Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has attempted to allay concerns over possible mass flooding along the Chao Phraya River, saying a water management plan was put in place to prevent such a disaster from happening.
His assurance came after he inspected the water situation at the Chao Phraya dam in Chai Nat province on Thursday.
Many people have expressed concerns over possible flooding amid rising levels along the river, a 372-kilometre body of water that runs from the Central Plains to Bangkok and the Gulf of Thailand.
Gen Prayut wrote on Facebook that the recent rise in water levels along the river was caused by two rainstorms, but the overall water level across the central region was considered stable.
Citing an assessment from state agencies, he said the water situation was not "worrisome", like the 2011 floods.
However, he instructed authorities to maintain their flood surveillance initiatives until the end of the monsoon season while also making sure there will be adequate water supplies for the coming dry season.
Gen Prayut said the water management plan was put in place to help monitor large dams and reservoirs and predict rainfall. Discharges of dam water were taking place in line with risk and damage assessments, he said.
The flood mitigation plan for the lower part of the Chao Phraya River basin in particular, called for more efficiency in the draining of water in the Chao Phraya and Tha Chin rivers, he said.
Meanwhile, low-lying areas in Ayutthaya were flooded yesterday following discharges of water at the Chao Phraya dam.
The dam released excess water downstream at the rate of 1,400 cubic metres per second, causing the Noi River to burst its banks, flooding fields and homes. In Sena and Phak Hai, flooding was already 50-70 centimetres deep. In Bang Ban and Bang Sai, riverside communities were also flooded.
The Royal Irrigation Department said runoff from heavy rain in lower northern provinces and the Central Plains in the past week flowed into the Chao Phraya River in Nakhon Sawan at 1,900cubm/second, and then downstream to the Chao Phraya dam in Chai Nat.
The low-lying areas in Ayutthaya's Sena and Phak Hai districts should brace for a rise in water level until tomorrow.