Bangkok Prepares 1.5 Million Sandbags to Prevent Flooding From Chao Phraya River

 

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt announced that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has prepared 1.5 million sandbags for the arrival of northern runoffs. His statement comes after the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) boosted water release from the Chao Phraya Dam in Chainat province.

Governor Chadchart Sittipunt told reporters that he is less concerned about northern runoff than about severe rainfall in the city, which might create flooding. Nonetheless, he stated that some 250,000 sandbags have already been placed in gaps in the flood walls to prevent runoff from spilling into the city.

He emphasised that the BMA is adequately prepared and will work with all appropriate agencies to deal with the massive influx of water.

People living near waterways in 11 provinces of the Chao Phraya river basin, including Bangkok, are being warned that water levels may rise owing to a flood of runoff from the north.

On Tuesday, the Royal Irrigation Department reported that the Chao Phraya River in Nakhon Sawan province was flowing at 1,169 cubic meters per second. The agency was diverting water from the river to connect canals on both sides of the Chao Phraya.

After receiving water from the Pa Sak River, the Chao Phraya flowed at 1,192 cubic meters per second in Ayutthaya province.

On Friday, the department predicted that the flow of the Chao Phraya River will reach 1,400 cubic metres per second in Nakhon Sawan and 1,700 cubic metres per second at the Chao Phraya barrage dam in bordering Chai Nat province.

Meanwhile, Phrae runoff is streaming down Sukhothai province’s Yom River, inundating low-lying communities in Mueang, Sawankhalok, Si Somrong, and Si Satchanalai districts.

The Yom River today has an average depth of 7.69m, which is still below the banks’ tops, except in low-lying regions.

Another mass of water from Phrae’s Wang Chin area is projected to reach Si Satchanalai about noon today, with a flow rate of 1,700 m3/s, which is around 500 m3/s more than the local water management capacity.

The National Water Resources Office has chosen to send excess water via the Saphan Chan sluice gate into a network of canals, reducing the quantity that reaches the provincial town.

The irrigation department also reported that flooding was still occurring in Chiang Rai, Nan, Nakhon Phanom, Phayao, Phrae, Sukhothai, and Suphan Buri provinces.

SOURCE: ChiangRaiTimes

The Story of Songkran - All about the Thai New Year

The Story of Songkran - All about the Thai New Year

Songkran, or the Thai New Year, is the the largest and most famous of Thailand’s many traditional festivals. Known for huge water fights and water blessing ceremonies, it’s been celebrated for centuries and is rich in culture and tradition. Every year, the celebrations begin on April 13 and normally last three days until the 15th of April.

The name was inherited from ancient Sanskrit, a language that dates back thousands of years. Songkran combines the words “Song” and “Krant” and refers to the sun beginning a new Zodiac sign. Songkran translates to “entering” and “stepping into.” It’s when the sun exits the sign of Pisces and enters the sign of Aries. “Songkran month” is the event that occurs every month. But according to astrology, when the sun reaches Aries again after 12 months have passed, it’s known as “Songkran year” and will be the solar New Year’s Day.

The festival is highly dependent on water, which symbolically washes away the previous year, allowing people to prepare for the new year. It’s also a time of family reunion, when relatives who have moved away return for the holiday to spend time with their loved ones. During the festival, various traditions are celebrated; but the one tradition it’s most famous for is water splashing. Thai locals and travellers alike drench each other with water using hoses, squirt guns and any other water carrying container.

Locals believe that water is purifying and cleansing: it washes away negativity and problems, and brings good fortune and happiness. According to tradition, the festival began with villagers collecting water that had been poured over Buddha statues for purification. This was then used to bless leaders and family members who were well respected by sprinkling it over their shoulders. A similar tradition continues today with the water blessing ceremony, in which people fill shells with purified water and pour it on the hands of their elders as a sign of blessing and respect.

Songkran is a festival in which family members gather to express gratitude, love and respect, as well as to make merit and pay respects to their ancestors. Giving food to monks is a way of gaining merit. Visiting temples and listening to Buddhist speeches are also both considered a blessing during Songkran. Thais go to temples to pray and bring food to the monks. Locals splash scented water on Buddha statues when visiting different places. Many people also like spreading positive vibes by releasing caged birds into the sky or fish into bodies of water. This occurs throughout the country.

The northern city of Chiang Mai hosts the largest Songkran celebrations, with some events reportedly lasting six days. The infamous Khao San Road is the obvious centre of activities during Bangkok’s modern Songkran festival. The atmosphere in the backpacker zone is electrifying.

In a normal, non-pandemic year, it’s hard to leave your accommodation, whether a hotel or a condo, without experiencing the water soaking chaos and any resistance will quickly fade. On the streets, you’ll find multiple generations getting in on the fun, including children, adults, the elderly and trucks full of teenagers blasting loud music.

Songkran is a national holiday in Thailand. It’s a time for locals who have relocated to other cities or towns to return home and spend time with their families. So if you’re travelling to Thailand during this time, it’s smart to plan ahead because public transportation tends to be packed and accommodations fully booked — at higher than normal prices.

Source - The Thaiger

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Troops of monkeys go swimming during heatwave.

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At least a hundred monkeys climbed down a hill to cool off in a pool of water at Wat Tham Sue in Krabi on Sunday.

Krabi has not seen rain for about two months and this particular area has experienced a severe rise in temperature.
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“The monkeys climbed down into the pool, close to where tourists had come down for refreshments. Everyone was delighted to be able to enjoy a surprise appearance by the ‘guests’,” Jamras Sornsuvann, the temple keeper, told the Phuket Gazette.
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The monkeys playfully splashed around in the water and smiled at tourists as they took pictures.
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Jamras warned people to be careful, adding that monkeys become aggressive in hot weather and could end up biting someone.
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“Do not feed them, as they are naturally able to procure food for themselves,” he warned.

He also noted that tourists should only take photos, and not touch, play with or provoke the monkeys in any way.

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Source - TheNation 

Dirty water: Most water vending machines in Bangkok fail quality test

Feeling thirsty in the Bangkok heat? Well, it is probably best you avoid drinking water from vending machines after a recent survey found over a half of water vending machines in Bangkok are dirty.

The Independent Organisation for Consumers Protection took water samples from a total of 855 coin operated machines in Bangkok and found several factors make the drinking water unsafe.

An alarming 94% of the vending machines fail water quality tests, and 94.8% use tap water to produce drinking water.

The survey also found 55.2% are unclean, 42.9% have unclean valves, 29.4% are rusty, 21.1% are corroded, and 11.2,% leak.

Only 43.3% are cleaned once a month.

In addition, most of these machines were installed at inappropriate places near garbage bins and waste water ditches, reported ThaiPBS English.

Users of the vending machines have been advised to thoroughly check the physical condition of machines before buying drinking water.

Source: Coconuts 

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