BKK floods...
 

I haven't been to Thailand for a few months and the floods there are starting to get alot of coverage in the International press.
How bad is it? Is there flooding in BKK now? Is it still raining more than normal?

Flooding
 

A little rain each day but nothing that has stopped me getting about. I haven't seen one flooded road in Central Bangkok now for some time. Normally a good 2 hour downpour and my soi is flooded and takes a couple of hours to drain away. It has now been several months since that last happened. Always flooding around Phyathai BTS but again I cannot remember the last time that happened. Silom, Pratunam, Sukhumvit all okay this week when I have been in those areas. I understand from a friend in Pattaya that no problems there since that last downpour they had.

Thanks pitrevie,
I have been in BKK when the drains back up and it is like a sci-fi horror pic the things that flows down the street!

Good to hear things aren't as dramatic as news reports.

As Pitrevie says, no problems in Silom/Suriwong....yet. However, latest reports are that Sat/Sun/Mon will be the most vulnerable days - hoping for the best, but TIT.

-- A certain amount depends on wch. 'paper. or web-site one reads, or wch. TV./Radio-program one sees or hears.
- Check if you can down-load & view the flg. article:
> Bangkok Post : Smith faults water management <
- In my walkings around Rama IV., Si Lom & S'wong. rds. I see that a good many malls & shops have stock-piled sand-bags - 'Be prepared.' as one says.

-- E&OE.. -- :)

Go to Thaivisa.com/forum, then the Thailand news thread for a lot more / broader / comprehensive information on the floods.

Worst floods in a half century ...
 

> Photos: Thailand Flooding | Plog — World, National Photos, Photography and Reportage — The Denver Post <

actually the last two days did not see tremendous downpour as previous days.

May I ask what is the current flood situation in BKK. I have a trip coming up next week. Some of my thai friends say its ok to go and some say its not safe. Maybe an opinion from the BKK residents might be of help. I will be staying in Silom/Sathorn area. Is this area flood prone?
Many thanks.

how much it rains in Bangkok is no longer the issue. There is a king tide coming in two weeks and that will meet the massive amount of water surging from the north and central plains.

It is highly unlikely that Silom/Suriwong will see any significent flooding(in my opinion) as this is the prime business area that is vital to keep clear. Whether there will be a little surface water around is anyones guess, as there are conflicting reports from all parties. My own opinion is that drinking water and some foodstuffs (in 7/11's etc) will be hard to find, as the factories making the plastic bottles are under water. The worst flooding is alledgedly tonight (Fri).

There is a lot more to come before all the water from the North has gone into the sea, there are predictions this morning that it will take a further 4 to 6 weeks and the comment from gregvc above about king tides also connects. Take a look at thaivisa.com/forum and go the the Thailand News threads. Earlier there were lots of predictions that most of Bkk would be safe, this has proven very very wrong and I suggest it's a little dangerous to assume that Silom etc., will be OK. Silom is only about 2.0 - 2.5 kilometres from San Saeb canal which connects directly to the Chao Phya river which is bursting it's banks. My guess is that Silom, Suriwongse and that area are in fact a little lower than San Saeb canal. Whether the 'workers' in this area can get to work or have gone home to help families in the provinces is also an open question. I have a work colleague who owns a condo about 4 kilometres from swampy airport, late yesterday afternoon (Fri 21 Oct) the police ordered everybody in her condo and all the people within about 30 kilometre radius to evacuate their homes etc. Swampy sits within a protecting wall, the water is already at the standard wall height and is now only contained by sandbags / temporary earth banks, etc. Many supermarkets / minimarts are progressively being cleaned out, all over the parts of Thailand incl Bkk affected by the floods. There is obviously no resupply whatever and it will take days to start resupply once factories etc., are able to resume production and gain supplies of raw materials.

-- On today's BBC.R3. news' b'cast.,(2213.oo.hrs., BKK.-time.), we heard that the Thai gov't. reckons that it might take upto six weeks for all of the flood-waters to have receded from BKK.: :(
- Apparently there are some 16 different & competing gov't.-agencies all with their fingers in the pie, anxious for MORE funds and to make themselves heard to justify their existence; sounds rather like the olde & Army-saying: 'Order, Counter-order & Disorder.', doesn't it?

-- Gentle Reader, The flg. web-site might be of some & possible interest to you -
> http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/loca...ge-yet-to-come <
-- :)

All the government agencies don't have a thing on mother nature.

The floods will go away when the water has finished draining into the Gulf, and that's pretty much that.

Mother nature is not ...
 

-- PLUS, strange but true, Mother Nature cannot be bribed! -- :)