Message from the Dutch embassy in Bangkok
The Dutch embassy in Bangkok has registered the Dutch citizens in an email Thailand We are called upon to be extremely attentive to flooding in the coming days and weeks.
Thailand flooding
Heavy rainfall in September and October causes major problems in northern, northeastern and central Thailand.
We assume that the situation will not change substantially in the next three weeks and because the water mass is slowly moving downstream, the nuisance will be concentrated from Ayutthaya to Bangkok in the coming period.
The seriousness and extent depends on further rainfall and the extent to which the excess water can be drained off via the regular drainage systems or not. This weekend and the following weekend (October 28/30) a part will also be transported through the city of Bangkok, which can lead to extra nuisance, also in the city center.
The weekend of 28/30 October is also spring tide, which means that the water is pushed up from the sea and therefore less can be discharged.
Suvarnabhumi airport is still accessible as normal, as are the access roads from the airport to the city.
However, we recommend that you continue to closely monitor the situation there as well.
Suvarnabhumi call center telephone number is: 02-132 1888. Suvarnabhumi Airport: 02-535-1111.
The worst affected areas are indicated on the following website: http://www.thaiflood.com/en/
Water levels in certain areas are indicated at: http://dds.bangkok.go.th/scada/
In Thailand, the telephone information line of the Thai Tourism Authority can be reached on number 1672 to obtain the latest status.
The traditional tourist sites are currently accessible and open to the public, except for the Ayuthhaya area.
(www.thailandtourismupdate.com)
For specific information about the floods you can visit the following websites:
www.thaiflood.com
http://www.google.org/crisismap?crisis=thailand_floods_en
www.disaster.go.th
www.mfa.go.th/web/3082.php
and we recommend that you read the travel advice for Thailand:
http://www.minbuza.nl/reizen-en-landen/reisadviezen/t/thailand.html
Useful telephone numbers:
- Flood Information Line: 02 – 35 65 51
- Flood response centre: 02- 248 85115
- Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Flood Line: 1555
- Tourist Police: 1155
- Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department Hotline: 1784
- Royal Irrigation Department Hotline (water situation update): 1460
- Emergency Medical Institute Hotline: 1669
- BMA's Flood Response Center: 02-248-5115
- Highway Hotline: 1586
- Highway Police: 1193
- Traffic Control Center: 1197
- State Railway of Thailand Hotline: 1690
- Transport Co. Hotline (inter-provincial bus service): 1490
- Information in English via Twitter: #ThaiFloodEng
With the ongoing flooding, we suggest that Dutch people living in Thailand and staying in the vulnerable areas take a few minutes to check whether they are sufficiently prepared.
There is a handy checklist on our website: http://thailand.nlambassade.org/Nieuws/WATEROVERLAST_IN_THAILAND
If you are not yet registered with this embassy, we recommend that you do so through this website.
Directly to registration: http://thailand.nlambassade.org/Producten_en_Diensten/Burgerzaken/Registratie_Nederlanders
Apparently the Belgian embassy had to set a good example first…
Hans,
I received the following message this afternoon from a friend who lives in central Bangkok.
Dear family and friends.
I just read on the Thai Visa info site that the governor of Bangkok has issued an evacuation warning at 16:30 pm to 27 districts located on the Chao-Praya River. This means that much of Bangkok is expected to experience actual flooding within five days.
Now that is only the case in the north and east of Bangkok, but if it continues, the whole of Bankok will be confronted with this, partly because there is no other way to remove the water in any other way than to channel it through the city of bangkok to the sea south of the city.
The total flooding can also last another 3 to 6 weeks.