The Floods of 2011

[Nereus]

This could really be serious if they establish a foothold and breed. My understanding is that the green is not a fierce as the black....but a very bad character none the less. Pete

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakin ... 69078.html

15 green mambas on loose
November 2, 2011 2:08 am
Another terror from flood emerged Wednesday, as the public was warned of 15 green mambas that escaped from a flooded house in Nonthaburi's Pak Kred district since Tuesday night.
Those spotting these venomous two adult two-metre-long snakes and 13 young one-meter-long snakes must alert the Zoo and Wildlife Veterinary Society of Thailand via hotline 1362 or the Jor Sor 100 radio station at 027119160.
The Nation

Another case of who do you believe. The Thai TV aired some footage of capturing a "green" snake last night, but I could not understand what it was about.
................................................................................................................

Deadly snake 'escape' to be investigated

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2 ... vestigated

Two major wildlife bodies are investigating whether reports that deadly green mamba snakes had escaped from a flooded house are a hoax.

The National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department and the Zoological Park Organisation are examining whether 15 snakes really had escaped from a house in Nonthaburi's Pak Kret district.

The probe follows a report on Wednesday from social networking site Facebook that was creating panic and fear among flood victims in flood-hit provinces Nonthaburi, Bangkok and Pathum Thani.

Pimuk Simaroj, director of the Zoological Park Organisation, said it was unclear whether the report was true.

"We're now trying to track down those who posted this information on Facebook and we're also trying to contact snake sellers so as to obtain further information on the green mamba snakes," Mr Pimuk said.

The species is one of Africa's most dangerous snakes and the serum for their venom is not available in Thailand.

Mr Pimuk said there was no official record of this type of snake being imported into Thailand.

But the snakes might have been smuggled out of Africa by plane, he said.

The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department and the Zoological Park Organisation yesterday assigned a team of 10 to gather first-hand information in the district. Nonthaburi governor Wichien Puthiwinyu has also set up a team to hunt for the snakes.

Mr Pimuk said the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums wanted to send equipment to help capture the snakes and Japan also wanted to send serum antidote to counter snake bites immediately if the report was confirmed.

Nonthaburi governor Wichien urged people who saw the long yellowish green snakes not to try to capture or kill the snakes themselves to prevent snake bites.

Mr Wichien asked people to call the hotlines 1131 or 1362 so officials could send snake experts to capture them.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri yesterday asked the Foreign Ministry to contact South Africa to obtain serum against the snake bites that is expected to arrive in Thailand today.

Mr Witthaya said the ministry has about 3,500 serum bottles for seven types of snakes in the country..

Zoological Park Organisation official Anupong Nualpang said he had received information that about eight people were being bitten by poisonous snakes each day during the floods.

[hhfarang]

Our neighbours arrived from Sweden today .... They were met by their usual taxi chap and had no problems getting here

That may not last long. Rama II (aka, Highway 35 that we all take to Bangkok) is expected to be flooded within the next three days...

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2 ... ute-needed

[hhfarang]

It was just a matter of time until this happened...

Lak Si resident attacked by crocodile

A man was attacked by a crocodile in Bangkok's Lak Si district, Matichon Online reported Friday.

Matichon said the man was attacked by a crocodile at his flooded house and he needed 100 stitches. The paper said he was now safe and in stable condition.


-- The Nation 2011-11-04

[Name Taken]

There's probably going to be a massive disease outbreak in flood hit areas because of all the diarrhea, fecal matter, urine, used condoms, used toilet paper, and animal corpses floating around and getting mixed in the floodwater.

[GLCQuantum]

Still waiting for it to hit my area in Samut Sakhon. Apparantly we are basically surrounded now with the only viable escape route straight down towards Hua Hin. About 2 or 3 more days is the guestimate on the water coming. I think most have accepted that it's going to hit us but not a clue as to how bad. Still reckon it'll only be about a foot high where I am - hope I'm right.

[hhfarang]

There's probably going to be a massive disease outbreak in flood hit areas because of all the diarrhea, fecal matter, urine, used condoms, used toilet paper, and animal corpses floating around and getting mixed in the floodwater.

Not only animal corpses...

Bangkok water officials make grisly find
The Nation November 4, 2011 5:01 am

Part of a human leg was found floating at Bangkok's Bang Sue Water Pump Station yesterday morning.

Officials manning a garbage sluicescreen alerted Tao Poon police after finding torn camouflage pants that contained a decomposing human thigh. A black Nokia cellphone minus the SIM card was recovered from the right pocket of the pants. Suspecting that the victim died at least two months ago, police have sent the human remains for forensic examination.

[moja]

Sitting in our hotel room in Bangkok watching the massive traffic jam on the freeway heading south - usually the traffic heading north would be at a standstill with southbound flowing freely. Looks like it could be another busy weekend in Hua Hin! Lets hope everyone can get home OK if Rama II is going to flood. When we came up Rama II was incredibly busy and the journey took over 3 hours instead of the usual 2, we were stop/go from Rama II plaza right up to the bridge!

[hhfarang]

My wife's cousin works at a hospital in western Bangkok suburb and his home is flooded knee deep. He came down today (took over 3 hours) to leave his car at our house to avoid water damage to it but he has to work Sunday so he has to find a bus or van back up over the weekend. He said it's already pretty bad in the south west part of the city where he lives and the water is still rising.

[No Attention Paid]

hhfarang was saying earlier here that Highway 35 was due to be flooded very soon.- does this cut-off
the main tourist-link to BKK?? (I am assuming the BKK rail-station is flooded..?).
I'm due to fly in soon, & are thinking (like many others no doubt) that Hua-Hin is off-the-menu for my
holiday plans..??
Has anyone got an update on BKK-Hua Hin travel?? Thank you.

[PeteC]

hhfarang was saying earlier here that Highway 35 was due to be flooded very soon.- does this cut-off
the main tourist-link to BKK?? (I am assuming the BKK rail-station is flooded..?).
I'm due to fly in soon, & are thinking (like many others no doubt) that Hua-Hin is off-the-menu for my holiday plans..?? Has anyone got an update on BKK-Hua Hin travel?? Thank you.

It doesn't look good at the moment per this story: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2 ... ma-ii-road However, I don't think they quite know what will happen and how long it will last. Pete

[hhfarang]

An indicting (on how officials have handled the flooding) and apocalyptic (on the future of Bangkok) opinion:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion ... 69165.html

[BingoBango]

Been monitoring the story since it broke and the updates on the forum and the story is terrible, some of the wives friends have been affected by the floods and if all I have to worry about is a 3 or 4 hour taxi journey to hua hin then i am doing ok.

[ozuncle]

It's strange that for the last 2 or 3 days, news of the floods in Thailand has been non existant on our daily TV news here in Australia. Just a small column in the daily news papers.

With more than four hundred dead and many thousands homeless, we would normally be bombarded by the media with requests for donations.

From what I read on our daily forum updates (Thanks) things in BKK are getting worse, not better, so why is the news drying up?

Just last Wednesday, some of my family had to evacuate from Bang Sue.

[STEVE G]

Froc abandons Rama II Road

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

With some sections of Phetkasem and Boromratchonnanee roads impassable due to high water levels, Rama II is the only lifeline available for motorists wanting to travel to the South or resort areas in the lower central provinces.

A source at the Flood Relief Operations Command said officials had decided not to build barriers to stop water moving towards the road and will let it flow over it and continue to the Gulf of Thailand.

"It is useless to block the water moving out to the sea. If we do that, more people will be affected," the source said.

Water is threatening Bang Bon district and Rama II to the South looks set to be affected if Bang Bon is under water.

An official at the Drainage and Sewerage Department in charge of Thon Buri said Rama II could not survive the flooding given the large volume of water in Thon Buri.

"We did not expect Phetkasem and Boromratchonnanee to be flooded and they were. The future of Rama II is the same," said the official, who requested anonymity. The question is how deep the water level on the road will be, he added.

Transport Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat said the ministry was prepared for the worst-case scenario on Rama II by trying to dry a 12-kilometre section of Road 340 in Bang Yai and Bang Bua Thong districts in Nonthaburi so that road users could make a detour to the South via Nakhon Pathom and Ratchaburi. The water level in the section is 80 centimetres to 1.2 metres high.

Supote Sublom, permanent secretary for transport, said the ministry was building sandbag walls on both sides of the road and would drain all the water out of it by Monday.

"I am confident that we will get Road 340 back to normal to be an alternative route to the South. We are deploying all engineers and staff from several highway provincial offices to do that," said Mr Supote.

Rama II runs through Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram provinces and meets Phetkasem Road in Ratchaburi's Pak Tho district.

Chula Sukmanop, an inspector-general at the ministry, said an impassable Rama II would affect the trade, tourism and industry sectors because it was the only road to southern provinces unaffected by the flood disaster.

"I don't think that flooding on Rama II will be so serious that all cars cannot use it," said Mr Chula.

But opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, as well as business operators, residents and officials in Samut Sakhon expressed concern about possible severe flooding on Rama II.

Mr Abhisit urged the government to prepare a plan on goods distribution and public transport if the road cannot be used.

Wicharn Sirichai-ekawat, the senator representing Samut Sakhon, said the closure of Rama II could affect operations of more than 5,000 factories in the province. He feared that water flooding the road could spill over to Samut Sakhon.

Logistics service operators said the shortage of consumer goods in Greater Bangkok would probably worsen if Rama II flooded. They said the escalating floods have threatened to isolate Bangkok after main roads heading to the North and Northeast were paralysed.

"Rama II is currently the main route for moving goods to and from the South as well as the western region, while Bang Na-Trat [Road] mainly services shipments to the eastern parts," said Tanit Sorat, vice-chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries and head of its Logistics Industry Club.

"Since rail routes in several southern provinces such as Surat Thani and Chumphon have been shut down because of floods, southbound shipments will be hard hit if transport on the main Rama II Road is disrupted."

Mr Tanit, who is also chairman of integrated logistics provider V-Serve Group, said the shortage of necessities such as bottled water in Bangkok was mainly caused by logistics disruptions, although supplies are adequate.

Suwit Ratanachinda, president of the Thai Logistics Services Provider Federation, said if the water was not so high, trucks would be able to use Rama II.

"If Rama II is flooded, I am afraid that Bangkok will be isolated," said Mr Suwit, who is also president of the Thai International Freight Forwarders Association. "Shipments of seafood, for example, which mainly come from the South to serve Bangkok and other parts of the country, will be affected."
(Bangkok Post)

[deepee]

Ozuncle,
ABC 24 have been running with updates daily
see the before and now photos below
http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/bangkok-floods
I'm due to fly in from Singapore next Friday and it's not looking good. How are things down south ?? Might be better to come back via Phuket and drive up.