Flooding in Thailand

[B52]

Any news?

I have been trying to follow the current flooding situation throughout Thailand and see that many Northern regions have been affected. As Udon sits in a basin and has had flooding issues in the past is there any risk that Udon will fall victim to the flooding over the next week or so? As I am away working it is hard to get detailed information on Udon.




B52

[BobHelm]

Udon seems to have missed the worst of the flooding weather than has hit a little further South of us. It has been raining & is overcast more than sunny but nothing serious. This is the piece from the Foreign Office which just about reflects what I have gathered from the news over here as well.

The province of Nakhon Ratchasrima (Korat) in north-eastern Thailand is currently experiencing continuous heavy rain and severe flooding. Check with the Thai Meteorological Department or your tour operator before travelling to these areas.

http://ukun.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=News&id=23055067

NECN/MCOT: Chaiyaphum, Thailand) – Heavy rain caused massive flooding in the downtown Chaiyaphum prompting schools and government agencies to suspend their operations on Monday.
Monsoon downpour prolonged throughout Sunday night brought flooding to the city of Chiayaphum in Thailand’s northeast. A number of schools are forced to abruptly suspend as floodwater level rose to over 50 centimeters.
The city’s historic district and government offices including provincial hall has been flooded. Road traffic has been paralyzed; most vehicles are unable to maneuver.

http://www.adventureinthailand.net/2010 ... -thailand/

The border district of Aranyaprathet in Sa Kaew province was under water for the second day on Sunday, with more than 1,000 households being affected.
Flooding in the municipal area and Aranyaprathet’s market was described as the worst in 13 years, forcing local residents and vendors to move their belongings and goods to areas with higher ground. Buddhist monks had to wade through floodwaters while on their morning alms rounds.
Many roads in the Aranyaprathet municipal area were heavily flooded and several sections of them could not be used by small passenger cars.
At the border market of Rong Kluea, which was earlier heavily inundated, saw receding levels of floodwater and was returning to business as usual. However, officials were removing large amounts of garbage brought by floodwater.
At Sa Kaew’s Baan Klong Luek border checkpoint, cargo trucks from Thailand were prevented by Cambodian authorities from entering that country due to severe flooding in Cambodia’s border town of Poipet. The Cambodians said there was no space left to store new goods and the local warehouses were being flooded.

http://bangkokscoop.com/2010/10/floodin ... -critical/

[jingjai]

I have heard from two friends that the roads between Udon-Bangkok cannot be traveled at the moment.
One friend is in Jomtien and cannot get to his home in Udon.
Another friend is in Nong Bua Lamphu and cannot get back to his home in Jomtien.

[nkstan]

I have heard from two friends that the roads between Udon-Bangkok cannot be traveled at the moment.
One friend is in Jomtien and cannot get to his home in Udon.
Another friend is in Nong Bua Lamphu and cannot get back to his home in Jomtien.

My daughter and 2 of her friends were going to take the train to Bangkok ,last Sunday night,but the trains were cancelled because of flooding in Korat!

They took a bus that supposedly took an alternative route around the flooded area!

They will be coming back Sunday with plans to take the bus again!

I wonder if their is an travel advisory phone number or website,gov't or otherwise?

[kjellsnell]

From what i hear in the news this morning there is no way you can go by car from Udon to BKK now. Before you can go round and drive by Loie but know the water stop this way too. Also Konkhen has a floodwarning for tomorrow.....

[Zidane]

My wifes father has been forced out of his home in Gudken,Chaiyaphum as a result of the flooding.
Some other relatives are living in the upstairs of their home as the downstairs is completely flooded and water is only a few rungs off the top of the stairs !!
Nakhon Sawan and Khon Kaen have reported flooding caused by water coming off the hills around Korat and Chaiyaphum after weeks of heavy rain.
Hopefully Udon will be OK [-o<

[Farang1]

We flew into BKK on Monday night and went over to the central bus station to catch the bus to Udon. The bus service of choice was booked up. We managed to get on the last 2nd class VIP bus out, that night. They said the buses were booked up because the trains had been canceled due to the flooding. There was a section of road we went over where the water was up about the center of the wheels of the bus. Not sure where it was but, from the estimated time, it was about half was between Bangkok and Khon Kaen.

[jingjai]

I wonder if their is an travel advisory phone number or website,gov't or otherwise?

Call Center :: 0-2354-6668-76
http://www.doh.go.th/index_doh.aspx

Upper Northeast: Motorists can use Mitraphap Road to get to Nakhon Ratchasima, but should avoid the flooded downtown area by using the bypass.

However, motorists should be careful because KM6 to KM10 of the bypass is still under 20 centimetres of water. The Mitraphap Road can be used to get to Nong Khai.

North: Motorists can travel along Phaholyothin Road to Chiang Rai.

Impassable areas:

Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat)

- Highway 205, KM387 to KM399 in Muang district

- Highway 2068, KM37 in Non Thai district

- Highway 201, KM37 to KM39 in Dan Khun Thot district

- Highway 224, KM2 to KM16 in Chok Chai district

-l Highway 226, KM6 to KM35 in Chakkarat district

- Highway 2421, from KM44 to KM46 in Chok Chai district

Sa Kaew

- Highway 3366, KM0 to KM7 in Aranyaprathet district

- Highway 3511, KM9 to KM14 in Aranyaprathet

Khon Kaen

- Highway 2038, KM3 to KM5 in Nong Rua district

Prachin Buri

- Highway 319, KM152 to KM153 in Si Maha Pho district


Lop Buri

- Highway 311, KM9 to KM10 in Muang district

- Highway 3019, KM1 to KM2 in Muang district

- Highway 3024, KM6 to KM13 in Ban Mi district

- Highway 205, KM229 to KM242 in Khok Samrong district

- Highway 2275, KM0 to KM2 in Chai Badan district

Ayutthaya

- Highway 3467, KM15 to KM17 in Tha Rua district

Visit www.doh.go.th for more information.


Train services halted

Number 111 (Bangkok-Den Chai)

Number 9 (Bangkok-Chiang Mai)

Number 201 (Bangkok-Phitsanulok)

Number 3 (Bangkok-Sawankhalok)

Number 209 (Bangkok-Takhli)

Number 211 (Bangkok-Taphan Hin)

Number 75 (Bangkok-Udon Thani)

Numbers 2, 10, 14 and 52 (Chiang Mai-Bangkok)

Number 108 (Den Chai-Bangkok)

Number 116 (Phitsanulok-Bangkok)

Number 4 (Sawankhalok-Bangkok)

Call 1690 or visit www.railway.co.th for details.

[Aardvark]

Good Work JJ =D>

[bjoehoe]

I went with a bus from BKK to Udon yesterday (thursday 21st). The only road-flooding was just south of Khorat which slowed up traffic, and the bus arrived in Udon 1hr later than normal. Otherwise the road was dry all the way. the bus only by-passed Khorat city, which actually saves time. Flooding might have gotten worse since yesterday, though..?
Anyway, check with the bus companies at the bus station, they know the road conditions.

[jingjai]

This site has some good, but sad photos of the flooding in Korat:
http://koratfarang.com/board/index.php/ ... 569.0.html

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rokIvPeIJzk?fs ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rokIvPeIJzk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rokIvPeIJzk

This road was dry 30 minutes earlier .
<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qNWDnd8AJHA?fs ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qNWDnd8AJHA?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNWDnd8AJHA

[BobHelm]

At least 34 people have died in the latest flood disaster since Oct 10, the National Institute of Emergency Management (NIEM) reported on Sunday.

Seven out of the 34 people were killed by heavy flooding in Rayong. Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram and Lop Buri each recorded six fatalities.

Khon Kaen and Phetchabun each had three deaths, while Chaiyaphum had two.

Trat, Sa Kaeo, Saraburi, Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi and Uthai Thani each recorded one death.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews ... oars-to-34

Indeed sad news. I never ceased to be amazed how it can absolutely chuck it down in one place & have virtually nothing a few KMs away. Udon seems to have got away with it on this occasion.

[parrot]

"Udon seems to have got away with it on this occasion."

Udon had their big flood in August 2001. Taksin came to town after that flood and plucked down a billion baht worth of drainage projects to fix the problem. As I see it, that work hasn't been put to the test........yet. But when that day comes, I'm afraid that a lot of people are going to find water again in their homes.
All the drains in the world won't do much good if they're full of gunk, or put in by people who don't have the slightest idea/care of how a drain works. You usually get what you pay for.....I'd guess that all the people I see working on drainage projects around the city are getting minimum wage (if that).

[nkstan]

My daughter and her friends are coming home tonight on the bus from Bangkok.She says the bus company said,''no problem''.The train is still not running on our line!

It is hard to figure out the thinking of the ''engineers'' regarding the water drainage system!Our soi floods every year to the point that we are unable to drive the car out,although ,none this year,so far!

Anyway,they just spent the last 2 weeks raising our soi up about 10 inches,but they didn't raise the drain capacity on the sides.merely filling it with meter length concrete blocks with plastic pipe extensions for the water to drain down into the old system which is only about 8-10 inches in width and height.They could have more than doubled the capacity,but chose not to!

We have not been hit with heavy rains yet as the Mekong is still at its regular level!

[BobHelm]

All the drains in the world won't do much good if they're full of gunk

Agree completely parrot. The huge drainage ditch that runs along the side of the dual carriageway just before Big C is a case in point. It has trees growing in it, let alone bushes. Although no water flows in it in the dry season there are stretches of it that permanently has water in it, great design & maintenance work...

[trubrit]

Just an update on the roads . Came back from Chonburi last night . Over the mountains no problems at all. intermittent areas of light flooding just before Korat. Immediately after coming over the fly over on the bypass , a 2 km stretch of water running over the road up to axle depth but passable with care and keeping to the crown of the road. both sides of the road the villages were still badly flooded and a lot of congestion was being caused by numerous relief vehicles unloading supplies into boats, so care is advised . Only one real casualty observered was a blue bus sunk up to the top deck in the field .Actually the dry roads were remarkably uncongested and had , overall , a good journey, completed , including a stop, in just 8 hours to Nong wau Sor .

[BobHelm]

Sadly more deaths seem to have occurred.
Very little in the way of detail though..
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews ... ll-hits-56

The death toll from the flooding which has hit many provinces since Oct 10 rose to 56 while 107,000 people caught in flooded areas have become sick, Public Health Minister Jurin Lucksanawisit said on Tuesday morning.

Mr Jurin noted that of the total fatalities, 49 were drowned by the strong water current while traveling out off homes or while swimming. He warned the people in flooded areas to refrain from going swimming for their safety.

The National Institute of Emergency Management on Monday reported that a total of 41 people had lost their lives from two weeks of flooding.

[BobHelm]

This seems quite an increase in the number of deaths since my last post.
I understood that the rains has finished a while back. If so these extra deaths have either occurred as a result of flood waters going 'down stream' (very regrettable & really avoidable) or just now the authorities have access to places previously cut off.

Flood death toll increases to 94

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews ... ases-to-94

[trubrit]

Quite frankly I am amazed it isn't higher. It just wasn't flooded but a raging torrent. These pictures were taken from my vehicle on the main A2 road, Saturday 16th, the first real day of it, remember it got worse over the next 3 days . In a fully loaded pickup, with a full tank, I could still feel the vehicle being taken over by the raging waters . It was quite an unnerving experience being pulled sideways and the steering having no effect at all .No one could have stayed on their feet in it .

Picture 007.jpg

Picture 053.jpg

Picture 057.jpg

[sgt]

I worked in drainage/flood control as a surveyor for the last 10 years in Jefferson County, Texas, on the Gulf Coast and I would not for the world want to even begin to try to figure out what to do in Bangkok. While we were similarly located, low ground on the Coast with tidal effect even in some of the ditches our district was able to accomplish drainage with gravity. The other large district had to have pumps to get the water out and believe me, they had problems. We all did when the tide was in and especially with storm tide, the last hurricane put over 25 vertical feet of water on shore. I think no matter how much money is thrown at the problem, Bangkok is always going to be behind the curve. Udon on the other hand, can be managed, I believe. One of the major problems has already been pointed out, the ditches are not cleaned and as also pointed out, neighborhood/existing drainage system far to small. That is true here, with pipes of approximately 20 inches going in on the new construction. The drains have worked so far, but since we bought our house 2 years ago we haven't had a real "gully washer" to really try the system. The biggest problem anywhere is pre-planning, it wasn't done in the states and I'm sure it isn't done well enough here either. And, sometimes it just doesn't matter what you do, there is just too much water and no matter what has been done it just won't be enough. The more people build, the worse the problem gets. We used to laugh, not to their faces, at the people that built subdivisions and bought in the same where there were rice paddies just a few years before, they couldn't understand why it flooded, duh. One can only hope that the government is willing to spend the money, and it will take a lot, to do everything possible to prevent future floods and take care of those harmed now.