Bangkok Post - Flood warning for lower Chao Phraya River basin provinces including Greater Bangkok

Flood warning for lower Chao Phraya River basin provinces including Greater Bangkok

An embankment was reinforced near the Niwet Woradit pier by the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok last month. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul) 

The Royal Irrigation Department is warning people along waterways in the lower Chao Phraya River basin, including those in Greater Bangkok, of either possible overflow or deeper flood levels due to deluges from the North, heavy rains and high seas later this month.

Lerboon Udomsap, an engineering expert at the department, said on Sunday that due to torrents of water from the North, the discharge rate of the Chao Phraya barrage – which regulates the flow of the Chao Phraya River in Chai Nat province – would gradually be raised from 2,150 cubic metres per second to 2,400 cubic metres per second this week.

According to Mr Lerboon, the faster discharge will affect waterway-adjacent areas from Sapphaya district of Chai Nat downstream to Greater Bangkok, leading to possible overflow and deeper flood levels this week.

Low-lying areas to be affected include:

• In Buri, Muang and Phrom Buri districts of Sing Buri
• Muang and Pa Mok districts of Ang Thong
• vast areas near Phong Pheng and Bang Ban canals and the Noi River in Ayutthaya
• Muang and Sam Khok districts in Pathum Thani
• about 30 riverside communities in Muang and Pak Kret districts of Nonthaburi
• thirty-two flood-prone areas in Bangkok including Song Wat area

Mr Lerboon said that Greater Bangkok could face flooding if there were high tides and heavy rains this month because the levels of waterways would already be high and obstruct the drainage of rainwater. He said high tides would occur from Oct 18 to 22.

Irrigation officials were trying to drain water from Greater Bangkok to the sea through Tha Chin and Bang Pakong rivers so that there would be more room to receive rainwater this month, Mr Lerboon said.

Surasee Kittimonthon, secretary-general of the Office of National Water Resources, said that deluges of water from the Ping River in Chiang Maiwould flow into the Bhumibol dam in Tak province and have no impact on the Chao Phraya River.