Bangkok cops on flood alert

Police are on alert for the possibility of sudden flooding in 21 spots in Bangkok, following the latest weather forecast of heavy downpours in the capital until the end of this weekend.

Published: 27/09/2012 at 12:00 AM
Writer: Post Reporters

The National Water and Flood Management Policy Committee reported yesterday that many areas in Bangkok will continue to see heavy rain until Sunday.

The Meteorological Department said people in the capital, particularly in low-lying areas, might experience some flooding if rainfall exceeds drainage capacity.

Pracha Rat Bamphen Road and a section of Ratchadaphisek Road in Huai Khwang district, where current drainage is inadequate, are among the areas at risk of abrupt flooding, said national police spokesman Piya Uthayo.

Motorists are advised to avoid the at-risk roads when it rains.

Huai Khwang police have been told to work with relevant agencies to speed up the clearing of clogged sewers and prepare pumps for these two spots, Pol Maj Gen Piya said.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said more than 30 roads in the capital were flooded because of heavy rain on Tuesday about 2pm, but work crews were able to drain water from the main roads by 5.30pm.

The downpours that caused brief flooding and heavy traffic congestion in the capital have left the government at odds with City Hall, which was unhappy that police went ahead with cleaning the sewers without telling it in advance.

Drainage has become a major problem in the city's flood prevention efforts, as it consists of mostly small sewers designed to deal with only 60 millimetres of rainfall an hour.

On Tuesday afternoon, Bangkok was slammed with rainfall of 138mm an hour, which meant it took three hours to drain water from flooded areas, according to National Disaster Warning Centre director Somsak Khaosuwan.

National Water and Flood Management Policy director Phiphat Rueangngam said: "Such a drainage rate is not too bad, though it's slow."

City Hall faced a tough job because of both drainage limitations and the confluence of high tides about 5pm which prevented rainwater from easily flowing into the Chao Phraya River, Mr Phiphat said.

Elsewhere, heavy rains caused flooding in the tourist resort island of Phuket overnight. Some roads in Patong municipality also became impassable. Water levels were around 50cm to 1m.

In Nakhon Phuket municipality, the water level rose in the Bang Yai canal.

Local residents and shop owners in the business area on Thalang Road piled sandbags in front of their houses, fearing possible overflow from the canal during high tide.

In Chiang Mai, residents of Ban Piang Kong in Fang district rushed out of their homes late on Tuesday night, seeking safe ground after a mountain torrent from the Doi Fa Phahom Pok National Park smashed their village bridge with a large tree and plant debris.

They returned home uninjured yesterday.

In Phitsanulok, officials spent two hours clearing landslides blocking a 100m-section of Nakhon Thai-Dan Sai Road. They asked the government to prevent such accidents over the long term as they occur frequently and threaten tourists using the route to get to Phu Rua National Park in Loei's Phu Rua district.

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Discussion 1 : 27/09/2012 at 07:05 PM: If flooding, what will the police do, except maybe show up and look?
Discussion 2 : 27/09/2012 at 03:30 PM: What worries me are not the floods. It is more that we are now reliant on a police force to help us with the floods while they are mostly incompetent to perform there normal tasks. Also, I am getting sick and tiered of politicians using last years and this years floods to show how committed they are. During last years floods we remained at our home at Donmuang, which thanks to our foresight of building it at 1 meter above street level stayed mainly dry, and were surrounded by the water for 5 weeks. During this period the only ones that came to see if we were okay and provided us with relieve packages, were soldiers and a group of lecturers and students of Dhurakij Pundit University. However, to my surprise during last local election for a senate seat, the local politicians all claimed to been in our street looking after our homes! We did have some thefts in several houses in this area. Maybe they can explain those to me then. Reliance on politics to resolve the floods is for now more a dream vision than reality.
Discussion 3 : 27/09/2012 at 02:56 PM: With Bangkok sinking gradually but surely closer to sea level, drainage will become more and more difficult, so, as a result, we are fighting a losing battle. I believe it's time to move the capital to higher ground, possibly, to Nakhon Ratchasima, as it will be much more cost-effective in the long run.
Discussion 4 : 27/09/2012 at 02:41 PM: @Discussion 8 You're right about those electric poles, telephone booths and low wires, but they're much more of an inconvenience to street vendors than they are to pedestrians since the latter do not get to use the sidewalks anyway.
Discussion 5 : 27/09/2012 at 12:09 PM: So much for the regime's billions 'spent' on flood prevention.
Discussion 6 : 27/09/2012 at 11:45 AM: It would be nice if police assisted .Can you tell where so I can go and take photos ?
Discussion 7 : 27/09/2012 at 11:26 AM: There is no need to frame anybody for bad watermanagement. My house and my busines is flooded but this is not the fault of any government. ( Different to last years flooding ) I have been living here for over twenty years and this year we had the heaviest rain ever. Over the last decades watermanegment in Bangkok has improved very much. Could it be better? Yes, it could but I think in the moment everybody is doing the best they can. Currently flood news sell good thats all.
Discussion 8 : 27/09/2012 at 10:06 AM: Dickemery dis#7, there is no north run-off except in your imagination. The Chao Phraya River is not spilling over its banks and the water level is normal. The klongs in particular Klong Saen Saab that runs through the heart of the city has not spill its bank either. Klong Rangsit and other klongs are at normal level and again not spilling over. In Patumthani where I live, there are no heavy raining for a week unlike Bangkok. BMA has admit that the rain is just too heavy for the system to handle. Can't you accept that without putting a lame blame?
Discussion 9 : 27/09/2012 at 09:47 AM: "The downpours that caused brief flooding and heavy traffic congestion in the capital have left the government at odds with City Hall, which was unhappy that police went ahead with cleaning the sewers without telling it in advance." Huh? WTF do the police have to do with sewer maintenance? Surely that can't be right.
Discussion 10 : 27/09/2012 at 09:21 AM: I am sure that people in Pathum Thani would be delighted if last year, and again this year, it could be guaranteed that the water would drain away in 3 hours. That is an inconvenience but as noted by others, not unusual in Bangkok.
Discussion 11 : 27/09/2012 at 08:59 AM: Its all due to decades of poor urban planning, you can't even walk straight on a sidewalk in Bangkok without hitting a electric pole / telephone booth. Not to mention areas with low hanging electric wires and some case you have to walk on to the main road then back on the side walk.
Discussion 12 : 27/09/2012 at 08:07 AM: this is the result of bad government management and corruption,now the blaming game,but the truth is the excess water is comimg down from the north, flooding bangkok,what excuse will no luck have this time, o yes taxsin wants a new loyal governor of bangkok
Discussion 13 : 27/09/2012 at 06:49 AM: 'National Water and Flood Management Policy director Phiphat Rueangngam said: "Such a drainage rate is not too bad, though it's slow."' Perhaps he would like to come to the flooded areas and repeat that to those whose homes and businesses are flooded. The authorites are aware of the problem and apparently just accept it instead of doing something about it. Mai Pen Rai.
Discussion 14 : 27/09/2012 at 06:41 AM: When Bangkokians start using the garbage bins instead of dumping garbage in drains, sewers and Khlongs, then there is a good chance they won't get wet feet unless they want to...until then just enjoy (:
Discussion 15 : 27/09/2012 at 06:36 AM: Flooding is a yearly event during the moonsoon season. This is nothing new just more dramatized now for whatever reasons. Drainage systems built in the past have been destroyed or covered which has caused alot of the damage. Clogging drains with daily garbage dumps is a big culprit. There should be fines for littering. Why do people dump trash when Bangkok should have a garbage pick up system or do they.
Discussion 16 : 27/09/2012 at 06:29 AM: Actually that picture was taken right in front of the villahe where I live. Nothing special though compared to last year this is peanuts.
Discussion 17 : 27/09/2012 at 05:46 AM: I don't think there is anything that can be said about this situation that hasn't been said. What a travesty. Billions of baht wasted again.
Discussion 18 : 27/09/2012 at 05:28 AM: Flooding in Bangkok. Someone needs to contact PM Lucky and tell her to return from New York ASAP. The water gods apparently disagreed with her.

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