On October 6, the Royal Irrigation Department of Thailand issued a flood warning for six provinces, including Bangkok, which lies along the lower reaches of the Chao Phraya River.
The warning highlights a combination of factors contributing to potential flooding: inflows of water from the north, ongoing heavy rainfall, and rising sea levels, all of which could lead to overflow or elevated water levels in the lower Chao Phraya River region.
Engineer Lerbuen from the Royal Irrigation Department shared that starting today, the flow rate at the dam in Chainat Province will gradually increase from 2,150 cubic meters per second to 2,400 cubic meters per second, driven by the influx of water from the north.
He pointed out that this increased discharge is likely to affect areas adjacent to the waterways, stretching from Saphaia district in Chainat all the way to the Bangkok region, posing risks of overflow and heightened flood levels.
The at-risk low-lying areas include six provinces: Nonthaburi, Ratchaburi, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, and Bangkok itself.
Lerbuen stressed that if tidal levels rise in conjunction with heavy rainfall this month, Bangkok could experience flooding due to the already elevated water levels in the canals, which are hindering drainage from the river. The high tide is anticipated to occur between October 18 and 22.
Additionally, Lerbuen mentioned that the officials at the Royal Irrigation Department are actively working to channel water from Bangkok through the Tachin and Bang Pakong Rivers out to the sea, aiming to create more capacity for the expected rainfall this month.
