Pattaya: Officials turn to the Gods to pray for rain as water levels hit 20 year low

[webfact]

Pattaya: Officials turn to the Gods to pray for rain as water levels hit 20 year low

 

Thai caption: Praying for rain

 

Officials from the Pattaya water board, irrigation department and local villagers gathered in the Map Prachan reservoir to make merit and pray for rain yesterday.

 

They were joined by a Brahmin committee from Khon Kaen to help ensure success at the reservoir in Pong sub-district of Bang Lamung.

 

The event is called "Than Bun Buang Suang" and is a kind of worship where sacrifices are made according to ancient beliefs.

 

Water levels in the reservoir are at a 20 year low - just 16% of capacity at 2.7 million cubic meters.

 

Flowers were scattered on what water remains.

 

And in a modern twist the hit pop song "Fon The Long Ma" (Let it Rain) boomed out on the loudspeakers.

 

There were no reports of rain, just yet.

 

Source: 77kaoded

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-02-25

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[ThreeEyedRaven]

My Goodness! Will they have to cancel Songkran? Difficult to have a water fight without any water after all. 

[keith101]

Looks like now would be the perfect time to get in there and deepen it to hold more water for the future , sitting around praying for rain isn't going to do much .

[spiekerjozef]

I turn to the Gods many times for a lottery win.

I think the outcome is the same..

[Flugg]

If there just would be a technology, that makes saltwater drinkable… Sending thoughts and prayers ????

Edited February 25, 2020 by Flugg

[shadowofacloud]

And it's only going to get worse every year.

 

So time to buy more cars, eat even more meat, build more, mostly empty, condos and - generally - buy, buy, buy and mindlessly consume, as this, clearly, is the sense of life.

 

The planet will certainly appreciate it.

[Banana7]

I still see Arunotai school water the sports field. No regard for the water shortage.

 

Also, it look like that lake/reservoir has never been dredged. The surface area needs to be reduced to reduce surface evaporation and made deeper to hold more water.

Edited February 25, 2020 by Banana7

[CGW]

18 minutes ago, keith101 said:

Looks like now would be the perfect time to get in there and deepen it to hold more water for the future , sitting around praying for rain isn't going to do much .

That reservoir has been dug out so many times in the past, doubt they can go much deeper for geological reasons!

[CNXexpat]

Smart from the officials. If it will not rain, the lack of water is Buddha´s/God´s will and has nothing to do with their bad water management.

[PatOngo]

36 minutes ago, webfact said:

And in a modern twist the hit pop song "Fon The Long Ma" (Let it Rain) boomed out on the loudspeakers.

I want to contribute as well!

 

[Chang_paarp]

27 minutes ago, keith101 said:

Looks like now would be the perfect time to get in there and deepen it to hold more water for the future , sitting around praying for rain isn't going to do much .

Last time they did that (2007?) they hit a level that caused all sorts of problems. Had to abandon works as they were at risk of making the dam unable to hold water. Not long after that it did rain and they had to do rescues on the diggers that were getting covered by the water. Very much a case of "careful what you wish for..."

[Banana7]

11 minutes ago, CGW said:

That reservoir has been dug out so many times in the past, doubt they can go much deeper for geological reasons!

As you can see from the photo, much of that reservoir is only 1 meter deep.

[CGW]

6 minutes ago, Banana7 said:

As you can see from the photo, much of that reservoir is only 1 meter deep.

Is that not as far down as they can go whereby it will hold water, bedrock or whatever they call it?

[RichardColeman]

Give that about as much hope as richie !

 

[CanuckThai]

Songkran will be strictly beer and whiskey based.  We all have to make sacrifices, and take one for the team once in a while

[Pib]

57 minutes ago, keith101 said:

Looks like now would be the perfect time to get in there and deepen it to hold more water for the future , sitting around praying for rain isn't going to do much .

Probably no govt money for such an un-sexy project...but if they would propose building a high speed rail bridge across the reservoir that would probably get quick and full funding.

 

 

[bendejo]

Maybe if they sacrifice a virgin, but in Pattaya that's not an option.

 

How times have changed!  I recall Soi Diana and Bukaow being a flood zone.

 

 

 

[champers]

Songkram will probably be severely curtailed .... but not just yet. Announce it just a week before Songkram starts, so allowing plenty of people to book flights and rooms first.

[Orton Rd]

What's happened to the much boasted about cloud seeding to make it rain ?

[Golden Triangle]

But was it last week or the week before that we were informed that there were sufficient supplies to last the city until June or July ? And that supplies were being diverted from other areas, what happened since then ? 

[stouricks]

3 hours ago, Flugg said:

If there just would be a technology, that makes saltwater drinkable… Sending thoughts and prayers ????

It's called DESALINATION. Got it in many places in the world. On BBCs Click last week, there was a guy who has developed a portable one as well as an industial size one. Let's face it, it is only evaporating the water and leaving the salt behind, the sun does it naturally. Look at the salt beds as you go down towards Cha Am...where does the water go? 

[ross163103]

First photo from around one month ago, second one from one week ago, not sure if the reservoir will make it to the rainy season! Like one poster said, good time to dredge it out deeper......for future dry spells which we know will come.

[royalmice]

So what if we had a busy high season ? 

Tourist numbers were so low this year, so where has all the waster gone.

 

its the same story for the past 20 years I live here, always water shortage, and then some study will be launched and never heard of untill the next year when all are repeated.

Edited February 25, 2020 by royalmice

[spiekerjozef]

We love Pattaya

[johng]

There was a huge black cloud over Jomtien a couple of hours ago..but only a few spots of rain fell..they need to pray harder.

[Cake Monster]

Somebody is using a massive  amount of Water

Just 2 weeks ago there was 42 % capacity in the Reservoir  (Public statement made ) enough water to last until June, they said, and in just 2 weeks 25% have been used, because its now only 16%.

Somebody told some Porkies 

Naughty

 

[DannyCarlton]

3 hours ago, champers said:

Songkram will probably be severely curtailed .... but not just yet. Announce it just a week before Songkram starts, so allowing plenty of people to book flights and rooms first.

Allowing people to book flights an rooms away from Pattaya you mean? That's what I normally do.

[Burma Bill]

No tourists and very little water - a "World Class" resort???

[Cake Monster]

Time to get in that Reservoir ( and others ) with some real big Tonka Toys and expand there capacity.

I am talking a fleet of Scrapers that lift out 100 Tonnes each at a push and dont stop all day and Drag lines.

You cant do a lot with a few Swingers and a dozen Trucks.

[DrTuner]

Some of that capacity is dead, ie. can't be pumped out. Gonna be a dry couple of months.