Flood warning for riverside areas
Chao Phraya level to rise until Oct 30
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has warned people who live outside floodgates near the Chao Phraya River of possible floods due to rising water levels between Oct 23 and 30.
Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang yesterday said the National Water Command Centre and the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) have estimated that the water level of the river will rise by 20cm-40cm due to water overflow from the Ping River.
This may cause floods in 11 riverside communities covering 239 households in seven districts, Pol Gen Aswin said.
In response to the risk, the BMA has reinforced floodgates along the river from Rama VII Bridge to Bang Na district, as well as 14 low-lying areas.
The BMA has likewise checked the readiness of 97 pumping stations near the river to deal with rising amounts of seawater. Spare water pumps, water-pushing boats, sandbags and other related equipment have also been prepared to deal with inundation, Pol Gen Aswin said.
The water station in Ayutthaya’s Bang Sai district measured the water flow at 2,923 cubic metres per second (m³/s), while the amount of water around Bangkok’s Pak Klong Talat flower market remains lower than the flood wall at 1m, he said.
In a separate event, torrential rains have reportedly caused excessive amounts of water in four large Nakhon Ratchasima dams.
It was reported that surplus water around Mun Bon Dam, one of the province’s largest dams, has overflowed its spillway. Residents near the Mun River Basin have been advised to closely monitor the situation including in Khon Buri, Chok Chai, Muang and Chalerm Phrakiat districts.
However, the overflow of water from the Lam Takhong River has inundated households in Muang district — especially the Mittraphap community in the city municipality area. Houses and roads have been submerged under more than 50cm of water.
The water has also flooded Takong Khao community located behind Mittraphap community by 1m since 1am.
Meanwhile, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency posted a satellite image on its Facebook page, showing how more than 1.58 million rai of farmland in the Northeast has been flooded. A further 222,402 rai is at risk of flooding.
Between Oct 11 and 17, some 1.2 million rai was damaged by flooding in Nakhon Ratchasima. Other affected provinces are Khon Kaen (90,096 rai), Chaiyaphum (61,237 rai), Maha Sarakham (53,248 rai), Roi Et (66,699 rai), Kalasin (28,422 rai), Buri Ram (25,086 rai), and Surin (20,261 rai). Other areas affected, but not as severely, include Yasothon (11,406 rai), Si Sa Ket (7,829 rai), Ubon Ratchathani (7,384 rai) and Amnat Charoen (1,209 rai).