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It is a sunny morning, but from my window at the Hilton facing the North-East, I can see there's still a gray cloudiness (looks almost like a haze in the distance) far away...
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Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi have been declared 'safe'....
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/loca...-declared-safeBangkok is safe, with the much-feared mass of water runoff from the North having moved past the capital, flood prevention agencies say.
The overall flood problem shows signs of easing, the government's flood relief centre announced yesterday. Most parts of Bangkok would definitely not be flooded, it added.
Some low-lying areas to the east of the capital which are outside of flood protective barriers may experience rising water, but the flooding is being contained, says the Royal Irrigation Department.
Affected areas include Klong Sam Wa, Lat Krabang, Min Buri and Nong Chok districts.
But for the rest of Bangkok, residents could rest assured.
The biggest bulk of accumulated water from upstream provinces had flowed past the capital and emptied into the sea, said Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Theera Wongsamut. He said the RID had forecast the mass of water would reach Bangkok on the weekend.
At its peak on Saturday, the water level of the Chao Phraya River measured 2.29 metres, one centimetre below what the RID had predicted, at the Memorial Bridge.
Flood water in other provinces will stabilise and gradually recede, he said.
"I can confirm that the biggest water mass is behind us now," Mr Theera said, adding that the Chao Phraya River would not burst through flood walls protecting Bangkok.
Yongsak Kongmak, of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, said flooding within flood-protected localities of Bangkok was the result of collected rainwater, not the northern water run-off.
Bangkok has high-capacity sluice gates to control the ebb and flow of water during high tide.
The 6km flood barrier along Khlong Hok Wa Sailang, which serves as the main defence for northernmost districts of Don Muang and Sai Mai, has been rebuilt.
It was reported that the northern and eastern districts of Bangkok were particularly vulnerable to advancing water from Ayutthaya which has submerged communities and several industrial estates there.
RID chief Chalit Damrongsak said yesterday the worst was over. But he cautioned that even though the water mass had drained into the sea, the water would not instantly disappear.
This was because much of the water flooding the fields in some of Bangkok's surrounding provinces would slowly flow into the Chao Phraya River.
Authorities are watching water from the flood-crippled Rojana and Hi-Tech industrial estates, fearing that it might overflow onto the Friendship highway in Bang Pa-in district of Ayutthaya.
He thanked local residents for letting the RID divert excess water through sluice gates in Khlong Pad and Khlong Sib even though the operation subjected them to the nuisance of lingering flood waters.
By doing so, the water would be pushed into the sea through rivers and canals in the eastern provinces, averting Bangkok.
The RID will deploy more water pumps at the Chulalongkorn sluice gate, one of the crucial points of water management efforts.
A substantial amount of water will also be channelled through the nearby Chiang Rak Noi sluice gate.
Mr Chalit said the next high tide was expected towards the end of the month. Embankments of sand bags and barriers will be strengthened where necessary and he urged residents not to remove the bags in the belief that doing so would hasten drainage in their neighbourhoods.
Mr Theera, meanwhile, said major upstream dams such as the Bhumibol in Tak, Sirikit in Uttaradit and Pasak Jolasid in Lop Buri were discharging significantly less water, meaning no more flood water was being retained in the North that could threaten downstream provinces.
There are indications the water level and flow of the Chao Phraya River were stabilising in Nakhon Sawan, which is at the confluence of a number of waterways that form the Chao Phraya.
The agriculture minister added that the Chao Phraya River in Sing Buri, Ang Thong and Ayutthaya provinces was likely to begin receding in coming days.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday presided over the launch of 500 boats in Nonthaburi to help push water in the Chao Phraya River, the Bang Pakong River and Tha Chin River out into the sea.Comment
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I spent midday Saturday in the sweltering heat of JJ, very little additional effect from the rains the day previous, actually. If you're in BKK, you wouldn't even notice any mass of water as it's all been diverted, as the news says... I must say the poor weather Sat afternoon resulted in my exploring the newly-opened Terminal 21 right next to the Westin/SGS area (it just opened Tuesday), and it's not half bad to have a major shopping mall just open next door, really. Watching the lightning storm from the Hilton lounge below 360 was awesome - you could barely hear the storm raging outside, but seeing eight consecutive flashes of lightning within 5 seconds is rather tremendous at that height! Having dinner downstairs at Flow was also pleasant - you could see the high waters in the Chao Phraya river, but no problems in general
Sunday afternoon was mostly spent indoors also, and there were plenty of guests (guessing Americans) at the Hilton still. It's business as usual in BKK.Comment
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Or are they.....Originally posted by MAN Flyer View Post
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/loca...nd-the-capitalThe Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is defending the eastern part of the capital by speeding up reinforcement of flood barriers in Sai Mai district to avert threats from rising floodwaters.
Sai Mai has become a strategic battleground for City Hall as failure to stop flooding there could see some northern and eastern districts close to inner Bangkok such as Don Muang, Bang Khen, Bang Kapi and Min Buri under water and inflict damage to the capital.
The BMA on Tuesday mobilised officials and volunteers to build "wider and stronger" dykes at Khlong Hok Wa canal in Sai Mai after being alerted by the government that it could not control floodwaters in Khlong 8 and Khlong 9 canals and their levels could reach 3.5 metres above the mean sea level and affect Sai Mai.
The six-kilometre-long dykes were built to a height of 2.5m above the mean sea level and more are under construction with 500,000 sandbags.
But that seemed not to be enough for the campaign as Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said the BMA needed 2 million sandbags for the dyke in 48 hours. The BMA can produce 250,000 more per day and the government has promised to supply 1 million more.
"We need to make the barrier wider and stronger. That is our objective today," the governor said.
"Bangkok is my home. I'm the housekeeper for the whole of Bangkok, so I cannot allow flooding in any part of the city without trying to stop it," he added, as thousands of volunteers helped build a wall of sandbags to protect Khlong Hok Wa from the runoff of flooding north of the capital.
Med Yuwalaboon, a shop owner who went to help in Pathum Thani before coming to Sai Mai said: "I think we need to help one another. If you ask me whether Bangkok can be allowed to be flooded, I would say yes. It's my home too but I believe we have to share the suffering if the flood really comes."
Other areas where dykes were reinforced yesterday included those in Liap Khlong 2 road and the U-turn under a bridge of Phahon Yothin road close to Rangsit Prayoonsak canal as the spot connects to Don Muang.
MR Sukhumbhand hoped the government would keep its promise to limit the drainage of floodwaters from Pathum Thani to wait for Bangkok to reinforce its dykes and help protect the capital.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the government would drain floodwater from Pathum Thani province through Raphiphat and Rangsit Prayoonsak canals and the eastern part of Bangkok into the sea. She said locals would be affected but most of the floodwater would pass fields.
But the water level of Raphipat canal in Khlong Luang district in Pathum Thani continued to rise and waters had poured through a damaged flood wall.
Authorities and volunteers were attempting to repair the flood wall quickly, as main roads could be cut off if more water entered the area.
Yesterday floodwaters from the North inundated Phahon Yothin and Rangsit-Pathum Thani roads as well as the Rangsit market in Thanyaburi district of Pathum Thani.
Inbound lanes of Phahon Yothin Road from Rangsit area to the Zeer Rangsit shopping centre in Lam Luk Ka district were flooded.
The Ratanakosin 200 Years housing estate near the Rangsit railway station was 1.5m under water. Many people in deeply flooded communities in Rangsit were evacuated.
Floodwater broke through a 7m section of the soil dyke near Raphiphat canal, inundating communities between Khlong 3 and Khlong 4 areas in Rangsit.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15350948Thai soldiers and civilians worked frantically to shore up sandbag defences on the northern edge of the Bangkok on Tuesday.
The action came after the city's governor warned that the threat posed by the worst flooding in Thailand in half a century was not yet past.
"Every second counts," said Gov Sukhumbhand Paribatra, saying more than one million more sandbags were needed.
His warning came despite government confidence the threat was subsiding.
At least 315 people have been killed and tens of thousands left homeless in the floods, which have inundated two-thirds of the country since July. A third of Thai provinces remain under water, reports suggest.
Analysts say the floods - which have hit the country's extensive manufacturing infrastructure - are likely to cut annual economic growth by more than one percentage point, but this could double if Bangkok is badly hit.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and government ministers had expressed confidence that the threat to the capital had peaked but Gov Sukhumbhand - from a rival party - warned that it was still in danger.
Late on Monday, he said a 6km (3.7-mile) flood wall running along the northern edge of of the city suburbs was vulnerable to massive streams of run-off flowing from provinces north of the city into the Gulf of Thailand, AP news agency reported.
Navanakorn warning
He said the wall needed to be reinforced by 50cm (20 inches) by Wednesday night, saying that the central government had promised to supply more sandbags but urging residents to help produce yet more.
On Monday, the authorities ordered one of Thailand's oldest and largest industrial estates, Navanakorn, to be evacuated, after floodwaters overwhelmed defences at the site, which houses global manufacturers including Casio, Nestle and Toshiba.
Officials now say about 10% of the site is under water. Authorities have warned residents in low-lying eastern suburbs of the capital that sluice gates upstream might be opened to spare the site more flooding, AFP news agency reported.
"It's necessary to save places of economic significance while sacrificing less important areas," Justice Minister Pracha Promnog, director of the government's flood relief centre, said according to AFP.Comment
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I'm due to go through Suvarnabhumi five or six times next week myself so I am also rather hoping everything is alright...Comment
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I will be there tomorrow !
My thai colleagues are saying Central World/Siam/MBK/Terminal 21/Silom area as of today is still spared & safe, as those are considered inner BKK.
And from Airport to Downtown if using expressway, no problem at the moment.Comment
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AOT have a plan, apparently......
Meanwhile, ACM Sumet Photimanee, chairman of Airports of Thailand (AoT), on Thursday expressed confidence that Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports were well-prepared to prevent floodwater from intruding into their respective compounds.
Currently, Suvarnabhumi Airport has a 3.5 metre-high flood prevention wall but the chairman explained that he was still worried about areas north of Don Mueang Airport that may yet be subject to larger amounts of northern run-off.
To brace for the possibility of full-scale flooding, Don Mueang Airport authorities built an additional temporary embankment with some 10,000 sandbags.
For Suvarnabhumi Airport, AoT has prepared a contingency plan to cope with the possible flood situation. The plan is ready to put into effect if and when the situation warrants. Airlines and business operators as well as related agencies have been notified about the plan, including an option to move facilities and aircraft to operate at Chon Buri's U-Tapao Airport and other airports.Comment
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Yeah hope things get better.... I will be there tomorrow..... Crossing my finger...... I did chase the typhoon 3 times in Taipei. Hopefully I will bring sun to Bangkok tomorrowvisit my blog
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Reporting Live in BKK now, no problems in downtown Silom/Sukhumit/Central Mall/MBK Mall/Terminal 21 area for now.
From Airport via expressway to town also no problems, no rain today, a very hot day.
Some news reports are exaggerated and not reliable.
A lot of sand bags are on standby though.Comment
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Thanks for the info and good to know coming from someone on the ground. I ll be flying in on Sun morning so will try to give an update then.Comment
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In BKK since morning and no issues. Expressway from airport to Siam Square area were clear, not flodded or anything like that and cars not parked everywhere. Also in the Patumwan area there are no issues so far and all works well.
On a side note, I wanted to take an AOT limo but they only had Mercs left and they don't give the 25% discount for the return trip any longer so I passed and tried the train. I took it all the way to Phaya Thai and switched over to BTS to Siam / Chitlom. Easy and all in 65THB for train (45THB) and BTS (20THB). Beats any other means cost wise and didn't take more than 45mins. Would only recommend it with light luggage though as not everywhere you have elevators / escalators and during off peak hours.Comment
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As I said, I brought the sun here since Saturday. So far still no water in Inner City, but the mood is gloom, as they are expecting more water from North and high tide will happen on 27-Oct.
So they predict BKK will be flooded on Friday onward.
Heard from my friend the expert said worst scenario there will be 10-20 cm water level in Biz District such as Silom, Sukhumvit, etc. They are really talking about really worse scenario.
Good news no rain... Just pray no rain so the water can "dry" faster...visit my blogComment
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27-31 October has been declared a public holiday...
The water quality is dropping and turning a brown/yellow colour, despite this the PM has said that there's nothing wrong with the water...
A friend of mine in the north of Bangkok - nearer to DMK has had the first floor of his house flooded, my other half is also fearing the worse...
Fingers crossed things get better!Comment
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