US military helicopters to survey deadly Thai flooding

 

Bangkok residents are continuing mass exodus from the capital

The Thai authorities have asked US military helicopters to survey flooding, which has hit the north and is now threatening the capital Bangkok.

Two Seahawk helicopters aboard the USS Mustin warship would conduct "aerial reconnaissance", the Pentagon said.
The warship is docked at the port of Laem Chabang, just south of Bangkok.
Thai officials say high tides due on Saturday and the flow of run-off water from inundated central plains could cause wider flooding in the capital.
City residents are continuing mass exodus, after the authorities urged them to leave Bangkok.
Heavy monsoon rains have been causing flooding in Thailand since July. More than 370 people have been killed and swathes of the country affected.
Thai U-turn

 

The USS Mustin crew members have been handing food aid to the local Thai community

 

John Kirby, the captain of the USS Mustin, said Thailand had asked the warship to prolong its stay at the port for up to six days.
"The Thai government has asked to have it stick around to help out," he told reporters on Friday.
The destroyer docked at Laem Chabang a few days ago for what expected to be a week-long sting.
The Thai government had initially said it did not require assistance from the US navy with flood relief efforts.
Meanwhile, water levels in Bangkok's Chao Phraya River river hit a new high - 2.47 metres above sea level - as residents continued to leave the capital ahead of possible flooding.
Authorities fear that the river, which bisects Bangkok, could burst its banks when water levels rise because of unusually high seasonal tides over the weekend.
Flood waters are continuing to creep into northern districts of Bangkok but the centre remains mostly dry.
Roads in and around the capital remained jammed as residents used a five-day holiday to leave the city.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said she was assessing a proposal to dig channels into some roads in eastern Bangkok to help water drain through to the sea.
Supply chain affected On Friday, the Bank of Thailand slashed its growth forecast for the current financial year to 2.6%, down from an initial projection of 4.1% growth.
The flooding is also disrupting global supplies of computer hard disk drives and car parts.
A number of factories in Thailand - one of the world's leading manufacturing bases - have shut down production, and it is now yet known when they will become operational again.
Among the affected companies are Toyota Motor, Honda Motor and Lenovo Group Ltd - one of the biggest computer makers.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook has warned that he is "virtually certain" that the flooding will lead to an overall industry shortage of hard disk drives.
"Like many others, we source many components from Thailand," he was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

Plan mulled to cut channel through Bangkok roads

A group of engineers led by a Toyota Motor Thailand executive yesterday suggested that the government cut sections through five roads in eastern Bangkok to speed up the flow of water into the sea.

Ninnart Chaithirapinyo, vice chairman of Toyota Motor Thailand, led a group of engineers and water resource experts to meet PM Yingluck Shinawatra. They told her that Pracha Ruamjai, Rat Uthit, Suwinthawong, Ruam Patthana and Nimit Mai roads were standing in the way of the large masses of water from upstream provinces heading for the Gulf of Thailand.

"The proposal calls for 5 to 6 metres of the road to be cut through. We are mobilising private contractors to help. The government will have to make a decision and determine if this will affect residents," Ninnart said.

He said that the engineers came up with the proposal after it was found that the pumping water out of Bangkok was inefficient. "We went into the area [on Wednesday] and found that the water pumps were working at only 30-per-cent capacity because the water flow was blocked by many roads," he said.

After meeting with Ninnart's group, Yingluck assigned Transport Minister ukampol Suwannathat to meet with them and representatives from relevant state agencies such as the Highway Department, Royal Irrigation Department and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration in order to assess the pros and cons of the proposal.

The group later boarded a helicopter to survey the roads included in the plan.

Transport minister all for it

The transport minister agreed that some roads were blocking the run-off and should be cut through to speed up the flow, if necessary. These include Bang Na-Trat Road. He did not think severing the road would adversely affect traffic to the eastern seaboard, as there was the elevated Burapha Withi expressway linking Bangkok's Bang Na district and Chon Buri province.

However, Seri Suparathit, an expert in public disasters from Rangsit University, yesterday expressed opposition to the plan, saying it would not work as the water level in the eastern Bang Pakong River was higher than that in Bangkok.

He suggested that the best solution would be to remove the floodwalls along Canals 9 to 13 and focus on pumping water out at 50 million cubic metres per second.

Thai flooding: Bangkok 'should escape worst of floods'

 

Although Bangkok's plight may ease, many areas - including the ancient capital city of Ayutthaya here - are suffering

Thailand's government has expressed confidence that the capital Bangkok will escape the worst of the country's current flooding.

Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut said there were "good signs" that water levels on the city's key Chao Phraya river would rise no higher.
Volunteers have spent days filling sandbags and draining canals to try to protect homes and businesses.
Huge swathes of the country have been devastated by months of monsoon rains.
Entire villages have been submerged and more than 280 people have been killed since the flooding began in late July.
North and central provinces have borne the brunt of the floods.
Boat propellers "A large amount of water from the north flowed past Bangkok to the Gulf of Thailand yesterday," Mr Theera said on Sunday.
Water levels would be "stable" from now on, he said, easing fears that Bangkok was at risk from a combination of run-off water from the flood-hit north as well as high tides and bad weather.

 

Some low-lying areas of Bangkok have not escaped

 

Mr Theera stopped short of saying Bangkok was over the worst, although Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on Sunday: "I believe Bangkok will be safe."
Business in Bangkok appeared to carry on mostly as normal on Sunday, with the city's main Suvarnabhumi airport operating as usual.
However, sandbags have been piled up around the city, and many residents have stocked up on emergency supplies.
The Bangkok authorities have taken no chances in recent days, draining and dredging canals to help water flow out to sea.
They even lined up 1,000 boats with their engines running on the Chao Phraya, Bang Pa Kong and Tha Chin rivers on Sunday to keep the water flowing.
Ms Yingluck, who was on the banks of the Chao Phraya north of Bangkok, said that even though the boats' propellers moved only a small amount of water it was still "worthwhile and efficient", AFP news agency reports.
The focus is now shifting to a large industrial estate, Navanakorn, north of Bangkok, which is home to dozens of factories and businesses - much of which make electronic components and car parts.
The government has pledged to do all it can to protect the industrial estate from being engulfed by flood water. A small army of volunteers is helping to fill sandbags, which are then being taken by truck to shore up the barricades, she says.
Thailand's economy has been disrupted by the weeks of flooding, with many factories - including Japanese carmakers Toyota and Honda - forced to suspend production because of damage to facilities or disruption to local supply chains.
The city of Ayutthaya, a World Heritage site which is home to temples and monuments, has been badly affected.
Neighbouring Cambodia has also been hit hard, with the loss of almost 250 people and 17 out of 23 provinces affected.

Bangkok floods: Thai capital fights to hold back waters

 

Water levels are rising in Bangkok but not yet as high as officials feared

Thai military and civilian volunteers are continuing their efforts to try and stop Thailand's worst floods in decades from inundating the capital, Bangkok.

Canals have been drained to allow for excessive water flow and sandbags have been piled up around the city.
Officials say the next few days are critical as high tides and bad weather combine with the arrival of run-off water from northern Thailand.
North and central provinces have until now borne the brunt of the floods.
Entire villages have been completely submerged and more than 280 people have been killed since the flooding began in late July, triggered by heavy monsoon rains.
'Little comfort' Teams of troops and volunteers have been racing to fill sandbags to fortify existing dykes and protect homes and businesses in the capital.
The main canals have been drained and troops are digging out other canals to help water flow out to sea.
Officials in charge of managing the floods say they plan to divert the water through canals to the east and west of Bangkok and then out to the sea.

 

Bangkok workers and residents have been filling sandbags

 

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said her government was focused on keeping flood waters away from key areas.
"We will protect strategic areas and the heart of the economy such as industrial zones, the central part of all provinces and the Thai capital as well as [the main international] airport, industrial estates and evacuation centres," she said.
Shops in some parts of the capital are running short of supplies because of a rash of panic buying as well as disruption to distribution networks.
Some people have parked their cars on the upper levels of multi-storey car parks.
Officials have predicted that water levels will be at their highest in the low-lying capital between 16 and 18 October.
Worapat Tianprasit, at the Royal Irrigation Department, said water levels in the city's main Chao Phraya River had risen to 2.27m above sea level on Saturday morning at high tide, which was lower than expected.
"If the tide does not exceed 2.5m, there won't be any flooding," he was quoted by the Agence France Press as saying.
Reassurances that central Bangkok will be spared the worst is of little comfort to those living in the outskirts of the city, or in surrounding provinces which have already been hit by the deluge, our correspondent says.
Thailand's economy has been disrupted by the weeks of flooding, with many factories - including Japanese carmakers Toyota and Honda - forced to suspend production because of damage to facilities or disruption to local supply chains.
The city of Ayutthaya, a World Heritage site which is home to temples and monuments, has also been badly affected.
Neighbouring Cambodia has also been hit hard, with the loss of almost 250 people and 17 out of 23 provinces affected.

US man Joe Gordon admits Thai King Bhumibol insult

 

Reports say Gordon was denied bail repeatedly

 

A US man has pleaded guilty in Thailand to charges of insulting the monarchy.

The Thai-born man, who uses his American name Joe Gordon, is accused of posting a link on a blog to a royal biography banned in the country.
Lese majeste is a serious offence in Thailand, punishable by up to 15 years in prison, but defence lawyers hope the guilty plea will result in a much shorter sentence.
Judges are due to sentence Gordon on 9 November.
Gordon, 55, has previously denied the charges, media reports say, but after repeatedly being denied bail he changed his mind.
"I do not want to fight this case. I plead guilty to all the accusations," he told judges.
There has been a series of such cases recently amid growing criticism about the way in which the law is being applied.
In June, Gordon asked US President Barack Obama for help, and US officials have expressed "disappointment" about the case.
"We are urging Thai authorities to ensure freedom of expression," US embassy spokeman Walter Braunohler said.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 83, is the world's longest-reigning monarch and is revered as semi-divine by many Thais. He has been in hospital since September 2009.
The royal family is an extremely sensitive subject in Thailand. Anybody convicted of insulting the king, queen, heir or regent faces long prison sentences.

Thailand Reinforces Flood Defenses as Bangkok Under Threat

Oct. 10 -- Thai officials rushed to reinforce barriers and widen canals in the capital Bangkok on concern the nation’s worst floods in more than half a century may spread to the capital later this week.

The deluge swept across the country starting in late July, killing 269 people, swamping factories operated by Honda Motor Co., Nikon Corp. and Canon Inc. and damaging more than 10 percent of rice farms in the biggest exporter of the grain.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra opened army camps to help house some of the 2.4 million people displaced by the floods, and asked authorities to accelerate efforts to protect the capital. The finance ministry today cut its forecast for economic growth to 3.7 percent from 4 percent and said the disaster may cause 120 billion baht ($3.9 billion) of damage.

“It’s difficult to estimate the water volume, but if we can protect the flood barriers in three key points in the next one to two days, Bangkok should be saved,” Yingluck told reporters at Bangkok’s former international airport, which has been turned into the country’s main flood-management center.

The situation is “quite worrisome,” Bank of Thailand Governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul said, adding that agricultural industry losses may total as much as 20 billion baht.

In Bangkok, officials are rushing to build three additional flood barriers and plan to dig five more canals over the next seven days to drain water from the capital, Yingluck said.

Evacuation Plans

Oct. 16 through Oct. 18 is the highest risk period for Bangkok, with low-lying areas near Suvarnabhumi airport and communities next to the river and canals the most vulnerable, the city’s Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said today by phone. Officials are shoring up flood walls, preparing evacuation plans and readying medical supplies, he said.

Some supermarkets in the capital reported shortages because of delivery disruptions and panic buying, said Saofang Ekaluckrujee, senior corporate affairs manager at Ek-Chai Distribution System Co., which operates Tesco Lotus hypermarkets in Thailand.

“There was panic buying of dry groceries such as instant noodles and rice at most of our stores in Bangkok,” Saofang said by phone. “In some stores, there were shortages of dry food because the flooding has affected logistics. We are trying everything to secure supplies to meet demand.”

‘Just Temporary’

Thailand’s government will provide as much as 200,000 metric tons of rice from its stockpiles and asked local producers of instant noodles, canned food and water to increase production to prevent shortages, Permanent Secretary for Commerce Yanyong Phuangrach told reporters yesterday.

“The situation is nowhere near crisis proportion just yet where food and water are concerned," said Sukhumbhand, the Bangkok governor. ‘‘Major arteries to transport all these things to Bangkok are still open, so I hope it’s just temporary.’’

North of Bangkok, authorities evacuated residents in the central province of Nakhon Sawan after a flood barrier was breached on the Chao Phraya river, said Wim Rungwattanajinda, a spokesman for the national flood center. As many as 650 patients are being evacuated from the province’s main hospital, Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri told reporters today.

In Ayutthaya, 67 kilometers (42 miles) north of Bangkok, rising floodwaters broke through defenses around the Rojana Industrial Park, which is mostly a base for companies making automotive and electronics parts. The 198 plants have a combined investment value of 56 billion baht, and a total workforce of 90,000, said Suparp Kleekhajai, the vice industry minister.

Honda, Hana

Hundreds of Honda cars were damaged when dikes failed at the Rojana park, where the company produces as many 240,000 vehicles a year, said Pitak Pruittisarikorn, executive vice president of Honda’s Thai unit.

‘‘We will try to resume production at the plant as soon as we can, but we have to wait until the water situation is under control,” Pitak told reporters. “The water level hasn’t peaked yet. It’s still rising.” Pitak said the company is insured against flood damage.

Flood barriers are still protecting the Hi-Tech and Bang Pa-In industrial estates in Ayutthaya, Suparp said.

Hana Microelectronics Pcl, Thailand’s biggest semiconductor packager, said it may take 20 days to reinstall equipment even if the Hi-Tech facility escapes the flood.

Seasonal storms have affected more than 6 million people in Southeast Asia and claimed a further 224 lives in Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines, the United Nations said last week. Monsoons across Asia last month generated about $7 billion of losses, including $1.1 billion in Thailand, Aon Benfield, a reinsurer, said in a report on Oct. 5.

The deluge has affected 8.2 million people in Thailand since July 25, data from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation show.

“There is no need to declare Bangkok a disaster zone yet because we can still control the situation,” Yingluck said today. “But we may need to assess the situation again when the new storm arrives.”

Special report: Phuket foreigners losing homes to con men

PHUKET: -- Phuket homeowners are a prime target for regional fraud gangs that leave their "marks" heartbroken and penniless, with wives of wealthy foreigners often falling victim.

Reports of people being cheated out of tens of millions of baht in such scams are rife on the island, but the victims are often too ashamed to come forward to warn others.

Under condition of anonymity, one victim has come forward to tell the tale of how in just a single day in June she was duped out of the 12 million baht house she owned with her foreign husband in Chalong. The woman hopes her story will serve as a cautionary tale to others who might likewise be taken advantage of.

The story began when she was contacted by a man who claimed he wanted to rent a vacant home belonging to her sister, who was living abroad with her foreign husband.

"He got my number from a sign advertising that my sister's home was for rent, even though a foreign tenant was staying there at the time. He also told me his boss was interested in renting a luxury home with a nice view and swimming pool," she said.

“My home met his boss's requirements exactly, so I suggested I might be interested in renting it – for the right price. In retrospect I wonder if any of my friends informed him that I had a big house."

“Even though I offered to rent my house at [at the very high rate of] 150,000 baht per month, he was still interested. The next day he came to inspect the home where my family and I had been living since 2005."

“Then he drove me to a hotel in Kata to meet his boss, a wealthy Chinese man. He was with another man, his manager, in the room. The wealthy man said he was interested in renting my house and would pay me for the whole year in advance."

“Later they had an argument, with the Chinese man blaming the manager for his loss of 3 million baht while gambling. He said he wanted a chance to win his money back and had 10 million baht ready to wager. He opened his bag to display large sums of cash before leaving the room."

“After the wealthy Chinese man left, the manager said his boss was always losing large sums by gambling and that he was easily cheated, yet he insisted on continuing to play."

“Later, the manager brought a man he said was a 'gambling expert' into the room. During our conversation, they gave me a glass of water. As I had never gambled before, they taught me some basic ways of cheating. At the time I thought 'this is so easy a child could do it…how could that man have lost 3 million baht at something so easy?'"

“The wealthy Chinese man came back in the room with his bag, saying his wife was at the beauty salon but would arrive soon to discuss the rental of my home."

“In the room were the driver who brought me to the hotel, the manager, the gambling expert, the wealthy man and myself. A discussion ensued during which all four of us tried to convince the wealthy man to stop gambling, as he would just be cheated and lose his money again. But the wealthy man said it was his money and what he did with it was none of our business. Whether he won or lost was a matter of chance,” she said.

After a verbal argument over the matter, the wealthy man said that if the four could raise 10 million baht he would play with them instead of going to a gambling den, she added.

"After the wealthy man went outside again, the manager suggested that the four of us come up with 10 million baht, cheat the man out of all his money, and divide up the winnings.

Since he continued to ignore our advice and swore at us, it would be better than having the man lose all of his money at some gambling den. We could then donate all the winnings to a temple," she continued.

“I seemed like everything was a blur as I withdrew my hand after shaking hands with them to seal the deal."

“The gambling expert said he had 4.5 million baht in the bank. The manager had more than five million baht, but the driver had only ten thousand. Then they asked me how much I had. I said I didn't have any savings and wouldn't dare to try to borrow money from anyone. They asked whether I had gold. I did, so I sold it for them. Then I withdrew all the money in my bank account for them."

“After we got the ten million, we gambled with the wealthy man, but because of my play we lost it all. They acted as if they were extremely stressed, especially the gambling expert who kept saying he would get in trouble with his wife,” she said.

It took the group less than an hour to convince her to sign ownership of her house over to a loan company in order to raise money to pay back the money she had "lost" them, she said.

“I can only blame myself for destroying everything my family had. I can only hope and pray the police catch the gang members as fast as possible. Meanwhile I have to find 12 million baht, plus 360,000 baht a month in interest to the loan company, in order to get my house back. I don't know what to do as I don't have any money. All I can do is hope the gang is arrested and some of the money is returned to me," she said with tears in her eyes.

As she spoke to the Gazette she was still negotiating for time with the loan company so that she could find a new place for her and her family to live before the house would be seized.

“We lived happily as a family until they got hold of our house and left us with nothing but huge debts. It is so cruel," she said.

“For a month afterward, the manager and the driver kept calling me – morning, noon and night – to assure me that the manager would pay me back after completing a condominium deal in Australia. They tried to console me and I kept my faith in them," she said.

“A month later, in July, I realized that I had been deceived when the police called me and told me that a gang had defrauded me. I found out later that the gang kept contact with their victims for 45 days after cheating them,” she said.

The police notification was not the result of good detective work, however.

“The police told me that one of the gang had contacted them and been asked to inform me that I had been duped. The police suspect that the three gang members had in turn been tricked by the 'wealthy man', who kept all the money for himself and disappeared."

“After I realized what had happened I went into a mental collapse and cried for days and nights. My husband was also in shock," she said.

“They did it together many times in Phuket. People lost 8 million baht in Rawai. Two victims in Kathu lost 15 million baht and 4 million baht, respectively. There are many more cases in which the amount was under one million. Many arreste warrants have been issued, but the polices still cannot catch them.”

“I heard that people who got tricked by the same gang also drank water given to them."

“When they finish defrauding people they always disappear, but there are still many other gangs. Each group comprises four people. They always work the same way, contacting people who have put up signs advertising homes for sale or rent."

"Some people say that the victims like me are stupid, but they have not lived through my experience so they don’t know. I may be kind-hearted and gullible, but I believe I was drugged as well," she said.

Provincial Police Region 8 investigating officer Lt Col Mechai Nokkaew said arrest warrants have been issued for three of four in the gang:

"The driver": Prasert Rattanaruengmorn, 41, from Trang

"The manager": Thira Thavorn, 50, from Phuket

"The gambling expert": Preeda 'Ti Surat' Lorsuchart, 49, from Nakhon Sri Thammarat

As for the "the wealthy man", police only know that his nickname is "Koh Kia" and that he is from Songkhla Province. As his real name is unknown, no warrant has yet been issued for his arrest.

Lt Col Mechai confirmed that he is not the same person as another serial conman from Songkhla who was recently arrested in Haad Yai while impersonating a Department of Special Investigations (DSI) officer. That man, who also carried documents identifying himself as a Phuket police officer, was released on bail and remains at large. He has been identified as 57-year-old Witchayut Pansampao.

Notes:

– The Phuket Gazette contacted the victim in Rawai who lost 15 million baht to another gang, but she was not ready to provide any information to the media yet.

– These are not isolated incidents. A similar incident occurred in Krabi Town last year when a Thai woman gambled away over 1 million baht and a gang physically threatened her foreign husband. He nearly lost his house too, but he found another way to secure the funds and paid off her debt. The two separated shortly thereafter.

– The woman in the story above remains with her foreign husband, though the ordeal has put great strain on their relationship.

– The original version of this story that appeared on the front page edition of the Phuket Gazette stated that the woman put no money into the original stake used in the card game with the "wealthy man". As stated above, she in fact sold her gold and withdrew money from her bank account to help complete the stake.

– The Phuket Gazette invites readers to share any information that might help lead to the arrest of the gang members listed above, or prevent other people from falling victim to this or similar scams.

Flooding in Ayutthaya to worsen; heavy rain expected

The flooding situation in Ayutthaya may worsen as the mass of water from three rivers will arrive in the province in the next three to seven days, Governor Witthaya Piewpong said Thursday.

Most of the area, including historic temples and venues, is under water.

The governor said the water level in the province is likely to increase by about half a metre in the next three to seven days as the water mass from the Lopburi, Pasak and Chao Phraya rivers arrives.

To brace for the worsened flooding, the governor ordered the elevation and reinforcement of dykes to a level of one metre from the current height of 50 centimetres and the repair of damaged dykes, of which about 60 per cent have been breached by flood water.

Local residents have been warned to move their belongings to higher ground and be ready to evacuate when the authorities issue warnings.

The floodwater is so high that it entered a provincial prison, forcing the authorities to move the prisoners to the second floor. The authority planned to evacuate the prisoners to prisons in other provinces including Bangkok.

Bangpahan Hospital in the province has been forced to close temporarily after the water at the hospital entrance rose to about 1.5 meters. The 16 in-patients were moved by boat on Wednesday night.

The Provincial rescue centre cancelled its plan to evacuate local residents to a provincial stadium as floodwater has already reached the stadium's outer compound. The water level is so high that it could enter the stadium soon.

Meanwhile in Tak province, water from the Ping River overflowed into two sub-districts and about 100 households have been evacuated. The governor ordered the provincial officials to be vigilant. The Ping River continues to rise after the Bhumibol Dam in Tak released excess water.

In Nakhon Sawan, the Ping River overflowed, flooding homes, many of them now under one metre of water. Local authorities are reinforcing earthen dykes and residents have moved their belongings to higher ground.

In Kamphaeng Phet, the authorities are reinforcing sandbag embankments and earthen dykes as the water released from the Bhumibol dam was expected to arrive in the Ping River around noon on Thursday.

In Bangkok, heavy rain overnight triggered flooding on the inbound Vibhavadi Road from Don Mueang to Kasetsart University, as a critical pump for the Bangkhen canal is out of order and cannot drain water from the road into the canal. Some 60-80 centimetres of water on the road damaged about 100 cars, pickup trucks and motorcycles and the road became impassable for small vehicles. A four-kilometre traffic jam along Vibhavadi Road was reported.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra inspected the situation this morning and said a new pump is being installed.

The Meteorological Department has warned of scattered to fairly widespread rain and isolated heavy rain in the Central, the lower Northeast, the East and the South West-coast regions. Severe heavy rain is likely during the next one or two days.

Strong winds and waves in the Andaman Sea are expected to reach 2-3 metres in height. All ships should proceed with caution and small boats should stay ashore.

Thailand floods: More than 200 die, temples threatened

 

Flooding in Ayutthaya threatens ancient Buddhist temples

 

More than 200 people have died in monsoon flooding in Thailand since mid-July, officials say.

More heavy rain is forecast, reservoirs are at full capacity and rivers are overflowing.
Water has inundated 58 of Thailand's 77 provinces, with 25 still badly hit. Huge tracts of farmland are submerged, threatening this year's rice crop.
Water is also lapping at the walls of Buddhist temples in the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, a World Heritage Site.
Officials are struggling to drain water from one of the ancient city's best known temples, Wat Chaiwatthanaram, after a makeshift dyke on the Chao Phraya river was breached.
'Worst ever seen' The northern city of Chiang Mai, another popular tourist destination, has also been badly hit by floods.
The capital Bangkok has so far been spared, but it is under threat as Tropical Storm Nalgae is expected to bring more in the next few days.
Flooding has affected more than two million people.
"The current flood situation is the worst that I have ever seen and it will last until the first week of November," said independent flood expert Royal Chitradon, the director of Thai Integrated Water Resource Management.
The government says it will draft a plan to improve prevention measures and warning systems.
The new administration is under pressure to get a grip on the current crisis before planning for the future.

Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra's Twitter account is hacked

 

The postings criticised Yingluck Shinawatra's handling of the recent floods

The Twitter account of Thailand's new Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has been hacked and used to post questions about her competence.

The false tweets accused her of cronyism and various failures.
The final post read: "If she can't even protect her own Twitter account, how can she protect the country?"
Ms Yingluck won a clear victory in July, but is accused by her critics of being a puppet of her brother, former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.
Mr Thaksin - whose populist policies won him the support of much of the rural and urban poor - was thrown out of office in a 2006 military coup.
Now living in exile in Dubai, he is still seen as the de facto leader of his sister's Pheu Thai party - although the party insists his role is purely advisory.
Ms Yingluck - Thailand's first female prime minister - has no previous political experience but has won support with her pledge to heal the divisions that have plagued the country since her brother was ousted.
But, in one of the hacked Tweets, her government is accused of failure in its response to floods that have hit large parts of the country.
Another questioned her promise to give tablet computers to school children, suggesting she concentrate on education reform instead.
"This country is a business. We work for our allies, not for the Thai people. We work for those who support us, not those who differ with us," another read.
The government confirmed that the prime minister's account - PouYingluck - had been hacked and the Information and Communication Technology Ministry is investigating.

Major dams over capacity

Bangkok's fate may hinge on Pasak Jalasid Dam which is 135% full; North, Northeast face more rains, floods' major clean-up in Chiang Mai

Eleven of the country's 26 major dams currently contain more water than their official capacity, while others are 82 to 99 per cent "full", according to the latest updates released by the Royal Irrigation Department yesterday.

The news came as 23 provinces remain flooded and a new tropical storm was expected to bring more rains.

Pasak Jalasid Dam in Lop Buri, which is credited for preventing severe flooding in Bangkok since its completion in 1999, has 135 per cent of its capacity, according to the RID website (water.rid.go.th).

Nine major dams are over 90 per cent "full", including Sirikit Dam in Uttaradit (99 per cent), Ubon Ratchathani's Sirindhorn Dam (95 per cent), and Bhumibol Dam in Tak (93 per cent).

The Chao Phraya River was flowing at a rate of 4,344 cubic metres per second through Nakhon Sawan and at 3,255 cubic metres per second through Ayutthaya's Bang Sai district, the department reported.

The 8th Irrigation Office in Nakhon Ratchasima yesterday ordered brimming dams and reservoirs under its supervision to release up to 2.5 million cubic metres of water per day to support the "Nesat" depression-triggered rainfall.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department warned people in the eastern part of the North and the upper part of the Northeast of widespread scattered rain with heavy falls and the danger of floods over the next few days, due to the "Nesat" depression.

Chiang Rai, Nan, Nong Khai, Beuang Kan, Sakhon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom residents should beware of flash flood in this period, the department said. The southwest monsoon over the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand would cause 2-metre to 3-metre-high waves, so all ships should proceed with caution and small boats should keep ashore in this period, it said.

The head of the 24/7 Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) for Flood, Storm and Landslide, deputy interior permanent secretary Phranai Suwannarat, said flood water remained in 150 districts in 23 provinces. More than 1.84 million people had been affected and some 6.16 million rai of farmland damaged.

The flood toll was 205 deaths, with two people missing.

He warned that the Ping River basin still had much water and a tendency to rise, while Muang Khon Kaen and Muang Maha Sarakham would suffer overflows from the Chi River in 1-2 days. The Chao Phraya basin's 10 provinces such as Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Lop Buri, Ang Thong, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi would also be affected by overflows.

Phranai also urged Chiang Rai, Phayao, Nan, Nong Khai and Phang Nga to watch out for possible landslides, as they had already had over 100mm of rainfall.

In the North, Chiang Mai City had a major clean-up yesterday as flood water receded.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk, who sent four teams of 600 cleaners and 10 water-trucks to clean up the city area, said all remaining areas should dry out later because Ping River was below a critical point and 40 water pumps had been sent to drain floodwater.

He said Thailand needed "Monkey Cheek" water retention areas or reservoirs to solve flood problems, which would cost Bt500 million to Bt600 million to build. The three-day flood generated at least 1,000 tonnes of garbage, more than three times Chiang Mai City's usual garbage of 300 tonnes.

Chiang Mai Governor Panadda Disakul, who also joined a clean-up of the Night Bazaar, said he had prepared 500,000 sandbags to repair flood barriers so the Chiang Mai clean-up would go on for another two days. He said that officials would speed up aid to residents in Saraphi and San Sai districts still suffering inundation.

Residents in Saraphi district's Thanachoke Housing Estate that suffered from one-metre-deep flood called for floating toilets.

Floods in several other provinces worsened yesterday. Some 100 homes in Lam Tha Daeng village were hit by a four-metre-deep flood in Ang Thong's Mueang district. And Chao Phraya River overflows burst flood-barriers and submerged 200 homes in Tambon Khung Sampao in Chai Nat's Manorom district. A resident in Sakae Krang of Uthai Thani's Mueang district claimed a crocodile was lurking in 1.5-metre-deep flood surrounding his elevated home.

Brimming over

The 11 dams that are filled to or beyond capacity

Pasak Jalasid (Lop Buri) 135%

Chulabhorn (Chaiyaphum) 120%

Prasae (Rayong) 108%

Ubonrat (Khon Kaen) 108%

Nam Oun (Sakon Nakhon) 106%

Mae Ngad (Chiang Mai) 104%

Nong Pla Lai (Rayong) 104%

Lam Pao (Kalasin) 101%

Mae Kuang (Chiang Mai) 101%

Nam Pung (Sakon Nakhon) 101%

Khlong Sriyat (Chachoengsao) 100%

Source: Royal Irrigation Department