Further information

Information on the floods, please go to our website.
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Follow us [at]ukinthailand
See our travel advice

Bangkok Post : Khlong Prapa 'sabotaged' again

Khlong Prapa 'sabotaged' again

• Published: 4/11/2011 at 09:22 AM
• Online news:

This morning, the old Bangkok Post reporter pedalled his mountainbike from his home on Chaeng Wattana Rd behind Central shopping centre to investigate the flood situation along Khlong Prapa as usual.

Khlong Prapa, which supplies raw water to be made into tap water at the Bang Khen and Sam Sen plants, was innundated by water from flooded Lak Hok area after angry residents destroyed about 10 metres of the canal dyke six days ago. The repaire were completed four days ago.

Two nights ago, some residents again destroyed the sand dyke on the Don Mueang side in 17 spots. The MWA requested help from Pakkret Municipality, the Corrections Department as well as Ital-Thai to help plug the breaches. After working throughout the night, the leaks were fixed by morning.

This moring upon reaching Khlong Prapa-Chaeng Wattana intersection, the old reporter heard a taxi motorcyclist informing an officer at the bridge with a walkie-talkie that he saw a person removing sandbags on the dyke and let the floodwater in and then fled from the scene. The sabotaged section was near the green house about 1km away. The officer then radioed the message to the nearest person patrolling the canal to investigate.

The water is brownish/blackish and the level is stabilising [still high] this morning, as is the level of flooded Chaeng Wattana Rd on Bangkok side.

The Pakkret Municipality five nights ago built an earth dyke on Chaeng Wattana intersection bridge to prevent floodwater spilling over to Chaeng Wattana Rd on the Pakkret side. However, the flood on the other side has yet to creep on to the intersection bridge itself.

Military trucks are helping people travel to Lak Si intersection as well as ferrying people from Lak Si to Khlong Prapa intersection.

Regular buses can no longer pass flooded Chaeng Wattana to Lak Si.

Biking back to Pakkret pier, the old reporter saw cars and pickup trucks mostly single parking on any elevated roadway along Chaeng Wattana Rd including on Rama IV Bridge, leaving only one lane for traffic. The number of parked vehicles is stable.

The Chao Phraya water level at Pakkret Municipality, north of Nonthaburi in the morning is down markedly from five days ago, but still very high.

The current is moderate. It takes about 2-3 hours for the water mass from Pakkret to reach the heart of Bangkok.

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Five days ago.

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Level this morning.