Parts of Nakhon Si, Surat Thani still flooded

Parts of Nakhon Si, Surat Thani still flooded

Many homes in tambon Dusit of Tham Pannarai district in Nakhon Si Thammarat remained  flooded on Jan 11. (Photo by Nujaree Raekrun)
Many homes in tambon Dusit of Tham Pannarai district in Nakhon Si Thammarat remained flooded on Jan 11. (Photo by Nujaree Raekrun)

Floodwater is generally receding in the South, but many districts in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani are still flooded and authorities are pooling their efforts to drain off the water.

In Nakhon Si Thammarat,  floodwater in municipalities had mostly drained away, leaving only some low-lying areas under 10-20 centimetres of water, Wanich Kaewprapai, director of the provincial irrigation office, said on Thursday.

However, about 800 million cubic metres of water  -- compared with 1,000 million cubic metres during the peak of the flooding -- still covered much of Chian Yai, Hua Sai and Pak Phanang districts in the Pak Phanang River basin on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. Thos areas had received a huge volume of water from nearby Cha-uat, Chulabhorn, Ron Phibun and Chalerm Phra Kiat districts.

Mr Wanich said the provincial irrigation office had received 50 water-propelling boats from the navy and had asked for 40 more, which were expected to arrive in a day or two. The boats act like propellor pumps.

About 130-160 million cubic metres of water was being drained out per day.  If there was no more rain, the flood was expected to be completey drained out to the sea in seven days, he said. (continues below)

The flooding situation in Tham Phannarai district of Nakhon Si Thammarat on Jan 11. (Photo by Nujaree Raekrun)

In Surat Thani, Phra Saeng, Khian Sa, Ban Nasan, Wiang Sa, Ban Nadoem and Phunphin districts in the Tapi River basin were still flooded.  

Chamnong Wongsawatk, chief of the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office, said although rain had stopped a large volume of water was still flowing into Khian Sa, Ban Nasan and Ban Nadoem districts.

He believed the floodwater in municipal areas would be drained out in four days, with help from some  navy boats used as propellor pumps.

What were still in need were boxes of clean food and drinking water for distribution to flood-hit people, said Mr Chamnong.

In Prachuap Khiri Khan, although floodwater had mostly receded Bang Saphan Hospital  remained closed on Thursday to allow the mess to be cleaned up, hospital director Dr Cherdchai Chayawatho said.

Medicial equipment would be reinstalled later in the day.  Although electricity was back on, the water supply was still off, with broken pipes yet to be fixed.

The hospital would reopen on Friday, Dr Cherdchai said.  Services, however, would be limited to outpatients and emergency patients. It would take about two weeks to restore all systems at inpatient buildings.

He said a field hospital had been set up at Bang Saphan Withaya School to provide general medical services, manned by doctors from the Public Health Ministry.  Patients with serious conditions would be referred to nearby hospitals.

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