Local authorities nationwide were warned Tuesday to prepare for landslides and floods with heavy rain due in coming days as a result of tropical storm Vamco.
Kritsada Boonrat, director-general of the Interior Ministry's Department of Provincial Administration, instructed local officials to pay attention to weather forecasts so they can warn villagers and provide assistance for them as quickly as possible.
The alert came after the storm Vamco (named after a river in Vietnam) with maximum winds of 65km/hour had moved across the central South China Sea, through Da Nang in Vietnam, and centred on Salavan province in southern Laos.
According to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD), the storm was expected to reach Ubon Ratchathani province in the country's northeastern region over the next few days.
The TMD hopes to make the most of the deluge to help avert recent drought problems. Mr Kritsada has also told authorities to retain rainwater from the storm for tap water production and farming for the dry season next year.
Creeks, canals, kaem ling (monkey cheek) water-retention areas and reservoirs will be dredged to collect as much rainfall as possible.
Meanwhile, the Department of Drainage and Sewerage (DDS) at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has been placed on alert for problems in 22 flood-prone areas in Bangkok due to the tropical storm, said DDS chief Kangwan Deesuwan.
Mr Kangwan said Si Sa Ket and Surin provinces have been slightly affected by the storm, but the damage could spread.
As for Bangkok, the DDS has discharged water from canals and also installed water pumps to divert as much water as possible in case of heavy rain.
In case of flooding, the BMA will work with police and military officers to help residents. Inundated roads and areas will be closed if it will help flood-affected victims, said Mr Kangwan.
"The BMA cannot predict whether water levels in Bangkok will surpass 60 millimetres. However, the BMA's weather radars were installed also to detect possible rainfall. The BMA will also follow the situation closely based on TMD's weather forecasts," said Mr Kangwan.
In Chon Buri, Sombat Prapobrattanakul, chief of the Office of Intercity-Motorway Maintenance District 2 at the Department of Highways (DOH), said two inter-city motorway routes in the province resumed operations Tuesday after DOH authorities used water pumps to drain flood water which had inundated the roads since Monday night.
Flood water levels had fluctuated 5-10 centimetres along a motorway between the 98-200 kilometre markers near Nong Kham Interchange while the road at the 116km-marker near the Pong checkpoint was hit with water 80cm deep.
Mr Sombat said the floods were triggered by heavy rains, adding drainage routes were also obstructed by structures erected by residents so the water couldn't be released in time.
The DOH consequently installed two extra water pumps to prepare for possible flooding over the next few days.