North, Northeast in grip of severe floods

[webfact]

North, Northeast in grip of severe floods

By THE NATION

 

Resorts on Phetchaburi River flood after dam increases release speed.

 

HOMES AND farmland across the North and Northeast were flooded yesterday following heavy rainfall triggered by Tropical Storm Bebinca, which has swelled rivers and canals.

 

 

In Chiang Rai, a large section of a half-completed flood barrier along Lam Nam Kham canal in Tambon Mae Kham, Mae Chan district, collapsed, inundating 230 homes in four villages with floodwater up to a metre deep. 

 

Residents of Ban Moung Khammai Moo 11 and Moo 13, Ban Rong Kor Moo 4 and Ban Santhat Moo 9 were sent scrambling as the tide submerged roads as well. 

 

The runoff then also submerged 100 homes in Tambon Jajawatai further downstream. 

 

Chiang Rai Governor Prajon Prajsakul dispatched officials to help people evacuate their homes and to distribute drinking water and food. 

 

Prajon said 76 villages in 23 sub-districts of six districts had seen flooding in recent days, but he expected most to return to normal soon if the rain stopped.

 

 

In Muang Nan, home to Tangjit Nusorn Market, flooding was not as severe. Nan Governor Paisal Wimonrat and disaster-prevention chief Narong Inso inspected the Ban Don Kaew sluice gate to supervise repairs to broken panels. With pumps installed around affected areas, officials were optimistic that the situation would improve – again, if the heavy rain lets up.

 

In Chiang Khan and Pak Chom districts in Loei, the Mekong River had risen to within one metre of breaching its banks as of 7am yesterday. Residents living along the river and connected canals were bracing for floods and prepared to evacuate if necessary, Chiang Khan district chief Chatchapong Art-kaew said. 

 

 

Downstream in Nong Khai, the Mekong reached its highest level of the year yesterday – 11.91 metres – with overflow spilling into to low-lying homes and farmland in Tha Bo district on the southern bank. Sluice gates were closed and pumps installed in Muang Nong Khai and 3,000 sandbags were prepared.

 

In Phetchaburi, the Kaeng Krachan Dam was holding nearly 767 million cubic metres of water as of 6am yesterday, representing 108 per cent of its capacity. The sluice gates remained close to minimise impacts on nearby communities, but water was being released via spillways and 20 siphon pipes were installed to help drain it. 

 

 

As the water was flowing at the rate of 247 cubic metres per second, from the Kaeng Krajan Dam to the downstream Phetch Dam, lowlying downstream areas located between these two dams were flooded. 

 

 

The Tha Yang, Ban Lat, Muang and Ban Laem districts which were downstream from the Phetch Damj were not yet flooded as of press time but Phetch River running through them were rising and inundating some riverside lowlaying areas. Dozens of speciallydesigned boats to push water were anchored in the river at Ban Laem with their engines trying to hasten the current towards the Gulf.

 

 

In Kanchanaburi’s Sai Yok district, people living along the Kwai Noi River in Tha Nam Pak Saeng felt the double impact of flooding from the rain-swollen river and fromVajiralongkorn Dam, which was releasing water at a rate of 43 million cubic metres per day. With that amount to be boosted to 53 million cubic metres from August 23-27, residents were told to move belongings to higher grounds.

 

 

Residents along both sides of the Moei River in Tak’s Mae Sot district, meanwhile, were warned of possible flash floods. The river had risen close to the ”red alert” level near the First Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Tambon Tha Sai Luad, disaster-prevention chief Kittisak Boonchan said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30352488

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-08-20

[Get Real]

48 minutes ago, webfact said:

by Tropical Storm Bebinca

But before they said Thailand would be spared? 

[Esso49]

I still can not understand the mindset of people,  resort owners especially,  who build alongside a river,  on or near a river bank that is historically known to flood.    Then they complain about it ?   Frankly they should be protected against their own stupidity and have never been allowed to build there in the first place.   But there again ,  perhaps they are just illegal constructions encroaching on government land perhaps ?

[chrisinth]

2 hours ago, Get Real said:

But before they said Thailand would be spared? 

I think when they said Thailand, they actually meant Bangkok.

 

However, with all the water up north, I imagine there will be a lot of eyes on water levels down stream, especially at Nakon Suwan where the northern rivers (5 of them anyway) meet before joining the CP on the journey down to Bkk.

[kannot]

im  reliably  informed  there  will  be  no  flooding  this  year?

[Xonax]

Blame it on another mismanagement of the dams.

[fullcave]

10 minutes ago, Xonax said:

Blame it on another mismanagement of the dams.

But never fear, free sand bags for all. 

[lvr181]

17 minutes ago, Xonax said:

Blame it on another mismanagement of the dams.

No - blame it on ineptitude of Government in not continously carrying out works to mitigate flood problems. Talking (Thai way of solving problems) does NOT work. Action is required.

 

Oh....okay, I am a dreamer 

 

My heart goes out to the people directly affected by flooding. 

[monspencer]

This from the OP:

 

"In Chiang Rai, a large section of a half-completed flood barrier along Lam Nam Kham canal in Tambon Mae Kham, Mae Chan district, collapsed, inundating 230 homes in four villages with floodwater up to a metre deep."

 

Typical Thailand. Why wasn't it completed before the rainy season, or do the authorities not know when that is?

[alanrchase]

Looking as though my town is toast in about two weeks.

[thaiguzzi]

6 minutes ago, monspencer said:

This from the OP:

 

"In Chiang Rai, a large section of a half-completed flood barrier along Lam Nam Kham canal in Tambon Mae Kham, Mae Chan district, collapsed, inundating 230 homes in four villages with floodwater up to a metre deep."

 

Typical Thailand. Why wasn't it completed before the rainy season, or do the authorities not know when that is?

Because it's not Bangkok.

The people in power don't really give a hoot about the peasants out in the sticks in the provinces.

Bangkok is the place that Thailand revolves around. And don't you forget it!

 

[Lupatria]

9 minutes ago, monspencer said:

Typical Thailand. Why wasn't it completed before the rainy season, or do the authorities not know when that is?

A pessimist is standing in the rain, an optimist is taking a shower under the clouds. At least there no gays in the flooded parks, and no smooching teens at the river banks. Meanwhile on the higher (dry) levels you will probably find many glorious men in uniforms doing the math to find out how many sandbags and water bottles it takes to win an election, and how to blame the media for the deluge. The biggest surprise for people in this country seems to be that there is a phenomenon called monsoon, which brings rain annually.

[Rimmer]

Two troll posts have been removed

[Swampy999]

Dozens of specially designed boats to push water ?? Maybe they should have used the specially designed planes to push the rain back into the clouds ????

[cornishcarlos]

55 minutes ago, kannot said:

im  reliably  informed  there  will  be  no  flooding  this  year?

 

And the banking systems

[moe666]

8 minutes ago, Lupatria said:

A pessimist is standing in the rain, an optimist is taking a shower under the clouds. At least there no gays in the flooded parks, and no smooching teens at the river banks. Meanwhile on the higher (dry) levels you will probably find many glorious men in uniforms doing the math to find out how many sandbags and water bottles it takes to win an election, and how to blame the media for the deluge. The biggest surprise for people in this country seems to be that there is a phenomenon called monsoon, which brings rain annually.

Not really three years ago the monsoon was a complete bust, they were worried about water for the first rice crop.

[saminoz]

57 minutes ago, kannot said:

im  reliably  informed  there  will  be  no  flooding  this  year?

The silly little General decided to assume responsibility for water management, let's see if he's man enough to accept blame and responsibility for the subsequent, predictable failures?

[connda]

57 minutes ago, Xonax said:

Blame it on another mismanagement of the dams.

Heck, blame it on Chinese tourists! 

 

T + 7 and counting.....

[lvr181]

1 minute ago, connda said:

Heck, blame it on Chinese tourists! 

No no no - that is not fair - must always be fault of 'farang'. They not understand.

[Lupatria]

11 minutes ago, Swampy999 said:

specially designed boats

That's good news for the Chinese tourists. Bookings are already up to normal. There is always a bird arising from the ashes nobody said it will surface from the sea...

[kannot]

15 minutes ago, Swampy999 said:

Dozens of specially designed boats to push water ?? Maybe they should have used the specially designed planes to push the rain back into the clouds ????

Or  build a specially designed umbrella  the size of Thailand to protect it from "foreign rain"??

[Esso49]

2 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

I get the biggest kick out of people who think this isn't effective. 

 

Axial flow pumps are used all over the world to move water around.  A boat's propeller is a simple axial flow impeller.  Put enough HP on them, and they can move a lot of water and clear the flooding days, if not weeks faster.

 

BTW, the ferktard you're referring to is someone you can get tossed in jail for a long time were you to refer to him as such.  I'd be a little more respectful if I were planning on staying in the Kingdom.

 

 

Sounds like you work for the ministry with that low level of knowledge. You do realise do you that an axial flow pump  only maintains its flow efficiency within  a suitably designed pipe i/d ?  It has no effect whatsoever when in an unrestricted water flow such as a river .  Hence you are quite correct when you say they are used the world over but not by poorly educated goons that illustrate the  stupidity and verbal garbage coming from the Thai ministry of whatever.

[impulse]

14 minutes ago, Esso49 said:

Sounds like you work for the ministry with that low level of knowledge. You do realise do you that an axial flow pump  only maintains its flow efficiency within  a suitably designed pipe i/d ?  It has no effect whatsoever when in an unrestricted water flow such as a river .  Hence you are quite correct when you say they are used the world over but not by poorly educated goons that illustrate the  stupidity and verbal garbage coming from the Thai ministry of whatever.

 

Nope.  Mechanical engineer who moved fluid for a living for 40 years.  The last 6 years in Thailand.  For a multi-national- not a Thai ministry.

 

You're wrong about the restricted water flow and pipe ID.  They're adding kinetic energy to the water and that increases the average velocity (a vector quantity- meaning it has direction) of the entire stream.  That increases the mass flow rate of the water to the sea and clears the flooding faster.

 

They may not be as efficient as purpose built systems, but boats (and they have some specially designed boats with ducted impellers) have several advantages.  1) They're available right now, and not in 9-12 months like a special order system.  2) They can be deployed wherever you need them.  3) When not in use for flood abatement, they can be used for other things.

 

Edit:  And I've worked with a lot of very talented Thai engineers.  Calling them uneducated goons is more a reflection of the TVF'ers who come on here to bash all things Thai when they don't know diddly squat about the subject they're bashing them on.

 

 

[beavenlen]

Solution,call for KING KANUUT

[CGW]

1 hour ago, Xonax said:

Blame it on another mismanagement of the dams.

Does anybody check "facts" anymore or just blindly believe everything they read then jump on the bandwagon and spread negativity?

Out of 12 major reservoirs in the NE, one is full, the other 11 are about ~50% empty ? 

There are many who are just waiting to jump on the opportunity to trash Thailand, without bothering to think about reality, it is monsoon season folks! ? 

No matter how much preparation is done, if mother nature decides to dump a years worth of rain in one spot in a 24 hour period - guess what - there will be flooding ?

[Cadbury]

52 minutes ago, saminoz said:

The silly little General decided to assume responsibility for water management, let's see if he's man enough to accept blame and responsibility for the subsequent, predictable failures?

It goes without saying that he will not accept the blame; he never does. He wanted the job of water resources management and loves the glory and publicity that goes with it. Of course all that was before it started to rain. 

If there is found to be negligence the flood management committee/s he formed will get the blame. That's what committees are designed for; then no individual is hung out to dry and they all keep their jobs.

[robblok]

1 hour ago, thaiguzzi said:

Because it's not Bangkok.

The people in power don't really give a hoot about the peasants out in the sticks in the provinces.

Bangkok is the place that Thailand revolves around. And don't you forget it!

 

I know you hate BKK but how can the people in BKK be responsible for a not completed flood barrier in Chiang Rai. I would say its the Chiang Rai officials that are responsible for that one. It has nothing to do with the people in power just incompetence in Chiang Rai. These things are done by local governments not the countries government. 

 

We can blame the government for not completing the big infrastructure (and I do) but not for local things like that.

[lvr181]

4 minutes ago, robblok said:

I know you hate BKK but how can the people in BKK be responsible for a not completed flood barrier in Chiang Rai. I would say its the Chiang Rai officials that are responsible for that one. It has nothing to do with the people in power just incompetence in Chiang Rai. These things are done by local governments not the countries government. 

 

We can blame the government for not completing the big infrastructure (and I do) but not for local things like that.

Agreed but, I think some "big infrastructure" needs to be considered to mitigate the continual flooding.

 

Just doesn't seem to be on the mind of central Government! They would rather "bash" kids into submission because it is easier? Or talk (incessantly - without successful action) about the road toll.

[robblok]

2 minutes ago, lvr181 said:

Agreed but, I think some "big infrastructure" needs to be considered to mitigate the continual flooding.

 

Just doesn't seem to be on the mind of central Government! They would rather "bash" kids into submission because it is easier? Or talk (incessantly - without successful action) about the road toll.

Yes they do, and I really do blame the current mob for not doing so. This is one of the bigger problems of the country. You can't protect everyone but a few more big infrastructure projects could help a lot.  YL made some plans, Prayut trashed them (YL also never really started on them). Then Prayut made plans.. and nothing happened..  Great 2 governments both incompetent especially given the 2011 disaster. 

 

Each year the same problems and each year we see that at the same points make shift dams barriers appear.. why not put down some more permanent structures in the dry season. 

[toofarnorth]

1 hour ago, Swampy999 said:

Dozens of specially designed boats to push water ?? Maybe they should have used the specially designed planes to push the rain back into the clouds ????

Nope they have helicopters for that . They put the motors in reverse and up goes the rain don't you know.

 

All that is Holy !!  I live 20 mins away from Mae Kham and guess what , black clouds rolling in again. Time again to break out the special water pushing boats.