News Forum - Flooding in Bangkok, Samut Prakan along Chao Phraya river during high tide

[Thaiger]

Bangkok residents who live near the Chao Phraya river are being warned to watch out for rising water levels after the river overflowed in areas in Bangkok and the neighbouring province Samut Prakan. The water is expected to rise this evening and tomorrow morning. Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang visited a road in Samphanthawong district today where there was heavy flooding and ordered the Department of Drainage and Sewerage to drain flood water from the area. He says the water was above the footpath level and started to flow into homes. “Bangkok residents who live near the Chao Phraya river are […]

The story Flooding in Bangkok, Samut Prakan along Chao Phraya river during high tide as seen on Thaiger News.

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[mickkotlarski]

Absolutely ironic but was discussing if the areas alongside the ChaoPraya river will flood during the November high tides? Sad really. If people driving past or living in these spots especially further up North can see it coming why did the Mayor of Bangkok not prepare the residents? 

[gummy]

5 minutes ago, mickkotlarski said:

Absolutely ironic but was discussing if the areas alongside the ChaoPraya river will flood during the November high tides? Sad really. If people driving past or living in these spots especially further up North can see it coming why did the Mayor of Bangkok not prepare the residents? 

You don't have to be intelligent to be Mayor of Bangkok or anywhere else here for that matter, just know people.

[ThaiEyes]

3 hours ago, gummy said:

You don't have to be intelligent to be Mayor of Bangkok or anywhere else here for that matter, just know people.

Indeed, nor do you have to take any responsibility for inaction either

[drkenchao]

important avoid buying condo.or living near river or seaside.here, after google search high risk big flood map in.bangkok

[PapayaBokBok]

Blondie warned us in the 80s--"The Tide is High"...confirmed by Katrina and the Waves..

[Soidog]

There’s a community in the U.K. who are currently up in arms over their homes flooding. Demanding the government spends money (other tax payers as well as themselves) to do more to protect the properties they chose to buy. I have sympathy for people who’s land has started to flood due to changes in the local area as a results of roads and other developments etc. However, the name of the area is called “FISH LAKE”. I think the clue to it being liable to flooding is in the name

[HiuMak]

11 hours ago, mickkotlarski said:

Absolutely ironic but was discussing if the areas alongside the ChaoPraya river will flood during the November high tides? Sad really. If people driving past or living in these spots especially further up North can see it coming why did the Mayor of Bangkok not prepare the residents? 

There is no preparedness in this country. When it hits then you start to prepare.

[mickkotlarski]

6 minutes ago, HiuMak said:

There is no preparedness in this country. When it hits then you start to prepare.

Funny you mention it as I'm watching the Mayor of Bangkok performing a PR stunt walking in ankle deep water and doing lots of finger pointing. If he teamed up with the Irrigation department 2 months ago as he should have or denied building projects that block water drainage then he could have kepy his feet dry along with the residents whose homes are flooded.

[gummy]

25 minutes ago, mickkotlarski said:

Funny you mention it as I'm watching the Mayor of Bangkok performing a PR stunt walking in ankle deep water and doing lots of finger pointing. If he teamed up with the Irrigation department 2 months ago as he should have or denied building projects that block water drainage then he could have kepy his feet dry along with the residents whose homes are flooded.

But look at it this way. Bangkok, and many other places flood regularly in places. Every time since I remember when there has been major flooding additional funds are provided by central government for infrastructure upgrades so it does not get repeated. Of course next to nothing happens as it is just a scam coordinated between ministers in government, the mayor and the "so called" contractors to undertake the works ( read that as pals of the mayor ).   It is a massive money earner for all those involved. Unfortunately as next to nothing gets done the normal Thais are not only exposed to further flooding but the country is deprived of money that could have gone to helping the poor.

So it will never stop, its, a BS PR exercise to convince the gullible something needs to be and will be done which as I said nothing happens. Until this entire corrupt culture is removed 100 % from the top down I am afraid we will be seeing the general public suffering flooding with their livelihoods threatened in many case, continue for years to come.

[mickkotlarski]

7 minutes ago, gummy said:

But look at it this way. Bangkok, and many other places flood regularly in places. Every time since I remember when there has been major flooding additional funds are provided by central government for infrastructure upgrades so it does not get repeated. Of course next to nothing happens as it is just a scam coordinated between ministers in government, the mayor and the "so called" contractors to undertake the works ( read that as pals of the mayor ).   It is a massive money earner for all those involved. Unfortunately as next to nothing gets done the normal Thais are not only exposed to further flooding but the country is deprived of money that could have gone to helping the poor.

So it will never stop, its, a BS PR exercise to convince the gullible something needs to be and will be done which as I said nothing happens. Until this entire corrupt culture is removed 100 % from the top down I am afraid we will be seeing the general public suffering flooding with their livelihoods threatened in many case, continue for years to come.

Unfortunately we are in agreement about this sad issue. You got it plum lbw and exposed the reality.

I remember an address the late king had about flood prevention years ago. I speak read and write Thai and understood exactly what he was saying.

He talked about narrowing up water canals so push it faster down stream. He talked about widening waterways down river to allow drainage into the gulf. He then talked of the need to have a series of pumps discharge the flood water as after all the city is on a flood plain below sea level.

He then mentioned the illegal squatters that moved house to canal banks after being allowed by officials.

Finally he talked of a monkey cheek flood water trap or reservoir to hold excess flood water.

But in closing he jokingly said that all this will not be possible due to officialdom's greed from profits wrt building projects.

Many Thais laughed and praised the late king but were to shallow to understand his warnings and many that did understand too selfish to abide by them. Waterways will continue to be blocked as those gaining profit line their own pockets.

 

 

   

[billywillyjones]

At least they didn't follow Pattaya's lead and dig up all the roads and install metal grates that are already crumbling will be very questionable when the buses return.  There are levels to incompetence here.

Edited November 9, 2021 by billywillyjones

[drkenchao]

important avoid buying condo.or living near river or seaside.here, after google search high risk big flood map in.bangkok

[HiuMak]

2 minutes ago, ken said:

important avoid buying condo.or living near river or seaside.here, after google search high risk big flood map in.bangkok

Living by the chao praya isn't that the HiSo lifestyle and expensive area in bangkok?

[drkenchao]

wonder if condo developers will do something about common floods being unavoidable and frequent here, especially if they need to build new condos in or near medium or high risk flood areas? most foreign buyers do not know this problem anyway

[drkenchao]

2 minutes ago, HiuMak said:

Living by the chao praya isn't that the HiSo lifestyle and expensive area in bangkok?

depends on whether one encounters the once in awhile big flood like back.in year 2011? can google search news on: bangkok flood map 

[mickkotlarski]

8 hours ago, billywillyjones said:

At least they didn't follow Pattaya's lead and dig up all the roads and install metal grates that are already crumbling will be very questionable when the buses return.  There are levels to incompetence here.

I wondered why Pattaya was flooding so badly. My wife is a Chonburi lass and told me that floods were simply unknown there and flooding is only a recent occurrence. This fiasco by the Pattaya council helps explain some of it. Sad really. I imagine someone make a quick dollar from substandard grade metal.

[Stardust]

22 hours ago, gummy said:

You don't have to be intelligent to be Mayor of Bangkok or anywhere else here for that matter, just know people.

Or buy in

[Dancbmac]

22 hours ago, mickkotlarski said:

Absolutely ironic but was discussing if the areas alongside the ChaoPraya river will flood during the November high tides? Sad really. If people driving past or living in these spots especially further up North can see it coming why did the Mayor of Bangkok not prepare the residents? 

I could be wrong, but I don’t think the high tides flow up that far north for those that are north of Bangkok to see?  Reading other’s comments it seems to have been a common issue for many years and with rampant corruption not much, if anything is ever done to correct it.  I remember about ten years ago when much of Bangkok was flooding, mainly due to heavy rains all over Thailand draining down the ChaoPraya, not the current high tide scenario.   Back then I only saw stacks of sandbags along the river banks and water was still coming into the city via drainage ditches that were not blocked off and the river was just flowing in.

[KaptainRob]

5 minutes ago, Dancbmac said:

I could be wrong, but I don’t think the high tides flow up that far north for those that are north of Bangkok to see?

Water does flow uphill.  As the ocean tide rises it pushes water into rivers and estuaries and forces the levels to rise.  Lower reaches in Samut Prakan are more likely to flood 1st but it all depends on tidal range/times and down-river flows as to how far upstream becomes affected.

[mickkotlarski]

20 minutes ago, Dancbmac said:

I could be wrong, but I don’t think the high tides flow up that far north for those that are north of Bangkok to see?  Reading other’s comments it seems to have been a common issue for many years and with rampant corruption not much, if anything is ever done to correct it.  I remember about ten years ago when much of Bangkok was flooding, mainly due to heavy rains all over Thailand draining down the ChaoPraya, not the current high tide scenario.   Back then I only saw stacks of sandbags along the river banks and water was still coming into the city via drainage ditches that were not blocked off and the river was just flowing in.

Good point but as well as the volume of water pushed up river the events leading to 2011 floods resulted from 4 horrendous storms that filled the major dams to over capacity. When the bid drainage was put into affect.

The November tides are strongest of the year and even years ago the water levels in the Chao Praya rose naturally up to Nonthaburi. Not quite a tsunami but similar principle. The phenomenon is far more noticeable now as the reservoir areas set aside since King Rama VI for South Bangkok to receive the over flow have since been replaced with numerous housing estates and an international airport.

 

[Jason]

Hmmm...Bangkok is built on a flood plain...so is my city. High rainfall...king tide...floods. Saying Bangkok will not flood periodically is like saying the tide won't rise!!