Prayut enters fray in battle against Bangkok's flood chaos

Prayut enters fray in battle against Bangkok's flood chaos

Several Bangkok streets have been paralysed after a downpour that soaked 80% of the capital and nearby provinces shortly before noon on Saturday. (Photo by Patipat Janthong)
Several Bangkok streets have been paralysed after a downpour that soaked 80% of the capital and nearby provinces shortly before noon on Saturday. (Photo by Patipat Janthong)

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered city officers to work closely with traffic police to urgently find ways to ease flood and traffic problems in Bangkok following torrential rains on Saturday and earlier in the week.

He also ordered officials to pay heed to low-lying areas on Ratchadaphisek Road, Lat Phrao Road and Phahon Yothin Road which were hit hard by heavy downpours.

The city endured widespread flooding following heavy rain on May 24 and 25, submerging 23 spots including a section of Ratchadaphisek Road in front of the Criminal Court to be under 20cm of water.

Wang Thong Lang district was the hardest hit with the largest amount of rain at 156mm. The volume was measured at more than 100mm per hour, resulting in an overwhelming volume of excess water in the city's canals.

Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang offered a public apology to Bangkok residents for the flooding.

Gen Prayut blamed improper waste disposal for flooding in the city, and urged city officers to unclog drainpipes which would allow floodwater to flow to natural resources more easily.

The premier also called on people to become responsible citizens, saying flood problems require collaborative efforts from all parties.

Gen Prayut directed city officers to take garbage management problems seriously, asking them to come up with proactive approaches to deal with the problems.

The approaches should educate city dwellers about the negative impacts of improper waste disposal to flooding, he said, urging residents to give full cooperation to the authorities' campaign.

Gen Prayut is scheduled to inspect the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's operations to solve flood problems at Phra Khanong pumping station and flood-prone areas in Soi La Salle and Soi Bearing in Samut Prakan province tomorrow afternoon.

Authorities are expected to brief the PM about the progress of its flood prevention measures and its plans to allow locals to get involved the measures. The BMA also blamed mountains of garbage and grease waste being dumped into waterways and gutters blocking the water flow as being one of the main causes of the floods.

According to the Facebook page of the BMA's public relations department, photos show how staff members had to dig up grease waste that blocked drainage.

Another set of pictures shows Don Muang district staff digging the same kind of waste that had been dumped by vendors from the surface of space under a bridge.

Suwanna Jungrungruang, director-general of the BMA's environmental department, said some vendors needed to be educated to separate grease waste from other wet waste.

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