Bangkok told to evacuate

Water storage containers were the clear best seller

It is now a clear message from multiple government officials that residents should leave Bangkok.....if they can. With some media suggesting leaving for 1 month or more. Expressways are heavily clogged with parked cars and have been for some time now, it is Friday night which is normally a busy night for the expressways as many people commute back to outer laying areas to see family before heading back for work in the city, other typically go for weekend trips. Add that to the thousands of people fleeing the city and the roads are chaos with many cars barely moving.

Gumboots on sale, price has risen from 100THB to 250 THB

We took a walk to the local markets it was quite strange as there was no water to be seen except for a few drains gurgling. The only noticeable differences were that people seemed quieter of more reserved, sandbags were everywhere and people were selling new items and they were being snapped up by panicky buyers. We saw plastic containers like 20ltr drums and large garbage bins for storing water, rubber boots (not knee high but low calf high-of dubious use) and also life jackets and toy inflatables. It seemed to be mostly Mums buying the life jackets and toy inflatables presumably for their children. Although I did see a young man peeking out of his office already wearing a life jacket.

Children's Pokemon flotation devices on sale

We would like to leave as well now but having called all the bus stations and the train station it would seem that all tickets have sold out fro the next few days. A public holiday has been granted from Thursday 27/10/11 until the following Monday. So that people may leave the city. As I do not wish to drag my very pregnant wife through the horrors of waiting in a overcrowded Bangkok bus station ( she can not fly at this stage of the pregnancy) we have decided to wait it out and hope for a more opportune time this coming week.

Some of the news highlights are;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15471849

The city's bus and train stations and many roads are jammed by crowds of people attempting to flee.

More than 360 people have died in Thailand's worst flooding in decades.The crisis is an early test for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who took office in August and has previously been criticised for failing to take the flood threat seriously enough."It's a crisis, because if we try to resist this massive amount of floodwater, a force of nature, we won't win," Ms Yingluck said."But if we allow it to flow freely then people in many areas are prepared."

People in several northern districts of the capital - some of which are now 90% submerged by rising water - have been told they should evacuate immediately.


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-27/bangkok-braces-for-evacuations-as-high-tide-worsens-thai-floods.html

Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river swelled to a record high, swamping nearby tourist spots including the Grand Palace as Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra called for fresh ideas to stem the country’s worst floods since 1942.

“The crisis we’re facing today is the most critical natural disaster that ever happened in Thai history,” she told reporters today, adding that she would welcome suggestions from the opposition Democrat party. “I’d like to ask for cooperation from everyone that we don’t have political parties, nor political games. We must not be divided.”

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Evacuate-before-arrival-of-floodwater-FROC-30168761.html

The Flood Relief Operations Centre on Friday urged Bangkok residents living in high risk areas to start evacuating before the arrival of flood water.

"In several areas of inundation, residents would not move before seeing floodwater, hence triggering chaos and other inconveniences," FROC spokesman Tongthong Chandransu said.

Residents should brace for inundation without being panic, he said.

He said preparations should be made in the face of a worst-case scenario because it was impossible for FROC to issue specific warnings, such as the prediction where and when the flood would happen at each locality.It is not necessary to cut channels across any roads to improve the drainage of floodwater out to sea because none of the targeted roads block the flow of water, Transport Minister Sukampol Suwannathat said on Friday.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/transport/263675/transport-minister-no-need-to-cut-up-roads
ACM Sukampol said this after flying by helicopter to examine from the air the area east of Bangkok, Bang Na - Trat highway and Khlong Bang Chalong, Khlong Chorakheyai, Khlong Sanamphli and Khlong Phra-rongchao.

The floodwater is to flow into these canals before being drained into Khlong Samrong and the sea.

The minister said none of the five roads a group of private engineers and water management experts had proposed be cut open to improve drainage were blocking the path of the floodwater. So, it is not necessary to dig them up, he said.

The group, led by Toyota Motor Thailand vice chairman Ninnart Chaithirapinyo, asked Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to consider a plan to dig channels across five major roads in eastern Bangkok to enable floodwater to flow quicker out to the sea.