Americans in Bangkok must prepare for emergencies
To emphasize the seriousness of the situation once again, the US embassy (bangkok.usembassy.gov) has issued a warning for its citizens in Bangkok. The website of the embassy states that it is advisable to prepare for possible flooding. American citizens in Bangkok would do well to put together an emergency kit, consisting of: At least a three-day supply of water for drinking and sanitation (one gallon of water …
In Bangkok they wait for the calf to drown
Are the authorities only now realizing that water flows from north to south in Thailand? It seems as if the Bangkok city council only ordered the dredging of seven canals in two districts on Tuesday. Also only yesterday a start was made with closing three 'holes' in the protection of Bangkok on the north side. And then there are the many sewers, drainages and canals that need to be cleaned urgently…
Nakhon Sawan licks his wounds after dike breach
Downtown Nakhon Sawan has turned into a quagmire after the city experienced its worst flooding since 1995 on Monday. The Ping River made a hole in the levee, after which an enormous amount of water flowed up the Pak Nam Pho market and beyond. Thousands of residents had to leave home and hearth and were directed to dry land. Yesterday the newspaper reported that provincial employees and soldiers tried in vain to close the gap, today the newspaper writes that municipal workers …
Bangkok ill-prepared for flood
There are three 'holes' in the protection of Bangkok against water from the North and they must be closed quickly. In Phatum Thani (north of Bangkok) a 10-kilometre sandbag embankment is being constructed, the flood barrier along Rangsit Khlong 5 (also on the north side of Bangkok) is being constructed from 1,5 million sandbags and behind the Mahidol University campus in Taling Chan comes number 3. The three flood walls have to drain the water through the …
Dyke breach in Nakhon Sawan
Half past eleven Monday morning: a dike of sandbags and concrete along the Chao Praya river collapses: 627 villages in Nakhon Sawan province are flooded. Half an hour later: an inland vessel collides with the dike, causing the hole to expand to 100 metres. The water reaches a height of about 1 meter. Nakhon Sawan faced the 'fury' of the Chao Praya, as the Bangkok Post headlined. The levee breach occurred…
Ayutthaya hospital evacuated
The four hundred patients of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya hospital have been evacuated. Nine patients who are in a coma have been taken to hospitals in Bangkok. The message does not mention where the other patients have been taken, apart from the rather vague term 'safe areas'. Since the area was flooded three days ago, ten patients have died, but according to the hospital management, this was not the result of the flood. Two patients died during the evacuation. The water …
Travel advice Thailand due to flooding
Thailand travel advice, updated on October 11, 2011, from the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok.
Thailand is considering evacuation of residents from ten provinces
Residents in ten Central Plains provinces, including the hard-hit province of Ayutthaya, must prepare for evacuation. The authorities in those provinces decide when necessary. The city island of Ayutthaya was hit hard on Sunday because the water broke through the flood walls in several places. The ten provinces are Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, Chai Nat, Chachoengsao, Lop Buri, Nakhon Sawan, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Sing Buri and Uthai Thani. Ayutthaya Provincial Hospital,…
Bangkok governor swallows his words about flooding
Bangkok Governor Sukhumband Paribatra has backtracked on his promise that the capital would escape major flooding. "I never promised the city wouldn't flood," he says. 'Flooding could happen anytime but the important thing is preventive measures and how to drain the water.' Breaking news: Authorities have been ordered to set up 80 evacuation centers in nine eastern districts of the city. They can house 8.000 to…
Belgian ambassador warns compatriots about flooding
The Belgian embassy in Thailand has warned all compatriots by e-mail about the current floods and what may come. The editors of Thailandblog have taken over the message in full.
Bangkok prepares for floodwaters (video)
Bangkok is preparing to protect the Thai capital against flooding. Thousands of people in Thailand have fled their homes as floods threaten to engulf entire towns and cities. More than 260 people have been killed by the heavy monsoon rains of the past two months. Authorities are working around the clock to stop the water coming towards the capital. In the areas around the capital of Thailand, sand traps and flood walls have been placed. The army is…
12 Chinese killed and dumped in Mekong
They lay with tied hands behind their backs, blindfolded and with a broken neck in the Mekong: the bodies of the 12-man crew of two Chinese freighters that were hijacked by drug traffickers on Wednesday. The bodies were found Friday and Saturday. The drug traffickers did not have much fun on the ships, because the same day a gunfight took place with soldiers guarding the border. One of them was killed in the process; the others saw opportunity…
Flood damage in Thailand could reach 90 billion baht
It is crisis in Thailand. The floods in large parts of the country continue and the capital Bangkok is also experiencing flooding. The death toll has already risen above 270 and this number is being revised upwards daily. Shortage of sandbags Yesterday the Bankokians started hoarding rice, water and noodles. Today, people are also preparing for what may come. In this way, for…
Bangkok, concerns about a flood are increasing
The residents of Bangkok start hoarding food and park their cars on safe ground. Heavy rainfall Saturday night flooded parts of the city. Concerns are increasing, especially since Prime Minister Yingluck admitted in her TV speech on Friday that the government is 'almost at its wits' end. The situation in the capital becomes critical between October 16 and October 18, when the tide is high, large amounts of water arrive from the North and heavy rains fall, …
Quay collapses: factories are flooded
Five factories in the Rojana industrial estate (Ayutthaya) were flooded late Saturday afternoon after an improvised quay of the Khao Mao canal collapsed. Pumps from neighboring provinces are brought in to pump out the water. The damage could amount to 18 billion baht if the situation cannot be controlled. There are approximately 200 factories on the site. The city island in Ayutthaya, which is bounded by the rivers Chao Praya, …
Floods 2011 in Thailand: the balance so far
The floods now sweeping large parts of Thailand are the worst in recent years. The damage is enormous, thousands of people have fled the rising water. The end is not yet in sight due to a low pressure area with persistent rain. The balance so far: 30 provinces in the entire country with the exception of the south have been affected. 2,34 million people and more than 760.000 homes have been affected by the…
Thailand floods mapped
The editors of Thailandblog receive many questions about the floods in Thailand. Unfortunately we cannot respond to every individual question, that takes too much time. Please understand this. There appears to be a need for maps showing the flooded areas. These are of course available, some in Thai and others in English. I've just listed them. The editors cannot guarantee that the information shown is correct and up to date.