BANGKOK FLOODS: City on high alert as Sukhumbhand goes against Yingluck

Bangkok’s Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra has defied Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra by sending in council workers in to make repairs to the sluice gates located at Khlong Sam Wa.

It is hoped that the repairs will be made in time to save the Bang Chan Industrial Estate at Min Buri, in the east of the capital.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra

The sluice gates were opened yesterday as the government bowed down to pressure from disgruntled residents living in the Khlong Sam Wa Area, who were desperate to have the gates opened up to drain the water.

Sukhumbhand made the his move against the PM last night, ordering the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to widen the gates to one metre. He then announced that he was going to use an disaster prevention law to take control of the city, allowing him to control police to use force to protect the damaged sluice gates.

THAILAND FLOODS: Tourism body calls for live reports on floods

2/11/2011 – Thai Travel News advises against non-essential travel to Bangkok for the present moment. The threat of the city became a reality yesterday when a sluice gate was opened at Khlong Sam Wa. Residents in some flood affected areas have begun to protest the government’s flood relief and prevention efforts, which have ended in tense confrontations with authorities. This advisory is applicable for Bangkok (except Suvarnabhumi Airport), with tourist attractions open for businesses throughout the rest of the country.

Officials have been urged to provide live reports on flood situations in order to feed accurate and reliable information to agents around the world.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association has urged Thai authorities to begin offering live reports, as this would also help with the nation’s recovery by winning back the confidence of tourists.

PATA chief executive Martin Craigs met with head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Suraphon Svetasreni, saying that the country’s official tourism authority would ensure accurate information was broadcast throughout the world during the post-crisis recovery phase.

He said that it was vital for the TAT and other industry stakeholders to provide a flow of accurate and up-to-date information from the ground to travel agents worldwide.

“Webcams are a good idea. As are vox-pop, on-the-ground interviews with real tourists on Bangkok streets,” Craigs said.

Koh Samui is still open and as beautiful as ever.

Which way the tipping point?

The severe flooding of Bangkok and its suburbs has forced tens of thousands of the residents to flee over the past weeks. Many have returned to the villages of their birth, including some of my close friends.

Buddha statues are almost submerged at an amulet market near
the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok yesterday.

After years of living in the city, most have encountered some inconvenience, especially those whose villages are also flooded. They, however, seem to have taken things in stride.

Some have reported that although the flood is more severe compared to what they had experienced when they were growing up, the relatives they are staying with have encountered little interruption in their daily lives. In fact, some have found it quite amusing when they learned that their relatives would love to have the flood waters linger a while, for it has provided them with so much fun fishing!

The villagers have little problem with the flood because they live in old-style houses of the Chao Phraya floodplain _ built on stilts and readily equipped with row boats.

As destructive as the current flooding of Bangkok and the surrounding provinces is, I believe we should consider ourselves lucky, for it could have been much worse. The flood is caused mainly by the unusually large volume of water rushing down from the North. High tides may have added to the severity of the flood, but imagine what could have happened if Bangkok and these provinces were to be hit also by a strong storm that brings heavy rain as well as causing storm surges in the Gulf of Thailand?

Although the typhoon season is usually over by this time of year, a stray storm cannot be ruled out.

It should be apparent that the flood damage has been so great mainly because of the rapid expansion of roads, residential areas, industrial estates and commercial establishments over the past few decades. Many of them are built right on the existing floodways without providing adequate routes for water to conveniently flow through.

With the predicted increases in frequency and severity of storms and higher sea levels resulting from global warming, a more destructive flood will happen more sooner than later.

The central issue is: what to do between now and then, to reduce the level of destruction?

That we need to create adequate "water expressways" from, say, Pathum Thani to the sea, should not be disputed. And the urgency of the need requires that we launch brain-storming work forthwith.

Ideas have been floated about creating such expressways east and west of Bangkok, but no one seems to have suggested that a big one be built right through the heart of the city.

Impossible to engineer? I do not believe that.

Politically unwise? Maybe.

Too costly? Perhaps.

Ruling that idea out without a thorough study and full debate, however, would be more costly.

For decades, the idea of building satellite towns to take the pressure off Bangkok has been discussed and one almost came into fruition a few years ago.

The building of a satellite town in Saraburi-Nakhon Nayok area was aborted soon after inception because it was conceived for the wrong motive _ it was intended to benefit the politicians and their cronies, more than to provide true relief for Bangkok.

Despite that setback, the idea needs to be revived. Modern transportation such as bullet trains and digital communications should allow such a town, preferably towns, to be located outside the Chao Phraya floodplain.

Many have opined that this severe flood will bring a great benefit _ it provides a platform on which all sectors will come together and deal with the flooding issue once and for all.

Some, however, have expressed strong doubts and have pointed out that the ugliness of the current situation _ politicians trying to benefit, both personally and politically, from the disaster; the affected people waiting for handouts without lifting a finger to help themselves; the spread of blame on the revered institution _ all this will speed up the rush towards the opposite outcome, namely, a sharper social and political division that will end in a civil war.

Where do I stand on this issue?

Having experienced many aspects of the flood first-hand, I am not optimistic.

Life Under The Water

Waterproof winners
Innovators focus on products to help people cope

An ancient Chinese proverb says "in every crisis, there is an opportunity." This helps to remind people not to lose hope amid hardships.

One innovation that can help people in trying times is a floating toilet designed by Cotto, part of Siam Cement Group (SCG).

Weighing 800 kilogrammes, the floating toilet comprises two rooms, one with a modern toilet and another room with a Thai toilet that is flushed by pouring water in the basin.

The unit is 2.5 meters wide and 3.5 metres long. It is made of plastic and "smart board", a smooth-surface asbestos-free cement board, to make it durable and lightweight.

Tanasak Sakariganon, in the marketing division at Cotto, says this invention differs from conventional floating toilets because the waste is treated with micro-organisms before discharge.

After filling up, a tank fitted underneath the toilet will need to be disposed of at a proper place.

"We designed it the same as toilets at people's homes that need to have residue cleared from time to time," Mr Tanasak said. "We pump the floodwater to be used in the toilet before treating it and releasing it back to nature. This is hygienic."

The two types of toilets are convenient, especially for the elderly, he added.

SCG staff have teamed up with students from the King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok to produce 10 sets of toilets per day at a cost of 60,000 baht each and distribute them to government offices in provinces and tambon administrations for free.

After the floods recede, the toilets can be used by the public.

SCG, Thailand's top industrial conglomerate, has also distributed 50,000 "paper toilets" for one-time use, while development of a floating house is under way using ferrocement.

Another popular product is car wrapping plastic made of polyethylene (PE) with either zippers or ropes that are easy to use. Wandee Panich Industry, which normally uses PE from PTT Plc to produce plastics for agricultural uses, changed course to wrap cars in plastic.At six meters wide and nine metres long, the car wrap is 1.50 microns thick and protects against floods up to 1.5 meters high. It costs 900 baht.

"It started with my friend looking for help to move his piano," said Pichai Chooekawong, executive director of Wandee Panich. "I came up with an idea to use plastic snack bags for ease of use."

Mr Pichai said the plastic wraps do not ensure the safety of the car if the flood is higher than the car's height.

"The car has to stay above water. You should put sandbags in the car so it can withstand the strength of the water," he noted.

Car owners have to unplug the battery before wrapping it, he added.

SET-listed Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI), the country's largest hot-rolled coil maker, has come up with a smart steel boat. Made of hot coil with a thickness of 1.2 millimetres, the boat weighs 65 kilogrammes and is 83cm wide and 2.3 metres long.

The boat can carry up to six people with a combined weight of 400 kg. It has two paddles and can be equipped with an engine, said SSI.

The steel boat is coated to be rust-free and glows red and white in the dark. More durable than plastic boats, the steel boat can be used as a bookshelf or cabinet after the floods recede.

Torrents advancing towards downtown

Floodwater is advancing deeper into Bangkok from its northern outskirts as a northern sluice gate and a dyke failed to limit inflows to save the inner city.

The water level on Rarm Intra Road, both inbound and outbound, continued to rise and the road became impassable yesterday.

On the outbound lanes, water in front of Central department store was 40-50cm deep. The department store remained closed for a second day.

The inbound lanes were also flooded, particularly from kilometer marker 4 to the Laksi circle.

Bid to halt the deluge: Four thousand 2.5-tonne 

sandbags have been used to build a flood wall at

 Rangsit-Muang Ake area in an attempt to stop 

overflow from Khlong Rangsit into Bangkok. 

The dyke length will be about four kilometers.

All minor roads branching from Rarm Intra from Laksi to Rarm Intra Soi 39 were flooded. Fashion Island shopping centre on Rarm Intra Road was closed early Tuesday evening as its parking lot was flooded. Min Buri fresh market was also flooded due to excessive flows from Klong Sam Wa.

Floodwater from Bangkok's Prapa canal entered Pracha Chuen Road and was advancing to the Major Ratchayothin complex in Chatuchak district.

Water continued pouring into Pongpet and Pracha Nukul intersections but vehicles could still pass through.

From Ngam Wong Wan to Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, the water level decreased slightly.

The level in front of Samian Naree temple on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road was about 20cm yesterday.

At Kaset-Phahon Yothin intersection, the water level was 40cm to 50cm and was also advancing steadily towards the Major Ratchayothin complex.

Flooding in western Bangkok is also expanding and only Bang Khun Thien, Bang Bon, Chom Thong, Rat Burana and Thung Khru districts remain safe.

Opposition and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday warned the government and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration not to announce any Bangkok districts would be safe from floods.

He said mobs forced open a sluice gate in Klong Sam Wa, sending excess floodwater to Khlong Lat Phrao and inner districts of Bangkok.

Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut urged the government to convince protesters in Klong Sam Wa district to protect the national interest with clear rehabilitation measures for the people who had to absorb floodwater to protect inner Bangkok.

Meanwhile, Anond Snidvongs, an academic on the water draining committee of the Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc), hopes that the installation of big sandbags along Khlong Rangsit Prayoonsak in Muang Ake housing estate will limit the volume of floodwater from northern Bangkok.

He said the installation was set to be completed this Friday and floodwater from the northern Bangkok districts of Don Muang, Laksi and Bang Khen should be drained off within a week.

He said flooding in western Bangkok would continue for about a month, as about 1.7 to 2 billion cubic metres of water was flowing from Ayutthaya province to Khlong Maha Sawat, which is already overflowing.

Mr Anond said flooding would also continue in eastern Bangkok.

Governor issues order to repair sluice gate

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra has given himself wide-ranging control over flood operations in the city and will send council workers backed by police to repair the controversial Khlong Sam Wa sluice gate.

Race is on to protect estate Workers at Bang Chan Industrial Estate in Min Buri district in the east of Bangkok race against time to move belongings to safety as well as stack sandbags to prevent flooding as water runoff threatens the estate after the sluice gate at Khlong SamWa was opened wider to release floodwater from inundated communities. 

MR Sukhumbhand's dramatic move last night is in defiance of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's order for the BMA to widen the sluice gate to one metre. She took the action after nearby residents destroyed part of the sluice gate under the eye of police to speed up the drainage of their communities.

The governor said he was using an order under the disaster prevention law which stipulates that he is the director of disaster management in Bangkok. It means he can send metropolitan police to Khlong Sam Wa sluice gate to maintain order and prevent further demolition.

The penalty for defying the police and obstructing the workers is three months in jail and/or a 6,000 baht fine.

MR Sukhumbhand said the gate might collapse if it was not repaired and that would cause massive flood damage to communities along Ram Intra and Ram Khamhaeng Road.

Meanwhile, Deputy Governor Thirachon Manomaipiboon said all 50 districts in Bangkok are at risk of flooding as a result of the Khlong Sam Wa incident.

Women hang on to the side of a four-wheel drive 

vehicle to get to work at the government 

complex on Chaeng Watthana road.

He said the first three districts in Bangkok that would likely face the incoming deluge are Bang Kapi, Saphan Sung and Bung Kum.

On Monday, Mr Thirachon said 19 districts would likely be spared as the drainage to the east was working well.

"Previously, we thought that 19 districts might not experience flooding, but now none of them is safe," he said.

Prime Minister Yingluck on Monday ordered the BMA to widen the sluice gate to one metre after an angry protest.

"Bangkok has 2,000 canals and there are many underground tunnels that are connected with each other. When the water is released to Saen Saep canal, it will pass through all 50 districts," Mr Thirachon said.

MR Sukhumbhand yesterday declared evacuation of the entire district of Bang Khen, Sena Niwet housing estate Project II, Jarakhae Bua sub-district of Lat Phrao district and Sam Wa Tawan Ok sub-district of Klong Sam Wa.

Sai Kong Din and Kong Din Tai sub-districts of Klong Sam Wa and the entire district of Nong Chok have also been placed under close watch, he said.

Police officers speak through a bullhorn to urge 

people in Setthakij housing estate to evacuate due to

 rising floodwater in Bang Kae district yesterday. 

The governor said Bang Chan sub-district of Klong Sam Wa district is also under close watch and could be a flood risk area.

He said he had received reports from the Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc) that it still could not close sluice gates at Khlong 8 and Khlong 10 because of fierce resistance from residents in nearby inundated communities.

If the gates could not be closed, the flow of water will affect Nong Chok, Min Buri, Lat Krabang, Khlong Saen Saep and Khlong Lam Pathiew.

MR Sukhumbhand said the situation in western Bangkok was uncertain as floods have continued to spread, with a substantial volume of runoff from Nakhon Pathom.

A woman climbs into a truck used to transport 

state officials to the government complex on 

Chaeng Watthana road.

He said drainage efforts with pumps must be increased as the runoff capacity in the west could not compare to that of the east.

Sanya Cheenimitr, director of the BMA's Drainage and Sewerage Department, said overflow from Khlong Maha Sawat had already surged into western areas.

Khlong Pasi Charoen serves as a major channel draining runoff into canal networks and out to the Chao Phraya River.

Mr Sanya said the BMA has asked the Froc to make the most of drainage systems in Krathum Baen district of Samut Sakhon.

He said the BMA is racing to build and reinforce flood barriers in Thon Buri and is using water pumps to drain more than 100 cubic metres of water per second.

Froc spokesman Thongthong Chandarangsu said water in Ayutthaya was receding and this was a good sign for Bangkok.

Mr Thongthong said people should come to terms with the fact that some of the water mass from Pathum Thani will flow into Bangkok.

In Flood, Thai Leaders Choose Between Bad and Worse Options

A street in Bangkok on Tuesday.

BANGKOK — In the rush to defend Bangkok from monsoon floodwaters on Tuesday, Thai officials were faced with the choice of saving men or machines.

Angry residents of a northern Bangkok neighborhood are demanding that officials open a barrier that is causing flooding in their homes but keeping a nearby industrial area dry. “We are calling for justice,” said Boonsom Jitchuen, 52, a flooded shopkeeper who took part in protests on Monday along what is known as the Sam Wa canal. “All we want is a place to sleep.”

The controversy is typical of the wrenching decisions that have faced the Thai leadership, led by the untried prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra. Over the past two months, Ms. Yingluck, 44, and her ministers have been forced to triage between bad and worse options, able neither to assuage her party’s populist base nor fully protect the country’s political and economic core.

Engineers, politicians and soldiers have been forced to pick who is drenched and who stays dry as the destructive path of floodwaters descends from northern Thailand and heads toward the sea. Nearly 400 people have died in the flooding.

More than 1,000 factories have been closed, and hundreds — producing everything from computer components to car parts — have already been inundated, dealing the country an economic blow that has far-flung consequences for the interconnected world of manufacturing. Apple says a global shortage of hard-disk drives is now inevitable, and Toyota and Honda have cut back production at their factories in North America because of a shortage of parts from Thailand.

The effects of the flooding will not reach buyers of personal computers until early next year, analysts said. “The hard drives in PCs have been built and shipped up until December,” said Fang Zhang, a storage analyst at IHS iSluppi. “Customers will not feel an impact until the first quarter of next year.”

Ms. Zhang said the loss of production from Thailand’s flooding would reduce the production of hard drives by about 30 percent, or 50 million drives. Component makers in China, the Philippines and Malaysia may pick up some of the slack, but many global hard drive makers are already operating at over 90 percent production, with some in China at 98 percent. In Bangkok, the Bang Chan Industrial Estate, a collection of factories producing, among other things, plastics, fertilizer, furniture and electronics, has until now stayed dry.

Adding to the problems, the Bangkok governor — who is a member of the opposition Democrat Party — appeared to be deepening his strains with Ms. Yingluck. The governor, Sukhumbhand Paribatra, says the sluice gates in Ms. Boonsom’s neighborhood must stay closed if the industrial park, which is on the outskirts of Bangkok, is to be saved. But Ms. Yingluck ordered the authorities to partially open the barrier, a Solomonic solution that local officials fear will result in both sides’ being flooded. Water is already flowing through a channel that was dug by angry residents during the protest on Monday.

Residents of a northern neighborhood clashed with the

 police during a protest calling to open a barrier that is flooding their

homes but keeping an industrial area dry.

In what is a largely Muslim neighborhood, residents gathered after an announcement was made over the loudspeaker of the local mosque. “The water keeps rising!” went the announcement, according to Somkiat Kalamad, a 34-year-old resident. “Please join a gathering to call for the opening of the floodgate.”

The women of the community blocked a road leading to the canal and the men hacked away at a dike, Mr. Somkiat said. On Tuesday, water continued to rush through the small channel they created.

It was unclear what affect this would have on the Bang Chan industrial zone or other parts of Bangkok. About 100 police officers now patrol the area but residents are threatening further protests. The sluice gate is about 20 miles from central Bangkok, which has largely remained dry, thanks to a wall of sandbags erected, guarded and maintained by soldiers.

But water has seeped into northern districts over the past week, and many roads are impassable. The government on Tuesday established committees to coordinate the cleanup and reopening of seven large industrial parks north of the city. Many companies say they are not sure when their factories will reopen. One manufacturer, Cal-Comp Electronics, said Tuesday that it planned to resume operations at its facility in Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok, at the end of the month. The flooding there had stabilized, the company said in a statement.

Along the Sam Wa canal, residents spoke with quavering voices about the floodwaters they had endured for nearly two months. “We should share the hardship,” said Arthon Leebamrung, a 32-year-old gardener whose house is filled with waist-deep water. He defended the decision to partially break the flood wall.

“We couldn’t bear it any longer,” Mr. Arthon said. “We have been telling them for weeks to open the gate, but no one listened.”

Thailand slashes growth forecast as floods hurt economy

The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has slashed its growth forecast for the current financial year after the country was hit by its worst flooding in decades.

Thailand's floods have affected millions of people

 and forced thousands of businesses to shut down

The central bank cut its forecast to 2.6% for 2011, down from an initial projection of 4.1% growth.

The floods have affected one third of all provinces in the country and forced several industrial estates and factories to shut down.

The BOT kept the interest rate on hold at 3.5% in a bid to boost growth.

"The downward revision in gross domestic product (GDP) forecast was expected, given the severe damage dealt to the manufacturing, agricultural and services industry," said Penn Nee Chow of UOB Bank.

"And with Bangkok now more than likely to be flooded, vital financial and other services, as well as tourism will be dealt a blow." she added.

Economic impact

Authorities have warned the floods may last for another four to six weeks. Heavy flooding has forced almost 1,000 factories to shut down.

Last week the central bank said the damage to industry may be more than 100bn baht ($3.3bn; £2.1bn).

"In terms of flood impact on factory output and business sectors, it seems like capacity utilisation for October will be very low," said Rahul Bajoria of Barclays Capital.

"A drop in industrial production to the tune of 15%-20% month-on-month cannot be ruled out." he added.

To make matters worse, Yingluck Shinawatra, Thailand's prime minister, has said it may not be possible to protect the country's capital Bangkok from flooding.

Bangkok contributes almost 41% to the country's GDP, and analysts have warned that any substantial damage to the capital may hurt growth even more.

'Difficult to justify'

The central bank also cut its growth forecast for 2012 to 4.1% from 4.2%.

However, some analysts said that they were surprised by the bank's move to cut its projection for the next year. They said reconstruction and rebuilding efforts after a natural disaster generally boost economic growth.

"Trimming 2012 GDP, even if by just 0.1 [percentage] point, is difficult to justify. A sharply weaker 2011 would point to faster growth in 2012," said Ramya Suryanarayanan of DBS Bank.

At the same time, the central bank cut it forecast for inflation for 2012 to 3.8% from 3.9%.

Ms Surayanaryanan added that the 'dovish comments' by the central bank were an indicator that it may cut interest rates going forward.

Bangkok floods: Anger grows in deluged districts

Flood water has continued to pour into outer districts of the Thai capital, Bangkok, forcing residents to evacuate.

The government says efforts to protect the centre of the city from the rising water have been largely successful.

Residents in some Bangkok suburbs feel their
districts have been sacrificed to save the city centre

But tension has been rising in flooded suburbs, with residents demanding barriers be opened to allow water out.

In one area residents forced officials to open a sluice gate, potentially threatening an industrial estate.

Accumulated flood water caused by weeks of monsoon rain is still being drained from the central provinces through channels in and around Bangkok to the sea.

Officials are warning it will be many weeks before the situation stabilises.

'Have to be tough'

Downtown Bangkok may have been spared, but the districts which surround the centre are taking a heavy toll and resentment is growing, reports the BBC's Rachel Harvey in Bangkok.

The government appears to have bowed to pressure from angry residents in the east of the city who demanded a local sluice gate be opened to allow more water to flow out of their flooded neighbourhood.

That has led to renewed tension with the Bangkok city authorities who fear the move might put the Bang Chan Industrial Estate at risk.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said the needs of all residents had to be balanced.

"I love the people, as do other elected politicians, but sometimes I have to be tough with the demands of the minority for the sake of the majority," he said. "I cannot yield to every demand."

Hundreds of factories have already had to close because of the floods, putting tens of thousands of people out of work.

Supply chains have been badly disrupted, our correspondent adds. A shortage of parts has forced the Japanese car maker, Honda, to halve production at its north American operations.

As well as the economic cost of the crisis, humanitarian organisations are warning that affected communities will need regular supplies of aid for weeks to come.