General news

Inner city Bangkok will be...should be...might be safe, but situation in outer suburbs is problematic. Suvarnabhumi airport's flood prevention system is in full operation.

Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, second from left, and Deputy Bangkok Governor Porntep Techapaibul, left, discuss flood prevention plans with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Justice Minister Pracha Promnok, right, at the government’s Flood Relief Operations Centre at Don Mueang airport yesterday.

For Pramote Maiklad's assessment of the likelihood of inner city Bangkok being flooded, see: http://bit.ly/oNCnao. You can join in our discussion of the floods on our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/bangkokpostlearning

Evening update

PM Confirmation: Inner Bangkok likely safe

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra carries a baby who was rescued in flood-hit Ayutthaya. (Photo by Phongthai Wattanavanitvut)

Inner areas of Bangkok will probably escape being flooded provided everybody does their part in keeping the situation under close watch, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on Wednesday.

Ms Yingluck was speaking after a vdieo conference with governors of 14 flood-hit provinces on Wednesday afternoon.

Areas outside the protected zone were flood-prone, but the water would not rise too high because it would be quickly drained out, she said.

The prime minister warned people to be prepared to move their belongings to high ground and has asked the governors to lay down a plan to set up alternative evacuation centres in case of emergency.

The premier said that the construction of three floodwalls to protect inner Bangkok from flooding will be completed tomorrow.

Ms Yingluck, speaking at the National Flood Relief Operations Centre at Don Mueang airport, was referring to the floodwalls at Muang Ake housing estate in Pathum Thani, at Rangsit Khlong 5, and in the Taling Chan area behind the Salaya campus of Mahidol University.

-prone – (suffix) likely to experience a particular problem more often than is usual ที่มีแนวโน้ม
drain – to cause water or fluid to flow out ระบายออก
belongings – the things you own ข้าวของเครื่องใช้
alternative – another choice ตัวเลือก / ทางเลือก
evacuation – moving people from a place of danger to a safer place การอพยพ
emergency – an unexpected situation involving danger in which immediate action is necessary เหตุฉุกเฉิน
construction – the work of building or making something, especially buildings, bridges, etc. การก่อสร้าง
Flood Relief Operations Centre – the government's centre for assisting flood victims ศูนย์ปฎิบัติการช่วยเหลือผู้ประสบอุทกภัย(ศปภ)
housing estate – residential estate; an area containing a large number of houses or apartments built close together at the same time บ้านจัดสรร

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Govt moves to protect inner city

Run-off sweeps through floodwalls in suburbs

Post Reporters

The government has ordered every available measure be taken to protect Bangkok's inner-city commercial and residential districts from flooding as torrents of northern run-off began to sweep through the floodwalls in outer suburbs, inundating many communities.

Residents of Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao were warned yesterday to watch out for more flooding.

Near Bangkok, rescue workers and volunteers in Pathum Thani's Muang district try to repair a sandbag dyke on the banks of the Chao Phraya river in front of Hong Pathumawat temple early yesterday. PATTARACHAI PREECHAPANICH

Northern run-off is expected to reach Bangkok between Friday and Monday at a time when there are also expected to be high sea tides.

Justice Minister Pracha Promnok, who heads the government's flood relief centre, raised concern about the situation in the surrounding provinces.

But he said there was no need to declare a state of emergency as the provincial governors could handle the situation.

While efforts have been under way to protect Bangkok from being swamped, the minister said he could not confirm if the capital would be safe from floods, and it would depend on rainstorms, the run-off sweeping down from Ayutthaya and the high sea tides.

Flood prevention measures for Bangkok include diverting floodwaters to the sea and the water from the Pasak River to Khlong Rapeepat, Khlong Samwa and Khlong Saen Saep.

(Note: The Irrigation Department announced last night that the Pasak dam in Lop Buri will not release water for three days to help Bangkok cope with the flood situation.)

City Hall has also been instructed to dredge seven canals in Nong Chok and Lat Krabang to ensure they can take in more water.

The army and navy are also building floodwalls in the Muang Ake housing estate in Rangsit and in areas around the Rangsit canal, Salaya and Taling Chan to protect inner Bangkok from inundation.

Science and Technology Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi, chief of operations covering evacuation and flood prevention, gave assurances that inner-city areas of Bangkok would be safe.

But he admitted some suburbs, particularly in the east, west and north of Bangkok would be hit by run-off.

Water would be diverted to eastern Bangkok through Khlong Rapeepat, Khlong Prince Chaiyanuchit and Khlong Rangsit whereas run-off from the Tha Chin River would be diverted to western Bangkok, affecting Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi and Suphan Buri.

Veera Wongsaengnak, adviser to the Irrigation Department chief, said run-off from the Rojana Industrial Park in Ayutthaya would reach the Rangsit canal in the next few days.

Canal-side residents in Khlong Rangsit 1-6 are advised to prepare to evacuate to high ground if the canal's banks are breached.

Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa said he had instructed troops to build floodwalls to protect eastern Bangkok where Suvarnabhumi airport is located.

Wilaiwan Nadwilai, the airport's spokeswoman, said emergency plans are in place to deal with flooding at Suvarnabhumi.

She said the airport's flood prevention system includes a 3-metre-high embankment stretching 23.5km around the airport, with a drainage ditch to drain floodwater to six water retention ponds which can hold up to 4 million cubic metres of water. There are also four water pumps at the airport which can drain one million cu/m of water a day, Ms Wilaiwan said.

You can read the full, much longer story, here: http://bit.ly/ovJAEk

opposition – of a political party that is not part of the government ฝ่ายค้าน  
Flood Relief Operations Centre – the government's centre for assisting flood victims ศูนย์ปฎิบัติการช่วยเหลือผู้ประสบอุทกภัย(ศปภ)
run-off – rain, water or other liquid that runs off land into streams and rivers น้ำหลาก
torrents – large amounts of water flowing rapidly and violently กระแสน้ำเชี่ยว,การไหลพุ่
sweep through – to move or spread quickly through an area; to move something or someone with powerful force  เคลื่อนไปอย่างรวดเร็ว, พัดพาเอาไป
suburb – an area or town near a large city but away form its centre ชานเมือง
available – that you can get, find or use มีอยู่, หาได้
measure – an action taken to solve a particular problem มาตรการ
commercial – for business purposes เกี่ยวกับการค้า
residential district – a place where people live
inundate – to flood; to submerge ท่วม, ทำให้จมลงใต้น้ำ
community – the people living in one particular area ชุมชน
rescue worker – a person who save someone from a dangerous or unpleasant situation ผู้ช่วยชีวิต
volunteer – someone who is not paid for the work that they do อาสาสมัคร
repair – to fix something that is broken or damaged ซ่อมบำรุง
dyke – a wall built to prevent the sea or a river from covering an area, or a channel dug to take water away from an area เขื่อนกั้นน้ำ
tide – the regular rise and fall of the level of the sea (the tides) ปรากฏการณ์น้ำขึ้นน้ำลง, กระแสน้ำขึ้นน้ำลง
concern – aworry ความกังวล
situation – all the circumstances and things that are happening at a particular time and in a particular place  สถานการณ์
surrounding – all around a place  บริเวณรอบๆ
state of emergency – a dangerous situation in which the government takes on special powers and the rights of the people are often limited in some way ภาวะฉุกเฉิน   
swamp – to cover a place or thing with a large amount of water ทำให้ท่วม, ทำให้จมอยู่ในน้ำ
divert – to cause something to change direction เบนเส้นทางเดินน้ำ
irrigation – the process of bringing water to land through a system of pipes, ditches, etc. in order to make crops grow ระบบชลประทาน
release – to allow a substance to flow out from somewhere ปล่อย
cope – to deal successfully with a difficult situation  รับมือกับ
City Hall – a city government, in this case, the building housing the BMA ศาลาว่าการกรุงเทพ
instruct – to tell somebody to do something, especially in a formal or official way สั่ง
dredge – to remove unwanted things from the bottom of a river, canal, lake, etc. using a sucking or other device ขุดลอก
ensure – to make certain that something happens or is done  ให้การยืนยัน, รับรอง, ให้ความมั่นใจ
housing estate – residential estate; an area containing a large number of houses or apartments built close together at the same time บ้านจัดสรร
evacuation – moving people from a place of danger to a safer place การอพยพ
assurance – a promise; a guarantee  การรับประกัน, การรับรอง
admit – to agree that something is true, especially when you are unhappy, sorry or surprised about it  ยอมรับ
particularly – especially โดยเฉพาะ
adviser – a person who gives advice, especially somebody who knows a lot about a particular subject ที่ปรึกษา
breach – to break through or over something ข้าม, ทำให้แตก
located – where something is ตั้งอยู่
emergency – an unexpected situation involving danger in which immediate action is necessary เหตุฉุกเฉิน
deal with – to take action to solve a problem จัดการปัญหา
embankment – a slope made of earth or stone that rises up from either side of a road, railway/railroad, river, etc. มูลดิน,ตลิ่งทาง
drainage – the system of water or waste liquids flowing away from somewhere into the ground or down pipes การระบายน้ำ
ditch - a long narrow open channel dug into the ground usually at the side of a road or field, which is used especially for supplying or removing water, or for dividing land คูน้ำ
retention – the act of keeping or storing something การเก็บ, การเก็บรักษา