Thailand Floods of 2018

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PeteC
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Re: Thailand Floods of 2018

Post by PeteC »

The last report that I can find is timed at 0411 hours, about an hour and fifteen minutes ago. All state "still waiting" so apparently no deluge has reached Phetchaburi and the surrounding area yet. Pete :cheers:
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Re: Thailand Floods of 2018

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Overflowing dams pose risk to Hua Hin events

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/ne ... recent_box

Heavy rains pressuring major dams in Phetchaburi province have sparked fears among tourism operators that the spillover could inundate local attractions and threaten Hua Hin in neighbouring Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Last month's downpours recharged two large dams in the province to near capacity, necessitating the spillover.
Tourism operators anticipate that if business areas in the province are inundated as a result of the spillover, events and meetings that are set to take place in resort towns such as Cha-am in Phetchaburi and nearby Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan will be affected.

According to Wassana Srikanchana, president of Hua Hin Cha Am Tourism Association, said one meeting with 200 attendants scheduled for tomorrow in Hua Hin is mulling whether to postpone the event or not.

But she has learned that operators mostly plan to carry on with their events, believing that the floods will not reach their venues.
Mrs Wassana said many hotels in Hua Hin and Cha Am are preparing for possible flooding by building temporary barriers and putting sandbags around their properties.
Moreover, they are preparing alternative transport options in case they need to evacuate guests.

Hotels and tourism operators in these areas are conducting business as usual, but vendors located on the bank of the Phetchaburi River and in low-lying areas have already relocated to higher ground.

Mrs Wassana said many events are planned in Hua Hin and Cha-am over the upcoming long weekend for Mother's Day celebrations. If the flood risk is resolved, all events should continue as planned.
She also urged tourists who plan to visit the areas to check travel information.

As the area is in the low season for tourism, the average occupancy rate of some small hotels in Hua Hin and Cha-am may drop to 10-20% this week. The rate is similar to the same time last year, she said.

Four- and five-star hotels are operating at 40-50% occupancy because they have secured business through discounts and promotions a few months ahead of the low season.
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Re: Thailand Floods of 2018

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Locals brace for brutal floods

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... tal-floods

Residents in Phetchaburi are building sandbag embankments to save their homes, write Patpon Sabpaitoon and Apinya Wipatayotin

As people in Phetchaburi brace for devastating floods tonight at around 10pm, after a massive volume of water was released from a major dam to the Phetchaburi River, residents were using sandbags and even cement to wall off the front of their homes and businesses Monday so as not to be inundated.

These do-it-yourself embankments have become in vogue as residents fear the damage that will follow if the Kaeng Krachan dam overflows as predicted. It was close to capacity as of Monday evening, with much of the water having flowed in from Myanmar.

The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) has warned it could receive significantly more rainfall until Thursday.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is due to visit the province Wednesday for an inspection tour to assess the damage wrought by the overflowing dam and check up on water-management plans.

He reportedly cancelled a planned trip to Lop Buri to inspect the Pasak Jolasid dam there as this was considered more of a priority.

Since late last week, the RID and the provincial governor have urged residents in the province's central and neighbouring districts to prepare for water levels of up to 50 centimetres on the streets and possibly invading their homes.

Provincial authorities have been handing out sandbags since late last week. Many of the residents have been building knee-high embankments, according to reports.
Construction worker Ari Sridokbua was busy laying bricks in front of a townhouse on busy Phong Suriya Road. She told the Bangkok Post that 14 houses in the municipality had hired her to build similar cement walls to safeguard their properties.

Nonetheless, locals appeared surprisingly calm ahead of the coming floods. Several people interviewed by the Post said they had not moved their belongings to higher ground despite a notice from the authorities to store them at heights of 80cm or more.

"I will do it when the water flows in," said one elderly woman who lives on the central thoroughfare but who declined to give her name.(yes Yai, that will get it!)

On the streets of the city it was business as usual.
"I'm not that worried. We'll handle whatever Mother Nature throws at us," said Rungsub Thammapongsiri, a 64-year-old fruit stall owner whose shop is situated next to a bridge over the Phetchaburi River.

Ms Rungsub said she has experienced many floods and could sense the district was about to get swamped -- again. With water levels raging last night in the Phetchaburi River, which is directly connected to the dam, fears are mounting that it could unleash a violent stream of water.

"Nobody wants it to happen. But it's caused by the force of nature so what can you do?" she said.

Floods have become an accepted part of life in Phetchaburi after having pounded the province for the past three years. In November, eight districts and 30,000 families were affected, with 12,000 rai of farmland inundated and crops destroyed.

The province is vulnerable to floods because the Phetchaburi River and its tributaries link to the dam and a large reservoir and the area is low-lying.
Rising seawater from the Gulf of Thailand also makes it harder to drain out floodwater out during the six-month rainy season, according to Anond Snidvongs, a climate change expert and director of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Gistda).

Mr Anond warned the province is likely to get hit by floods this month and again in November as erratic and severe rainfall in neighbouring Myanmar is filling local dams to capacity.

"History has taught us that the second round of floods is usually worse than the first," he said.

The government is developing more infrastructure to improve its flood-drainage system as well as diverting canals. However this takes time. It took two years for local authorities to complete a flood control channel, for example.

Not everyone was convinced that the province would suffer a significant impact, however, with Deputy Prime Minister Chatchai Sarikulya dismissing reports that spillover from the Kaeng Krachan dam would trigger mass flooding.
Yet he conceded that water levels could reach 50cm, with some low-lying areas at risk of being submerged.
He also countered criticism that the government has failed in its objective of discharging water properly to preempt more flooding.

"The administration has followed the proper criteria," he said. "Any excessive discharges from the dam could lead to a drought later."
Deputy PM Chatchai was more concerned about the rain coming Thailand's way from the southwesterly monsoon. It is expected to hit the western part of the country within a few days.

The army was mobilising personnel and equipment including trucks, flat-bottomed boats, field cooking kits, 8,000 sandbags, a medical team and about 300 troops tasked with building flood barriers along the river.

The navy has brought 20 water-propelling boats
and 70 personnel to the province while the air force has deployed 30 personnel as well as trucks, flat-bottomed boats and pumping machines. The RID said there are now 13 water pumps in place and 12 sets of water-siphoning equipment.

Outflow from the dam hit 300 million cu/m per second on Monday, the RID said.
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Re: Thailand Floods of 2018

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The main highway past Petchaburi flooded badly last year and I was caught in it riding to Hua Hin. Navigating a few feet of water on a BMW S1000RR superbike was an experience, let me tell you. The mini tsunamis caused by passing trucks was fun. :(

Is the highway still dry as I'm riding down this Sunday?
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Re: Thailand Floods of 2018

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It's all very mysterious at the moment. There haven't been any news updates all day about approaching water. I have no idea if it's on it's way, or it's all been a false alarm. Pete :cheers:
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Re: Thailand Floods of 2018

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I've been seeing reports suggesting it should arrive at about 10pm tonight.
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Re: Thailand Floods of 2018

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I stayed at one of those small Thai resorts along the river about 6 years ago. Can't remember the name but it was a beautiful place, because of the nearness of the river. Wet feet in the bungalows these days I'm sure. Pete :cheers:
_________________________________

Phetchaburi flooding will be manageable, says PM
Published: 7/08/2018 at 04:46 PM
Online news: https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... recent_box

(Photos/video at link)

Flood-mitigation measures were in place and the flooding in central Phetchaburi would be manageable, although some evacuations might be necessary, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Tuesday.

The National Council for Peace and Order discussed flood situation on Tuesday.

Officials reported that Phetchaburi province was well prepared to cope with the deluge from Kaeng Krachan dam.

The flood surge was expected to reach Muang district late on Tuesday night, the prime minister said. He would visit Phetchaburi on Wednesday to see for himself if the measures in place were adequate or needed to be reinforced.

Efforts to divert water away from central Phetchaburi were [proving effective but some evacuations might be necessary, Gen Prayut said.

Thaweesak Thanadechopol, deputy director-general of the Royal Irrigation Department, said the volume of water at the Kaeng Krachan dam reservoir in Kaeng Krachan district would peak at 729 million cubic metres on Friday and Saturday. Water being released down the dam spillway would likely cause flooding 20-30 centimetres deep in Muang district. Local residents were prepared for it.

Water started pouring down the spillway on Monday, and flooded resorts beside the Phetchaburi River in Kaeng Krachan district on Tuesday.
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Re: Thailand Floods of 2018

Post by HHTel »

So, from "There will be no flooding"
to "The flooding will be manageable"
to "Some evacuations may be necessary"
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Re: Thailand Floods of 2018

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An update. Photos at link.

Thousands to be hit by Kaeng Krachan overspill

FLOODING INEVITABLE AS DISCHARGE SWEEPS ACROSS AREAS ALONG PHETCHABURI RIVER

COMMUNITIES IN Phetchaburi’s Muang district are expected to be flooded for about two weeks after run-off from the overwhelmed Kaeng Krachan Dam hit the area last night.......

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/ ... l/30351681
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Re: Thailand Floods of 2018

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So, from "There will be no flooding"
to "The flooding will be manageable"
to "Some evacuations may be necessary"
........
Thousands to be hit by Kaeng Krachan overspill
FLOODING INEVITABLE
He estimated the floodwater level would be about 50 centimetres.
Prayut emphasised that people living downstream must move their belongings to higher ground
He said local authorities are preparing flood relief and rescue operations.

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Re: Thailand Floods of 2018

Post by HHTel »

From Prayut:
Natural disasters are unavoidable
So these are natural dams. Silly me, I thought they were man-made!
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Re: Thailand Floods of 2018

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I'm far from being an expert, but couldn't they have started releasing water at a much slower rate much sooner? Surely, that would have avoided this 'natural disaster'.
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Re: Thailand Floods of 2018

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Big Boy wrote: Wed Aug 08, 2018 10:10 am I'm far from being an expert, but couldn't they have started releasing water at a much slower rate much sooner? Surely, that would have avoided this 'natural disaster'.
But that requires planning BB!!
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Re: Thailand Floods of 2018

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Spot on BB. I think I've said before that the 2011 floods would not have been so bad if the Thai authorities heeded advice from the US and Europe who gave warnings of the impending disaster a long time before it happened. But of course they were ignored. Thai 'experts' know better.
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Re: Thailand Floods of 2018

Post by Big Boy »

I've just seen a message from TAT Petchaburi stating all is well, and there is no flooding.
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