Ilan linggo na, di pa tapos yung flooding sa Thailand. Gumagrabe yung situation sa Bangkok. Compared sa pinas, Central Luzon na drained na ata. Wala na sa balita ung flooding dun.


River Swells to Record as Floods Reach Bangkok - Bloomberg


Efforts to bolster levees to protect Bangkok, which sits on a river basin the size of Florida that drains into the Gulf of Thailand, have slowed the dispersal of floodwaters that swamped farms and manufacturing hubs north of the city. The deluge has spurred tension between residents living outside flood barriers who want the water drained quickly to the gulf, and Bangkok inhabitants aiming to protect the capital.

“A massive amount of water is gradually flowing into Bangkok both through waterways and on roads,” Sukhumbhand said. “We have to warn people living along the banks of the Chao Phraya river both inside and outside the flood barrier line to consider moving to evacuation centers. Those who live inside the barrier still have time to prepare.”

Peninsula, Oriental
Water surged onto a major street on the city’s northern outskirts yesterday, inundating cars and a hospital, according to images broadcast on military-owned Channel 5 television station. The Chao Phraya, which empties into the Gulf of Thailand about 30 kilometers south of the capital, is lined with hotels including the Oriental, the Peninsula and the Shangri-La, as well as the Bank of Thailand.

Floods may “may pose a danger” to people in nine districts including Lak Si, Don Mueang, Sai Mai, Nong Chok, Minburi, Khan Na Yao, Lat Krabang, Bang Phlat and Thawi Watthana, government spokeswoman Anuttama Amornvivat said.

“There is a huge amount of water coming into Bangkok,” Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra told reporters yesterday. “From the models, there will be low-level areas that will be flooded. There is some difficulty in diverting the water into the sea.”

Yingluck has vowed to protect the city’s airports, power plants and major transport routes from floodwaters sitting north of Bangkok that she said may take six weeks to drain through the city’s 1,682 canals.

At least 366 people have been killed because of seasonal monsoon rains and flooding since July 25, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said on its website today.

Water Shortages
The disaster has severed road and rail links, destroyed crops and shut down some production of food and drinking water, disrupting the ability of supermarkets in the capital to restock shelves. Conflicting warnings about the severity of the crisis have sparked panic buying.

“There are shortages of eggs, bottled water, pork and milk formula,” Vachari Vimooktayon, director general of the government’s Internal Trade Department, said yesterday after meeting with retailers. “Flooding has hampered logistics and many distribution centers are flooded. We plan to let retailers import products from Malaysia and Singapore.”

The government may cut import taxes on some affected goods, Vachari said. Soft-drink makers will be asked to shift production to drinking water to alleviate shortages, Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong told reporters yesterday.

Yingluck yesterday urged state agencies and companies to close offices to help alleviate traffic congestion and told residents in affected areas that “if you have a choice to move to other provinces, you should do it.”

Companies including Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) are facing the worst supply disruptions since the March earthquake that struck Japan. Thailand makes about a quarter of the world’s hard-disk drives and serves as a production hub for Japanese carmakers and electronics firms.

“The rising flood waters have hurt all Japanese auto manufacturers and many electronics firms, either directly at flooded plants or via affected parts suppliers,” Moody’s Investors Service said in a report yesterday, adding that it’s “credit negative.” The floods will cost Thailand 2 percent of its gross domestic product this year, it said.