I’m back. More soon on where I’ve been, but for now, here’s an update on the flooding here in Thailand.
I’ve received emails on the topic, and my previous posts have been drawing a lot of traffic. So I wanted to provide a quick update.
Map of flooding
First off, here’s a map of the affected areas as of today, October 11, 2011:
Visit ThaiFlood.com for more. It appears that the map is updated daily. (Note: It’s unclear to me how this information has been sourced, but it appears to me to be accurate.)
You can see that central Thailand, in low-lying areas near the Chao Phraya and other rivers, has been hit the hardest.
Overview
Bloomberg has the latest details:
- This is Thailand’s worst flooding in more than 50 years.
- 269 people have died since July 25.
- In the last two months, floods have affected 60 of the country’s 77 provinces.
- High tides will peak early next week — Oct. 16-18. Bloomberg reports that the areas that could be at risk then include central Bangkok; the area around Bangkok’s international airport; and areas near the Chao Phraya.
- Various industries have been affected, as have rice farms.
Bangkok
I haven’t been down to the area surrounding the Chao Phraya river recently, but I’ve seen images from downtown Bangkok that show its waters are — expectedly — quite high. My understanding is that the areas near the river, in Thonburi and to the north of Bangkok, are most at risk.
The parts of central Bangkok I’ve seen, in addition to the southeast of the city, near the airport, are fine for now.
Ayutthaya
The BBC has a TV report on the situation from Ayutthaya.
Food, shelter, and water are on hand for those who need it, authorities say. Officials are encouraging people to evacuate when they’re told to do so, rather than staying behind to protect their belongings.
Tourism
Thailand’s Public Relations Department says:
The floods are mainly affecting land in low-lying agricultural areas and adjacent to major waterways such as the Chao Phraya River. Warnings of heavy rains resulting in localized flash floods and landslides in mountainous areas or areas adjacent to waterways have been issued for several provinces.
And:
The crest of the floodwaters is currently passing through Bangkok. Most parts of the city have not been affected, while flooding is occurring in some areas adjacent to the Chao Phraya River.
And:
All airports throughout Thailand are operating as per normal. Train services from Bangkok to northern destinations beyond Lop Buri are suspended, with only limited services in the areas affected by the flooding.
And finally:
Tourists planning to travel to the provinces affected by the floods are advised to check the latest weather forecasts for their destination and confirm arrangements with the transportation providers with which they will be travelling. Tourists can also call the TAT Information Line at 1672 to check local conditions, or visit the Thailand Meteorological Department web site at http://www.tmd.go.th/en for updated weather forecasts.
More news reports
Here’s more from The AP, Reuters, and the BBC.
A Google News search will yield additional reports.
You can follow the Twitter hashtag #thaiflood for updates.
And a reminder: I maintain a Twitter list of Bangkok journalists, bloggers, and media folks. Many of them are tweeting about the floods.
(All emphasis mine.)
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