# 2011 Weather: storms and floods



## Song_Si

*Philippines storm toll hits 54*
31/07/2011
The death toll from tropical storm Nock-ten rose to 54 in the Philippines as another approaching storm left two more people dead and caused a large ship to sink, the civil defence office said Sunday.
Nock-ten, named after a Laotian bird, blew out into the South China Sea on Thursday, but over 121,000 people are still being housed in government evacuation centres due to flooding caused by the storm, the council added.

*****​
*Thailand: North, Northeast inundated by effects of Nock-ten*
1/08/2011 










*Heavy rains have caused havoc in several north and northeastern provinces as a tropical storm left some townships under 80 centimetres of water.*

Tropical Storm Nock-ten, which caused the floods, had weakened into a low pressure area by late yesterday, although forecasters have warned of possible flash floods and landslides in the North today and tomorrow.

The storm landed in upper Vietnam early yesterday and had become a low pressure area by the time it reached Thailand from Laos.

The Meteorological Department said the low pressure area was moving westwards and would leave Thailand at Mae Hong Son province.

However, it was likely to cause widespread heavy rain today and tomorrow, and flash floods and landslides are expected in low-lying areas near waterways and hilly terrain in Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Phayao, Nan, Phrae, Lamphun, Lampang, Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Kamphaeng Phet and Tak provinces.

Although Nock-ten did not pass the Central Plains region, several low-lying areas in Ayutthaya province were flooded from overflows from the Noi River.


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## Song_Si

*Storm,flood threat to 13 north, NE provinces*

August 1, 2011 










*Nong Khai was struggling yesterday with fierce flooding from six hours of heavy overnight rain under the influence of tropical storm Nock Ten, which had reached the Vietnamese coast.*

Torrential rain in several other provinces in the Northeast as well as the North grounded several domestic flights.

Flatboats were deployed extensively to rescue stranded villagers in urban areas in Muang and Phone Phisai districts, where floodwaters were reported rising up to 80 centimetres.

In Mae Hong Son, flashfloods ravaged several resorts in Pai district, driving tourists to high ground and prompting evacuations, while lowlying villages were also inundated.

Many Nok Air flights in the northern province were cancelled, forcing tourists to use ground transportation to get to and from Chiang Mai. A Nok Air plane returned to Chiang Mai after failing to land in Mae Hong Son because of poor visibility from rain and fog.

All seven district chiefs have been ordered to stay on alert to monitor the flood situation and calls for emergency relief operations, Governor Kamthorn Thawornsathit said.

All state hospitals in the North and Northeast have been put on standby for flashfloods and emergency medical services. They were ordered directly by the Public Health Ministry to build barriers and move equipment to upper floors, stockpile medicine and supplies, evacuate patients and prepare to serve local residents through mobile units.

The latest weather forecast predicted flashfloods in 13 north, northeastern and eastern provinces as Nock Ten approached.

Another statement, reporting weather conditions for today, tomorrow and Wednesday, warned of flood risks in other provinces further west as Nock Ten moves inland.

Fishing trawlers were advised not to venture offshore in both the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea from yesterday to Thursday due to high swells.


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## Song_Si

*Bangkok-north-bound train services suspended*

*SRT suspends all north-bound trains*
*Deluge from Nock-ten storm submerges tracks*
2/08/2011 

*The State Railway of Thailand has announced that it will temporarily suspend all north-bound train services after tracks were submerged under floodwaters triggered by the tropical storm Nock-ten, which has since weakened to a low pressure area.*

Four express and special express trains scheduled to leave Bangkok for Chiang Mai between 6pm and 10pm had to be cancelled late yesterday.

The cancellations came as water levels had not receded and several sections of track were still submerged.

*****

Nock-ten weakened to a tropical depression and subsequently to a low pressure area as it moved over Laos and then entered upper Thailand on Sunday, causing incessant rain in vast areas.

Torsak Wanitkhachorn, director-general of the Meteorological Department, said Nock-ten had petered out as of Sunday, with the heavy rains currently being endured in Bangkok, Tak and Mae Hong Son provinces caused by the influence of the seasonal monsoon.

The seasonal monsoon was expected to ease in the next few days, said Mr Torsak.


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## Song_Si

*Nock-Ten flooding ravages 14 provinces in North, Isan*
3/08/2011 at 12:00 AM

*Floodwaters caused by tropical storm Nock-Ten inundated 14 provinces in the North and Northeast, damaging wide swathes of farmland.*

The storm, which dumped heavy rain on the region over the past few days, claimed at least one life and affected 14 provinces, according to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.

The affected provinces are Phrae, Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Mae Hong Son, Uttaradit, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Udon Thani, Nong Khai, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Nan and Bung Kan.

One man in Udon Thani drowned, said the department director general Wiboonpong Sanguanpong.

*Train Services*
In a related development, Bangkok-Chiang Mai train services were suspended again yesterday afternoon despite having resumed for a few hours from the morning, as a section of track in Lampang became submerged.


*****


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## Song_Si

*Good day for a swim*

we went to the beach (Chanthaburi coast, approx 40/60km between Koh Samet and Koh Chang) yesterday expecting to see huge waves and stormy seas as a side-effect of Nock-ten in the Gulf of Thailand.
But just another wet-season day, water stirred up, small choppy waves, water dirty near the river-mouths due to silt washing down the river, but otherwise ok for swimming in the right places - plenty of 'no swimming' signs though.


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## Song_Si

*6 die, 6 go missing in landslides, flooding*
4/08/2011 

*Six people were reported dead and six missing in flood-related and landslide incidents in three of the provinces affected by tropical storm Nock-Ten.*

There was one death in Sukhothai, two in Phrae and three in Mae Hong Song yesterday, according to unofficial reports from local administration and health authorities.

On Monday, one person died as a result of the storm in Udon Thani.

The storm has unleashed widespread floods in the North and Northeast. Water from the northern provinces has submerged many low-lying areas in downstream provinces in the Central Plains.

Yesterday, three people, two of them boys, were killed in a landslide triggered by persistent heavy rain in Sop Moei district of Mae Hong Son.


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## Song_Si

*Bangkok prepares for possible flooding*

*City steels for floods as storm wash nears*
Death toll hits 20, more disaster areas declared

8/08/2011 

*Bangkok is bracing for the after-effects of Tropical Storm Nock-ten as the Chao Phraya River is expected to rise to a high of 1.7 metres on Wednesday.*

The water level stood at a peak of 1.6m in Pak Khlong Talad yesterday, said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Department of Drainage and Sewerage.

The water is expected to reach 1.7m on Wednesday afternoon during high tide, said department chief Sanya Chenimit.

However, he said the water level is manageable as flood walls erected along the river banks are 2.5m high.

The BMA has installed water pumps and placed sandbags around 27 communities outside the flood walls.

Rapid deployment, anti-flood units will be mobilised to help residents in need.

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has raised the death toll from the Nock-ten-triggered floods to 20 people nationwide.

The department reported three more deaths yesterday, taking the toll to 20 in 16 provinces from the North, Northeast and the Central Plains.

**********









Border-patrol policemen rescue flood victims from their marooned homes in Phrae's Wang Chin district.​


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## Song_Si

*Riverside residents warned to prepare for floods*
Tuesday August 9, 2011

*Residents in seven provinces along the Chao Phraya have been told to brace for flooding that will overflow the river.*

The alert from the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department prompted Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) officials to check sandbag barriers in the capital yesterday.

The Nock Ten storm has left a trail of death and damage in its wake. More than 1.1 million people have been affected, with 20 killed, another missing and 11 others injured. Floods have swamped close to 620,000 rai of farmland, and disrupting life in 6,809 villages in 21 provinces.

Disaster Prevention chief Wibul Sanguanpong urged riverside residents in Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Angthong, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Bangkok to brace for floods up till Wednesday. They should move belongings to higher ground and strictly follow news about the weather and orders from related agencies.

Wibul said 132 districts in 17 provinces - Phrae, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Mae Hong Son, Uttaradit, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Tak, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Phanom, Udon Thani, Bueng Kan, Sakhon Nakhon, Phetchabun and Ayutthaya - were still flooded, affecting over a million people.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra yesterday inspected flood barriers along the Chao Phraya in Bang Sue and expressed confidence they would hold runoff that is expected to hit Bangkok on tomorrow, as the river could still take 2.5-3 metres more water.


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## Song_Si

August 12, 2011
*Nakhon Phanom is another province in the Northeast hit by flooding, the worst in 30 years according to the provincial relief office, after days of heavy rain.*

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will begin a two-day trek tomorrow in the lower North, which has been hit hardest by flooding, to inspect the situation.

About 1,500 villages in all 12 districts in Nakhon Phanom have been under water, with two villagers drowned and 261,000 people in 63,522 households affected. About 234,000 rai (37,440 hectares) of farmland have been inundated and 1,166 fish farms flooded, with damage estimates reaching Bt30 million.

Relief office chief Jureerat Thep-art said half the flooded farmland would be a total loss, while the crops in the other half would die if water did not recede in 15 days. More than 3,400 survival kits have been given to affected villagers and 52,000 sets of dried grass to owners of cattle.


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## Song_Si

August 18, 2011 

*As of yesterday's official count, 29 people had drowned and 200,000 had been affected by lingering floods in 12 provinces.*

One person was missing in Mae Hong Son province, while Phrae has suffered the heaviest death toll at eight, Wibool Sa-nguamphong, director-general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, said yesterday.

Flood waters have receded in 15 provinces but remained high in 12, he said.

The flooding in the 27 provinces has affected 3.18 million people from 810,249 households in 247 districts, while in the 12 provinces still flooded, 215,075 people in 86,357 households in 68 districts have been affected.

The 12 provinces are Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet and Phitsanulok in the lower North; Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Nayok and Ayutthaya in the Central region; and Roi Et, Kalasin, Mukdahan and Ubon Ratchathani in the Northeast.

read more


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## Song_Si

*Eight provinces still hit by flooding*
September 1, 2011

*Flooding continues to wreak havoc in eight provinces, including Phichit, where at least 47 schools were shut down out of concerns for their students' safety.*

The flood-related death toll across the country yesterday stood at 55, according to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department (DPMD). 

The eight provinces are Phichit, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Nakhon Sawan, Ayutthaya, Angthong, Chai Nat and Ubon Ratchathani.

*Bangkok braces as floodwaters rise*
September 1, 2011 

*Riverside residential areas in Bangkok and other central provinces are at risk of flash flooding due to seasonally high tides.*

The Chao Phraya in Bangkok was expected to reach this year's peak at around 8.30pm last night. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said preventive measures were in place for 27 communities in 13 districts located outside the flood embankment wall.

more


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## Song_Si

*'Worst disaster in 100 years' hits Uttaradit*

Published: 10/09/2011 









Houses stand precariously after water run-off from the mountains ravaged villages in Nam Pat district of Uttaradit yesterday.

Three people have been killed and 12 others remain missing after their villages were hit by fierce run-off and mudslides in Nam Pat district of Uttaradit, in what was described as the worst disaster to hit the area in a century.

read more


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## Song_Si

On a more local level for us, been in Chanthaburi city last night and again this morning and the river higher is than I've seen it before; hasn't been so much rain locally, but as with many other areas it's runoff from the hills.

And a little history: 2nd pic is of a mural, one of three on a riverside wall 'in memory of houses washed away in the 1999 floods', 3rd pic is directly across the river in that flood, the Catholic cathedral, when much of the city was 70cm deep in water.


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## Song_Si

*Flood misery worsens in 35 of nation's provinces
Death toll reaches 82 with more than 570,000 people affected*

13/09/2011 

*The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department has warned local residents in river basins in 35 provinces to beware of flash floods, landslides and mountain runoff due to heavy rains in the next few days.*


Photos from today's news
































1. A child is helped to cross surging water on a makeshift bamboo bridge in Ban Huay Khom village of Nam Pat district, Uttaradit.
2. Buddhist monks at a temple in Tak’s Mae Sot district row a boat after flood waters burst through a concrete **** and inundated the area
3. More than 100 elephants are evacuated from WangChang Ayutthaya to temporary shelters after the Lop Buri and Pa Sak rivers overflowed and flooded their camp.
4. Soldiers use a sniffer dog to help locate bodies at a landslide site in Ban Ton Khanoon village of NamPat district, Uttaradit.


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## Song_Si

at a glance - image from The Nation


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## Song_Si

Flooding concerns turn to Bangkok
*Ayutthaya suffers after dam sluice gate collapses*

15/09/2011 

Water runoff from the North is threatening Bangkok as overflow from the Chao Phraya River has flooded part of Bang Pa-in district in Ayutthaya.









Walkway to safety
Villagers and flood response workers cross a makeshift bridge built by soldiers in Ban Ton Khanun, of Uttaradit’sNam Pat district, which was hit by mountain runoff and mudslides last week.

******

On a local level, we went to Chanthaburi city yesterday - see attached pics of 'before and after', first two were taken Friday night when we were there for a riverside festival, second two of the same area yesterday as the river has gone over the banks and about 50-80cm deep through the street. Still water in the city streets near the river, but the lake is now back to it's normal size, full to the brim.
Very mild in comparison to the floods faced by people in other areas.


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## Song_Si

*
Bangkokians brace for flash floods*

September 21, 2011

*Bangkok residents living by the Chao Phraya river are advised to brace today for possible swelling and ensuing flash floods, as water reaches a critical level as it travels southward to the capital.
*
Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut, citing the latest flood level update from irrigation resources, said the influx of water would reach 3,900 cubic metres per second while the Chao Phraya's critical level was at 3,720.

more


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## Song_Si

*Ministry makes child vaccinations top priority for mobile units*

With an average of 5,000 people seeking help for floodrelated diseases and other health problems across the country each day, the Public Health Ministry has adjusted the operations of its mobile medical units, permanent secretary Phaijit Warachit said yesterday.

Patients have been prioritised into three groups: small children in need of immediate vaccination, who will be visited and administered injections right away; those requiring sustained care, such as pregnant women or those with disabilities, who will be visited periodically; and those with less serious problems, who are already catered to daily by 200 mobile units.

The official death toll stood at 158, with three people missing, yesterday. The number of people affected was 1,927,120. A total of 8,088 villages in 141 districts of 26 provinces are inundated.

The possibility of heavy rain remained high across the country, according to a weather forecast yesterday, with Bangkok and the three heavily flooded Central provinces of Lop Buri, Saraburi and Ayutthaya facing a 70percent chance of rain, along with Ubon Ratchathani in the Northeast. In other areas where rain was forecast, the likelihood was put at 60 per cent. 

More


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## Song_Si

> Front row seats in the wet
> Tourists get wet feet as they watch a royal barge procession rehearsal at the flooded Nagaraphirom public park by the Chao Phraya River in Phra Nakhon district of Bangkok, with the main pagoda of the Temple of Dawn in the background yesterday.


**************



> Chiang Mai region
> 
> The rainfall also pushed up the water level in the Ping River, which overflowed into Chiang Mai's town. Even the Night Bazaar was under a 50cm-70cm-deep flood.
> Chiang Mai Night Bazaar executive Sitthiporn Techajongjintana said many shops had been forced to close and the flooding had cost them at least Bt100 million in lost trade opportunities.
> At the Provincial Police Region 5 living quarters, the flood water was already waist-deep.
> 
> The Emergency Operations Centre for Floods, Storms and Landslides reported that flooding continued to rage in 21 provinces. Overflowing is also expected to worsen in the Chao Phraya Basin as run-off water from the upper parts of the country races downstream. Furthermore, the Nesat and Haitang storms will bring heavy downpours.
> more


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## Song_Si

*Oct 16-18 critical for capital*
October 7, 2011 

*Residents of many provinces face imminent flooding - or the worsening of existing flooding - as massive amounts of water move towards their areas from parts further north. The run-off water is set to reach Bangkok between October 16 and 18, which is also the high-tide period.*










read more


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## Song_Si

Sources of up to date info include:

Bangkok Post
The Nation
Thai-Asean News Network
Siam Daily News Online
Thai Government Public Relations Department

and in Thai
Daily News
Thairath Online
Khaosod Online

and the Bangkok Post pictorial on the floods

And some maps showing flood info.


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## Song_Si

*from coastal Chanthaburi*

Our (Chanthaburi) floods occurred a month ago, and were very minor in comparison to the northern areas, for about 4 days the river in C city overflowed its banks, flooding some of the central shopping area and riverside houses.
Pics attached taken 11 Sept and 11 Oct showing how high the river was at Chantaboon exercise park, and where it is now a month later, well down and the risk has passed. 
We haven't had too much rain locally, it's been in the hills east of us that form the border with Cambodia, and flow from there caused the high river levels. 
For us, 10km from C city there has been no direct impact; have not seen any mention of Koh Samet (40k north) or Koh Chang (60k south) as to whether the weather has affected tourism there.


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## Song_Si

*Bangkok districts told to brace*
City Hall agrees to open up canals for drainage

21/10/2011 at 12:00 AM

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has agreed to help drain northern runoff into the sea through the city's canals as parts of Don Muang and Laksi districts were declared flood-risk zones yesterday.










read more









A crane lowers rocks wrapped in wire mesh onto the flooded Asian Highway in Uthai district of Ayutthaya yesterday to slow the torrents of floodwater entering the town.


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## Song_Si

*From news 25 October 2011*

Mega waves still to come
October 25, 2011 8:06 am 

*Two masses of water set to swamp north, east of city; Bangkokians advised to start storing tapwater*

While the flood situation in Bangkok remained relatively stable over the weekend, the capital faces the threat of deluge from two huge masses of water northeast of the city over coming days, a senior Royal Irrigation Department official warned yesterday.

"The first mass of water has left Rangsit canal briming, and spilling over the parallel Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok road [running in an east-west direction] north of Bangkok, which doubles as a flood barrier," said the official, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the news.

The second mass of water, now trapped further north beyond the Klong Luang road in Pathum Thani [which also runs east-west], was also building, and would soon cross the road to add to the first, he explained.

"When these two lots [of water] combine, in the next few days, they will amass and break through barriers along Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok road and head to further inundate Lak Luk Ka district in Pathum Thani, then Don Muang in northern Bangkok," he said.

read more

********************

Fearful city folk brace for soaking
Efforts to drive water to east, west of capital fail

25/10/2011 at 12:00 AM

*Bangkok residents are living in fear as the authorities have been unsuccessful in trying to divert northern runoff to the east and west of the capital.*

About 4,000 million cubic metres of flood water from Ayutthaya is expected to reach Bangkok tomorrow, Deputy Bangkok Governor Pornthep Techapaiboon said yesterday.

"The problem is City Hall can drain no more than 400 million cu m of water a day," Mr Pornthep said.

The huge water mass will enter the west of Bangkok via Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi and sweep into Khlong Thawi Watthana, Khlong Bangkok Noi and Khlong Bang Phlad and is expected to reach up to three metres high.

However, Mr Pornthep said there is a 2.7-metre-high railway track in Thawi Watthana district which serves as a flood barrier in the west of Bangkok.

The water level in the Chao Phraya River reached a record high yesterday, rising to 2.3 metres above sea level against 2.27 metres back in 1995.










read more









A bird’s eye view of the submerged Thammasat University Rangsit Campus from a Royal Thai Air Force helicopter. The university is seeking to relocate some 4,000 flood victims after water broke through barricades.


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## Digitalwolf2017

If any of you are even able to reply, with all the flooding going on, I am wondering how you are managing to survive? Have you lost family or friends to the flood? Is your home and stuff lost? What are your plans ~ Move to another country? Stay and repair? 

Did anyones home survive so far without getting flooded? If so what area is a good place to find/get a rental, especially in Chiang Mai?

I am planning on moving to Thailand in 2017 and I am paying close attention to what is going on now. Praying for you all.


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## Song_Si

*Chao Phraya on the brink*
PM says floodwalls not able to withstand water 


















An aerial view of the flooded Thupatemee Stadium intersection.










Floodwater laps the front of Don Mueang airport on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road where the government is running its flood relief operations centre in Bangkok. Flight operations were halted there yesterday due to the flooded airfield.*

read more

* note Don Mueang is used primarily for domestic flights - not to be confused with Suvarnabhumi International which is still operating as normal


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## Digitalwolf2017

Gotta love the Thai smiles even in the middle of a catastrophe!


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## Song_Si

All of Thon Buri faces inundation
Defence of west part of Chao Phraya in jeopardy

Published: 29/10/2011 at 12:00 AM

*
The entire Thon Buri area is expected to be submerged within three days due to signs that northern runoff could overwhelm attempts by City Hall and irrigation officials to defend the western part of the Chao Phraya River.*










read more










Deep floodwaters near the Boromratchonnanee elevated road force many city people to shift their modeof travel to boats.


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## hydroman

This is so sad, I am in in England with my family, my father in law is in my home in Rangsit with his pump in my front room. I have to say he is like supper man 60 somthing and loves helping hope to hell he can swim. I am looking every day at the news and as the link I also pray for Thailand


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## Song_Si

Map - from news 30 October 2011


















Flood Relief Operations Command (FROC) headquarters have moved from the flooded Don Mueang airport to the Energy building complex on Vibhavadi Road.

*Froc flees airport base as surge hits*


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## Song_Si

item from today's news - lists contact details and website links, public transport, evacuation procedures, for people in Bangkok.


*Flood survival guide*


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## Song_Si

*Isle of Bangkok*

*New southern route needed*
*Rama II expected to go under within three days*

4/11/2011 

The government should prepare alternative routes of transport and logistics to the South as Rama II Road is expected to be flooded within three days, Seri Supparathit, a Rangsit University expert on natural disasters, said yesterday.

The northern runoff has already passed Khlong Phasi Charoen in Bang Kae district and was about 5km from Rama II Road, which is one of the major roads linking Bangkok and the southern region, he said.

The water mass travels 1-2km a day, Mr Seri said in his update on the flood situation on Thai PBS television last night.

Since Rama II is crucial for logistics and transport between the South and other regions, Mr Seri urged the government to prepare alternative routes in case the road was cut by the deluge.

Meanwhile, City Hall yesterday issued an announcement for the evacuation of the whole of Bang Kae district because of the rising level of water in waterways in western Bangkok.

read more









A family with small children wait for a bus to take them away from their flooded home on Phetkasem Road in Bang Kae district yesterday.










Lat Krabang estate at risk


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## Song_Si

Many people arrive at the Thai Red Cross head office in Bangkok to donate blood after hearing that the supply of blood is running low.


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## Song_Si

*Froc abandons Rama II Road*
No barriers to be built on main south link

5/11/2011

Rama II Road has been left defenceless against approaching floodwater after a decision that could cut road links between Bangkok and the South.











read more











Floodwaters fill the Lat Phrao-Phahon Yothin intersection yesterday, closing the Central Plaza department store and raising fears that the deluge is approaching inner Bangkok.

read more


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## Song_Si

*More evacuations loom*
November 7, 2011 8:04 am 









Chatuchak, Phasi Charoen, Nong Khaem, Nong Chok, Min Buri get orders; BMA gets more pumps

Chatuchak district in central north Bangkok, Phasi Charoen and Nong Khaem districts in the capital's west and Nong Chok and Min Buri in the east yesterday joined the list of districts ordered to be evacuated by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Chatuchak - which houses the headquarters of the new government Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC) and the Mor Chit 2 bus terminal - is directly north of Victory Monument in Phaya Thai district and the Din Daeng expressway exit. Both landmarks are now under threat from the flood water, which yesterday spread farther down Phaholyothin Road and the VibhavadiRangsit highway.

read more


*Flood death toll rises to 506, two missing*
November 6, 2011 8:07 am 


2102​


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## Song_Si

Pics from today's Bangkok Post









The southern bus terminal on Boromratchonnanee Road is closed due to flooding. A temporary terminal has opened at the Holland Beer Hall on Rama II Road, which has the capacity to handle up to 60 buses at a time.









Residents of flood-hit Bang Len district in Nakhon Pathom have been warned to evacuate within 48 hours. An evacuation centre at Kasetsart University's Kamphaeng Saen campus has been opened, although the university's main campus on Vibhavadi Rangist Road has closed due to flooding.

more

and a story from today's Sydney Morning Herald

*Tourists vanish from Bangkok amid floods*
November 7, 2011 - 11:36AM










read more


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## Song_Si

*Water receding in 11 districts*
November 12, 2011










*Flood levels remain above 80cm in 560 locations covering 12 districts; Bangkok deputy gov says. City's main roads will be dry in two weeks*

Flood water has receded in 11 Bangkok districts as drainage is underway at full steam, while water levels are stable in Phasi Charoen and Bang Khae districts, while they went up in Min Buri and Klong Sam Wa.


read more


*Flooded Asia Highway now navigable*

11/11/2011 at 10:35 PM










*Even though the Asia Highway is still flooded at Wang Noi, Ayutthaya the level declines enough to let small cars navigate slowly according to TV3 Sky report.*

People travelling North can drive on Don Mueang tollway and exit at Rangsit and then travel along the Asia Highway safely now.

The Outer Ringroad on the eastern front is also safe for traffic.

source


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## Song_Si

*Dry city by New Year*
November 13, 2011

*Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday that he would see to it that all roads and sois in the capital are dry as a New Year gift for Bangkokians.*

However, he yesterday warned residents in Prawet, Saphan Sung and Bangkok Yai districts to move their belongings to higher ground and prepare for possible evacuation.

read more

*Inner-city residents get ready as water nears*
November 13, 2011 

*People living near the Victory Monument have been told to prepare for flooding, which could reach the area in a week.*


read more


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## hydroman

Can I ask what will happen at the end of all this. Myself I wish for my father in law just to go home after fighting the flood for a month in my lovely home. I would feel so bad if he got somthing bad or could not get food, but he still fights on. If you meet real thai people they are amazing, very hard as a farang as they do not trust you as I found to my cost, I am lucky my wife is an accountant very smart, her family now are happy with her choice. I feel that Thailand is still my home but need to sell my house as we are in the UK untill the year 1220. I lived in Thailand about 8 years never looked into goverment thing as most expats, now I worry as have seen so much in 8 years. Still Praying for all


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## Song_Si

This graphic by the Bangkok Post shows the up-to-date flood situation in Bangkok and area as of Monday evening:

Bangkok situation (graphic)

Published: 15/11/2011


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## Song_Si

*cleaning up . . .*

*SAVING AYUTTHAYA*
November 16, 2011 









Volunteers and locals flock to the ancient capital to clean temple grounds and scrub monuments
*
More than a month after it was engulfed by floodwaters, the province of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya is slowly getting back to normal as the waters recede. Most of the provincial seat is now dry and with houses, museums, temples, palace ruins and roads once again visible, people are beginning the long and arduous task of cleaning up.
*
In the distance, the slightly leaning Chaiyamongkol pagoda, built to honour the victory of King Naresuan the Great's victory over Burma, can clearly be seen. The ancient royal monastery of Wat Yai Chaimongkol, located just outside the city island, looks well on the way to recovery, with most of the temple grounds now free of water.

Last Thursday, a large group of volunteers gathered at the temple for Ayutthaya's big cleaning day. Lay people and monks spread out through the temple grounds, washing, wiping and pulling up dead trees. Sadly, the roots of all the ornamental orange jasmine trees rotted in the water but the hardier West Indian jasmine trees survived and are in full bloom.

"Ayutthaya was the capital of Siam for more than 400 years and acted as the centre of administration, culture and international relations of the Siamese kingdom. Today, Ayutthaya is the centre of cooperation among Thai people to help bring the old capital city back to its former glory and the smiles back to people's faces once again", says Ayutthaya's governor, Wittaya Pewpong,

*****

*Another big cleaning day in Ayutthaya will be organised on December 5 at nine temples, nine churches and nine mosques. For more details, contact Tourism Authority of Thailand, Ayutthaya office at (035) 246076-7*

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## Song_Si

*Setback for east Bangkok*
November 18, 2011










*New deluge as flood-hit residents of Pathum Thani district damage sandbag barrier before talks with BMA Wider opening of canal sluice gate following demand by angry victims expected to inundate more areas in city*

Eastern Bangkok, where flood waters had just started to recede, may face another bout of high flooding after a dispute over the barrier along the lower Khlong Hok Wa caused partial damage to the sandbag embankment while protests led to the opening of the Khlong Phraya Suren sluice gate to a metre wide yesterday.

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*Some Bang Kunthien residents evacuated*
November 18, 2011










*While flood water is receding gradually elsewhere in the capital, the inundation level has increased in western Bangkok, where residents of part of Bang Khunthien district were evacuated yesterday.*

The area, located mostly in Samae Dam subdistrict, stretches from Bang Khunthien Road and its branch roads and sois to the Wong Wian YaiMahachai rail line, Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said.

Many districts in lower Thonburi saw slightly higher levels of flood water arriving from Nakhon Pathom's Salaya district, but flood waters below that point are stable, said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's flood situation centre. The levels in eastern Bangkok, northern Bangkok - including Don Muang - and northern central Bangkok - including Chatuchak and Lat Phrao intersection - have receded slightly, it said.

Bang Bua Thong district and adjacent areas in Nonthaburi province remain under high levels of flood water. 


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## Song_Si

*Inner city spared from floods, says Yingluck*

20/11/2011 

*Inner Bangkok has been saved from the floods, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said yesterday.*










"It's certain the inner zone of Bangkok will be safe from floods, as the measures to hold floodwaters have been successful," Ms Yingluck said in the Yingluck Government Meets the People programme from Bali, Indonesia, where she attended the Asean Summit.

The government's Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc) was able to block floodwater along the Bang Sue canal.

As a result, the floods would not reach inner Bangkok, including the Victory Monument, Pathumwan, Sukhumvit and Silom.

For areas to the west of the Chao Phraya, floodwaters in the northern parts of districts such as Bang Phlat, Bangkok Noi, Taling Chan, Bang Kae, Phutthamonthon, Bang Kruai and Nakhon Chaisi have already subsided, she said.


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## hydroman

We can now get compensation for having our home under water for the last 5 weeks, all homes that have been flooded for more than a week are entitled to this compensation of 5000b, there are a few thing you need to do, I’m sure the poor people are excited about getting this compensation as most have lost all, their homes, their children’s toys, small things that have been passed down to them for years. All they need to do now is find a 1000b and get themselves down to the nearest camera shop as they need to take photos to prove their home is under water, the next problem they need to get over as most of the poor build illegally they need to come up with their home papers and send a copy with the photos. If my wife manages to get this compensation I have asked her to give it to the people that need it more.


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## Song_Si

^ yet that 5000 won't go far; 2 weeks ago met three elderly folk who'd been evacuated from Nonthaburi, to a place that also flooded, now with family in Sa Kaeo province. They didn't know if there would be anything in their house, or if it could ever be lived in again. 

******************

*Con men target disaster victims*
Reaping benefit from other people's misery shows an ugly side to the disaster

21/11/2011 

*Flood victim Uthai Phuwanan says she lost all her savings after falling foul of unscrupulous phone scammers claiming to be offering relief aid from the Interior Ministry.*

The con men contacted her by phone, saying they were conducting a flood damage survey.

Ms Uthai, 55, whose assets and house in Bang Kae were damaged by the flood, was fooled into transferring money to the scammers via an ATM.

Police said the phone scam gang is exploiting the flood situation and benefiting from the state offer of compensation for flood victims.

read more


*Flood toll passes 600*

20/11/2011

*The death toll from the worst flooding in years rose to 602 with two people missing, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported on Sunday.
*
Officials said that 125 districts in 17 provinces remained flooded, with five million people affected.

Flooding continues in Nakhon Sawan, Chai Nat, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Suphan Buri, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakorn, Samut Prakan, Ubon Ratchathani, Roi Et, Chacheongsao, Nakhon Nayok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and the capital Bangkok.

About 11 million rai (4.4 million acres, 6,872 square miles) of farmland and 210 roads have been damaged by the flooding which began in late July.

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## hydroman

Good news for me. My father in law has gone home. The water is only knee deep now and with the residence up in arms now and destroying the sand bags I am sure that it will start to reseed quicker. My father in law is now back in Phetchabun he has a rash around his neck I have been assured by my wife nothing to do with the flood I hope for that as that was my worst night mare. Some of my wife’s Ex colleges from work have sent her photos of their homes, wish I could share them but without their permission I feel I should not. My regrets are spending so much money hiring a gardener god knows what it will look like when the water gone.


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## Song_Si

Aftermath : office at Asian Institute of Technology, Rangsit, Thailand, after 4 week flood

source

***********************************

*Health risks after flood*

*Aside loss to life and property, flooding also spawns an increased risk of infection due to exposure to contaminated and polluted waters. *

The prolonged flooding, now in its third month, has sparked an outbreak of infectious diseases in various parts of Thailand both from direct and indirect transmission. 

These diseases can be broadly divided into two major categories: viz, water-borne such as typhoid fever, cholera, leptospirosis and hepatitis A, and vector-borne such as malaria, dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever.

Read more: source

***********************

*Flood clean-up*

*City Hall is stepping up efforts to clean and further drain flooded streets in its latest campaign to make Bangkok free of floodwater, garbage and mosquitoes by Dec 31.*

Though most parts of the city are now dry, some floodwater remains in seven areas, according to the city's Drainage and Sewerage Department.

Water remains on Phraya Suren Road in Klong Sam Wa district (with the water levels at 15-20cm), the outbound section on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road from Don Muang railway station to Yucharoen housing estate (5-10cm), the inbound section on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road from the air force headquarters to Chantrubeksa Road (15-30cm), the National Memorial on Phahon Yothin Road to Chantrubeksa Road (30-50cm), Phahon Yothin Soi 54/4 to Soi Annex (10cm) and Soi Annex to Lam Luk Ka Road (20-30cm).

On the Thonburi side, floodwater is measured at between 20 and 30cm on Phutthamonthon Sai 3 Road.

"The last areas in Bangkok where floods will subside are on the Thonburi side and Don Muang district," MR Sukhumbhand said.

Read more: source


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## Song_Si

*All of Bangkok dry in 2 weeks, says Yingluck*
11 Dec 2011

*Areas still flooded in Bangkok will be dry within the next two weeks and waters in inundated parts of other provinces are expected to subside completely by month's end, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra says.*

Ms Yingluck said yesterday during her weekly radio address that floodwaters have largely abated in the capital and surrounding areas. But about 200 residential areas remain submerged in parts of Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Nakhon Pathom.

Ms Yingluck said floodwater in those provinces would be drained by the end of this month.

read more

****************

*Flood death toll rises to 689*

10/12/2011

A total of 689 people were confirmed dead and three people were missing in the floods that have inundated the upper part of the country since July 25 and hit southern provinces recently, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said on Saturday.

The flood still prevails in 10 provinces, affecting, 4,405,315 people, according to the Department.

The provinces are Angthong, Ayutthaya, Lopburi, Saraburi, Suphanburi, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Sakhon and Bangkok.


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## Song_Si

*5 C on the mountaintops*

*Mercury in North drops to 5 degree*
December 11, 2011 9:41 am

*Frost happened on mountaintops in the North where the lowest temperature fell to 5 Celsius degree Sunday morning, the Meteorological Department announced.
*
The department announced in its daily weather report that the minimum temperatures on mountaintops in northern provinces ranged from 5 to 11 degrees while the temperature on the lowland in the North ranged from 17 to 21 degrees.

It said the minimum temperature in Bangkok would be 21 to 22 degrees.

The department said the temperature continued to drop two to three Celsius degrees because of a prolonged influence of intense high pressure over upper Thailand.

*****

*a comparison - forecast temperatures for 12-16 December 2011 - Chiang Mai and Bangkok*


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## hydroman

*Had some photos of my home*

I think after the water has now gone am in need of a good gardener.
I found a good before and after match photo.


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## Song_Si

^ hope the garden survives/recovers; once had a property flooded in NZ, gardens under water approx 2-3 weeks, combination of over-saturation of the soil and fungal infections meant that over the next few months most of the shrubs/trees died, including an established fruit orchard. 
Not saying it will be same for you, but imagine the water wasn't the cleanest, and soil aeration plus some sprays may be required. Hope it turns out ok for you.


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## Song_Si

*Winter*









A homeless man covers himself with a blanket while sleeping on a footpath on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue, as temperatures in Bangkok drop as low as 20C.










Students at Mae Rim School in Chiang Mai exercise before class to stay warm. Mae Rim is one of seven districts of the city that have been declared disaster zones because of cold weather that this week saw the temperature on Doi Inthanon, the country's highest peak, drop to 4C.

*************

I've had worse winters. 
Here's the 5-day forecast for Chanthaburi city, we're nearer the coast and generally a little warmer, and a lot less rain - we'll cope. 
Did find a record of the coldest day ever recorded here, 8.9C on Dec 16 1954. Partner's reaction: _"I'd die"_


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## Song_Si

*Frost on Doi Inthanon as cold sets in*
The Nation December 21, 2011 1:00 am 

*Temperatures dropped to minus 2 degrees Celsius on Doi Inthanon mountain in Chiang Mai yesterday, causing the peak to be covered in frost.*

Somkid Tuaboontham, chief of the Doi Inthanon Park rangers, said the frost could be seen from Kew Mae Pan Park to the top of Doi Inthanon and had been occurring for three consecutive days.

Meanwhile, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department yesterday warned people in the Southeast to prepare for heavy rain and the danger of floods from today to December 25.

People living near hillsides and waterways in Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat should prepare for heavy rain, flash floods and possible landslides, it warned.

*************

Local forecasts available at *Thai Meteorological Department*


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## Song_Si

*Rough weather for Hua Hin*









Hua Hin washout: Waves as high as 4mpound the beaches of Hua Hin district in Prachuap Khiri Khan province yesterday. Many houses at Khao Takiab village in Hua Hin were flooded by seawater. 

Met warns of more violent seas in South
December 27, 2011 








The eastern coast of Thailand will likely face three to four more rounds of high and violent waves over the next few months, according to the Meteorological Department. Waves of up to five metres in height have been lashing many southern provinces since Sunday.

"It's the monsoon surge," the department's deputy director-general, Somchai Baimuang, said yesterday, "The phenomenon will recur three to four more times before the end of February."
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## Song_Si

meanwhile, providing some balance, on the opposite side of the Gulf of Thailand on the Chanthaburi coast . . . we went to Laem Sadet beach for lunch, no wind, no waves, just a very high tide. Forecast 30C today, and about right I think.


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## Song_Si

*no flood-damaged Hondas for sale*

a side-effect of the flooding










*Honda Destroys 1,055 Flood-damaged Cars*
UPDATE : 27 December 2011
*Honda has started destroying 1,055 vehicles which were submerged by the recent floods in a bid to boost customers' confidence that these cars will not be sold.*

Honda Automobile Thailand invited members of the press and officials from the Industry Ministry to its plant in the Rojana Industrial Estate in Ayutthaya Province to witness the destruction of 1,055 vehicles which were submerged during the recent flooding.

Of the total number of vehicles, 217 are the eco-car Brio model, 213 are the compact Jazz, 353 are the compact City, 150 are the mid-sized Civic, 91 are the large-sized Accord, 30 are the multi-purpose CRV and one is a compact van Freed.

It is doing this to assure customers that flood-damaged cars will not be sold or have their parts stripped to be sold to the public.

Honda Automobile Thailand currently employs 7,074 people and has the capacity to produce 240,000 vehicles per year.

Its plants in Thailand are the main production hub for Asia and Oceania with export to 30 countries throughout the world.

Its Ayutthaya plant was flooded since October 8 and production is expected to resume in February next year.

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## Song_Si

*2012*

and 2012 begins with . . . more floods. This time in the southern provinces.

*Heavy rain, flash floods hit South*
Eight hikers missing, Hat Yai man feared dead

2/01/2012 

*Heavy rain and flash floods are causing New Year's havoc in the South, with one man feared dead, eight hikers missing, and evacuations ordered.*










In Hat Yai, some tourists were stranded in their hotels after roads were cut off. In Narathiwat, some residents are getting about on flooded streets by boat.

Weather forecasters have warned the flooding could affect up to six southern provinces.

Hat Yai municipality has ordered an evacuation amid heavy rainfall, which has also triggered flash floods in 12 Songkhla districts as well as other parts of the deep South.

Hat Yai mayor Phrai Phatthano said floodwater from Sadao district was likely to rise to 1.2 metres high.

***

In Phatthalung's Kong Ra district, eight hikers have not been heard from since Saturday night. The group went into a forest on the Banthat mountain range to view the "sea of mist" on Khao Lon mountain on Saturday morning. Their friends staying at a village at the foot of the mountain said they had been unable to contact them.

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## xtr3mx7

Is it true that the road to Bangkok from the South is inundated? I am due to travel to Bangkok today with my family but since we heard from the news station my wife is afraid.


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## Song_Si

am not familiar with that area of the country. This article says 



> Elsewhere in Songkhla, two key roads leading to a border crossing in Sadao district with Malaysia have been impassable due to inundation.


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## Digitalwolf2017

Wow I didn't realize that Thailand got this cold.


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## Song_Si

the lasting memory of 2011 for much of Thailand will be a person up to their knees/waist/shoulders in floodwaters. And so it continues into 2012

*Floods halt air, rail services*
*Some areas under 2m of water, Yala dries out*
4/01/2012

*Heavy rain and flash flooding yesterday continued to wreak havoc in the southern region, especially in Muang municipality of Nakhon Si Thammarat.*









_A resident of Soi WatMoomPom community in Muangdistrict of Nakhon Si Thammaratcarries her belongings in a bucket as she trudges through chest-deep floodwater._

Other parts of the South were hit as well, prompting hospital evacuations, halting airline services and forcing train passengers to continue their journeys by bus. But despite some provinces struggling with rising floodwater, levels were receding in the deep South.

In Nakhon Si Thammarat, runoff from Luang and Nun mountains, triggered by steady rain over the past four days, caused unprecedented massive flooding, putting several main roads and residential communities under deep water.

The floodwater in some communities, such as Bo Sap and Ban Tok, ran as high as two metres, forcing locals to resort to using boats to get around.

Authorities were mobilised to assist flood victims and evacuate those who wanted to move to safety.

Bad weather forced the provincial airport authority to suspend all flights, stranding several hundred passengers.

Rail passengers travelling north were advised to board trains at Thung Song station because tracks between Nakhon Si Thammarat station to Thung Song station were submerged.
read more










_WATER WORLD: Water that spilt over from two major canals adjacent to the business district of Hat Yai in Songkhla province in southern Thailand has submerged part of the urban area to a depth of up to 70cm. _
source


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## Song_Si

*and now . . . drought!*

*Severe Drought Plagues Several Provinces*
11 January 2012

*People in several provinces are now suffering from an early onset of the drought season.*

Drought has arrived early and in Uthai Thani Province, where local residents are now running short of water for consumption.

The situation has forced local authorities to discharge 60 million cubic meters of water from Tab Sa Lao Dam for 400,000 rais of rice fields in five districts. As of now, the volume of water stored in the dam remains at only 30 percent of its capacity.

In contrast, the water level of the Ping River running through Kamphaeng Phet was full when the Bhumibol Dam released a large amount of water to alleviate the drought situation. Operators of the Bhumibol Dam made adjustments to the water management after the flood crisis in the central region ended. Recently, the volume of water in the dam stood at 12.3 billion cubic meters, or the equivalent of 91 percent of its capacity.

In addition, seven districts of Chantaburi Province have been declared drought disaster zones.

The provincial Hydrology and Water Management Center announced that the water level will be stable for a while before it begins to drop continuously until May.

full article here


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