BANGKOK, Nov 10 (Bangkok Post) - Riverside residents in five areas of Bangkok that have been swamped by floods triggered by high tides have been told to brace for a similar inundation next week.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) issued a warning yesterday to residents in flood-prone areas, particularly those who live outside of the floodwalls, to prepare for the Chao Phraya possibly overflowing again from Nov 20-26 when high tide is set to peak.
Many parts of the city are already struggling due to the first wave of flooding, which is forecast to last until Nov 13.
Next week's high tide and floods are expected to affect five low-lying communities around the Krung Thon Bridge in Bang Phlat district.
They are: Ratchawong Road in Samphanthawong district, Charoen Krung Road from the dockyard to the wharf, Rama III Road from Wat Dok Mai to Rama IX Bridge in Yannawa district, Charoen Nakhon Road around the Bukkalo intersection in Thon Buri, and the Old Railway Road near Wat Saphan in Klong Toey.
Updates can be found on the website of the BMA's Department of Drainage and Sewerage. In neighbouring Samut Prakan's Muang district, vendors at the busy Paknam market raced to take their belongings, fresh produce and other goods to higher ground to beat the rising river as it started to flood their trading space.
Shoppers were seen rolling up their slacks as they entered the market.
The Samut Prakan municipal office has stacked up more sandbags to raise the height of the embankments built to secure the market.
Samut Prakan governor Wanchai Kongkasem was out inspecting the market yesterday. Some vendors told him they had adjusted to the situation during high tide. However, they want a long-term, sustainable solution to the problem.
In Phra Samut Chedi, one of the districts hardest hit by tidal floods, emergency response teams joined hands with the military in deploying off-road vehicles and military trucks to transport people in heavily-flooded locations on Suksawat-Pom Prajul Road. Police are advising motorists to avoid flooded roads and seek alternative routes.
