BANGKOK, 7 October 2012 – The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) warns that the Chao Phraya River might overflow this week due to water from upper regions and high tides. Communities outside flood barriers in Bangkok and the vicinity are told to prepare for possible flooding.
According to the RID, high tides in the Chao Phraya River are expected from 7-12 October 2013 during which riverside communities in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani are advised to be prepared to handle the situation.
Despite the increasing water level of the Chao Phraya, the department said this year’s water volume was significantly less than 2011 when Bangkok and many provinces were hit by massive floods. At Bang Sai district in Ayutthaya, the last flow measurement point before water reaches Bangkok, the latest flow rate has been registered at 2,276 cubic meters a second.
In the meantime, the RID is using the royally-initiated Lat Pho Canal project to manage water in the lower part of the Chao Phraya. The canal was built to speed up the drainage of water out to the Gulf of Thailand.
