Tag: thailand_flooding

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Thailand

Thailand flooding update, Oct. 13, 2011: today’s map of Bangkok’s threatened areas

Here’s an update on the flooding here in Thailand as of 11:45 p.m. Bangkok time today, October 13, 2011:

Summmary

  • Much of central Bangkok is still okay, but there are ongoing worries about parts of the city outside the center, especially to the west, north, and east. (See new map below.) Much will depend on rains and tides in the coming days.
  • The international airport, Suvarnabhumi, so far appears to be fine.
  • Ayutthaya and central Thailand have been hit hard.
  • Hundreds have died and many more displaced throughout Thailand. But for those wondering about tourism in Thailand, again: most of central Bangkok has not been affected.

    The areas near the Chao Phraya river, however, and particularly the western and northern portions of Bangkok, are at risk. And again, Ayutthaya and central Thailand have faced serious flooding.

New flooding map

Today’s Bangkok Post has a map of the city’s areas that could be hit:

2011 10 13 bangkok flooding map

News reports

Bloomberg has more info on the flooding’s economic implications:

Thailand said floods that have killed more than 283 people and hurt exports may last until the month’s end, swamp Bangkok and cut deeper into economic growth.

The NYT reports on the big picture:

As some of Thailand’s worst flooding in half a century bears down on Bangkok, submerging cities, industrial parks and ancient temples as it comes, experts in water management say it is human activity that is causing nature to run amok.

Deforestation, overbuilding in catchment areas, the damming and diversion of natural waterways, urban sprawl, and the filling-in of canals are combining with bad planning to turn an unusually heavy monsoon season into a disaster, they say.

The AP describes efforts to dig canals:

Workers hurriedly dredged canals and cut new waterways around Thailand’s capital on Thursday in an attempt to protect the city from the country’s worst floods in decades.

And:

Bangkok has been mostly spared so far, but areas on its outskirts have been inundated and authorities fear that flood waters rushing from the north will combine with rains in the next few days to flood the city.

For photos of the floods, see this Atlantic In Focus post from yesterday.

Additional resources

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post:

More updates to come. If you have reports or photos to share, feel free to email me: newley@gmail.com.

Categories
Thailand

Thailand flooding update: Oct. 12, 2011: Map of Bangkok flood defenses and more

This site continues to receive significant amounts of traffic from folks looking for information on flooding in Thailand.

So here’s a summary of the situation as of 9:45 p.m. Bangkok time today, October 12, 2011:

Summary

Much of greater Bangkok has not been hit by floodwaters. But there are concerns that as tides rise in the coming days, that may change.

The international airport, Suvarnabhumi, so far appears to be unaffected.

Generally, areas near the Chao Phraya river — in Bangkok and in central Thailand — are most at risk. This includes old Bangkok, downtown, near the river.

Much of Ayutthaya has been affected.

Here’s a map called “Bangkok’s Flood-Prevention Plan,” from The Nation.

You can see how authorities are dealing with the flooding here in the Thai capital:

2011 10 12 bkk flooding

Here’s a larger version.

And here, again, is the map of Thailand I posted yesterday, so you can get a sense of which parts of the country have been hit:

2011 10 11 thaiflood

Some news reports from today:

The WSJ describes how industries operating here have been affected:

With rescue teams and troops racing to prevent swelling floodwaters from breaching the defenses of Thailand’s low-lying capital Bangkok, foreign and local businesses continued to calculate the cost of swamped factories and broken supply chains Wednesday, while the prime minister warned retailers against profiteering.

Another WSJ story provides more info on auto makers:

Thailand’s auto exporters are being hit by supply-chain disruptions following the worst flooding the country has seen in nearly half a century.

Bloomberg says that Bangkokians have started hoarding food and water:

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra urged food producers not to raise prices as Bangkok residents started hoarding rice, instant noodles and bottled water amid conflicting government warnings about floods threatening to inundate the capital this week.

The AP has a dispatch from Ayutthaya:

The lucky ones traverse this flood-submerged Thai city in navy boats and motorized canoes. The rest float on whatever they can find – inner tubes, swan-shaped pedal boats, huge chunks of muddied white plastic foam.

Other resources:

Stay tuned. You can follow me on Twitter for more updates.

Categories
Thailand

Thailand flooding, Oct. 11, 2011: Map of affected areas, links to news reports, Twitter resources, and more

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:

2011 10 11 thaiflood

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.

Twitter

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.)

Categories
Misc.

Thailand flooding: Sept. 2011

UPDATE: For more recent news on the flooding here in Thailand, see this October 11, 2011 post.

2011 09 20 thai flooding

According to an MCOT story yesterday, flooding here in Thailand has killed 112 people, and 26 provinces “remain under floodwaters.”

Since late July, storms and annual monsoon rains have caused the Chao Phraya and other rivers to overflow, damaging surrounding areas.

I have received some questions via Twitter about the floods.

Central Bangkok has not been affected, as far as I can tell. A visit to the Chao Phraya river, in old Bangkok, last week revealed that the waters are quite high.

However, news reports indicate that Nonthaburi, north and west of central Bangkok, are under threat as floodwaters make their way down to the city from upcountry.

Above is a map, via yesterday’s Bangkok Post, of Thailand’s most severely affected areas. You can see that north and central Thailand, in low-lying areas near the Chao Phraya, have been hit hardest.

2011 09 20 tug boats

Meanwhile, a story in today’s Post says tug boats are being used to push water from Ayuttaya’s Noi River out to the ocean. I’ve never heard of the vessels being used in this way. See the image above.

Note that severe flooding also hit Thailand hit last year. See the Thailand flooding tag for previous posts.

(Images: Bangkok Post.)

Categories
Misc.

Thailand flooding: maps and details

Note: This post is from March, 2001. For more posts about flooding in Thailand as of Sept./Oct., 2011, see the Thailand Flooding tag.

First, here are maps of the affected areas, as these seem to be in high demand. This is from the Bangkok Post:

2011 03 31 krabi map

And there’s this more detailed graphic, from the Nation:

2011 03 31 thailand flooding nation

The details:

AP: “Floods trigger southern Thai landslides; 15 dead.”

Southern Thailand faced more torrential rain after heavy downpours caused at least 15 deaths and forced the Thai navy to help evacuate hundreds of tourists stranded on some of the country’s famous resort islands.

Reuters: “Flooding in Thailand kills 21, strands thousands”

Severe flooding and mudslides in southern Thailand have killed 21 people, stranded thousands of tourists and threatened to delay shipments of rubber in the world’s largest rubber-producing country, authorities said on Wednesday.

Trains to the region have been cancelled and three airports have been shut, including one on the popular island of Koh Samui. As well as Koh Samui, foreign tourists have also been stuck at resorts in Krabi and Koh Phangan.

Bangkok Post: “Krabi mudslides kill 3 villagers; Death toll from southern storms and floods hits 15.”

At least 3 people have been killed and six others are reported missing as mudslides swept away villages and heightened the southern flooding crisis. The overall death toll has risen to at least 15.

Mountain run-off and landslides hit villages in tambon Na Khao in Krabi’s Khao Phanom district yesterday and washed away up to 50 homes, provincial governor Prasit Osathanont said.

Hours after the landslides struck, rescue workers were still sifting through the mud in a desperate search for other victims.

And:

In Samui, hundreds of stranded travellers scrambled for air tickets at Samui International airport, after two planes managed to take off for Bangkok.

The Nation:

Massive landslide destroys 100 households in Khao Phanom district; many still missing; Floods continue to wreak havoc; 710,000 now affected; Satun and Phuket get warning

Days of downpours yesterday triggered a leviathan landslide that swallowed up an entire village of about 100 households in Krabi’s Khao Phanom district, leaving 10 residents reported dead and many more missing.

Today’s Bangkok Post has this item: “Airlines resume flights to flood-hit Samui.”

Bangkok Airways and Thai Airways International have resumed most of their regular services to Koh Samui as stormy weather starts to clear, relieving frustration among passengers.

Bangkok Airways operated 19 flights yesterday to carry about 2,000 passengers off the flood-stricken island.

Thai Airways made three flights to Samui and transported 600 passengers who were stranded on the island after heavy flooding closed the island’s airport.

Bangkok Airways, which operates the largest number of flights through Samui, on Tuesday cancelled all 53 incoming and outgoing flights.

The affected routes by the carrier included Bangkok-Samui, Chiang Mai-Samui, Phuket-Samui, Krabi-Samui, U-tapao-Samui, Hong Kong-Samui and Singapore-Samui.

Todays’ Nation front page:

2011 03 31 thailand flooding

And here’s a YouTube video of Krabi flooding:

(Nation front page image: Twipic by LeroyNewsDesign. YouTube video via GlobalPost.)

Have a good link to share, or want to receive updates? Follow me on Twitter: @newley.

Categories
Thailand

Southern Thailand hit by flash floods

First it was flooding in central and northeast Thailand. And now the country’s south has been hit.

Here’s the front page of today’s Bangkok Post, which includes an image of flooding in the southern Thailand city of Hat Yai:

2010-11-03_bkk_post.tiff

From the accompanying story:

Rescuers have struggled to get help to thousands of people stranded in their homes after three days of heavy rain triggered a massive flash flood that knocked down power poles and cut communications in Hat Yai city.

Officials said tens of thousands of people were trapped yesterday in the southern commercial hub which is facing its worst-ever flood crisis.

Torrential rains since Monday caused by a depression in the Gulf of Thailand engulfed Hat Yai municipality and many other areas of the South.

Many districts are under as much as three metres of water. One resident has been electrocuted during the flooding.

And here’s a closer look at weather patterns in the region — a larger image is here.

2010-11-03_southern_thailand_flooding.tiff

(All emphasis mine.)

(Screen captures via @RichardBarrow, who is tweeting images and updates on the situatuion.)

Categories
Bangkok Thailand

Thailand flooding update: death toll rises to 100; allegations of corruption in relief spending

2010-11-01_thai_flooding.jpg

Here’s an AFP story from Saturday: Death toll from Thai floods hits 100:

The death toll from severe floods in Thailand has risen to 100, including at least three foreigners, although the waters have receded in some areas, officials said on Saturday.

Six more people have died in the disaster, which began on October 10, the Emergency Medical Institute of Thailand said in its daily update.

Among them was a 38-year-old Dutchman, named as Harald Vusser, who was electrocuted or drowned in Ayutthaya province just north of Bangkok on Friday, it said.

Local media reported he was helping his Thai wife move her belongings to a dry place.

The other foreign victims were a 44-year-old Cambodian woman who was killed in a mudslide earlier this month on Koh Chang island in Trat province, and a two-year-old Burmese boy who drowned in Phathum Thani.

Authorities said 22 of Thailand’s 76 provinces were still flooded, while the waters had receded in 16 others.

And there’s this, about Bangkok:

Bangkok has been on standby with thousands of sandbags and pumps as flood water from the north runs downstream and could coincide with high tide.

So far the capital has avoided major flooding, although more than 1000 homes along the Chao Phraya have been partially submerged.

Another story to have emerged in recent days is this one, from Saturday’s Bangkok Post: Graft agency checks flood cash:

A graft busting agency will step up its investigations into claims of corruption in the relief effort as billions of baht pour into flood-ravaged provinces.

Ampol Wongsiri, deputy secretary-general of the Public Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), yesterday said five teams of investigators would head to flood-hit provinces to ensure transparency in flood relief spending.

Their focus will be on provinces that require funds of 50-100 million baht as emergency assistance for flood victims.

A recent PACC investigation found that less than 10% of disaster relief funds reached those in need.

For more, see this Siam Voices post: Flood relief opens new opportunities for corrupution.

And just a reminder: previous posts about Thailand flooding are here.

(All emphasis mine.)

Image: Bangkok Post.

Categories
Bangkok Thailand

Thailand flooding: death toll rises to 68

MCOT reports that the death toll in ongoing flooding here in Thailand has risen to 68:

The Emergency Medical Institute of Thailand on Thursday reported a total death toll of 68 from this month’s flooding, including 54 men and 14 women in 19 provinces Oct 10-28.

The highest number of deaths was recorded at 11 each in Lop Buri and Nakhon Sawan provinces and nine deaths in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Here’s some raw video — embedded below — of the flooding, courtesy of Thai network MCOT via CNN:

For historical perspective, embedded below is some footage that I understand depicts flooding here in Bangkok in 1942:

Meanwhile, if you’re interested in donating to help victims, the Bangkok Post has published account numbers for various groups providing relief.

(1942 video via @suthichai and @babyfishie.)

Categories
Thailand

Map of Bangkok flooding embankments

2010-10-27_bangkok_flooding_map.jpg

Here’s a map of flooding embankments in Bangkok, courtesy of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, via today’s Bangkok Post. Full story and larger map are here. So far the city has not suffered major damage.

Here’s an AP story with the latest details. More info — mostly in Thai — is available at ThaiFlood.com and the government’s official site, www.pm.go.th/flood/.

Here’s a Google Map of the flooding throughout the country, embedded below.


View Thailand Flood in a larger map

And the Twitter hashtag, of course, is #thaiflood.

Previous posts on the subject are here.

Categories
Bangkok Thailand

Thailand flooding: Death toll rises to 41; parts of Bangkok near Chao Phraya river evacuated

2010-10-25_flooding.jpg

Widespread flooding continues in northeast and central Thailand — and now parts of Bangkok near the Chao Phraya river have been flooded, as well. The death toll has risen to 41, with more than 2 million people affected.

Al Jazeera English: “Floods prompt Bangkok evacuation”

Residents living near the main river that passes through the Thai capital Bangkok have been evacuated due to fears that the Chao Phraya could overflow following two weeks of flooding that has claimed at least 38 lives across the country.

Bangkok Post: “Flood relief gets a boost as damage tops B10bn”

The government is planning to ease spending regulations and set up a relief centre as damage from the flooding tops 10 billion baht.

…and: “Flood toll rises to 41”

At least 41 people have died in heavy flooding in 16 provinces since Oct 10, the National Institute of Emergency Management (NIEM) reported on Monday.

And earlier, The Nation had this: “Evacuation set to start”

A plan has been drawn up to evacuate residents from riverside communities in 13 districts as the flood crisis intensified in Bangkok yesterday.

For ongoing info, see the #thaiflood hashtag on Twitter.

Previously: Here’s the Thailand flooding Google Map, and earlier posts are here and here.

Image: Bangkok Post.