Bangkok Floods, 31st October, 2011-Flood evacuation warning

Flood evacuation warning

Thailand

October 31, 2011

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Local residents paddle a raft over a flooded lower street in an area near the Chao Praya river in Bangkok.
Photo: AFP

BANGKOK. Thai authorities warned people living near canals in Bangkok's northern suburbs to prepare to evacuate as rising floodwaters and high tides threaten to overwhelm barriers protecting the city.

''We have to fight for two more days as sea levels are unlikely to exceed today's peak after that time, and we can concentrate on protecting the barriers,'' Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said yesterday.

''If we don't get more rain, the situation shouldn't get worse.'' A five-day holiday to today may be extended to allow residents to leave threatened areas, she said.

Ms Yingluck warned that high tides makes this ''a critical period'' for the capital.


Read more: Flood evacuation warning

Govt needs Bt900bn - The Nation

Govt needs Bt900bn

The Nation October 31, 2011 12:34 pm
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Bt800bn to overhaul water management procedures, Bt100bn to help flooded industrial estates

The Yingluck government will seek to spend a staggering Bt900 billion on national recovery from the still unfolding flood disaster and on long-term flood prevention.

The massive amount includes Bt100 billion for the recovery of inundated industrial estates and Bt800 billion for an overhaul of water-management procedures to safeguard industrial zones from inundation, Energy Minister Pichai Nariptha-phan said yesterday.

"At the special meeting of selected Cabinet members, the prime minister made a recovery proposal to be implemented in two stages," he said.

The first stage, to be implemented within a year, will see the full recovery of flood-hit industrial estates, he said. Some 140 pumps have been imported and would arrive at seven key industrial estates in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani in the next 20 days to drain floodwater.

For the second stage, under the "New Thailand" plan, the country will see the complete overhaul of its water-management system. The government has yet to finalise its choice among models designed in the United States, the Netherlands and Japan.

The massive spending plan was formulated in the midst of the Bangkok crisis. The besieged city has been brought to a near standstill by fears of widespread flooding. The government was yesterday holding on to hopes that the situation would improve at the end of this week, when sea tides ceased to be a threatening factor, leaving only northern run-off in the Chao Phraya River and the flood water north of Bangkok to deal with.

Flooding spread to wider areas of Bangkok yesterday as the Chao Phraya's water level in the capital reached a record high of 2.53 metres and some portions of floodwall leaked. The government said the situation would not suddenly turn into a major emergency unless certain key strategic flood barriers collapsed, either due to water pressure or deliberate destruction.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shina-watra said the government would not extend the special holiday, which ends today, that was declared in the face of the flooding. The government would, however, ask business operators to allow flood-hit employees to take leave without being considered absent from work, she said.

Bangkok residents should brace for a few more days of hardship, as the worst of the inundation would come to pass in the next few days, she said. She urged residents not to breach the dykes, because this would cause the flood to spread to wider areas. The water volume surrounding the capital will ease starting today and the high tides have already peaked, hence the increased opportunity for drainage of flood water into the sea, she said.

She said she would have to check for more information before commenting on the allegation that relief supplies were left behind in the inundated cargo warehouse at Don Mueang Airport after the Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC) was relocated to the Energy Ministry on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road.

The shelter at Don Mueang Airport would not be closed despite rising flood water because some victims refused to evacuate, she said.

FROC spokesman Wim Rungwat-tanachinda said the fact that relief supplies were left at the airport's cargo warehouse was attributed to the slow distribution process and not negligence.

Wim said he would have to check why floating toilets were left at passenger terminal II. He said all floating toilets were brought out of the warehouse and transported to the National Stadium, the new distribution centre for relief supplies.

FROC director Pracha Promnok said he was awaiting for an update on the handling and distribution of relief supplies.

Due to criticism, Pheu Thai MP Karun Hosakul had been removed from overseeing the relief supplies. PM's Office inspector Chamroen Yutitham-sakul was last week put in charge of flood relief. Chamroen said he was responsible for moving the storage of relief supplies from Don Mueang to the National Stadium.

Donated clothes were in the process of being washed and dried before distribution to flood victims, he said, denying the clothes had been abandoned.

In regard to donations for floating toilets, boats and rafts, he said those materials were under the supervision of the Interior Ministry's Disaster Miti-gation and Prevention Department.

Officials in charge of relief supplies admitted flaws in the distribution system. One of the flaws was government MPs could claim credit by putting their names on the relief bags. The FROC was accused of allowing red tape to disrupt distribution of relief supplies via government agencies while allowing MPs unlimited access to the supplies.

Motorways to be free for 2 weeks - The Nation

Motorways to be free for 2 weeks

October 31, 2011 12:34 pm
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To help motorists during the flood crisis, tollways, motorways and elevated expressways will remain free of charge till November 14.

Supoj Sublom, permanent-secretary of the Transport Ministry, said yesterday the ministry has extended the toll-free period for the Bangkok-Chon Buri Motorway (Route 7) and the Bang Phli-Bang Pa-in Motorway (Route 9) from tomorrow till November 14.

The Expressway Authority of Thailand will also extend the free use of its tollways from Bang Na to Chon Buri (Buraphawithi), Bang Phli to Rama II (Kanchanapisek) and At Narong-Ram Intra to Lamlooka (Chalongrat) till November 14.

Pol Maj General Amnuay Nimmano, deputy Metropolitan Police commissioner, said police would take legal action against traders who hoard the 16 goods recently added to the price control list of the Commerce Ministry's Internal Trade Department.

They are sanitary napkins, sleeping bags, water pumps, water tanks, batteries, sand and sandbags, candles, bottled water, toothbrushes, toothpaste, torches, silicone, boots, rubber boats, 15-passenger boats, life vests, and |bricks.

Traders are also not allowed to sell these goods above the controlled prices or refuse sales without reason. Violators face up to seven years' imprisonment and/or Bt140,000 fine.

No cases have been reported of robberies in the flood-hit residential areas covered by the Metropolitan Police or of thefts of cars left parked on flyovers and expressways to avoid water damage.

"There have been complaints only about broken side mirrors because drivers parked their cars in tight spaces,'' he said.

Penalties would be doubled for those who commit crimes in flooded areas, he added.

Army best at rescues: poll - The Nation

Army best at rescues: poll

October 31, 2011 12:34 pm

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Four in five Bangkok residents have praised soldiers for being the most dependable rescue operators in the face of flooding, Suan Dusit Poll said in a survey released yesterday.

Some three in 10 people voiced surprise about officials' failure to safeguard the capital from inundation. About the same number of respondents said they were confused by the floodrelated information provided by the government.

Seven in 10 people said they would not leave their homes to live in shelters because they believed they could survive, despite the flood. One in five said they wanted to assess the flood situation for them

Chao Phraya hits record level of 2.53m - The Nation

Chao Phraya hits record level of 2.53m

October 31, 2011 12:34 pm
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Leaks in barriers spur flooding in Sukhumvit 50 and two Samsen sois

The Chimplee, Taling Chan and Bang Lamat subdistricts of Taling Chan were declared "surveillance areas" yesterday after the Chao Phraya River reached a record high of 2.53 metres and some parts of the floodwall leaked.

"Evacuations may be ordered," Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said.

The permanent embankment stretching along most of the Chao Phraya in the capital stands just 2.5 metres high. The overflow reached Samsen Sois 21 and 23 and many more zones.

Besides the spillover from the swollen river, the capital has also been swamped by runoff from upstream provinces in several districts, including Sai Mai and Thawee Watthana.

On Saturday night, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) told Bangkok residents along the Lat Phrao, Bang Khen, Thanon, Bang Bua and Prem Prachakorn canals in Don Muang district to prepare to move to evacuation centres.

Already 10,343 flood victims are staying at BMA-run evacuation centres. Recently 10 were closed because floodwaters rose to a dangerous level. These 10 centres are schools in Thawee Watthana, Sai Mai, Khlong Sam Wa and Don Muang districts.

Sukhumbhand said almost all of Don Muang was now submerged.

"We're trying to solve the problem," he said.

The main problem was that there was nothing to block the water flowing down Paholyothin Road from the Rangsit Prayoonsak Canal.

"The BMA has already informed the Flood Relief Operations Centre about this many times," Sukhumbhand said in a thinly veiled attack on the body established by the central government.

Weera Wongsaengnak, chief of Water Management in the Disaster Zone, still saw a light at the end of the tunnel.

The inner city would remain under a serious threat of flooding only for three more days.

"The high tides peaked today and will continue to drop. If we can control the situation till Tuesday, Bangkok will be saved. After that, we just need to prevent the embankment and dykes from crumbling down," he said.

"There is no longer any big bulge of water. There is only the water that has already arrived. The water that has caused Thammasat and Rangsit to be flooded comes from the Prem Prachakorn Canal overflowing to the Chulalongkorn sluice gate. When there is sea intrusion, the water rises but only for three hours,'' he said.

The water on Asia Road and in Canals 1 and 9 was no longer rising.

However, authorities could assess the flood situation in Bangkok only after tomorrow.

The floodwaters in Don Muang and Sai Mai would be drained out on Friday or the following Tuesday when the tide would be at its lowest. The tide will peak again from November 12-13 but then there will be no monstrous mass of water meandering down from the north, he added.

Still, it remains to be seen how long the floodwall can stave off the massive runoff. Cracks have been reported almost daily.

The latest appeared on some spots of the embankment along the Phra Khanong Canal, flooding Phra Khanong district.

"We are trying to fix it," said Wiparat Chaiyanukij, director of the Khlong Toei District Office.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra called a meeting of agencies and ministers to discuss changes to the flood rehabilitation plan.

Yingluck posted a message on Facebook saying Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao phoned her to express his condolences to the Thai people and his confidence that the Thai government can overcome the disaster and enact a speedy rehabilitation.

Flood Relief Operation Center Spokesperson updated the general public on the current flood situation - Pattaya Mail - Pattaya News, Communities, Opinions and much more...

Flood Relief Operation Center Spokesperson updated the general public on the current flood situation

Monday, 31 October 2011

Prof. Tongthong Chantarangsu, FROC Spokesperson, updated the general public on the current flood situation.

Today, the FROC issued announcement No.11/2554, advising residents near Klong Premprachakorn to monitor the flood situation closely and prepare to move belongings to higher ground. This was a result of the necessity in opening up a number of flood walls that affected flood levels.

In the overall picture, the situation remains stable, with less flood water from the north passing through Nakon Sawan. There is also less floodwater on the western side of Bangkok, and the water levels in Bangpa-In and northern Pathumthani have receded at 2-3 cm per day. In the past two weeks, water levels have lowered at around 60 cm, or 2 feet.

On the eastern front, the Irrigation Department and BMA have worked together to speed up the flow of water out through Klong Rangsit, and the BMA is to speed up the pushing out of water through Klong Saen Sap to the Bangpakong River. This may cause a temporary overflow in some districts like Bung Kum, Kannayao, Sapan Soong, and Suan Luang, but this is a result of an intended and controlled action, not a natural or uncontrollable flow of flood water.

Concurrently, the Royal Thai Armed Forces is working to eliminate obstacles in pushing out water into Klong Bang Chan, Klong Lad Prao and the Klong under the Second Phase Expressway.

For the spring tide situation, the highest recorded level is 2.53 meters, slightly above the 2.5 meter capacity of the Chao Phraya embankment, causing some overflows out the riverbanks. However, on 2 November, the tides will lower and the Chao Phraya embankments will be fixed by 15 November before the next spring tide during the Loy Kratong festival. When this is done, we would be in a better position to cope.

As for Bangkok, the flood waters still remain on Paholyothin Rd at Wat Prasri Mahathat. Further west, Talingchan is experiencing a higher level of water that may flow over to nearby districts.

On Klong Prapa, most of the breached dikes had already been fixed and reinforced by the authorities, and water siphoned off. Water quality is still maintained, but slight odors may still be noticeable because of the flood waters.

The Donmuang Airport shelter, which can house 4,200 evacuees, now has only 250 persons requesting to stay there.

This afternoon Thitima Chaisaeng, the Government Spokesperson, announced that the Cabinet meeting resolved not to extend the holidays for government offices beyond 31October. This is to allow officials to be able to provide services to the public, and for continuous management of the situation. Prior to this, the Cabinet had resolved that government officials affected by the floods can take days off, which would not be considered as leave days. The PM herself was consulted on this and it was agreed that all agencies would take care of their affected staff, while ensuring no interruption to important government measures and operations in assisting the public.

30 October 2011, 22.38 hrs.

Flood Relief Operation Center (FROC)

Army chief cautious on emergency law - The Nation

Army chief cautious on emergency law

The Nation October 31, 2011 1:04 am

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An emergency decree would not alter the flood situation because the real issue was about effective law enforcement, Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha said yesterday.

"To enforce a draconian law would certainly impact on the people and the question is whether flood-hit Thais would agree to abide by such a law," he said.

Prayuth said the government would have to decide whether emergency rule, if imposed, was a worthwhile option. In past cases of emergency rule, people were arrested for violating the ban on restricted areas, resulting in a large amount of litigation, much of which remained inconclusive, he said.

In several flood-hit areas, people broke down dykes, he said. Under existing provisions, trespassing on or destroying public property was an offence.

He said he did not expect the situation to improve even if the authorities arrested everyone living near the dykes. He urged police to talk to local residents instead of invoking the law. He also suggested the Flood Relief Operations Centre designate agencies and officials responsible for each flood zone in order to avoid confusion on relief and rescue efforts.

• OCTOBER 30, 2011, 12:44 P.M. ET

Bangkok's Old-Timers Recall Even Worse Deluge

By PATRICK BARTA

BANGKOK—Floodwaters inundate the city. Businesses shut down and water-borne diseases spread. Families turn to boats rather than cars to get around.

This isn't the latest update from Bangkok's current flood scare—it's from 1983, one of the many times that floodwaters have ravaged the Thai capital. Floods were so bad that year that 400 schools closed from October to early December and some areas didn't dry out until after the New Year.

It isn't yet known how long the latest deluges will last, or what the total cost will be, as Thailand grapples with its worst flooding in years. A series of dykes and makeshift barricades designed to protect Bangkok from the full brunt of the floods appeared to be holding over the weekend, but experts warned the city isn't out of danger yet.

Nearly 400 people have died across Thailand, hundreds of thousands of people are out of work, and damage to industrial estates north of Bangkok are reckoned to be in the billions of dollars. Cars were seen floating in a car park at the city's shuttered Don Muang airport north of town on Sunday.

However bad the latest foods get, though, many Bangkok old-timers say they've seen even worse. The latest hysteria over the floods, they contend, is more a reflection of the changing nature of Thai society than a measure of the size or force of the floods themselves.

In decades past, Bangkok was known as the "Venice of the East" because it was built on a marshy delta that flooded regularly, with canals as the main byways and an estimated three quarters or more of its inhabitants living in floating houses or houses on stilts. As recently as 1950, Bangkok had nearly 100 major, navigable khlongs, as canals here are known, which also served to divert floodwaters out to the sea.

That changed during Bangkok's boom of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. More than half the canals were filled in to construct roads or buildings and to help curb insect-borne illnesses.

That coincided with the rise of a much larger urban and suburban middle class, including residents who had no connection with Bangkok's watery past. They moved into modern housing subdivisions or high-rise condominium towers and grew accustomed to air conditioning and imported cars.

Many of these residents were among the first to evacuate Bangkok in recent days to out-of-town locations like the eastern seaboard beach resort of Pattaya. Those who stayed cleared the shelves of grocery stores as they stockpiled water, instant noodles and other dwindling food supplies in the affluent central city.

"I can't blame them" for panicking, said Adul Phanthong, a 46-year-old day laborer who was found over the weekend fishing along a nearly submerged pier on the swollen Chao Phraya River that runs through old parts of the city.

Dressed in a camouflage hat, swim trunks and flip-flops, with a plate of meatballs on sticks nearby, he said he remembered seeing far worse when he was a young man growing up along the Chao Phraya.

One year, he said, floodwaters were waist-high all the way to Bangkok's 1930s-era Democracy Monument, more than a kilometer inland. This year, he said, his residence by a river pier wasn't badly flooded, thanks to higher embankments built by the city over the years.

Chris Baker, a Bangkok-based analyst and historian who has co-written several books about the country, said he recalls navigating Bangkok's Sukhumvit Road—a thoroughfare for shopping and expatriate communities here—in a Thai "longtail" boat during the 1983 floods. He said his co-writer, Pasuk Phongpaichit, recalls playing every year in area floods as a child. "It was absolutely normal," he said.

This time, Sukhumvit Road has stayed mostly dry so far. But around-the-clock media attention—and higher expectations among wealthier residents— has intensified the anxiety and led to more criticism of the government's handling of the crisis.

The addition of vast housing estates and industrial areas north of the capital has put far more property in harm's way, and created more barriers that trap water, Mr. Baker said, greatly exacerbating the problem for people outside of Bangkok.

"It's the gains of the economic progress of the last generation which is now being sunk underwater," he said.

In the oldest parts of town by the Chao Phraya, though, residents were going about their business over the weekend more or less as usual as floodwaters rose and fell.

A giant street market along the river was stocked with vegetables and goods impossible to find in the city's modern supermarkets. Enterprising hawkers were selling inflatable rafts, life vests and animal-shaped floating pool toys, but there seemed to be few takers.

Water churned into streets nearby, in some places approaching knee-level. But residents like 58-year-old Chat Luenyang, a security guard for a cooking-oil distributor, were unfazed.

Mr. Chat was kicking back in a red chair in the front of his shophouse as a fast-moving stream of water flowed across the concrete floor at his feet. He had a bowl of duck livers, a bottle of Thai whiskey, a glass of ice and a radio on a table next to him.

He pointed to the back of his house, where water was squirting in through cracks before running through the house and out into the street. His possessions were hanging by hooks on the walls, or stuffed into a loft over his bed, which was raised slightly above the ankle-deep water below. At bedtime, he said, he left the door open to make sure water could flow out and didn't drown him. He had a few dozen sandbags but said there was no point in using them—it would just trap more water.

"I don't have anything to worry about," he said. "This is nature. The water goes up, and it goes down—you don't have to worry about it. Later, it'll be gone."



Bangkok's Old-Timers Recall Even Worse Deluge - WSJ.com

Bangkok escapes worst of Thailand flooding - World - CBC News

Bangkok escapes worst of Thailand flooding

A third of country is submerged, up to a metre deep in areas

Posted: Oct 30, 2011 12:20 PM ET

Last Updated: Oct 30, 2011 12:08 PM ET

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Flood barriers in central Bangkok held back waters on Oct. 30, but the city is still bracing for more flooding. Here, evacuees pray at a shelter for those displaced by the floods.
(Paula Bronstein/Getty)

Most residents of Bangkok are relaxing after a predicted flood catastrophe in the Thai capital failed to materialize over the weekend.

Soldiers and civilians rushed to reinforce collapsing sandbag walls in different parts of Bangkok on Sunday, but for the most part, the city’s flood defences held and the city core remained dry.

Despite that, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra did not declare victory and instead remained cautious.

“It depends on the levels of the sea, and sometimes, it's about the stability of the way we put sandbags. Hopefully, the sandbags are strong enough. If water [doesn't flow over] the sandbags, it should be OK,” she said Sunday.

On Saturday, tide surges reached the tip of the city’s 2.5-metre concrete flood barriers.

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Residential areas in the north of Bangkok are under a metre of water. Kyodo/Reuters

Still, hundreds of thousands are struggling in the north and west of the capital.

People in those areas are wading metre-deep in waters contaminated with garbage, sewage and chemicals washed out from deluged factories. Many are already suffering skin rashes, raising fears of water-borne diseases.

While it is business as usual for a majority of Bangkok’s nine million residents, a third of Thailand is submerged in what has been the worst flooding in 60 years.

Thousands of Bangkok residents left the city this week on a government-ordered five-day holiday, which made the metropolis a little less crowded over the weekend.

More than 380 people have died in the floods and another 110,000 are displaced. Hundreds of thousands have been put out of work.

“The Lord Buddha taught us not to be negligent, we must always prepare,” monk Phramaha Abhin said at Bangkok’s famed Temple of the Dawn.

“He also taught us not to foolishly fear that which hasn’t happened yet.”

Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs is advising against "non-essential travel to Bangkok and flood-affected areas."

The advisory doesn't extend to Suvarnabhumi International Airport, a busy international travel hub that is still operating.

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The swollen Chao Phraya river is expected to swell once more in the coming days, leaving many on edge. Here, a boy paddles a boat full of evacuees. (Daniel Berehulak /Getty)

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The flooding, pictured here on streets near the Chao Phraya river, is Thailand’s worst in 50 years. (Daniel Berehulak /Getty)

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Evacuations continued in Bangkok, but the government said on Oct. 29 that it expects the flooding to subside in the coming days. (Nicolas Asfourin/AFP/Getty)

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A woman moves her pots at a market outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok on Oct. 28. While most of Bangkok remains dry, thousands of people have fled ahead of a high tide that may worsen floods. (Damir Sagolj/Reuters)

(lots more images at the link, some I'd not seen before)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/31/wo...hailand31.html

Floodwalls Keep Bangkok Dry and Suburbs Angry

By THOMAS FULLER

Published: October 30, 2011

BANGKOK — Shielded by hundreds of thousands of sandbags piled shoulder high along the city’s outskirts, most of Bangkok remained dry on Sunday, allaying fears for now that the massive metropolis would be swamped by monsoon floodwaters.

But along the floodwalls, which ring the city and are patrolled by soldiers and police officers around the clock, there was a mixture of relief and resentment.

“I am just hoping this floodwall will break,” said Seksan Sonsak, a 43-year-old factory worker. Mr. Seksan, like several million other Thais, has found himself on the wrong side of the wall.

The sandbags hastily erected to protect Bangkok have trapped a giant pocket of floodwater that extends for dozens of miles. By sparing the low-lying capital, which lies in the delta of the country’s main river system, officials sacrificed the provinces to the north.

“I understand that you want to save the majority,” said Mr. Seksan, whose house is inundated with brown water reeking of rotting fish. “But no one seems to think of us, the minority.”

The flooding, the worst in at least half a century, has affected 2 million people and left close to 400 dead, many by drowning or electrocution.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra thanked the residents of Pathum Thani Province, north of Bangkok, last week for their “sacrifice.”

“If we let the floodwall collapse or if the sluices fail, the water will burst into Bangkok, the capital of our nation,” she said. “Foreigners will lose confidence in us and wonder why we cannot save our own capital.”

On Sunday, Ms. Yingluck said she was confident that the situation was improving because the floodwalls were mostly holding up.

Experts and government officials say favorable weather and the passing of peak tides over the weekend as the water moves out to sea may mean the worst is over for Bangkok.

“The situation is easing,” said Somsak Khaosuwan, the director of Thailand’s National Disaster Warning Center. “If the floodwalls don’t break, inner Bangkok will definitely be safe.”

Train service between Bangkok and the northern city of Chiang Mai resumed over the weekend after a month of interruption because of the floods. The main highway linking Bangkok to the north is now also passable.

But large swaths of provinces north of Bangkok are likely to remain inundated for several weeks, the government says. And bitterness is likely to persist long after the water has receded and the mud has dried.

Tensions were palpable in the Sai Mai district of Bangkok on Sunday, where the flood wall held back water more than three feet deep. One man whose house is submerged in water on the north side of the sandbags appeared traumatized as he walked along the dry side and yelled to residents, “Why don’t you take some of this water in your houses?” On Friday, the police arrested a man in Sai Mai for trying to dismantle the wall. “He’s still in jail,” said a neighbor, Thonglor Piromsuk, 46. “I wouldn’t call him crazy. I just think he was very stressed out.”

Some flood barriers have been destroyed under mysterious circumstances in recent days despite the deployment of what the military says is 50,000 troops to guard and maintain them. A nighttime breach last week near the domestic airport, Don Mueang, sent floodwater pouring onto the tarmac of the airport and inundating thousands of nearby homes and businesses. (The main international airport, Suvarnabhumi, is still operating normally.) The surge also forced the government on Saturday to move its crisis-management unit, Flood Relief Operations Center, which had been based at the airport.

Still, only 7 of Bangkok’s 50 districts were heavily flooded as of Sunday, mostly along the northern and western rim of the city.

Drinking water and other essentials such as eggs and rice remain in short supply, partly because panicked residents are hoarding. Many parts of the city were quiet over the weekend after residents took the government’s advice and evacuated to areas not threatened by flooding.

Thailand suffered acute monsoon flooding in 1983 and 1995 but this year’s floods have caused far greater damage, and with global repercussions. The country is a major supplier of electronics and the closing of factories producing computer hard disks has created a global shortage and sharp price increases. The shuttering of factories producing car parts has also disrupted the supply chains of companies such as Toyota and Honda.

The flooding appears to have been caused by intense rainfall in September, possibly exacerbated by miscalculations by managers at hydroelectric dams, who reportedly started filling their reservoirs too early in the monsoon season.

The rapid expansion of Bangkok in recent years has also hampered drainage of the annual floodwaters. The swamps and canals that once absorbed the monsoon run-off and allowed it to flow to the sea have been paved over or converted into industrial parks and housing complexes.

Those who live close to the floodwall say they realize that the sandbags are the only thing keeping them from total inundation.

Kusuma Thongin, a 56-year-old grocery store owner, says she looks toward the wall and the fetid water behind it each morning and issues an invocation.

“I pray to the water: please, don’t come,” she said.

Thais wait for water levels to drop - Asia-pacific - Al Jazeera English

Thais wait for water levels to drop

Thailand may see an ease in flooding that is the worst to hit it in half a century, submerging much of its land.

Last Modified: 30 Oct 2011 18:25

Thais wait for water levels to drop - YouTube

People in Thailand are waiting for signs of relief from heavy flooding that has submerged four million acres of land across the country over the past few weeks.

The country has seen the worst flooding in more than half a century. Thais are now looking forward to a drop in water levels over the next few days so the extensive clean-up operation needed can begin.

Citing Bangkok's sandbag defences which withstood peak tides over the weekend, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said that while more flooding could not be ruled out, she was optimistic about the situation.

Al Jazeera's Aela Callan reports from Bangkok.

Bangkok Post : Residents threaten BMA staff

Residents threaten BMA staff

Shots fired in attempts to stop barrier building

• Published: 31/10/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

With angry residents threatening violence or vandalism, City Hall has urged the the Flood Relief Operations Command to provide protection for authorities trying to build flood barriers.

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Desperate for aid
Officials try to keep order among residents of Saphan Mai, Bang Khen district, as they emerge from flooded side sois after hearing relief trucks were arriving with supplies of food and water. The residents have been stranded in their homes for more than a week. PHOTOS BY RATTASEEMA PONGSAN

The barriers are aimed at sparing central Bangkok from the deluge, but communities affected by the build-up of floodwater are pulling them down or threatening workers in some areas.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra yesterday stressed the importance of building and strengthening a flood prevention line where Phahon Yothin Road meets Khong Rangsit.

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Flood victims reach out for relief supplies handed out by authorities in Saphan Mai market, Bang Khen district.

He said the flood defence there is strategically important as it helps to prevent overflow from Khlong Rangsit from entering Bangkok's inner areas via Don Muang district and Phahon Yothin Road.

MR Sukhumbhand said Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) authorities had failed to build the flood lines there because of heated resistance from residents putting authorities at risk.

He said if the Froc does not have enough personnel for the task, the BMA will send its own workers to help if the Froc can guarantee their safety.

Angry residents in the area previously fired guns into the air to drive away BMA staff who were building flood barriers there.

The latest incident came yesterday as 1,000 residents living along Khlong 3 and Khlong 4 in Khlong Sam Wa district blockaded a road near the Hathaimit-Wat Sukjai intersection to demand City Hall open Khlong Sam Wa sluice gate wider. They claimed the narrow opening of the gate was why their community had been so badly flooded.

City Hall's call for protection for its officials came as floodwater from the northern perimeter pushed deeper into the capital yesterday.

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The ground floor of DonMueang Airport is flooded. PATIPATJANTHONG

Residents in Lak Si district, particularly on the banks of Khlong Prem Prachakorn, Khlong Thanon, Khlong 2 and Khlong Bang Bua have been told to be on full alert, MR Sukhumbhand said.

The run-off yesterday surged into Kasetsart University in Bang Khen district, which provides shelter for flood evacuees, putting it under 30cm of water.

With flood levels expected to increase, Seree Kunchaenak, a member of a committee supervising the shelter centre at the university, said the campus is preparing to relocate about 650 evacuees to Rajabhat Phetchaburi University.

Overflow from Khlong 2 in Rangsit and run-off from Sai Mai district have swamped Rarm Intra Road Km 8, and floodwater surged through manholes and inundated several alleys on the outbound lane of the road from Km1 onwards.

On Phahon Yothin Road, northern run-off spread to the Bang Khen circle, where the Lak Si monument is located.

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Debris and rubbish float in putrid floodwater atWat Noy Nang Hong in Bangkok Noi district.
PATTARACHAI PREECHAPANICH

The BMA yesterday decided to close 10 evacuation shelters in heavily flooded areas in four districts _ five in Don Muang, two each in Sai Mai and Thawi Watthana, and one in Khlong Sam Wa.

MR Sukhumbhand also warned residents in Khwaeng Chim Phli, Khwaeng Taling Chan and Khwaeng Bang Ramad in Taling Chan district to prepare to evacuate as the water level in Khlong Maha Sawat continued to rise.

High sea tides caused the Chao Phraya to surge to 2.53m yesterday, inundating communities on both sides of the river.

In western Bangkok, soldiers were racing to repair two dykes at Khlong Maha Sawat in Thawi Watthana district.

Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa, who inspected the area, said repairs to the broken dykes are expected to be finished soon, which will help reduce the water level in the canal.

Floodwater swept into Utthayan Road, which connects Phutthamonthon Sai 3 Road and Phutthamonthon Sai 4 Road in Nakhon Pathom, yesterday .

Deputy Bangkok governor Thirachon Manomaipibul said the BMA has dismantled the Khlong 10, 11, and 12 sluice gates in Nong Chok district to accelerate overflow from Khlong Rangsit to the sea and plans to dismantled the Khlong 9, 13 and 14 sluice gates as well.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday reiterated that the flood situation in Bangkok should start to improve from tomorrow _ so long as no more flood barriers are broken.

Once the sea tides have ebbed, floodwater can be drained out to sea at the fullest capacity, she said.

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Suthikiati Chirathivat, Director& Chairman of Executive Committee of the Post Publishing Plc, right, cook food to be distributed to flood victims at the CentralWorld shopping mall. Giving him a hand is Thailand’s first Miss Universe, Apasara Hongsakul. WISIT THAMNGERN

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Amonkfeeds dogs andpigeons atWat Salawan near KhlongMaha Sawat whichwas bursting its banks in Thawi Watthana district. PATIPAT JANTHON

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Acouple teases each other as they swimin floodwater around the Taksin skytrain station. PHONGTHAIWATTANAVANITVUT

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Ornate lamp posts light up flooded Aksaroad inThawi Watthana district. PATIPAT JANTHONG

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/loca...n-the-big-city

Toughing it out in the big city

Its business as usual on Sukhumvit Road, despite the fear

• Published: 31/10/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Bangkok is hurting. To deny that not only cheapens the pain felt by those who have lost all they have strived for, it also makes as much sense as standing in the deepest and fastest flowing flood and commanding that it cease.

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Pippa Jones, 20, left, and Charlotte Wall, 21, are determined to continue to enjoy Bangkok to the full. CHRIS BRERETON

But Bangkok is still one of the world's great cities. A city that belongs to a planet as much as it does a nation. And great cities are made great by their ability to withstand.

It is not the first great city to hurt. From San Francisco's earthquakes, the wartime blitz that annihilated huge swathes of London, the hijackers who changed New York forever and the waters that so disfigured New Orleans, the history of great cities is the history of struggle, of rebirth, of pain and of triumph.

It is not how many times that you get knocked down that counts but how many times you get back up.

And the signs are already there to suggest Bangkok is staggering back to an upright position.

Take the Sukhumvit Road region on Saturday night. Perhaps no section of road on the planet is as feted, as notorious, as popular and as eye-opening as this.

It has also so far been some of the luckiest real estate in the city. But the buzz, action, optimism and defiance it oozed at the weekend spoke more about the mindset of the Thai people than simply the good fortune of having dry feet. The place set the tone for what the rest of Bangkok must do in the coming weeks. Bars poured drinks, massage parlours squeezed muscles and cash, stalls sold their wares, music pumped, jokes were told, hugs were exchanged, hangovers were purchased.

It was business as usual. And the best sign yet that although Bangkok's streets have been mauled, its industries threatened and ruined, its citizens' flesh harmed and the city's morale punctured, nothing will keep this city down for long.

The simple act of getting on with life is a contagious one and the tourists in the region played their part to perfection.

While a cynic may suggest it is hardly a stretch for people in Bangkok to go out and enjoy themselves, the pall of fear that hangs over the city right now means every meal eaten and drink taken was a tiny act of defiance, a tiny moment of vindication for what Thailand can offer and a tiny seed of regrowth in area that desperately needs it.

"We are as prepared as we can be," Charlotte Wall, a teaching student from England, said.

"We will take each day as it comes and get on with it. For a split second we considered leaving, but it didn't seem right and so far we are OK."

Her friend, Pippa Jones, 20 agreed.

"My brother, who lives in Australia, has been texting and asking if I am OK and I said I'm fine. We are surviving," she said.

"Even if [Bangkok] did flood, we are in a safe apartment and have done all we can, so there's no point worrying about it."There is a famous photo of a London shopfront during the Luftwaffe attacks in 1940 that proclaimed that the establishment was "even more open than usual" after Adolf Hitler's cronies had blown away the front door and all the windows.

That one snapshot offered a wonderful glimpse into the psyche of those living through tough times and the whispered echo of that photo can be heard throughout the city at the moment.

Yes, Bangkok is hurting. But hurt fades. Water recedes and takes painful times with it. Bruises heal.

Eventually, the crying shall be replaced by the old sounds of joy and commerce and entertainment and everything else that makes Bangkok what it is. Saturday night on Sukhumvit provided a glimmer of what is to return.

But in the hearts and minds of those who call Bangkok home, it never really went away.

Bangkok Post : Suburb inundated as residents destroy dyke

Suburb inundated as residents destroy dyke

Boats needed to clear out stricken homes

• Published: 31/10/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Chaeng Wattana Road and surrounding areas have been inundated by overflow from Khlong Prapa after an earth dyke in Don Muang district was destroyed by angry residents.

The damaged dyke near Wat Nawong in Don Muang caused a huge volume of floodwater to flow into the Prapa canal, which supplies tap water to Bangkok.

The canal overflowed on to Chaeng Wattana Road from an intersection near Khlong Prapa canal to Phra Mongkut Hospital. Those areas were put under about 40cm of water, while flood levels in several housing estates on Chaeng Wattana Soi 14 rose above 1 metre.

Thung Song Hong police on Sunday sent boats to help transport flood victims out of the area.

The dyke was destroyed on Saturday by a group of residents living near Wat Nawong.The overflow prompted the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) to bore a hole through a concrete wall near Khlong Prapa to drain excessive water into nearby Khlong Bang Khen near Pongphet intersection.

Residents living along Khlong Bang Khen yesterday kept a close watch on the water level in the canal as one lane of Pongphet intersection was flooded.

MWA governor Charoen Pasra said the level of Khlong Prapha was still rising as floodwater in the nearby Muang Ake housing estate poured into the canal, despite efforts by the the authority and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to drain it into Khlong Bang Khen and other nearby canals.

He maintained the MWA would work at its fullest capacity to protect Khlong Prapa and its tap water production system from harm.

Due to the amount of low-quality floodwater flowing into Khlong Prapa, Mr Charoen has told people to boil tap water before drinking it.

MWA officials and workers yesterday reinforced an earth dyke along the canal.

MWA assistant governor Ulit Makmaitree said the reinforcement of the dyke along the canal from Wat Nawong to Chaeng Wattana Road was almost complete.

Teams of officials have also been dispatched to guard the dyke.

He asked residents not to destroy the dyke as it would affect the quality of raw water used for producing tap water. Remedial measures might be needed.

The Pak Kret municipality yesterday closed part of Liab Khlong Prapa Road on the Pak Kret side, from Chaeng Wattana to Song Prapa intersections, as the height of its dyke was being increased to prevent overflow from Khlong Prapa flooding the area.

Bangkok Post : High tide douses Samut Prakan roads

High tide douses Samut Prakan roads

• Published: 31/10/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

SAMUT PRAKAN : Several main roads in central Samut Prakan came under water, some half a metre deep, brought by the high tide yesterday.

At least one kilometre of Rot Rang Kao Road, on which the Imperial Samrong department store is located, was flooded.

Water was about 50cm deep and the road impassable to small vehicles.

Flooding stretched for two kilometres on the Tai Ban Road from the Tai Ban roundabout to Khlong Taporn. Water from the swelling Chao Phraya river surged into the road.

Some of the water seeped into a house belonging to Chonsawat Asavahame, chairman of the Provincial Administration Organisation. Sandbags were put up to keep out the rising water.

The province's major seafood market at Talad Hua Koh was heavily flooded. Water there measured almost one metre.

Many vendors, however, carried on trading. They said the water would recede when the tide ebbed in the evening.

Samut Prakan witnesses said the Chao Phraya River has risen noticeably higher in recent weeks.

City hall was secured with a double floodwall. The water almost toppled the outer wall, which is more than a metre high, although authorities were confident the higher, inner wall would be able to withstand the flood.

Samut Prakan governor Cherdsak Chusri said the floods receded after the tidal waters, which peaked at 2.53 metres yesterday, lowered.

He said the province is capable of handling more run-off from the North. Canals and waterways have been drained to make room for more water from the river.

In Bangkok's Klong Toey district, the effects of high tide also hampered efforts to repair dykes which had ruptured in two places along Khlong Phra Khanong yesterday.

The tide had accelerated the flow of floodwater which submerged areas including Sukhumvit Soi 50.

In Bang Na district, torrents of floodwater gushed through a 20 metre gap in a dyke near the Thai Plywood Company on Sanpawut Road.

TAN_Network TAN News Network

The water on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road front of Kasetsart University has receded.

Via her Facebook page, PM Yingluck affirms that the government is not abandoning the flood victims in provincial areas.

Bangkok governor: the heavy flow from upper part of the country nearly over but the flooding situation remains unstable.

The water level at Chao Phraya River near Phra Pin-klao Bridge about 30 centimeter below the flood levee.

Kasertsart University now deluged under about 30 centimeter of water

The navy's Hydrographic Department expects Chao Phraya River to rise to 2.5 meter at 11.31 AM today.

Floods in BKK

Floods in BKK´s 20 districts unlikely after sluice gates removed

BANGKOK, 31 October 2011 (NNT) – Deputy Bangkok Governor Teerachon Manomaiphibul said that after the sluice gates in Canal 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 have been pulled down and the Royal Irrigation Department has installed more water pumps at the water pumping station in the lower part of Khlong Song Wa, Canal 13, in order to release more than 10 million cubic metres of water into Bang Pakong River, the water situation in Khlong Song tends to get better as the water level does not increase. Believing that the measure is the right solution to the flooding problem, the deputy Bangkok governor estimated that the water level in Khlong Song Wa will decrease to 2 metres above MSL in 5 days.

If the measure proves successful, 20 out of Bangkok's 50 districts which are business districts and are not in riparian strips, should be 80% unlikely to be inundated. Those districts include Din Daeng, Phaya Thai, Bueng Kum, Bang Sue, Saphan Sung, Wattana, Prawet, Bang Kapi, Sathon, Thung Khru and Ratchathewi districts, Mr Teerachon added.

Cheap chicken eggs sold like hot cakes : National News Bureau of Thailand

Cheap chicken eggs sold like hot cakes

BANGKOK, 31 October 2011 (NNT) – Low-priced chicken eggs put up for sales by the Commerce Ministry were quickly snapped up within minutes.

The sale of 100,000 fresh eggs, which was due to begin at 10 a.m. on Sunday, had to start 15 minutes earlier as hundreds of buyers formed a long line two hours before the schedule at Or Tor Kor Market in Chatuchak area.

Each customer was allowed to buy no more than 30 eggs, each of which was sold at three THB. The campaign came after complaints of egg shortages which were blamed on transport problems caused by the floods. Starting October 30, about 100,000 eggs are put on sale at low price daily at the market in a move to relieve shortages.

The Commerce Ministry, Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL and Betagro will join hands to dispatch mobile Blue Flag units to offer food staples to consumers at flooded areas until the situation returns to normal.

The Commerce Ministry has also decided to import three million eggs from Malaysia which will arrive in the country today and will be distributed to retail stores nationwide.

TAT cancels Loy Krathong Festival as hotel and cruise businesses lose incomes : National News Bureau of Thailand

TAT cancels Loy Krathong Festival as hotel and cruise businesses lose incomes

BANGKOK, 31 October 2011 (NNT) – Mr Prasit Vichaisuchat, Secretary of the Thai Boat Association and Managing Director Assistant of the River Side Bangkok Hotel said that the occupying rate of the total 250 rooms in the riverside Bangkok hotels has dropped from the avarage rate of 70-75% to 0% due to booking cancellations by all Thai and foreign guests while International Buffet Dinner Cruise is also shut down.

The hotel industry is estimated to lose about 50 million THB of its income.

Moreover, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has cencelled the Color of the River, Loy Krathong Festival 2011 in Bangkkok and all festivities along the Chao Phraya River, resulting in the loss of more than 56 million THB of income which is supposed to be earned by the business of 30 dinner cruises on the Loy Krathong night alone.

Consequently, the Thai Boat Association will propose a plan to Mr Chumpol Silpa-archa, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism and Sports, to set up a post-flood integrated tourism rehabilitation strategy in response to the government's objective to welcome 30 million foreign tourists and gain 2,000,000 million THB in 2015.

The proposal suggests three key elements including the improvement and development of tourist attractions, the development of human resources and low-interest loans for tourism entrepreneurs. As for the short term, the tourism business will negotiate with the government in order to receive the share in the low-interest credits which are issued to assist flood-affected businsesses.

Bangkok Post : Khlong Prapa up, Chaeng Wattana Rd flooded

Khlong Prapa up, Chaengwattana flooded

• Published: 31/10/2011 at 09:21 AM
• Online news:

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

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Khlong Prapa rishing, blackish.

Khlong Prapa, which supplies raw water to be made into tap water at Samsen plant, was innundated from flooded Lak Hok area due to angry residents destroying the canal dyke to the length of about 10 metres two days ago. The water level is up a little, blackish and full of rubbish from Lak Hok's Wat Nawong community. Apparently, the MWA, soldiers and Ital-Thai have not finished repairing the damage yet.

The rising water from the northern runoff and from Khlong Prempachakorn overflowing now innundate the Bangkok side of Chaengwattana road. The level at Lotus and Big C is now higher than yesterday, about 40-60 cm. Small cars and motorcylces can no longer pass.

The Pakkret Municipality last night built an earth dyke on Chaengwattana intersection to prevent possible floodwater spilling over to Chaengwattana on Pakkret side.

Biking back to investigate Pakkret pier, the old reporter saw cars, pickup trucks still single parking and double parking on any elevated roadway on Chaengwattan Rd including on Rama IV bridge, leaving only one narrow lane for navigation. The number of parked vehicles has declined yet again.

The Chao Phraya water level at Pakkret Municipality, north of Nonthaburi during the morning high tide declined a little, but still the very highest ever in living memory.

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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Yesterday morning at Pakkret.


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Biz_TheNation Biz_TheNation

Flood on Chaengwattana Rd(Tesco,Big C section),Ngarmwongwarn-Pongpetch intersection-impassable to small vehicles

Thai-ASEAN News Network

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Evacuation issued for Laksi, Ladprao, Jatujak and Bangkhen

UPDATE : 30 October 2011

Bangkok governor Sukhumbhad Boripat said the flooding situation in Bangkok remains worrisome, especially during this period of high tide, in which the water level of Chao Phraya river is measured at 2.53 meters at Pak Klong Talad spot.

The Bangkok Metreopolitan Administration (BMA) is therefore ordering evacuation of Laksi, Ladprao, Jatujak and Bangkhen while making Chimplee and Bang Lamad areas of Talingchan district the top watch list.

Elsewhere, the water levels in Klong Song (Two) and Taweewattana canals are on the rise. Don Muang area remains critical.

The governor is also pleading residents in the flooded areas to comply with his evacuation order, as travel will be much more difficult later on, like what happened in Bangplad.

Thai-ASEAN News Network

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Flooding Situation Critical in Many Parts of Capital

UPDATE : 31 October 2011

The flooding situation in Bangkok remains critical as Ratchada Soi 36, Bang Khun Phrom Intersection and some areas behind Chandrakasem Rajabhat University are now deluged under water.

Since earlier morning today, the Khlong Ladprao Canal has been overflowing into the Ratchada Soi 36, flooding the sidewalks with 10-15 centimeter deep water.

Meanwhile, some areas behind Chandrakasem Rajabhat University are now deluged under about 10 centimeter of water. The local residents and businesses are hurrying trying to put up sand bag flood walls.

Also, the Kasetsart University in Bang Khen District is now flooded. The Vibhavadi Road in front of the campus is no longer accessible by small vehicles.

Near Bang Khun Phrom Intersection, the Chao Phraya River has been overflowing into the communities from Sam Sen Soi 1 to 5. The area is now submerged under between 30 and 40 centimeter of water. They authorities are rushing to put up flood barriers at the government offices in the vicinity.

Thai-ASEAN News Network


Bangkok Governor Asks All 50 Districts to Remain Watchful

UPDATE : 31 October 2011

Governor of Bangkok Sukhumbhand Paribatra has admitted that the capital has seen a relatively high water level during the past two days and the situation is still unstable. However, he has pointed out that it is possible that the heavy flow from the upper part of the country is nearly over.

In any case, he is asking all 50 districts of the capital to remain watchful of the flooding situation and has pledged that the city will vigorously continue the drainage effort.

The governor also asks the security authorities to oversee the disputes over some flood barriers, which have resulted in a number of flood walls being razed down by the locals.

Thai-ASEAN News Network

PM’ Facebook Post: Flood Victims Not Abandoned

UPDATE : 31 October 2011

The prime minister has affirmed that the flood victims are not abandoned by the government.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has posted a comment on her Facebook account, affirming that the flood victims, particularly those outside Bangkok, are not abandoned by the government.

Yingluck points out that the disaster management effort is separated into two teams; one is to fight flood in the capital while another is responsible for taking care of the flood victims.

The prime minister also expresses concern for those who have been struggling in the flooded areas for quite some time now, saying that she has explicitly ordered the provincial governor to look after their welfare.

At the same time, Yingluck urges those in the high risk areas to relocate to the evacuation centers prepared in many provinces. She also asks the people to remain confident in the law enforcement authorities who will watch over their homes and properties during the flooding situation.

TAN_Network TAN News Network

Deputy public health minister: sufficient drugs and medical supplies in the country to meet the demand

Govt prepares 80 billion baht to resuscitate the devastated industrial sector and pledges assistance for the affected Japanese investors.

Yingluck: Flooding situation in Bangkok improves - The Nation

Yingluck: Flooding situation in Bangkok improves

October 31, 2011 10:47 am

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said Monday that the flooding situation in Bangkok has improved as the Monday is the last day for watching the sea high tide.

She said the situation in Bangkok on Monday would not be as bad as on Thursday until Sunday.

She said the problem stemmed from angry residents demolishing the floodwall at Klong Sam Wa Canal had been solved following a talk with the residents there at 2 am Monday.

She said the authorities would try to drain floodwaters in Bangkok into the sea as soon as possible and the situation in the capital would not be as severe as in provinces.

The Nation

Thai Floods May Ease as Bangkok Defenses Hold, Yingluck Says - Businessweek

Thai Floods May Ease as Bangkok Defenses Hold, Yingluck Says

October 30, 2011, 10:31 PM EDT
By Supunnabul Suwannakij

(Updates death toll, flooded areas in 19th paragraph.)

Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Thailand’s three-month-old flood crisis may ease this week as waters move through Bangkok’s canal system and recede in areas north of the capital, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said.

“Please be patient for two to three more days,” Yingluck told reporters yesterday. “After the high tides recede, the drainage system can work at full capacity.”

The disaster has spread over 63 of Thailand’s 77 provinces since late July as rainfall about 42 percent more than average forced dams to release large amounts of water. Floodwaters that have killed almost 400 people and swamped factories and farms north of Bangkok are now flowing through the capital toward the Gulf of Thailand, 30 kilometers (19 miles) to the city’s south.

“Water from the north shouldn’t surge into Bangkok because the authorities have managed to gradually allow it to flow into the city,” Yingluck said. “If the barriers don’t collapse, inner Bangkok shouldn’t be flooded.”

The flooding in Bangkok is mainly limited to northern and eastern areas and low-lying places near canals. Some of the city’s major tourist attractions, including the Grand Palace and Chatuchak market, have experienced minor flooding, while the business districts of Silom and lower Sukhumvit remained dry, with sandbags protecting many office buildings and shops.

Confusion over the severity of flooding has fueled panic in the capital, leading to shortages of bottled water, eggs and baby formula as the worst floods since 1942 reach Bangkok. Dikes north of the city are holding back water that has inundated about 10,000 factories, disrupting the supply chains of companies including Honda Motor Co. and Western Digital Corp.

Flight Cancellations

Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport is operating normally and the company that operates the facility is “confident” that it can be protected from flooding, Somchai Sawasdeepon, senior executive vice president of Airports of Thailand Pcl, said Oct. 28. Still, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. and Singapore Airlines Ltd. have both canceled some Bangkok flights as the waters deter visitors.

The central bank last week cut its forecast for economic growth this year as the floods take a toll on manufacturing and tourism. Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy may expand 2.6 percent in 2011, down from an earlier forecast of 4.1 percent, and 4.1 percent next year, the Bank of Thailand said.

The government announced a 5-day holiday through Oct. 31 for 21 northern and central provinces to give people time to prepare for flooding. Commercial banks and financial markets will remain open.

Protecting Levees

Bangkok authorities are concentrating efforts on draining water through the Rapipat and Hok Wa canals, Yingluck said yesterday. Tidal surges may still threaten riverside communities until sea levels decline early this week, she said.

“We have to protect the barriers,” Yingluck said. “Some water may still overflow the barriers, but it won’t cause the whole city to be swamped.” Earlier yesterday, Yingluck asked people living outside Bangkok’s flood defenses not to damage dikes, after some residents clashed with officials who were trying to repair them.

“We’re worried about the levees along canals and ask for cooperation from people not to destroy them because it will make water management even more difficult,” she said. Residents in some flooded areas have torn down levees to allow water to flow to unaffected areas.

Chao Phraya River

People living near canals that run through northern Bangkok districts including Sai Mai, Bang Khen, Lak Si, Chatuchak, Lad Prao, Huay Kwang, Don Mueang and Wang Thong Lang should prepare to evacuate as a large volume of floodwaters arriving from northern provinces pushed up water levels, the city’s Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday.

The Chao Phraya river running through Bangkok swelled to a record 2.53 meters above the mean sea level, or 27 centimeters below the government’s main barriers, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said on its website yesterday. The tide reached 1.30 meters above the mean sea level yesterday, and may be 1.27 meters at 10:21 a.m. today, it said.

Late yesterday, water from the river started seeping into drains in streets around the Shangri-La and Oriental hotels. Twenty meters away, street vendors were selling rubber rain boots alongside their usual offerings of t-shirts and watches. Convenience stores in Sukhumvit Road posted signs on their doors in English saying “Sorry, we really have no water.”

‘Confident’

Authorities are monitoring levels in the city’s canals and bolstering sandbag barriers while accelerating efforts to drain floodwaters to the east and west of the capital, Jate Sopitpongstorn, spokesman for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, said yesterday by phone.

“We still have reports of an ongoing and continuous increase in water levels from the north and east,” he said. “There is not a substantial amount of good news, but we are confident that what we are doing at the moment can handle the situation.”

Yingluck at the weekend said floodwaters in Nakhon Sawan and Ayutthaya provinces north of Bangkok have started to recede, and rebuilding is beginning in some areas. She warned that high tides until Oct. 31 makes this “a critical period” for the capital, where officials are monitoring dikes and 1,682 canals that are being used to drain floodwaters.

The disaster has claimed at least 381 lives since July 25, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said on its website. About 26 of Thailand’s 77 provinces are still affected, the agency said. Rainfall this year through Oct. 21 was 42 percent above average, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

“The situation isn’t beyond what we expected,” Yingluck said. “After the water stabilizes, it will gradually recede. We have to closely monitor the barriers to prevent them from collapsing.”

BBC News - Thailand floods: Nervous wait for Bangkok residents

31 October 2011 Last updated at 02:20 GMT

Thailand floods: Nervous wait for Bangkok residents

By Sitala Peek
BBC News

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Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said she hoped sandbags would protect central Bangkok

Flyovers are congested with cars parked two or three abreast as residents try to ensure their precious vehicles are not damaged or swept away by the flooding that threatens central Bangkok.

"It's actually quite a problem," says lawyer Tanyarat Rattobut.

"People have died crashing into them, but they think this is the best way to save their cars.

"The police have no choice, there are just too many cars to move them."

The wooden two-storey home she shares with her parents, who are both in their 80s, lies in the west of the city overlooking a canal and is raised a few feet off the ground in the traditional Thai style.

Months of heavy monsoon rain has caused major flooding in Thailand and parts of neighbouring Vietnam and Cambodia too.

In Thailand alone more than 370 people have died so far with the rains swelling Bangkok's Chao Phraya River, which the Thai authorities fear could burst its banks at any moment.

'Just don't know'

"It makes me very nervous seeing the waters," says the 44-year-old.

"I am sure that it is coming but I just have to wait and nobody can tell me how close it will be.

"There are so many mixed messages. One of the Thai channels on TV says it will peak on Monday, another one says it could last for six to eight weeks. We just don't know what to expect."

Schools have been told they will not reopen for the new term until mid-November.

As an emergency measure Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra declared a five-day holiday to encourage people to leave the capital and 20 other flood-affected provinces.

"The holiday is due to end on Tuesday but there is no sign all the water has come yet or that it is going down, so you will have chaos when everyone tries to come back," Mrs Rattobut adds.

The historic former capital, Ayutthaya, has been inundated and the water has now reached parts of the Grand Palace complex in Bangkok.

However, King Bhumibol Adulyadej ordered that no special measures should be taken to protect the palaces.

'Can't walk far'

His spokesman said he wished flood barriers to be erected in the city centre instead to minimise the loss of human life.

Many people left the city days ago, but there are still sizeable pockets of dry land in Bangkok.

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Many shops are running low on basic supplies

"My parents are in their 80s, and they are very dependent on me," says Mrs Rattobut.

"They can't walk very far at all. I asked them if they wanted to move out but I got the feeling they wanted to stay if at all possible."

Mrs Rattobut has signed up to a receive a text alert from the authorities informing her if she needs to evacuate her home.

Residents have been given a number to call if they need rescuing by boat but have been told to allow up to five hours for help to arrive.

In the event they do need to evacuate, Mrs Rattobut will move with her parents and her 15 dogs into her husband Andrew's high-rise flat 8km (five miles) away.

Small convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Tesco Lotus are running low on basic supplies but larger stores inside the nearby shopping mall are still selling most products, she says.

Bottled water is harder to find though.

"A lot of people have left their homes without their animals. There's a lot of dogs crying out for food.

"If we survive the floods the next thing to worry about is waterborne diseases."

Bang Plad junction at 11:06am http://pic.twitter.com/9rPyVB1j ~ [at]Voice_TV

Joyday_Voicetv ChitnapaS

แยกบางพลัด ณ เวลา11.06 http://pic.twitter.com/rfNakbpt

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Northern run-off approaches city, reaching Laksi intersection on Vibhavadi Road; on Phaholyothin Road, it nears Bang Khen roundabout

วันจันทร์ ที่ 31 ต.ค. 2554

Northern run-off approaches city, reaching Laksi intersection on Vibhavadi Road; on Phaholyothin Road, it nears Bang Khen roundabout

MCOT_Eng MCOT English News

PM confident inner BKK areas will not flood; water drainage in eastern capital satisfactory; concerns over severe flooding in western BKK

Bangkok Post : Chao Phraya to rise to 2.5m

Chao Phraya to rise to 2.5m

• Published: 31/10/2011 at 10:40 AM
• Online news:

Today's high tide is expected to raise the level of the Chao Phraya river to 2.5 metres above mean sea level about 11.30am, the Navy's Hydrographic Department said on Monday.

At 4.30am today, the low water level was measured at 1.53 metres.

The water would have dropped to 2.20 metres by 3.23pm, low tide, but would rise again, reaching 2.30 metres at 7.53pm, the department said.

Bangkok Post : Buddhamonthon Office flooded

Buddhamonthon Office flooded

• Published: 31/10/2011 at 11:20 AM
• Online news:

Floodwater from the North has poured into the Buddhamonthon Office and evacuees who sought refuge in the area might have to flee again, reports said on Monday.

This morning, the flood destroyed about a kilometre of a dyke protecting the renowned Buddhist site. The water was over 30 centimetres deep and continuing to rise quickly.

The Buddhamonthon Office currently houses about 500 flood evacuees.

Officials and volunteers were trying to fix the broken dyke and slow down the flow of water, the reports said.

Six Bangkok districts evacuating as northern run-off approaches

Six Bangkok districts evacuating as northern run-off approaches

วันจันทร์ ที่ 31 ต.ค. 2554

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BANGKOK, Oct 31 – The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the capital’s municipal government, has declared six districts to be areas requiring evacuation as the northern run-off is crawling towards the inner city and areas along the Chao Phraya River is experiencing high tide Monday.

The six districts warned to evacuate are Don Mueang, Laksi, Bang Phlat, Saimai, Thawi Watthana, and Taling Chan.

Moreover, residents in 13 districts bordering the Chao Phraya River are on alert Monday, for another day of high tide.

Residents in seven additional districts -- Bang Khen, Lat Phrao, Wang Thonglang, Khan Na Yao, Nong Chok, Min Buri and Lat Krabang -- must be vigilant to monitor the incoming northern run-off.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra remains confident that the floodwater will not reach the inner part of the city, saying some parts of the capital sees more water than others due to some breached dykes, which are being repaired.

In latest reports, northern run-off is flowing toward the inner city, reaching Laksi intersection on Vibhavadi Road. On Phaholyothin Road, it is nearing Bang Khen roundabout while floodwater in front of Kasetsart University is flowing slowly to Kaset intersection.

On Chaeng Wattana Road, floodwater is rising as Klong Prem Prachakorn and Klong Prapa are overflowing into nearby residential areas.

More northern run-off is flowing into Klong Prem Prachakorn, posing a flood threat which could extend to Lat Phrao intersection via Vibhavadi Road. (MCOT online news)

Thai-ASEAN News Network

Many Bangkok Roads Closed

UPDATE : 31 October 2011

Phahonyothin Road, from Phahonyothin Soi 48 to Saphan Mai Market, is closed.

Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, from Muang Ek Intersection to the National Memorial to Lak Si Intersection, is also closed.

Meanwhile, the local road running from Muang Ek Village to Thung Song Hong Intersection is closed as well.

Meanwhile, there is severe traffic congestion on Ngarmwongwan Road, from Pongpetch Intersection to Klong Prem Central Prison.

However, the traffic routes along the Chao Phraya River are still accessible.

Bangkok Post : Bang Bua Thong level down

Bang Bua Thong level down

• Published: 31/10/2011 at 11:34 AM
• Online news:

According to a Pantip.com user living in Bang Bua Thong, Nonthaburi near Khlong Phra Phimon, the highest flood level has passed.

Here is the statistics.

28.10.54 Highest level at 48cm

29.10.54 Down 2cm = 46cm

30.10.54 Down 2cm = 44cm

31.10.54 at 09.32am Down 3 cm = 41cm

Bangkok Post : PM vows to protect inner Bangkok

PM vows to protect inner Bangkok

• Published: 31/10/2011 at 11:35 AM
• Online news:

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on said Monday the Flood Relief Operations Centre (Froc) will do its best to protect inner Bangkok from flooding and push for quicker drainage of floodwaters.

She expressed belief that after today's peak of the high tide the levels of water in various canals would drop and the floodwaters would be drained more quickly into the sea through eastern and western floodways.

The government would assess the flooding situation on a daily basis after the high tide.

Ms Yingluck said the volume of water in Ayutthaya provinces was now stable and expected to drop in the next one to two weeks.

As for the industrial estates ravaged by floods, the government had meted out a long-term plan to help them.

Japanese investors still had confidence in Thailand after the government explained its plan to the ambassadors of investor countries, she said.

The prime minister admitted the estimated 80 billion baht from 10 per cent deduction of expenditure budgets allocated to various government agencies and the 325 billion baht recently approved by the cabinet for restoration would not be sufficient.

The government would soon announce ways of mobilising funds for restoration in the long run, she said.

In the short run, the government would allow import of machinery through a fast track system with tax exemption and invite experts to quickly put flooded machines back to work.

Moreover, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (Jebic) was ready to extend loans for Japanese companies which had invested in Thailand.

Meanwhile, Thirachon Manomaipiboon, deputy Bangkok governor, said he expected water in Khlong Hok Wa would drop to 2m high above the mean sea level (MSL) in five days after the floodgates at Khlongs 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 have been removed.

Moreover, more water pumps installed by the Royal Irrigation Department at Khlong 13 would help drain water out into the Bang Prakong river at the rate of 10 million cubic metres per day.

The situation was improving and the way problems were being solved was on the right track, Mr Thirachon said.

Mr Thirachon said that with this method the possibility for about 20 districts of Bangkok to be spared from flooding was about 80 per cent. They are districts in economic zones such as Din Daeng, Phayathai, Bung Kum, Bang Sue, Saphan Sung, Watthana, Prawet, Bang Kapi, Sathorn, Thung Khru and Ratchathewi.

Wat Laksi is now flooded : National News Bureau of Thailand

Wat Laksi is now flooded

BANGKOK, 31 October 2011 (NNT)-The flood situation in Wat Laksi is critical as it is now submerged under 80 centimeter-deep flood water.

In the latest flood updates, the water begun to flood from the rear section of the temple and has expanded into other areas within the compound. Residents living nearby have already begun to evacuate while the outbound traffic on Vibhavadi road is now closed from Laksi toll way.

Public buses refuse to go beyond this point while those who expect to use motorcycle taxi service have also been turned down as the flood level continues to rise.

terryfrd Terry Fredrickson

Today's break in Prakanong canal sandbag dyke ouside Soi 50 about 5 metres wide. Waiting for water level to go down before repairs./CH 3