Flood drainage disputes are growing between people in flood-protection areas in Bangkok and flood victims long inundated in surrounding areas, as heavy rains are causing floods in many southern provinces.
Confrontation is increasing along the lines of sandbag dykes and sluice gates that separate Bangkok from its upper provinces of Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani.
People in Ram Intra area of Bangkok rallied on Thursday to complain that the removal of big sandbags in Lam Luk Ka district of Pathum Thani was raising flood levels in Ram Intra. They demanded the government contain the rising floodwater; otherwise they would block Ram Intra Road.
Former finance minister Surapong Suebwonglee, who represented people in his Sivalee Housing Estate in Lam Luk Ka, said he and other local dwellers would ask the government to remove big sandbags in Don Muang district to relieve the flooding that has been their housing estate for over a month.
A group of people in Nonthaburi province thanked Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra for opening sluice gates along Khlong Maha Sawat canal to receive floodwater from Nonthaburi.
The governor agreed to cooperate with local residents, but said he must monitor impacts on water levels in western Bangkok closely to prevent uncontrollable flooding in the capital. The governor admitted that inflows from Nonthaburi were raising the levels of some canals in western Bangkok.
People in Bang Khae district of Bangkok protested on Kanchanaphisek Road, demanding Bangkok governor defend their district from further flooding from Nonthaburi. They threatened to block Kanchanaphisek Road, which is Bangkok's outer ring road, in Bang Khae if their demand is left unheeded.
Somsak Khaosuwan, director of the National Disaster Warning Centre, said the big sandbags were carefully placed to direct floodwater to drainage systems consisting of pump stations and existing waterways.
He warned that the removal of those sandbags would spread floodwater uncontrollably and thus delay drainage.
In the South, heavy rains that have continued for four days, with floods in part of Chaiya district of Surat Thani province and a local school is closed.
Many districts of Pattani province are inundated and hundreds of families were evacuated.
In Phatthalung province, runoff hit 11 districts, troubled over 23,000 families and flooded over 160 square kilometres of farmland.
In Narathiwat province, floods occured in Sungai Kolok, Rangae and Muang Narathiwat districts with depths ranging from 50 centimetres to 1.70 metres.
The Meteorological Department said the northeastern monsoon is causing strong winds and waves in the Gulf of Thailand and bringing heavy rains in many southern provinces, most of which face the gulf.
Runoff and overflows are forecast in Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Trang and Satun provinces and waves 2-4 metres high are forecast along the eastern coastline from Nakhon Si Thammarat province southwards.
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