Bangkok Floods, 1st November, 2011-PM hopeful but governor fears a second wave

[StrontiumDog]

PM hopeful but governor fears a second wave - The Nation

PM hopeful but governor fears a second wave

The Nation November 1, 2011 1:06 am



The prime minister and the Bangkok governor offered differing views of the flood situation yesterday.

The premier said a critical mass of water had already been diverted away from the capital, while the governor feared another 'wave' would hit the western part of the city.

"I have never said there would be no more water in Bangkok, but the massive surge of billions of cubic metres from the North was diverted through canals in the eastern part of the capital," Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra told reporters.

City Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra, meanwhile, said he did not believe information from the government-run Flood Relief Operations Command (FROC) indicating that the flow of water from the North was slowing.

The governor said the most critical locations were Don Muang and Lak Si, where water levels were rising yesterday.

Levels in the west of the city were also rising and needed close surveillance, he said.

Water in Thon Buri, Bang Plad, Thawee Wattana and Taling Chan remained high. Bang Khae was critical. Many main roads in western Bangkok such as Uttayan, Charan Sanitwong, Boromrajchonnee, Kanchanapisek, Suan Pak and Putthamonthon 1 and 3 were inundated.

The problem was the drain system in the west was not as good as in eastern Bangkok, he said. Western Bangkok got water from Nonthaburi's Bang Kruay and Nakhon Pathom, he said.

"I will not cry 'crisis' where there is no crisis, but nor can I say the disaster is over, either, as long as Don Muang, Bang Plad and Thawee Wattana are inundated," Sukhumbhand said.

Yingluck said it was difficult to push water from the western part of the capital out to sea, as canals in the area mostly ran parallel to the coast.

However, the flood situation in Bangkok wasn't as severe as in other provinces. "We have not allowed all the water to surge into Bangkok at once," she said.

"May I offer my sympathy to all parts of society, including people in Bangkok's suburbs [and adjacent areas] such as Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan and Ayutthaya," Yingluck said.

The situation at many industrial parks such as Rojana and Nava Nakhon would improve within two weeks of the water in eastern Bangkok flowing out to sea, she said.

The government would spend at least three months rehabilitating flood-damaged areas, she said, adding that state and private banks would prepare over Bt300 billion in loans for victims of the floods. These include business owners, the industrial sector and citizens who need to rebuild or repair businesses or homes.

[StrontiumDog]

Western Bangkok bearing large brunt of the flood - The Nation

Western Bangkok bearing large brunt of the flood

The Nation November 1, 2011 1:06 am


Western Bangkok looks set to bear the brunt of the flooding as run-off water from upstream continues to enter the capital.

Several districts of Bangkok, meanwhile, now have a high chance of being spared inundation. They include Phasi Charoen, Sathon, Din Daeng, Pom Prab, Suan Luang, Pathum Wan and Phya Thai, according to Deputy Bangkok Governor Thirachon Manomaipiboon.

He said some districts of western Bangkok, such as Bang Khunthien, would very likely be spared too.

"The chance is about 20 per cent," Thirachon said.

Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee, speaking in his capacity as operations chief at the Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC), said between 80 and 90 per cent of Bangkok's western zone was likely to experience flooding.

"The water is flowing down to the western zone without any flood barrier," Plodprasob said. He believed that the house of Deputy Premier Chalerm Yoobamrung, which is in Bang Bon, would be flooded as well.

Plodprasob said there was about 8 billion cubic metres of run-off in areas north of the capital. Large amounts of this were expected to flow through areas on both sides of Bangkok, but Plodprasob said the west would face the biggest impact.

"After it sweeps past Bangkok's western zone, it will go to Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Pathom before it is directed to the sea," he said.

As of press time, run-off water in Bangkok's west had swamped the inbound Borommaratchachonnanee Road in Taling Chan district.

But he assured Bangkok residents that the run-off would not suddenly rush into people's neighbourhoods.

"It will flow slowly," he explained. He said the sun would evaporate a sizeable portion of water.

As for eastern Bangkok, Plodprasob said run-off there would move slowly, and there was a good chance Lat Krabang Industrial Estate would be spared.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday assured the public that the flood situation had improved.

Asked whether the crisis had bottomed out in Bangkok, Yingluck said, "I think so".

Yet, flooding remained a big problem in many parts of the capital yesterday. Water had spread to wider areas and more roads were impassable.

Lat Phrao District Office director Bophit Saengkaew said relevant officials were closely monitoring the situation and if floods became serious, locals would be evacuated. There were six evacuation centres in Lat Phrao district.

"We have tried to reinforce flood barriers and use pumps to drain water," he said.

He spoke after Don Muang and Sai Mai districts were fully flooded. Kasetsart University was also inundated. In the face of rising floodwater, the 11th Infantry Regiment also had to move military supplies and weapons to safe places.

Many people were seen travelling along the heavily flooded Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in boats and rafts.

Don Mueang Airport, which had been home to FROC till Saturday, also saw water levels rising. Many planes have been parked on the flooded runway.

In inner Bangkok, sandbag walls went up at key places on Rajdamnoen Nok, including the Agriculture, Transport and Education ministries, the Army headquarters, Parliament House and Metropolitan Police Bureau.

Ananta Samakhon Throne Hall was also surrounded with thick barriers and sandbags.

The high tide pushed the Chao Phraya River to a record level yesterday, sending water into many spots including Rama III Road. The spill-over was well under control, however, officials said.

[StrontiumDog]

Dispute has been resolved: PM - The Nation

Dispute has been resolved: PM

THE NATION November 1, 2011 1:01 am


The dispute between officials and residents over the drainage rate at Klong Sam Wa watergate in eastern Bangkok is over, with the height of the gate currently being fixed at 100 centimetres, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said yesterday.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said he had learned of Yingluck's statement, but needed a written order before he could comply with the decision on the height of the gate.

The governor had earlier said that keeping the gate at a height of 100cm would put many nearby districts that had not yet flooded at greater risk, and that 80cm was technically an appropriate level - a possible reason for his statement that he required written approval from the government before proceeding.

However, the gate's height cannot remain at this level all the time, and will be lowered occasionally to prevent excess water being released from Sam Wa Canal into San Saeb Canal, which would put many areas and industrial estates at risk of flooding, Yingluck said.

Local residents had converged at Klong Sam Wa watergate throughout Sunday night, demanding that the gate's height be raised to 150cm from the original, standard level of 80cm.

Feeling threatened by a 1,000-strong crowd, many of whom were armed with tools and hurled angry words at them, officials agreed to increase the height to 75cm in accordance with regulations and the authority they possessed.

The size of the crowd ebbed and flowed throughout the night, with additional villagers swelling the numbers after learning of the rally. The protesters also staged a roadblock at the nearby Hathai Mitr Intersection in a bid to pressure officials into meeting their demand for the gate to be raised to 150cm above water level.

Despite mediation by two Pheu Thai MPs, who said the height could be increased initially to 130cm after negotiations with officials, a group of residents starting digging up both shoulders of the sluice gate in an effort to release more water, before being pushed away by police.

Various proposed levels were repeatedly tossed around by both sides, with heights ranging from 100cm to 150cm being demanded, and 75cm being put forward by officials. The 75cm level was then jointly approved by the government and the BMA. However, a height of 100cm was finally agreed upon by the government and the BMA, as announced by the prime minister.

[StrontiumDog]

Suvarnabhumi Airport ready for floods - The Nation

Suvarnabhumi Airport ready for floods

The Nation November 1, 2011 1:06 am


Suvarnabhumi Airport places high confidence in its flood-prevention scheme, with the 3.5-metre-high and 37-metre wide earthern dyke and sheet piles to slow the currents as well as other preventive measures.

Airports of Thailand Senior Executive Vice President Somchai Sawasdeepon said that the airport also has a team of officers to monitor water levels at six flood gates including Lat Krabang, Saen Saeb and Samrong. Airlines operating at the airport are notified of water level every three hours, to ensure smooth aviation operations in Thailand despite the flooding in Don Mueang Airport.

Yesterday, the airport accommodated 945 flights, a new daily record since the opening.

Somchai yesterday briefed Japanese experts, brought in by Japan International Credit Agency which funded the airport’s construction, on the preparation steps. JICA’s experts were informed about the airport’s cooperation with all related agencies like the Highways Department and the Royal Irrigation Department.

The team of Japanese experts also received a briefing from the Flood Relief Operations Centre as well as Bangkok Metro Plc, the subway operator.

[StrontiumDog]

Burmese hungry - The Nation

Burmese hungry

The Nation November 1, 2011 1:00 am

More than 30,000 Burmese have been detained at the Immigration Centre in Mae Sot over the past two weeks, an informed source said yesterday.

The detainees - unregistered workers seeking to return home because of flooding in and around Bangkok - have complained about lack of food and water, as well as overcrowding.

Groups that support migrant workers say they are flocking back to Burma at a vast rate. About 1,000 people a day were leaving Mahachai in immigration trucks after paying Bt2,400 each for the trip to Mae Sot, activist Andy Hall said yesterday.

[StrontiumDog]

Test shows 'very deteriorated' water quality - The Nation

Test shows 'very deteriorated' water quality

The Nation November 1, 2011 1:04 am

The flood coursing through the Waterworks Canal in Bangkok's Bang Sue district has been shown to be among the filthiest in the country.

Worasart Apaipong, deputy director-general of the Pollution Control Department, said yesterday that the water quality at the canal in front of the Bang Sue District Office was very deteriorated, with 1.3 milligrams per litre of dissolved oxygen (DO).

Citing a report by the operations centre for pollution mitigation in flood-affected areas, Worasart said officials had measured the water quality at 25 flooded areas nationwide and found 32 per cent were "very deteriorated", 40 per cent "deteriorated", 4 per cent "fair" and 24 per cent "good".

In Sing Buri, tambon Ton Pho in Muang district and tambon Hua Pa in Phromburi district reported the DO level at 0.0-1.0mg/L, while Suphan Buri's Bang Pla Ma district reported 1.6-5mg/L.

In Lop Buri's Muang district, tambon Patan had 1.3mg/L of DO, while Ayutthaya's Lat Bua Luang, Phak Hai and Bang Sai districts were reported at 2.0-4.8mg/L. Nonthaburi's Pak Kret district was reported at 1.6mg/L.

From October 27-31, 190 water-pollution complaints were filed through the 1111 flood hotline and the 1650 department hotline.

Officials had given Effective Micro-organism (EM) liquid as an initial solution to 59 people while contacting other agencies for the rest. So far, 25,004 litres of EM and 40,000 EM balls have been sent to assist flood victims, while 85,000 litres and 11,200 balls were held in reserve.

Officials have also responded to 43 complaints of garbage or chemical leakage, including engine oil, in Nonthaburi's Pak Kret district and chemical fertiliser in Pathum Thani's Thanyaburi district, Worasart said.

[StrontiumDog]

Thailand Floods Pass Their Peak - Alan Taylor - In Focus - The Atlantic


A man sits at a flooded warehouse as water pours in, in Chinatown, central Bangkok October 31, 2011. (Reuters/Damir Sagolj)


A woman needing medical attention is lifted by Thai rescuers as she is evacuated to a hospital, in the floodwaters near the Chao Praya River in Bangkok, on October 31, 2011. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images)


A woman leaves a flooded market in Chinatown in central Bangkok, on October 31, 2011. (Reuters/Damir Sagolj)

[StrontiumDog]

Army reassures public over armoury - The Nation

Army reassures public over armoury

November 1, 2011 1:05 am



With floodwaters in front of the 11th Infantry Regiment barracks in Bangkok's Bang Khen district continuing to rise, Defence Minister General Yuthasak Sasiprapha yesterday ordered that APC trucks, weapons and munitions be moved to the 3rd Infantry Battalion in Phetchaburi's Muang district, and assigned 200 soldiers to guard and repair floodwalls.

General Yuthasak said the transportation, by convoy and using low-traffic routes such as Rama II Road, began noon yesterday and would be gradual.

Royal Thai Army deputy spokesman Lieutenant-Col Wanchana Sawasdee reassured members of the public that the transportation was due to flooding and had no political motive. He added that the 4th Cavalry Division King's Guard in Kiak Kai will move 19 tanks, four APS trucks and four Scorpion tanks to Chon Buri's Anti-aircraft Artillery Division 21, away from possible flooding.

[StrontiumDog]

Thailand Floods Pass Their Peak - Alan Taylor - In Focus - The Atlantic


A man takes a nap at a flooded bus stop in Bangkok, on October 31, 2011 (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

[StrontiumDog]

Flood Refugees Hole Up in Bangkok Airport - WSJ.com

• OCTOBER 31, 2011, 12:15 P.M. ET

Flood Refugees Hole Up in Bangkok Airport

By JAMES HOOKWAY

BANGKOK—Some 350 people are holding out as refugees in the upper floors of Bangkok's old Don Muang airport terminal, cast away on a patch of dry land as an urban sea spreads out around them across the north of Thailand's capital.


Associated Press Thai residents carry their belongings along floods as they move to higher ground at Bangkok's Don Muang district, Thailand on Monday.

Their determination to stay offers a window into the troubles afflicting tens of thousands of displaced people and reflects the growing pessimism many residents feel toward Thailand's rolling flood crisis and their government's ability to cope with the disaster.

The government's crisis-response team abandoned its headquarters at Don Muang over the weekend as power systems and the water supply began to fail, retreating to a new base closer to the center of Bangkok. The government also recommended that people taking shelter in the airport, which officially closed amid rising floodwaters last week, find shelter elsewhere.


European Pressphoto Agency Decommissioned jetliners parked at flooded Don Mueang domestic airport in Bangkok.

Pichai Chaipan and his neighbors, though, say they aren't going anywhere.

"We've got bottled water, we've got food and electricity generators, and our homes are just across the road," Mr. Pichai, 53 years old said, pointing out across the wide expanse of water that once passed for the main road to the airport, but which is now plied by motorboats and children floating in truck inner-tubes.

"Why would we want to evacuate to some other place? It will just end up under water, too," he said.

Many of the people camped out amid the check-in counters and luggage belts on the departure level at Don Muang—until five years ago the main international gateway to Thailand, before it was largely replaced by a more modern facility to the east that remains dry—say they expect to be there for weeks if not months. That's how long it's expected to take for authorities to drain a Kuwait-sized mass of water swamping the suburbs and industrial estates around Bangkok by directing much of the water through the city's canals and rivers to the sea.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said Monday she is hopeful that the mammoth operation can be sped up after peak high tides passed over the weekend without causing too much damage to the flood barriers that are keeping most inner parts of Bangkok dry.

"If there is no more additional water, the current run-off might not cause heavy flooding in Bangkok," Ms. Yingluck said.

In areas to the north, though, the over-riding sentiment is that worse is to come as filthy, debris-strewn floodwater makes its way south from northern parts of the country. According to the United Nations, a total of 26 Thai provinces are still inundated, with more than 2.4 million people affected and an estimated 113,000 people now taking refuge in makeshift structures or shelters. At least 380 people have died and an estimated 700,000 are in need of medical assistance.

Many of the displaced are in temporary evacuation centers, Buddhist temples or packed into relatives' homes. Other residents have refused to leave their houses because of fears of theft or damage and are hoping to wait out the waters in upper stories, sometimes without electricity. International charity groups such as World Vision are cranking up distributions of emergency food packets and other supplies, while authorities have dropped rations from helicopters, though many residents remain in areas that are hard to reach.

Frustrations are rising, too, as communities on the wrong side of the capital's flood barriers question the government's focus on doing everything possible to keep the worst of the floods from hitting Bangkok, the country's economic and cultural heart.

In some northern parts of the city, embankments and other flood barriers are protected by city officials after a series of incidents in which flood-drenched residents dismantled walls of sandbags in a bid to drain water out of their neighborhoods. The Thai military has deployed some 50,000 troops across the country.

Other Thais, meanwhile, blame successive governments for prioritizing rapid economic development and overlooking the impact of massive construction over what was previously a wide floodplain, but is now a vast reservoir of water slowly making its way to Bangkok.

Ms. Yingluck tried to sooth fraying nerves Monday by turning to Facebook. "The government is concerned about every individual who has experienced flooding, as well as those facing a lengthy period of floods," she said on her page on the social-networking site. "The government has emphasized with the provincial governors to exhaust all ways to take care of the people."

Foreign and local businesses also are growing more concerned about the longer-term impact of the floods, especially on the sprawling industrial estates that now lie submerged in Bangkok's suburbs. Honda Motor Co. said in Tokyo Monday that it wasn't able to forecast earnings for the year ending next March because the outlook in Thailand was so murky. It has seen one of its plants here flooded and another is under threat, crippling the supply of key components to its other factories around the world. Computer-industry analysts also estimate that around 25% of the world's supply of hard-disk drives are also under water, driving up prices as shortages begin to kick in.

Here at Don Muang, at least, people reckon the airport might be the best available refuge for some time to come.

Viewed from the upper-story former international-departures floor, the surrounding metropolis has been transformed by the inundation into a wasteland. In one direction, residents drag supplies of food and water behind them as they wade through chest-high waters. In the other, a line of jets are stranded on the airport tarmac as water levels continue to swirl higher, submerging some of the planes' wheels.

Scores of tents have sprung up inside, and there are portable toilets set up outside by soldiers. The main advantage for those who remain is the ample space inside. Other evacuation centers are growing crowded as more people flee the oncoming floods or try to get out of the city as supplies of bottled water and other basic supplies run short. It is also possible to wade to a train station to travel into Bangkok's mostly dry city center—at least for the time being.

"I came here from Bang Bua Thong, where the water is up to neck level and my house is almost submerged," said Orawan Suwanna, 62 years old, as she fed her three dogs outside the check-in hall.

"I've been here for a week and we mostly have everything we need, and there's plenty of space for the dogs to run around," she said. "That would be a problem if we go somewhere else. I think we'll stay."

[StrontiumDog]

Thailand Floods Pass Their Peak - Alan Taylor - In Focus - The Atlantic


A Thai woman washes in floodwaters at her home along the Chao Praya river in Bangkok, on October 31, 2011. (Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP/Getty Images)

[StrontiumDog]

Thai PM warns flood impact to last three months - FT.com

Last updated: October 31, 2011 4:27 pm

Thai PM warns flood impact to last three months

By Ben Bland in Bangkok

Thailand’s prime minister has warned that it will take the country three months to recover from the worst floods in decades, even though the capital’s central districts have thus far escaped being inundated.

Large swathes of Thailand are still under water as efforts to divert huge volumes of water away from Bangkok during Monday’s peak tides proved largely successful.

Yingluck Shinawatra, prime minister, said: “We expect after the water recedes that the industrial estates will recover within three months if we can release the water and recover the machinery quickly.”

Pichai Naripthaphan, energy minister, said the government would allocate 100bn baht ($3.22bn) to help rebuild key industrial estates and 800bn baht to revamp the country’s water management system, which failed to protect vast swathes of northern and central Thailand from the surge.

The Thai government had warned that the whole of Bangkok, which accounts for about 40 per cent of the nation’s economic output, could be inundated between Saturday and Monday when a high tide in the city’s main Chao Phraya river slowed the run-off from the worst floods to hit Thailand in 50 years.

On a visit to badly flooded areas in the north of the city, Korn Chatikavanij, former finance minister and a member of the opposition Democrat party, said that while it was too early to “count our chickens”, the situation appeared to be stabilising.

“There’s still a very big body of water on our northern border, but so long as the [flood] barriers aren’t breached, we should be OK,” he told the Financial Times.

But the Thai Red Cross and other aid organisations have warned that the flood waters may not drain away for weeks, increasing the risk that water-borne and insect-borne diseases could spread.

Nearly 400 people have been killed by the flooding in the country since July, when heavy monsoon rains began pounding the region. More than 1,000 factories have been closed, leading to global shortages of hard-disk drives and car parts. A quarter of the rice crop has also been destroyed in the world’s biggest rice-exporting nation.

Honda on Monday withdrew its earnings guidance for this financial year and reported a sharp fall in quarterly profit, after the floods forced it to shut a car factory that produces 5 per cent of its global output.

The Thai central bank last week slashed its gross domestic product growth forecast for this year to 2.6 per cent from 4.1 per cent and warned that output could be downgraded again.

While the heart of Bangkok was largely spared, conditions in the north and west of the city remained bleak, with a number of districts submerged in a metre or more of increasingly dirty water and many people running short of food and drinking water.

Several minor scuffles broke out between police and residents who wanted to knock down hastily constructed dykes that were protecting the city centre but causing flood waters to accumulate in their neighbourhoods.

The floods have provided the first big test for Ms Yingluck, a political novice who became Thailand’s first female prime minister in August. She has faced increasing criticism over the perceived lack of co-ordination in her government’s response to the disaster.

[StrontiumDog]

Thailand Floods Pass Their Peak - Alan Taylor - In Focus - The Atlantic


A man works at a desk in his flooded warehouse in Chinatown in central Bangkok, on October 31, 2011.(Reuters/Damir Sagolj)


Local residents stand on a makeshift shelter next to a temple as the night falls on the floodwaters near the Chao Praya river in Bangkok, on on October 31, 2011.(Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images)


A man takes pictures of a flooded area in central Bangkok, on October 31, 2011.(Reuters/Damir Sagolj)


A boy plays in the water outside a flooded temple in Chinatown in central Bangkok, on October 31, 2011. (Reuters/Damir Sagolj)


Thai soldiers and municipality workers work to fortify a broken flood barrier in Bangkok, on October 31, 2011. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

[StrontiumDog]

Economic Impact of Flood Mounts in Thailand - Southeast Asia Real Time - WSJ

• November 1, 2011, 12:34 AM SGT

Economic Impact of Floods Mounts

By Patrick Barta

BANGKOK––The economic toll from Thailand’s worst flooding in decades continues to pile up, with economists across the region downgrading their growth forecasts for the pivotal Southeast Asian manufacturing and tourism hub.

Reuters
Men seeking shelter from the floods on Monday sat on the wreckage of a car under a bridge in central Bangkok.

In the latest gloomy report on Monday, Moody’s Investors Service said Thailand’s gross domestic product will likely shrink in the fourth quarter, pulling full-year economic growth down to 2.8% after 7.8% growth in 2010, according to the ratings firm’s Weekly Credit Outlook. Moody’s went on to warn that its estimate of the costs of the flooding now ravaging areas north of Bangkok—roughly 200 billion baht, about $6.5 billion, or the equivalent of 2% of GDP—could increase as flood waters spread and cripple agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and other sectors. As recently as a few weeks ago, economists were saying the damage might be only about 60 billion baht.

The shutdown last week of Bangkok’s Don Muang airport “suggests that the flood has disrupted a substantial portion of the country’s distribution network, which would hurt economic activities even in areas not directly threatened by the inundation,” Moody’s said.

A number of other economists have marked down their projections for Thailand in recent days, with others expected to follow, after the Bank of Thailand slashed its 2011 growth forecast to 2.6% from 4.1% on Friday. In a note to clients Monday, Barclays Capital said it reckoned that damages could run as high as 300 billion baht, and that tourism arrivals were likely to stay weak until the end of 2011. Barclays said it, too, recently lowered its GDP forecast to 2.9% for 2011, and that “risks are rising” for a temporary interest-rate cut soon to offset the negative impacts of the widening flood disaster.

Credit Suisse analysts, meanwhile, cut their 2011 growth forecast for Thailand late last week to 2.7% from an earlier projection of 3.5%. The bank noted that panic buying of food and other supplies could help soften the blow in the short term by supporting consumption, and that there should be an economic rebound next year when reconstruction picks up.

But it warned the rebuilding period might not generate as much growth as investors and some residents hope, since it will depend in part on the speed and efficacy of government programs to restore lost infrastructure and boost consumer confidence––something that has been called into question recently amid widespread complaints over the government’s handling of the disaster.

ING economist Tim Condon in Singapore could be among the next economists to ratchet forecasts down. His 2011 growth estimate for Thailand remains at 3.9%, “but I suspect we’ll join the banks and be in the 2%-2.5% range” soon, he said.

The country’s all-important rice sector––Thailand is normally the world’s biggest rice exporter—is taking a particularly bad beating. Trading executives said Monday that exporters were having to declare force majeure on shipments of several thousand tons of rice because of flood-related disruptions, Dow Jones Newswires reported. Traders expect November rice shipments from Thailand to be less than 500,000 tons, compared with monthly exports of 1 million tons or higher until flooding problems began to spread in August.

The International Grains Council on Friday revised down its 2012 production forecast for Thailand by 1.5 million metric tons and said the country’s rice exports will likely fall 24% to 8 million tons.

[StrontiumDog]

Thailand Floods Pass Their Peak - Alan Taylor - In Focus - The Atlantic


A man watches the news on TV in his flooded house, near the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok, on October 31, 2011. Tensions were rising between Thai residents and authorities in flooded parts of Bangkok, with hundreds protesting that their homes were being sacrificed in attempts to keep the city center dry. (Christophe Archambault/AFP/Getty Images)

[StrontiumDog]

veen_NT veena T.

(1.08am) Water level in Kasetsart Uni is rising, creeping onto the Ngamwongwan gate. the entire uni may be flooded tonight. via [at]Rawee_Spring

Kaset intersection toward Nawamin Rd. at 1.37am RT [at]Annanop:ว http://bit.ly/tUj7c8



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Porpich Porpich Julia T.

01.27am Water from gate 2 of KU overflowing all lanes of Ngamwongwan Rd. by 5-10cm already ~ [at]Rawangpai & [at]Aanatasia

[StrontiumDog]

Bangkok Under Water : Photo Gallery - The Nation

Bangkok Under Water : Photo Gallery

November 1, 2011 1:04 am


On Monday, the Bangkok authorities asked people in six Bangkok districts to evacuate, as the water run-off from the north started to seep towards the inner areas.

The Nation online collects photos of flooding crisis in Bangkok for our readers. (Photos : Anant Chantarasoot/Nanthasit Nitmatha/Suphakit Khumkun/Thawechai Jaowattana/Thanachai Pramarnpanich/Watcharachai Klaipong)

[StrontiumDog]

veen_NT veena T.

2.08am...Minburi Market to be a critical area after the flood gate at Klong Sam Wa opened 1 m thks to its location in the middle of 2 sluice gates. via [at]Bancha_nna

[StrontiumDog]

Bangkok Post : Drainage operation expected to 'take 10 days'

Drainage operation expected to 'take 10 days'

• Published: 1/11/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

About 5.5 billion cubic metres of northern runoff will be drained into the sea within 10 days, the Flood Relief Operation Command says.

The Froc yesterday said the Royal Irrigation Department will present a plan on how to drain the water to the cabinet today.

Over a 10-day period, the tide will fall and begin to rise again on Nov 10 before reaching a peak on Nov 13.

The Froc estimated that about 9.9 billion cubic metres of northern runoff had been drained to the sea in the east and west of Bangkok and there remained about 5.5 billion cu/m in the north and the west of Bangkok.

At a rate of 550 million cu/m a day of drainage capacity, the water volume should be drained in 10 days.

Deputy Bangkok governor Thirachon Manomaipibul yesterday said the water level in Khlong 2 had stabilised and was likely to fall after the sluice gates at Khlong 9-13 in Nong Chok have been dismantled.

The RID has installed more water pumps at Khlong 13 to drain water to the Bang Pakong River. It is expected the water level in Khlong Hok Wa near Sai Mai district will drop to a controllable 2m at mean sea level, Mr Thirachon said.

With this measure in place, there is an 80% chance that about 20 districts of Bangkok will be spared from the deluge, he said. They include economic zones and areas far from canal sides such as Din Daeng, Phaya Thai, Bung Kum, Bang Sue, Saphan Sung, Watthana, Prawet, Bang Kapi, Sathorn, Thung Kru and Ratchathewi.

Former Bangkok governor Bhichit Rattakul said yesterday City Hall workers are racing to build a flood wall at Khlong Dum sluice gate where Phahon Yothin meets Khlong Rangsit, using filled sandbags weighing about 1.5 tonnes each.

The 4km levee is intended to stem the flow of the northern runoff on Vibhavadi Rangsit and Phahon Yothin roads in the capital. Construction is expected to be finished in the next few days.

"The BMA is taking an offensive approach to end flooding in Bangkok after we have been forced on the back foot for a long time," Mr Bhichit said.

Meanwhile, Anond Snidvongs, director of the Geoinformatics and Space Technology Development Agency, said he estimated there is about 12 billion cu/m of northern runoff spreading from Sukhothai.

Of that, only about 3 billion cu/m m of runoff will sweep into northern Bangkok, although efforts have been made to slow down the water flow. Eventually, only about 300 million cu/m of water is predicted to reach the north of Bangkok, Mr Anond said.

Meanwhile, Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra yesterday declared the heavily flooded Bang Phai sub-district of Bang Khae as another evacuation area. A close watch is also being kept on Phetkasem Road in Nong Khaem district as floods are expected to reach the area today.

Transport Co Ltd has decided to temporarily relocate its bus services from the Southern Bus Terminal to Rama II Road due to severe flooding on Boromratchonnanee Road.

[StrontiumDog]

Bangkok Post : Fed-up residents force open water sluice gates

Fed-up residents force open water sluice gates

Bang Chan Industrial Estate faces flood risk

• Published: 1/11/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Bang Chan Industrial Estate in the eastern Bangkok suburban district is in more danger of flooding after angry protesters forced the government to open wider a sluice gate in Klong Sam Wa to allow more water to flow from their inundated commuunities.

About 500 people block Nimitmai Road in Khlong Sam Wa district to demand the Khlong Sam Wa sluice gate be opened wider, from 70cm to 1.5m. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration eventually agreed to open the sluice gate by 80cm. TAWEECHAI TAWATPAKORN

The overflow from northen runoff will threaten the industrial estate located in Min Buri district now that the gate has been opened wider.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra told reporters yesterday she had decided to order the city administration to lift the sluice gate at Klong Sam Wa wider to one metre after the protesters' actions.


Commuters step on to a bus in flooded Chaeng Watthana Road opposite the government offices complex. WEERAWONG WONGPREEDEE

About 1,000 residents living along Khlong 3 and Khlong 4 rallied at the sluice gate on Sunday night to demand authorities open the gate more, reasoning that the narrow opening had caused serious flooding in their comminities.

After a brief rally during the day, the same group of residents returned to the gate late Sunday night to remove sand bags in the flood wall at the dyke. Some used sledge hammers to try to demolish the gate. They dispersed after local officials agreed to lift the gate to 80 centimetres.

Trouble escalated again yesterday when the residents returned to the gate, blockaded a road near Hathainimit-Wat Sukjai intersection and demanded the gate be opened further to 1.45-1.5 metres.

Some of the protesters formed a human chain and tried to break through block lines of riot police before Wicharn Meechainant, Pheu Thai MP for Min Buri, was called in to mediate the conflict.

The MP failed to convince the protesters to accept to the government's plea to keep the gate as it was.


An interprovincial bus is partly submerged near a bus terminal on Boromratchonnanee Road. PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD

Deputy Bangkok governor Thirachon Manomaipibul, said Ms Yingluck had ordered the BMA's Department of Drainage and Sewerage to widen the gate to one metre.

Bang Chan Industrial Estate, with more than 200 billion baht worth of investment, is one of the few industrial estates still unaffected by flooding.

Mr Thirachon said he had advised the government that widening the sluice gate would not only affect Bang Chan but also communities along Saen Saeb canal in Saphan Sung, Bang Kapi and Bungkum.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra shared Mr Thirachon's view. "Without a written order, I will not do it no matter how much the pressure," he said.

Anond Snidwongs, an academic on the water draining committee of the Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc), said the agency was concerned factories and low lying areas in Bang Kapi might be hit.


A man fits a small camera atop a pole as a measure against theft around the area where he sells spirit houses in Taling Chan district. Many areas of the district are under water. PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD

The government has tried to maintain the water level in Saen Saeb canal near Bang Chan Industrial Estate at no more than one metre above mean sea level, and up to 0.25 metres above mean sea level in the Bang Kapi area.

Froc will have to try to control the water level in those areas by regulating the water flow at Khlong 8 and Khlong 9, so that run off from Khlong Sam Wa does not affect residents along the canal, Mr Anond said.

The Democrat Party yesterday urged the government to invoke a special law to deal with locals who try to disrupt the government's water drainage efforts to protect their own communities.

Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said the party wanted to see the government take two key actions.

First, in areas that are not yet seriously flooded, the government should invoke a special law to manage conflicts between government officers trying to manage floodwater and locals who want to protect their communities from rising flood levels through intimidation.

After the government turned down the opposition's suggestion to invoke the emergency decree, it should instead invoke another law to keep residents from interrupting government flood drainage operations.


Students paddle past the flooded ground floor of buildings at Kasetsart University in Bang Khen district yesterday. THITI WANNAMONTHA

Second, in flooded areas, the government should ease the chaos that has ensued while evacuating flood victims.

For example in Bangkok's Bang Plad district, people had to struggle to get out of flooded areas themselves. No government officers were on hand to provide assistance to flood victims. Only soldiers were seen helping flood victims evacuate, said Mr Chavanond.

The government should also take earnest actions to solve the shortage of food, drinking water, public utilities, as well as the problem of inflated commodity prices.

"Right now the government has overlooked people's difficulties. They view it as something less significant than seeking a loan of more than 800-billion-baht to build up a new Thailand even though half of the country is still under water," Mr Chavanond said.

He also criticised the government for stockpiling donated goods at Don Mueang Airport and abandoning them there when floodwater flowed into the ground floor of the airport compound.

Meanwhile, Froc dissolved a committee overseeing flood drainage work chaired by Uthen Chartpinyo, a Pheu Thai MP, saying that the panel's work overlapped with the committee of water management in disaster areas chaired by Veera Wongsaengnak, a former deputy chief of the irrigation department.

A Froc source said the dissolution was in line with a request by executives at three industrial estates in eastern Bangkok _ Lat Krabang, Bang Chan and Suwintawong _ because the Uthane panel wanted to drain floodwater through the areas where the industrial estates are located.


Vendors try to keep their feet dry and carry on their trade as usual along the flooded Maha Rat and Phra Chan roads. WISIT THAMNGERN


Rows of sandbags are placed to keep water from the Khlong Prapa canal from flowing into Pracha Chuen Road. THITI WANNAMONTHA


Metropolitan Waterworks Authority officials have made a hole in a concrete barrier to release water into Khlong Bang Khen near Phetcharat School in Chatuchak district. THITI WANNAMONTHA


Vehicles push their way slowly through floods near the Phong Phet intersection along Khlong Prapa yesterday. THITI WANNAMONTHA

[StrontiumDog]

Bangkok Post : Residents urged to evacuate Bang Len

Residents urged to evacuate Bang Len

Parts of Nakhon Pathom expected to go under

• Published: 1/11/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Nakhon Pathom authorities yesterday warned people in flood-hit Bang Len district to evacuate within 48 hours.

Nakhon Pathom deputy governor Nimit Chanwimol said the water level in Bang Len continued to rise and tambon Bang Pasi is expected to be completely flooded within 48 hours.

Evacuees can take shelter at Kasetsart University's Kamphaeng Saen campus, Mr Nimit said.

He said the water level in Bang Len was around 50cm to a metre deep and the Bang Len-Lad Lum Kaew Road has been closed indefinitely because of heavy flooding.

In Pathum Thani province, Muang, Sam Khok, Lat Lum Kaew and Thanyaburi districts were 1m to 2m underwater yesterday.

People who have not evacuated their homes in Pathum Thani are complaining about the shortages of food and drinking water.

They said local administrators failed to reach their flooded communities and when they arrived at flood relief points, they could not receive supplies.

Mrs Premjit Chuen-asa, a resident of Rattanakosin 200 Years housing estate, said many families were staying there without power and officials refused to provide them with necessities and kept demanding their ID cards, which many of them had lost in floodwater.

Sanan Muangyu of Rong Tarn community in Thanyaburi district said burglars, pretending to be fishermen, were rampant.

Pol Col Wattana Wongjan, chief of Pratunam Chulalongkorn police station, said local police, Crime Suppression Division police and border patrol police were roaming the area to prevent thefts.

Meanwhile, floodwater is receding in Ayutthaya and local people are returning to their properties.

This was causing an obstruction for municipal workers who are trying to quickly transport materials and repair the dyke of downtown Ayutthaya to prepare to drain the water from the island.

Floodwater was 70cm to 80cm deep around downtown Ayutthaya yesterday.

Ayutthaya governor Witthaya Phewphong said operators were allowed to salvage their products and equipment at the flooded Hi-Tech Industrial Estate until Nov 9.

From Nov 10, officials will close the compound to start to repair its dyke. Water will be pumped out of the place from Nov 16 and the industrial estate should resume its services by the end of the year.

Operators and their workers were removing finished products and machines from the industrial estate yesterday.

Finished products will be delivered to buyers and machines will be relocated at other plants.

The Asia Highway in Ayutthaya is now passable and highway officials are repairing its flood-damaged sections.

[StrontiumDog]

Bangkok Post : Locals ease evacuee's suffering

Locals ease evacuee's suffering

Evacuation centre organises local tours, entertainment for Bangkok flood victims

• Published: 1/11/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

After the Flood Relief Operation Command suggested city residents move outside Bangkok in the wake of major flooding, Chon Buri has turned out to be the most popular destination for Bangkokians fleeing the flood.



This probably is due to it being only about 80km from Bangkok, with highways connecting the two provinces.

An influx of flood evacuees to the province reportedly caused shortages of drinking water, instant noodles, bedding supplies and electrical appliances, such as microwaves.

The Institute of Physical Education (IPE) in Chon Buri's Muang district is among nine evacuation centres the province has prepared to shelter evacuees from Bangkok and nearby provinces.

Within days of the centre opening, the number of evacuees had risen to about 3,500. People from both inside and outside Chon Buri have donated large amounts of food and sleeping gear for evacuees.

The major problem for this evacuation centre, which can accommodate up to 4,000 people, is a shortage of tents for evacuees with pets.

Kanyarat Kiatisupa, chief of Chon Buri province's public relations office, said some evacuees arrived at the centre with dogs, which are not allowed to enter the building.

In response, the centre arranged tents for them to stay in with their pets outside the building.

She said after Chon Buri residents had learned that the IPE had set up the evacuation centre, they brought food for the evacuees. However, due to a lack of communication between the centre and donors, there was too much food on some days and not enough on others.

"I would like the donors to contact the centre before bringing food to make sure that there is enough for the evacuees every day," said Ms Kanyarat, adding that donors could contact the IPE staff at 038-054186-96.

To help reduce stress for the evacuees, the centre also provides recreational activities for them, including music, sightseeing and camping for kids.

The province also organised trips to Khao Kiew Open Zoo, Bang Saen beach, and Si Racha Tiger Zoo for the evacuees.

Sompol Kemkhamnerd, chief of Sri Pratum University's human resources development office, said for families who expected to stay at the centre for a long period, their children would have a chance to study at nearby schools.

Sari Homsuwan, a resident from Bangkok's Sai Mai district, and his wife arrived at the centre on Saturday after their district was hit by the deluge.

This is the third evacuation centre the couple has stayed in, after Don Mueang Airport and Rithiyawannalai 1 School, both of which were evacuated after they too were flooded.

"Although I'm happy here because there is a lot of food and ample space, I still hope to go back home as soon as possible," Mr Sari said.

He said he was not too stressed because many people faced much more damage than him and he will still have a job when he returns home.

Mr Sari said he never thought the flood would be so high and it had damaged his refrigerator, washing machine and a closet.

Ramjuan Takonium, a resident of the Rangsit area of Pathum Thani, said she also had moved from the Don Mueang shelter and would like to go home.

She said she watched TV every day to monitor the news. "If the TV says there is no more flooding in Rangsit, I will go home instantly. I think I will stay here no longer than 10 days."

[StrontiumDog]

More Bangkok Post updates....click the links...


Armoured personnel carriers are moved from the 11th Infantry Regiment in Bang Khen district of Bangkok to Phetchaburi province yesterday to avoid flooding. THITI WANNAMONTHA

US confident that Thailand can rebound
01/11/2011 : The United States believes Thailand has strong potential to bounce back from the flood crisis, US ambassador Kristie Kenny said.

Japan vows to help thwart more deluges
01/11/2011 : Japan wants to continue supporting Thailand in a long-term flood-prevention system to prevent future inundations, says Seiji Kojima, the country's ambassador to the kingdom.

Army moves tanks from city
01/11/2011 : The army moved its tanks and personnel vehicles from Bangkok to other provinces yesterday to keep them safe from the flooding.

Health ministry looking to bolster antibiotic supplies
01/11/2011 : The Public Health Ministry will seek cabinet approval today for a plan to import antibiotics to prevent a supply shortage as pharmaceutical plants have been damaged by severe floods.

[StrontiumDog]

MCOT_Eng MCOT English News

Intersection at Kasetsart University inundated 30cm deep, causing taffic jam; Chaeng Wattana Road still flooded, government officials brave water to work at Government Centre

[StrontiumDog]

TAN_Network TAN News Network

BMTA provides free bus service from Victory Monument to flooded Chaengwattana Rd from 6am-8pm everyday

Kaset Intersection sees 40cm flooding; Kaitia Temple in Talingchan flooded; Chao Phraya River's highest point today at 2.48m

Nimitmai outbound lanes from Nimitmai 51 to Lamlukka Rd see 30cm of flooding, small vehicles should avoid

Flooding reaches Laksi Intersection on both inbound and outbound lanes of Vibhavadi-Rangsit Rd, small vehicles should avoid

Knee-high flooding in front of Central Ramintra for a 2km stretch, small vehicles should avoid

Flooding at 40cm in front of Govt Complex, small vehicles should avoid

Saen Saeb Canal boat sees normal service from Sribunrueng Temple to Pratunam Pier today