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

TAN_Network TAN News Network

CAT assures that 90% of home phone services in Bangkok and the outskirts will remain operational despite widespread floods.

The prime minister is noncommittal to the proposed Bt800-billion "New Thailand" project on flood rehabilitation and long-term prevention.

Bangkok Post : Sam Wa floodgate to be raised

Sam Wa floodgate to be raised

• Published: 31/10/2011 at 05:30 PM
• Online news:

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has agreed to raise the floodgate at Khlong Sam Wa from 80cm to one metre following a protest by angry villagers demanding the water be allowed to flow out faster into the canal.

The decision, approved by the Flood Relief Operations Centre (Froc), satisfied about 500 local residents who earlier on Monday blocked a section of Nimit Mai Road and destroyed part of the canal floodwall in Khlong Sam Wa district. They were demanding the government to raise the sluice gate from an 80cm opening to 150cm.

They believed opening the gate further will allow water to flow more rapidly to Khlong Saen Saep, from where the water can go to the Chao Phraya or Bang Pakong rivers.

City officials were reluctant to accede for fear that the increased flow rate might affect residents in other areas.

Bangkok Post : Giant sand bags to save city

Giant sand bags to save city

• Published: 31/10/2011 at 05:57 PM
• Online news:

The Royal Irrigation Department will build a new flood wall with “giant sand bags” near Rangsit canal to curb the flooding on Vibhavadi-Rangsit and Phahon Yothin roads.

The filled sandbags, weighing up to 1.5 tonnes each, will be carried by trains and placed along a section of Rangsit canal from Phahon Yothin Road to Muang Ek in Pathum Thani, as well as near sections of Phahon Yothin and Vibhavadi-Rangsit roads.

The four-kilometre levee is planned to slow down the flow of the runoff from the North and help end the flooding at Don Mueang airport on Vibhavaidi-Rangsit Road and parts of Phahon Yothin and Rarm Intra roads, former Bangkok governor Bhichit Rattakul said on Monday.

The flood wall will help direct the water into the Rangsit and Prem Prachakon canals, from where it would be pumped out to the Chao Phraya River.

Bangkok Post : US 'has confidence' in Thailand

US 'has confidence' in Thailand

• Published: 31/10/2011 at 06:14 PM
• Online news:

Despite the huge task ahead after the flood recedes, Thailand has the capacity to bounce back, US Ambassador to Thailand Kristie Kenny said on Monday afternoon.

Mrs Kenny was commenting after delivering the fourth batch of US supplies to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

The US disaster assessment team has worked with the Thai military, government agencies, and international organisations to ensure the appropriate distribution of flood relief, said Mrs Kenny.

The US had provided items that would not be duplicated by other donors.

"Our aid is so far worth 33 million baht and we are looking beyond the relief stage to rehabilitation in areas such as health care and education.

"American business is also keen to help with Thai economic recovery," she said.

Thai-ASEAN News Network

Eight Nabbed for Motorcycle Theft

UPDATE : 31 October 2011

Police in Nonthaburi have arrested eight men for allegedly having stolen motorcycles that the owners left on bridges in Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani to escape floods.

Thai-ASEAN News Network

Provincial Medical Teams Mobilized to Help Flood Victims

UPDATE : 31 October 2011

The Public Health Ministry has mobilized 38 medical teams from various provinces to help those affected by floods in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani.

Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri said the medical teams will travel by boat to visit and provide necessary aid to flood-stricken residents in areas hard hit by floods, including Thaweewattana, Bang Plat and Don Muang districts in Bangkok and other areas in Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani.


He added that for provinces that floods have receded, the ministry has instructed health officials to prevent possible outbreaks of diseases, such as leptospirosis, avian flu, diarrhea and conjunctivitis.

Wittaya said the ministry's latest official records showed that over 900,000 flood-hit people have suffered from different illnesses. A total of 6,516 were under depression and about 5,000 of them had to be given medication.

TAN_Network TAN News Network

Flood-hit residents in Bangkok's Klong Samwa District have called off their angry protest after authorities opened a floodgate.

Juarawee Juarawee K. (Lina)

BMA: Bang Phai (บางไฝ) sub-district in Bang Kae district is an evacuation area, while Nong Kaem on watch-list/[at]Neaw_NBC

tulsathit tulsathit
RT [at]jin_nation: Photo by The Nation's Prasert Thepsri yfrog.com/h6a1herj #thaiflood

veen_NT veena T.

7.20pm Dep Nakhon Pathom governor ordered evacuation in Bang Lane w/in 48 hrs due to rising flood level.

FROC: Water could rise by 10-50 cm along the BKK canels (Klong) as flood gates have been opened. TR [at]policespokesman

terryfrd Terry Fredrickson

The consensus from the experts on TV tonight seems to be that things are unlikely to get dramatically worse.

The problem in the west is authorities can't get water in major khlongs through the myriad of small canals to the huge monkey cheek below.

Bangkok Post : Govt ready for next high tide

Govt ready for next high tide

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

In a daily flood briefing on NBT, Froc spokesman said the government will be ready to cope with the next high tide.

Big picture: Nakhon Sawan water level down, making it possible for Chai Nat's Chao Phraya dam to release less water for the next five days, which should lessen water mass volume threatening Bangkok in the future.

All breached walls on the west side of Chao Phraya [Thonburi side] will be repaired so as to ready for the next high tide [during Loy Kraton].

BMA will try to keep water level in various canals not to overflowing too much as more water are being pumped from the canals to the sea.

New barrier using big bags will help prevent floodwater from Muang Ek to inundate Khlong Prapa and reduce flood in Don Mueang and Chaeng Wattana Rd.

New refuge centres in 14 provinces can accommodate hundred of thousands.

More sandbags will be erected at Khong Rangsit.

More donations from several countries including US and other countries.

Military personnel will patrol Khlong Prapa dyke.

All three armed forces numbering over 60,000 strong have been deployed for flood relief operations.

Bangkok Post : Inner Bangkok passes danger point

Inner Bangkok passes danger point

• Published: 31/10/2011 at 09:01 PM
• Online news:

GIS expert Dr Anond Snidvongs in a daily NBT flood analysis noted that innner Bangkok has passed danger point as today is the last day of high tide.

Bangkok North sees reduced water volume at Khlong Rangsit, Bang Pa-in.

Present flood in Laksi and Khlong Prapa resulted from leaks. Government is erecting new barrier at Lak Hok.

There is no more danger from water mass from the North. In the next 3-4 days, high tide will be significantly less and government/BMA can drain even more water which will see flood level in Rangsit decline slowly.

BMA tries to divert floodwater from Don Mueang and Phaholyothin through Khlong Lat Phrao and Saen Sap.

Floodwater from Lak Si will be absorbed at Khlong Bang Khen and will not reach Chatuchak area.

If new barrier at Lak Hok is finished tomorrow, flood at Chaeng Wattana will stabilise and gradually dry up.

Government will try to protect Khlong Prapa from floodwater.

Irrigation Department must finish all breached sluice gates/walls along Chao Phraya river so that all the flooded areas in Nonthaburi can be siphoned off to Chao Phraya river. This should be finished before Loy Kratong.

If a few leaks in the North are fixed, Chaeng Wattana can be dry within one week.

Lat Krabang, Nong Chok, Minburi were originally planned as floodway to be drained off. But this no longer work as people settle there and object to rising water.

To placate angry residents, the government decided to raise sluice gate at Khlong Samwa but this would pose threat to Khlong Saen Sap residents. Expect to see rising water in low-lying areas. But this would not pose threat to industrial estates.

In the next few days, Froc has to be careful about Bangkok North and the west. The west still sees rising threat while the North and East pose less threat.

Bangkok Post : Photo: Chaeng Wattana flooded

Photo: Chaeng Wattana flooded

• Published: 31/10/2011 at 08:25 PM
• Online news:

A Pantip.com user posts flooded Chaeng Wattana Rd on Bangkok side upto Lak Si intersection.



Chaeng Wattana Rd on Pakkret side is always dry due to the effective flood prevention measure by Pakkret Municipality and volunteers.

Thai-ASEAN News Network



Evacuation Ordered for Bang Phai

UPDATE : 31 October 2011

Bang Phai Subdistrict is the latest city area where evacuation was ordered by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration after Talingchan District.

The city administration has ordered emergency evacuation in Bang Phai as floods are expected to hit the area tomorrow.

City officials said floodwater flowing from the neighboring Buddha Monthon area keeps rising and will likely reach Nong Khaem District tonight or tomorrow before entering Bang Phai.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra warned city residents in west Bangkok to closely keep an eye on the situation, which he described as highly volatile.

He added the flood situation in Talingchan District remained unstable and the BMA has sought help from the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry to speed up flood drainage into the Tha Chine River.

Thai-ASEAN News Network



New Flood Drainage Plan for Cabinet

UPDATE : 31 October 2011

The government's flood center will tomorrow seek the Cabinet's approval of a new plan to drain flood runoffs swamping Bangkok and its outskirts into the sea in hope of seeing a quick end to the biting flood crisis.

The Floods Relief Operations Center said as of today, about 9.9 billion cubic meters of runoffs from upstream have been drained out and there are some 5.5 billion cubic meters more to come.

It said existing drainage systems in the eastern and western parts of the capital can push out about 550 million cubic meters of floodwater a day.

The flood center said the Irrigation Department and the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry will tomorrow propose a new plan to the Cabinet to drain out the remaining runoffs in 10 days, in time for another high tide on November 13.

Thai-ASEAN News Network

Flood Evacuees Pack Shelters

UPDATE : 31 October 2011

The flood crisis in many parts of Bangkok has sent evacuees packing emergency shelters in dry parts of the city and elsewhere.

Rajabhat Phra Nakhon University Rector Preung Kitratporn said the evacuation center at his institute has taken about 1,500 people, 10 of whom with chronic illnesses that need consistent medical treatment.

He said the shelter still needs more water pumps to drain out floodwater and more volunteers to help support its operation. Those interested can contact the university at 0-2544-8000.

Meanwhile, one of the flood shelters in Nakhon Ratchasima's Wang Namkheo District is now hosting some 1,300 flood evacuees from Bangkok and elsewhere. The center invited a group of Buddhist nuns for a preaching this morning to help calm their frustration.

There are nine flood evacuation centers in Wang Namkheo District alone and many more in Nakhon Ratchasima and neighboring provinces unaffected by floods.

Thailand Floods Pass Peak, Raising Hopes in Bangkok | News | English

October 31, 2011

Thailand Floods Pass Peak, Raising Hopes in Bangkok

Thailand's rain-swollen Chao Phraya River passed its peak stage Monday, raising hopes that central Bangkok will be spared the flooding that has already inundated much of the city's northern and western suburbs.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the government is now focused on repairing several ruptures in the city's flood barriers where water still is seeping through.

"Today Bangkok residents might feel that the water level hasn't gone down because in some canals the broken barriers haven't been fixed, so the water comes in," said Yingluck. "So we've speeded up the repair at several spots. Last night we asked the private sector to help out so there are a few spots we're rushing to fix. Once the problem is solved we can be less worried."

She said once those repairs are made, residents should be able to begin to relax.

However, residents in areas outside the flood barriers remain deeply frustrated as the water continues to pour through their streets and into their homes.

One resident of a district north of Bangkok said that in his neighborhood, the water still seems to be rising.

"The water level has not receded, it keeps rising, not receding. It will rise in the morning from 9 to 10 am, it will rise and will not recede.''

He said he does not know when it will recede.

Months of flooding across central Thailand have sent massive amounts of water southward toward the capital, its last obstacle on the way to the sea. The flood peak in Bangkok has coincided with unusually high tides which have pushed water back up the Chao Phraya River.

The combination has strained the city's flood barriers to their capacity, creating leaks that have sent ankle-high water into downtown streets around Bangkok's iconic Grand Palace and other tourist attractions.

Tens of thousands of residents have fled the area on bamboo rafts, vans, army trucks or on foot, heading for higher ground in the south. Many have flown out of the city.

The flooding that began in July - the country's worst in 50 years - has already claimed more than 380 lives. The material losses are yet to be determined.

Yaowaraj flooded on Monday



Uploaded by TheNationDigital on Oct 31, 2011

^ The latest for Nong Khaem is that it is on the current list to evacuate ...so they are having floods there and it looks as though it is going to get bad....I think there will be more news on this over the next 24 hours. I hope your friends are okay....

Bangkok Post : Yingluck signs order raising sluice gate

Yingluck signs order raising sluice gate

• Published: 31/10/2011 at 10:14 PM
• Online news:

Khlong Samwa saw trouble since yesterday when residents of Khlong Samwa north of the sluice gate demanded BMA open the sluice gate to lessen their suffering.

Last night after long negotiation with mediation of local MP, BMA agreed to open the sluice gate at 80 cm.

However, the residents today again came out to demand BMA raise the gate further to 150 cm. After negotiation, BMA agreed to 100 cm but the governor insisted on signed order from PM Yingluck Shinwatra.

She did tonight.

The sluice gate helps protect Khlong San Saep and Minburi and Lat Krabang which have two industrial estates: Lat Krabang and Bang Chan.

It is expected that 100 cm will speed up the waterflow into Minburi and Lat Krabang as well as inundates residents along Khlong San Saep a little.

Anger rises in flooded Bangkok as centre stays dry - Channel NewsAsia

Anger rises in flooded Bangkok as centre stays dry

Posted: 31 October 2011 2038 hrs


Local residents transport bottled water on a makeshift raft in a flooded area next to the Chao Praya river in Bangkok.
(AFP photo/Nicolas Asfouri)


BANGKOK - Tensions were rising between Thai residents and authorities in flooded parts of Bangkok on Monday, with hundreds protesting that their homes were being sacrificed in attempts to keep the city centre dry.

Police said 200 to 300 people gathered to demand the wider opening of a sluice gate in the northeastern district of Khlong Sam Wa, but the officials held firm and at one point formed a human chain to keep back the villagers.

"The FROC (Flood Relief Operations Centre) has asked the army to send personnel to areas where it has conflicts. The army has sent 200 military police to back up police forces," said defence minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha.

Hopes are growing that central Bangkok will be spared from major inundation after barriers along Bangkok's swollen Chao Phraya River prevented a major overflow during a spring high tide over the weekend.

But the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the situation remained "critical" in several flooded districts in northern and western city areas, some with water levels rising above one metre (3 feet).

"Meanwhile, tensions are being reported between the authorities and local residents who fear that floodwalls are preventing water from draining out of their districts," the OCHA statement said.

It said a group of residents destroyed a dyke in northern Don Mueang on Saturday, causing a huge volume of floodwater to flow into the Prapa canal, which supplies tap water to Bangkok.

"The military has deployed 50,000 troops across the country to guard and maintain the flood barriers," said the statement.

Villagers in Khlong Sam Wa, who also blocked two roads on their second day of protest Monday, said they were paying the price to keep Thailand's capital and economic heartland free from the kingdom's worst flooding in decades.

"My house has been flooded for two months now and in the last two weeks it's got worse," Samorn Sohwiset, 43, told AFP. "I'll stay here until they open the gate."

Another young male villager, who was digging an irrigation channel to bypass the gate and allow water to pass to the other side, said officials only cared "for the rich people".

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said that fully opening the gates would threaten key areas of the capital.

"We don't want a group of people to affect our long-term plan," said BMA spokesman Jate Sopitpongstorn. "We take care of the overall situation".

The three-month crisis -- triggered by unusually heavy monsoon rains -- has left at least 381 people dead around the kingdom and damaged millions of homes and livelihoods, mostly in northern and central Thailand.

The crisis has forced the shutdown of thousands of inundated factories, disrupting supply chains and putting more than half a million people temporarily out of work.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the government had made plans to rehabilitate industrial estates, but that it could take three months to get them up-and-running as normal.

Japanese automaker Honda on Monday held off giving an earnings forecast for the year ending March 2012 as it continued to assess the impact on its operations caused by the Thai floods, which have forced it to halt production there.

In the event of a water landing… flooded airport pictures show extent of Thai crisis which is worst in over half a century

By Chris Parsons

Last updated at 4:02 PM on 31st October 2011
As emergency services in Thailand battle against the country's worst flooding in half a century, parts of the nation's infrastructure remained literally at a standstill.

Advancing floodwater in Bangkok saw commercial flights at Don Mueang Airport shut down, as the wheels of decommissioned jetliners on the flood-hit runways were left completely submerged.

The floods in Thailand have so far claimed 381 lives, while the country's government is considering a recovery plan which could cost $30billion.


Grounded: Several more jetliners sit on the airport's flooded runway, where authorities have been powerless to prevent advancing waters pouring across the airport


Submerged: A decommissioned Thai jetliner sits on the runway at Don Mueang Airport in Bankgkok, completely surrounded by floodwaters

A further 2.5million people are thought to have been affected by the flooding.

At Don Mueang Airport, high floodwaters have swamped internal roads and poured onto the runways themselves, grounding commercial flights.

The flooding at Don Muang Airport, which is mainly used for domestic flights, is one of the biggest blows yet to government efforts to prevent Bangkok from becoming submerged.


Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport has symbolised Thailand'sflood crisis, as its terminal also houses the country's recently-established emergency Flood Relief Operations Centre

The airport also houses the government's emergency Flood Relief Operations Centre, and one of its terminals has been converted into an overcrowded shelter filled with tents for 4,000 people forced to leave their homes.

Thai Orient Airlines and Nok Air, the two main carriers at Don Mueand Airport, suspended operations and diverted flights to Suvarnabhumi Airport because of the flood threat.

The airport's director, Mr Kantpat Mangalasiri, said its commercial runways would be closed until Tuesday to ensure safe aircraft operations.

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra told residents of Bangkok to be 'confident' as she headed into a government crisis meeting, saying there may be overflow into some areas but that it would not cause any great damage.

'We will recover soon,' she said.

Floodwaters have submerged entire towns across the country's heartland and shuttered hundreds of factories over the last two months.

In the past week, the waters have reached into outer neighborhoods of the capital, while its central districts of skyscrapers, apartment towers and glitzy malls have remained dry.

This weekend's high tides were described as the greatest test of the capital's flood defenses, and many wary business owners hastily built temporary cement-and-brick walls around their entrances.

While downtown Bangkok was bone-dry, areas along the city's outskirts saw flooding spread.

Seven of Bangkok's 50 districts - all in the northern and western outskirts - are heavily inundated.

Eight other districts have seen less serious flooding.

Thousands of Bangkok residents used a special five-day holiday to leave town, with some wary of confusing warnings regarding the flood threat and others concerned about sparse supplies in stores due to weeks of panic buying and flood-related distribution problems.

In the past few days the situation at Don Mueang Airport is said to have become chaotic.

Aswell as housing stranded passengers, more travellers have turned up without knowing their flights were cancelled.

Last week, the government declared public holidays from last Thursday until today in affected areas of Thailand.

The Education Ministry also ordered schools in 12 affected provinces and the capital to close until Nov 7.


Thailand's two main flight carriers suspended operations and diverted flights as the flooding intensified in Bangkok


Rescue: The Thai government are considering a $30billion recovery plan in an attempt to combat the intense flooding which has left parts of Bangkok at a standstill

Read more: Thailand floods: Bangkok Don Mueang Airport pictures show extent of crisis | Mail Online