Thailand Floods Of 2013

[Flashermac]

Industrial Estates fight to stay flood-free

 

 

Kabinburi

 

State authorities are gearing up to protect industrial estates in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani provinces as flood water begins inundating many low-lying areas in the Central Plains.

 

Days of widespread and heavy rain in the upper part of the central, lower northeastern and eastern regions have also resulted in flash floods in many provinces, affecting farmland and businesses in urban areas.

 

Flood water from the North has reached Ayutthaya province through the Chao Phraya and Pasak rivers and flowed into the Hantra and Kamang canals.

 

Sluice gates intended to protect urban areas in the heart of the province, as well as its Uthai district and the Rojana Industrial Park, have not yet been completed.

 

The canals are overflowing in tambon Hantra and tambon Phai Ling sub-districts.

 

Water from both canals is also flowing into the Khao Mao canal which leads to the Rojana Industrial Park and the Muang Mai community.

 

The Royal Irrigation Department closed the sluice gate at the mouth of the Khao Mao canal.

 

If the water gets through the gate, it would reach the commercial areas of Ayutthaya very quickly. Industry Minister Prasert Boonchaisuk said he was worried about the situation at Saha Rattana Nakorn Industrial Estate as it was the only one of six industrial estates in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani where flood walls have not been completed.

 

The flood protection system at Saha Rattana Nakorn is only 30% complete.

 

Floodwalls are in place at the other five facilities, namely the Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate, the Ban Wa (Hi-Tech) Industrial Estate and the Rojana Industrial Park in Ayutthaya, and the Navanakorn Industrial...

 

"The IEAT (Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand) is monitoring the situation at the three estates in high-risk locations, namely Saha Rattana Nakorn, Bang Pa-in and Hi-Tech," Mr Prasert said.

 

"I have ordered the IEAT to install big sandbags that can be laid over a distance of 20 kilometres at the Saha Rattana Nakorn Industrial Estate."

 

Despite flooding elsewhere in Prachin Buri, the newly built Hi-Tech Kabin Industrial Estate in the eastern province remained intact because its compound is elevated.

 

Suthep Noipairoj, deputy director-general of the Royal Irrigation Department, said water from Nakhon Sawan province has now reached Bangkok and the level of the Chao Phraya River in the capital and nearby provinces is rising rapidly.

 

Koh Kret island in Nonthaburi province, north of Bangkok, is now partially flooded as a result. Koh Kret is located on the river.

 

Mr Suthep said areas protected with embankments along the river, including those in Bangkok, would not be flooded.

 

Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said 40% of the reservoirs of dams were filled, compared with 90% in 2011 when the country was hit by massive flooding.

 

The tide in the Chao Phraya River is only about one metre above the mean sea level, so he is confident Bangkok will be safe from flooding.

 

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said flooding flooding has hit a total of 21 provinces, comprising seven in the Northeast, four in the North, seven in the Central Plains, two in the East and one in the South.

 

Severe flooding was reported Monday in Si Sa Ket, Surin, Prachin Buri, Sa Kaeo and Buri Ram provinces.

 

Northeast trains to Ubon Ratchathani can go no further than Sikhoraphum station in Surin, as the tracks between Surin and Si Sa Ket are 1.5m under water over a distance of about 3km.

 

The Department of Highways said highways are flooded in 13 provinces: Chachoengsao, Pathum Thani, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Suphan Buri, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Prachin Buri, Sa Kaeo, Ubon Ratchathani, Petchabun and Surin.

 

Eighty percent of highways in the northeastern province of Surin are inundated.

 

The Meteorological Department predicts more rain in the lower North, the upper part of the Central Plains and the Northeast from tomorrow until Saturday.

 

Meanwhile, the Royal Irrigation Department said it will increase the discharge rate of the Chao Phraya dam in Chai Nat province to relieve the water run-off from the North. The rate will rise from 2,000 to 2,300 cubic metres per second.

 

 

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[Flashermac]

[cavanami]

Every year, the old part of Kabinburi *** always *** flooded!

 

The Thai gov wanted to turn the flooding area(s) into a lake but the Thai residents don't want that so they put up with the flooding

[Flashermac]

Floods hit Ang Thong, Singburi

 

 

Overflows from the Chao Phraya River inundated three districts in Sing Buri and more than 100 households in Ang Thong on Wednesday.

 

Sing Buri Governor Surapol Sawangsak said three districts were flooded - Muang, In Buri and Phrom Buri. Water was up to a metre deep in some areas.

 

Mr Surapol said he had instructed local officials to make sure flood relief supplies get through to the people who need it. People were advised to closely watch for a rise in the floodwater.

 

Narongsak Wingwon, mayor of Muang municipality in Sing Buri, said the Chao Phraya dam was now releasing water at a quicker rate of 2,212 cubic metres per second, causing water levels to rapidly rise and flood villages in the municipality.

 

Officials had closed local waterways to prevent floodwater from entering the commercial areas of Muang district, he said.

 

In Ang Thong's Muang district, the flood situation remained critical with flood levels above 30 centimetres in places.

 

More than 100 households were flooded. Residents had to move their belongings to higher ground and officials were helping the elderly.

 

National Disaster Warning Centre (NDWC) chief Somsak Khaosuwan insisted most of Bangkok is safe from flooding.

 

Gp Capt Somsak said the level of the Chao Phraya river was not as high as expected, thanks to faster drainage, up from the usual 1,800 cubic metres per second to 2,001 cubic metres/second.

 

However, floodwater might flow into some areas outside the flood barriers, such as Pak Kret and Rangsit, he said.

 

"The overall situation is very different from the floods in 2011 as the volume of water is smaller.

 

"You can be at ease because there'll be no flooding in Bangkok this year. Even if two storms are approaching, we'll be able to handle them," Gp Capt Somsak said.

 

As for the severe flooding in Prachin Buri's Kabin Buri district, the situation should return to normal within a week, he said. Water levels in the area had already decreased.

 

There could also be storms in southern Thailand by the end of October and there might be flooding in the region, he added.

 

Chatchai Promlert, director-general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, said the death toll from the floods remained at nine since Tuesday.

 

The number of flood-stricken provinces had risen from 23 to 27, he said.

 

In Kanchanaburi and Chumphon, the flood water had drained and the situation had returned to normal, he said.

 

 

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[waerth]

http://bangkokpost.c...in-prachin-buri

Prachin Buri estate falls victim to floods

 

Prachin Buri's 304 Industrial Park became the country's first major manufacturing site to be hit by floods this year after a nearby river burst its banks Wednesday.

 

Officials in Si Maha Phot district were rushing to construct an emergency dyke around the industrial estate in tambon Tha Toom to prevent floodwater inundating all of its 500 factories. Authorities said the Prachin Buri River burst its banks and immediately flooded areas around the industrial park. Water also flooded parts of the park including a factory making car airbags.

 

Authorities said the water level in the factory was about 40cm deep. As the water flowed into the factory workers desperately tried to move manufacturing equipment to higher ground while pumps were used to drain water from the plant. Authorities and park officials were Wednesday building a dyke around the industrial estate using large sandbags to prevent further flooding.

 

They said they feared the park could be completely inundated if heavy rain continues to fall over the next few days. Prachin Buri has been hardest hit by downpours across the country since late last week. Muang, Kabin Buri, Na Di, Prachantakham and Si Maha Phot districts have been flooded. More than 8,000 households have also been affected. Jitra Promchutima, Prachin Buri governor, says the provincial office has declared the districts flood disaster areas. She said she has instructed authorities to help provide food and drinking water for flood victims.

 

Ms Jitra said the water level in the Prachin Buri River in Si Maha Phot district on Wednesday rose to 9.80m, which was 80cm higher than the critical level. She said provincial officials were speeding up efforts to install pumps to drain off a large volume of water in Si Maha Phot district and upper Kabin Buri district as quickly as possible. Downpours have also severely hit several provinces in the Central Plains. People living in communities along the banks of Chao Phraya River in Ang Thong, Sing Buri, Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Bangkok were experiencing flooding.

 

Deputy Interior Minister Wisarn Techathirawat said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will travel to Pathum Thani on Saturday to inspect the flood situation there.

 

Floodwaters have rendered the tracks of the State Railway of Thailand unuseable in Surin province.

[Plainsdrifter]

Everyone involved is surprised by the flooding. If early warnings are given nationwide, instead of assurances that there wouldn't be flooding, most of the homes and factories can rush to do something instead of waiting until the waters are upon them.

[waerth]

The ironic thing is that 304 estate was massively promoting itself as the estate that did not flood in 2011. Many billboards along the roads in the area (Chachoengsao to Prachinburi roads) in English stating this. And some industries moved or are moving over there. Now they are the first ones hit ......

[Flashermac]

 

Surin

[cavanami]

...and people are surprised by the Thai gov's info on the flooding???

 

...it was the Thai gov that set up the flood center at the old airport, that was soon flooded out!

 

...can you say, idiots

[Flashermac]

Industrial estates won't flood but other areas still inundated

 

 

All six industrial estates in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani provinces are now protected against flooding but other areas are battling rising water levels with rain expected to continue until Sunday.

 

Industry Minister Prasert Boonchaisuk announced on Thursday that all industrial parks in the two provinces were well protected, including Saha Rattana Nakorn, where temporary barriers were being erected in case of an emergency,

 

Installation of a 6km temporary flood barrier at Saha Rattana Nakorn in Nakhon Luang district of Ayutthaya, which is 6.5 metres above sea level, is 30% complete, he said.

 

Earthen dykes are in place at the other five facilities: Bang Pa-In Industrial Estate, Ban Wa (HiTech) Industrial Estate and Rojana Industrial Park in Ayutthaya under the supervision of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, and Nava Nakorn Industrial Zone and Bangkadi Industrial Park in Pathum Thani, under the Industrial Works Department.

 

"We are confident that the dykes surrounding the five industrial estates will be able to prevent flooding, because they are taller than the 2011 flood levels. We are also confident here [at Saha Rattana], because we have prepared flood barriers packed with sand in case of an emergency,'' said Mr Prasert, adding that the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) has set up a war room to monitor the situation.

 

Ayutthaya deputy governor Tawee Narisirikul said water levels in the Chao Phraya River had fallen by 10-20cm since yesterday, so a repeat of the 2011 floods is unlikely.

 

The IEAT purchased 20 km of flood barriers 2.4 metres high from UK brand Hesco three months ago for 141 million baht.

 

Some areas in Ayutthaya and 28 other provinces are flooded. Most serious locations are Krabin Buri and Sri Maha Phot districts of Prachin Buri.

 

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation office in Prachin Buri said the situation in the two districts was in crisis. Water levels in Krabin Buri and Sri Maha Phot were about three metres high on Thursday.

 

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department in Bangkok said 7,962 villages in 191 districts of 29 provinces have been hit by floods since Sept 17, affecting 2.1 million people. Nine people were killed.

 

As many as 6,900 houses, 1,146,237 rai of farmland, 2,310 roads and 145 bridges were damaged by the floodwater, department director-general Chatchai Promlert said.

 

The flood affected provinces in the North are Pitsanulok, Phichit, Petchabun, Kamphaengphet, Nakhon Sawan and Uthai Thani.Those in the Northeast include Surin, Si Sa Ket, Ubon Ratchathani, Buri Ram, Nakhon Ratchasima, Amnat Charoen, Kalasin, Chaiyaphum, Yasothon and Mukdahan.

 

In the Central region, Lopburi, Saraburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Kanchanaburi, Angthong, Suphan Buri and Chainat, experienced flooding, along with Ayutthaya. In the east, Prachinburi, Sa Kaeo, Nakhon Nayok and Chachoengsao are flooded.

 

Prawit Jampanya, chief of the Weather Forecast Bureau of the Meteorological Department, said more rain is on the way until Sunday.

 

Some northeastern, northern, central and eastern provinces including Prachin Buri are facing more rain but it will not be a downpour, the official told FM100.5 news programme. The rain this time will not be heavy and will not worsen the situation in Prachin Buri, he added.

 

Most parts of Bangkok will experience rain, mostly in the afternoon and night over the next three days, Mr Prawit said.

 

 

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