Yingluck: West might be flooded into New Year

The west of Bangkok might remain flooded until after the New Year, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said Tuesday.

I don't want the flood situation to extend into next year because I want see Thai people happy, but in principle I'm not confident about the situation in the west of Bangkok," Ms Yingluck said.

The premier said she had assigned Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit to look into the remedial measures for flood-hit households and the possibility of giving more than 5,000 baht to each household affected by flooding for more than seven days.

She also confirmed the Justice Ministry's Department of Special Investigation will investigate the allegations of corruption in the procurement of relief items.

On the Lawyers Council's plan to take legal action against the government for mishandling the flood, Mr Yingluck said, "We'll have to be patient, but we're ready to prove and provide the information."

Royal Irrigation Department chief Chalit Damrongsak said a total of 660 water pumps, with a combined capacity to drain 123 million cubic meters of water per day, have been installed along the two banks of the Chao Phraya River.

He said the situation had begun to return to normal in provinces north of Bangkok and the overall flood situation was improving steadily.

Of the 660 pumps, 387 were permanently installed at pumping stations and 273 others had been moved from provinces where there was no flooding for temporary use.

Of the total, 336 pumps had been installed along the western side and 324 on the eastern side of the river.

Mr Chalit said these pumps were being used on rotation to make sure floodwater was drained out around the clock.

The Traffic Police Division reported this afternoon that the flood level on sections of Ratchadaphisek and Lat Phrao roads had receded.

The water level on Lat Phrao Road from the Ratchadaphisek-Lat Phrao intersection to Lat Phrao Soi 39 (Soi Phawana) was down to 30cm; the water on Ratchadaphisek Road from the intersection down to Khlong Bang Sue near the Chao Phraya Park hotel also fell to 30cm.

But the roads were still impassable to small vehicles.

At the Lak Si circle, or the Constitution Monument, the water level was still high this morning.

The traffic surface around the circle was 60 to 70cm under water. It was impassable to small vehicles, reports said.

People in the area believed the high level of water was caused by the opening of a section of the barrier of big bags along Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Don Muang district.

On Vibhavadi Rangsit Road from the five-way Lat Phrao intersection to Khlong Bang Sue, the floodwater was spreading to cover the surface of the outer frontage lanes. This part of the road was dry yesterday.

Small vehicles could now use Lat Phrao road. The deepest water, about 10cm, was in the vicinity of Soi Lat Phrao 43.

Many evacuees had returned to their houses in this area for clean-up work, the reports said.

In Thon Buri's Bang Khun Thian district, the water in Soi 69 off Rama II Road was 1.0 to 1.2m deep and was rising, but the main road was still dry and open to traffic.