Postcards from Thailand

The various arms of the Thai authorities have been doing an excellent job of keeping the people of Bangkok informed about the flood risk.

14/Sep The Irrigation Department “remains confident the capital is safe”
12/Oct “Bangkok should be safe” – Prime Minister Yingluck
14/Oct “The floods threatening Bangkok are now under control and water levels are starting to fall” – Prime Minister Yingluck
17/Oct “Bangkok is safe, with the much-feared mass of water runoff from the North having moved past the capital, flood prevention agencies say”
17/Oct “Bangkok is not yet safe from the flooding” – Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra
18/Oct “Bangkok residents should not panic as the capital will not be flooded” – Director of the Flood Relief Operation Centre
18/Oct “The capital could be hit by floods tomorrow, as a large volume of northern runoff has been flowing into Khlong Rangsit” – Bangkok Governor

(All quotations taken from The Bangkok Post.)

Then there was the false alarm fiasco. On 14 October the Science and Technology Minister issued a flood evacuation alert for northern Bangkok saying that runoff from the north had burst through a sluice gate saying:

“Rush to Don Meuang immediately. The government can’t tell how many hours are left.” Panic ensued. Except the sluice gate was actually fine.

He later said:

“Don’t panic, Bangkok residents. Bangkok is 100% safe.”

With such inconsistent information, who knows where the truth lies?

Personally, I was feeling fairly confident of keeping my feet dry until yesterday. I live inside the protective barrier surrounding central Bangkok – a network of elevated roads, barriers rivers and canals that is intended to keep the capital safe. Areas to the north and east of Bangkok, outside the barrier are already flooded. Then came the announcement of seven out of 50 Bangkok districts are “at high risk of flooding”. Seven out of 50 doesn’t sound too bad until you realised they represent 40% of Bangkok’s area. It sounds particularly bad when you realise that you live in one of them. The prediction for here is flooding to a depth of 1 to 1.2 metres. It seems that some of the flood water coming from the north is to be diverted via a canal which runs close to my house, into the protected zone, right across Bangkok and into the Chao Phraya River which will take it out to sea. The logic of this rather escapes me: what is the purpose of the protective barrier if not to protect?

One is left with a feeling that the powers that be aren’t incompetent or lying – they’re both.

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“For behold I wil bringe in a floud of water apon the erth to destroy all flesh from vnder heaven wherin breth of life is so that all that is in the erth shall perish.”
               Genesis 6:17 – Tyndale Translation

Noah had quite a problem. An ark full of animals, two of every kind. I wonder where he got the food to feed them all? I’m pretty sure it wasn’t at Big C. Went there yesterday for a regular shop, and to stock up in preparation for the impending inundation. The shelves were, to put it mildly, depleted. The only bottled water available was Evian. Instant noodles had fled the shelves. Only a few desultory bags of rice were left. Canned fish was conspicuous by its absence. Beer too had gone awol. (Just as well that I’m expecting delivery of a case of wine later today. After all it is important to stock up with the essentials.)

Big C did rather take advantage of the situation, so tents and oil lamps were prominently displayed, as were candles and matches. And I did succumb to the temptation to buy one of the few remaining barbecues and a bag of charcoal on offer.

Of course, this will all probably come to nought. The waters will pass by Bangkok, the floods to the north recede. But there remains a doubt, a nagging doubt, that in a day or two I may be stranded upstairs without electricity or running water, short on food, and eyeing Whisky’s food bowl with envy.

“DELUGE, n. A notable first experiment in baptism which washed away the sins (and sinners) of the world.”
                – Ambrose Bierce

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Unlike the UK with its spring, summer, autumn, winter, Thailand has three seasons: the impossibly hot season, the impossibly hot season, and the impossibly hot season – though to Thais these are: the hot season, the wet season and the cold season. Precisely how temperatures in the 30s can be seen as “cold” is rather beyond me. Anyway, this year the wet season is lasting a bit longer than usual, and has produced pretty terrible flooding.

The flooding starts in the north, and the water then passes down the major rivers towards Bangkok. On the way, Ayutthaya has been badly hit. A major temple, Wat Chai Wattanaram, has been under water for almost a week now.

A minor temple, well inland, is also inundated.

The local government hospital has been evacuated, being more than 2 metres under water.

In fact, about 10% of Ayutthaya island is currently inundated.

The Asia Highway (AH2), a major arterial route running from Singapore, through Malaysia, through Thailand to Burma, then connecting on to Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal, has been flooded only a few hundred metres from my former home. The ensuing traffic jam was more than 10 km long. Many vehicles have been abandoned to the waters.

***

The personal cost can be high. My first Thai teacher, Bum, and her husband build a house to the north of Ayutthaya. Before they bought the land I went with her husband to survey the area. We noted the high tide marks from then recent severe flooding on nearby properties. The decision was made to raise the ground level of the plot by a couple of metres. That should be enough, or so we thought.

And so it was, last year, when there was bad flooding. The waters lapped at the gateway, but the house itself was safe.

Not so this year. The waters have risen so that the ground floor is flooded to well over a metre. (The photo was taken at the early stages of the flooding.)

Again, an earlier photo. The car is now totally submerged. No chance to take it to higher ground, the waters rose too fast.

Bum’s husband was away at the time, and Bum and daughters have since been rescued by boat and are fine, staying with friends for the timebeing.

Ben, the family dog, however, had to be left behind when the family was rescued. He’s now alone living on the roof. He’s got enough food and water for a few days. Whisky and I just pray he’ll be OK.

***

And as for Bangkok, as I drove to Tesco-Lotus yesterday there were parts of the road flooded axle-deep. Local klongs have burst their bank, and the drainage system struggles to deal with the run-off.

It’s probably another week or so before the worst of the run-off from t’north reaches us here. The situation is unprecedented. I don’t know what to expect, but remain fearful.

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