All six industrial estates in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani provinces are now protected against flooding but other areas are battling rising water levels with rain expected to continue until Sunday.
Undaunted, a resident of Krabin Buri district of Prachin Buri province walks through high water levels with her son as floods reach crisis level in the town. (Photo by Thanarak Khoonton)
Industry Minister Prasert Boonchaisuk announced on Thursday that all industrial parks in the two provinces were well protected, including Saha Rattana Nakorn, where temporary barriers were being erected in case of an emergency,
Installation of a 6km temporary flood barrier at Saha Rattana Nakorn in Nakhon Luang district of Ayutthaya, which is 6.5 metres above sea level, is 30% complete, he said.
Earthen dykes are in place at the other five facilities: Bang Pa-In Industrial Estate, Ban Wa (HiTech) Industrial Estate and Rojana Industrial Park in Ayutthaya under the supervision of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, and Nava Nakorn Industrial Zone and Bangkadi Industrial Park in Pathum Thani, under the Industrial Works Department.
``We are confident that the dykes surrounding the five industrial estates will be able to prevent flooding, because they are taller than the 2011 flood levels. We are also confident here [at Saha Rattana], because we have prepared flood barriers packed with sand in case of an emergency,'' said Mr Prasert, adding that the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) has set up a war room to monitor the situation.
Ayutthaya deputy governor Tawee Narisirikul said water levels in the Chao Phraya River had fallen by 10-20cm since yesterday, so a repeat of the 2011 floods is unlikely.
The IEAT purchased 20 km of flood barriers 2.4 metres high from UK brand Hesco three months ago for 141 million baht.
Some areas in Ayutthaya and 28 other provinces are flooded. Most serious locations are Krabin Buri and Sri Maha Phot districts of Prachin Buri.
The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation office in Prachin Buri said the situation in the two districts was in crisis. Water levels in Krabin Buri and Sri Maha Phot were about three metres high on Thursday.
The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department in Bangkok said 7,962 villages in 191 districts of 29 provinces have been hit by floods since Sept 17, affecting 2.1 million people. Nine people were killed.
As many as 6,900 houses, 1,146,237 rai of farmland, 2,310 roads and 145 bridges were damaged by the floodwater, department director-general Chatchai Promlert said.
The flood affected provinces in the North are Pitsanulok, Phichit, Petchabun, Kamphaengphet, Nakhon Sawan and Uthai Thani.Those in the Northeast include Surin, Si Sa Ket, Ubon Ratchathani, Buri Ram, Nakhon Ratchasima, Amnat Charoen, Kalasin, Chaiyaphum, Yasothon and Mukdahan.
In the Central region, Lopburi, Saraburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Kanchanaburi, Angthong, Suphan Buri and Chainat, experienced flooding, along with Ayutthaya. In the east, Prachinburi, Sa Kaeo, Nakhon Nayok and Chachoengsao are flooded.
Prawit Jampanya, chief of the Weather Forecast Bureau of the Meteorological Department, said more rain is on the way until Sunday.
Some northeastern, northern, central and eastern provinces including Prachin Buri are facing more rain but it will not be a downpour, the official told FM100.5 news programme. The rain this time will not be heavy and will not worsen the situation in Prachin Buri, he added.
Most parts of Bangkok will experience rain, mostly in the afternoon and night over the next three days, Mr Prawit said.