Bangkok dry, elsewhere wet
The inner areas of Bangkok are still dry despite day two of the high tides and some heavy rain last night. The situation just outside the city is critical, however.
The inner areas of Bangkok are still dry despite day two of the high tides and some heavy rain last night. The situation just outside the city is critical, however.
Morning report
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, third from right, and Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra, right, jointly inspect flood prevention work at tambon Lak Hok in Pathum Thani province aboard a military truck yesterday. SOMCHAI POOMLARD
The inner areas of Bangkok are still dry despite day two of the high tides and some heavy rain last night. The situation just outside the city is critical, however. Here are excerpts from today's Bangkok Post.
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Bangkok
Authorities yesterday made all-out efforts to reinforce a 4km flood barrier along Khlong Rangsit canal in tambon Lak Hok of Pathum Thani and Chulalongkorn sluice gate in Pathum Thani.
Both barriers are the last flood prevention lines to prevent overflow entering Bangkok, particularly after a sluice gate in Khlong Ban Phrao in Pathum Thani's Sam Khok district broke.
The government yesterday ordered the army to build additional dykes near Phra-in sluice gate to halt more overflow heading downstream to Bangkok. The new dyke is expected to be completed within two days.
"We are confident of controlling the water flowing to Bangkok and the capital will not be affected by floods except in areas outside the dykes," said Justice Minister Pracha Promnok, who is chief of the flood relief centre.
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Pathum Thani
Flooding in the commercial heart of Pathum Thani reached a critical level yesterday, with government offices, shops and restaurants under almost one metre of water.
The Chao Phraya River burst its banks and overflowed into downtown areas in Muang district. Floodwater was 60-80cm deep in most areas.
Cars are stranded on a bridge running over the Chao Phraya River in Pathum Thani Friday while the road ahead is heavily flooded. Some owners left their cars on the bridge after their homes were inundated. (Photo by Reuters)
The provincial governor's residence, the district office and Muang district police station were badly hit.
Officials and workers rushed to put up sandbags at government offices.
The situation deteriorated quickly as businesses on Pattanasamphan Road, the province's economic centre, were completely inundated.
More than 30 restaurants were under almost one metre of water. The road was impassable to small vehicles.
Floodwater rose above one metre at Charoenpol Market in the afternoon, while a bus terminal in tambon Bang Prok in Muang district was overwhelmed by surging water.
Boats were the only mode of transport in the area.
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Industrial estates
The army has turned its focus to preventing floodwater from breaking into the Bang Pa-in and Navanakorn industrial estates after its operation failed to save the Hi-Tech Industrial Estate in Ayutthaya.
First Army commander Lt Gen Udomdet Seetabut, who supervised the operation, said yesterday that the damage to a dyke in the south of the Hi-Tech Industrial Estate had expanded from five metres wide to 15 metres.
A strong current of floodwater has also destroyed another dyke on the Asia Highway, resulting in more flooding at the estate. A Chinook helicopter laid containers to block the holes in the damaged dyke, but the operation failed because the water levels were too high.
Water levels at the Hi-Tech Industrial Estate now exceed one metre.
Lt Gen Udomdet said the army would try to use pontoons to transport rocks to lay at the area.
The army would try its best to protect the Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate, which is one kilometre away from the Hi-Tech Industrial Estate.
"We can still protect the Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate even though a dyke near the industrial estate is damaged. Army troops and workers from the estate have repaired the holes," said Lt Gen Udomdet. The Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate is surrounded by floodwater, but the water has not yet entered the estate's compound.
(9:30 Thai TNN just reported that water had begun entering the Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate. Navanakorn was still dry.)
tide – the regular rise and fall of the level of the sea (the tides) ปรากฏการณ์น้ำขึ้นน้ำลง, กระแสน้ำขึ้นน้ำลง
situation – all the circumstances and things that are happening at a particular time and in a particular place สถานการณ์
critical – (of a bad situation) very serious or dangerous อย่างรุนแรง อย่างวิกฤต
excerpt – a part of a longer story, speech, song, text, etc. บทคัดย่อ
authorities – people who have the power to make decisions or enforce the law เจ้าหน้าที่ผู้มีอำนาจ
all-out – full-scale; complete; involving all of someone’s energy, strength, and determination อย่างเต็มที่, ไม่มีเหลือไว้เลย, ทั้งหมด
barrier – a wall, pile of sandbags, etc., that prevents water from entering สิ่งกีดขวาง
sluice gate – a gate that can be opened or closed to control the flow water along a passage ประตูน้ำปิดเปิดบังคับการไหลของน้ำในคลอง
overflow – (of a river or body of water) water flooding the land next to it น้ำไหลล้น การไหลล้น
particularly – especially โดยเฉพาะ
dyke – a wall built to prevent the sea or a river from covering an area, or a channel dug to take water away from an area เขื่อนกั้นน้ำ
halt – to stop หยุด
downstream – in the direction that a river or stream is flowing ตามกระแสน้ำ
confident – certain; having trust in people, plans, or the future มั่นใจ
flood relief centre (Flood Relief Operations Centre) – the government's centre for assisting flood victims ศูนย์ปฎิบัติการช่วยเหลือผู้ประสบอุทกภัย(ศปภ)
commercial – for business purposes เกี่ยวกับการค้า
level – a position or rank in a scale of size or importance ระดับ
burst its banks (of a river) – to flood; to have water go over the sides ล้นตลิ่ง
stranded – left somewhere with no way of going anywhere else ปล่อยเกาะ ถูกทิ้งไว้
inundated – flooded ถูกน้ำท่วม, จมลงใต้น้ำ
residence – a place where someone lives ที่พำนัก ที่อาศัย
deteriorate – to become worse เลวร้ายลง
impassable – of a road or path that cannot be travelled on because it is blocked or because of bad weather conditions ซึ่งผ่านไปไม่ได้
terminal - a large building where passengers arrive and leave อาคารผู้โดยสาร
overwhelm – to cover somebody/something completely ท่วมท้น, ,คว่ำ, ครอบงำ,ปกคลุม
surge – to increase very quickly เพิ่มขึ้นอย่างรวดเร็ว
mode – a particular way of doing something; a particular type of something แบบ, วิธีการ
industrial estate – an area of land where industrial companies have their buildings นิคมอุตสาหกรรม
focus – the thing or person that people are most interested in จุดสนใจ, จุดสำคัญ, จุดหลัก
operation – a planned activity involving a lot of people, especially soldiers or police officers การปฏิบัติการ
commander – the head of an army or army unit ผู้บังคับบัญชา
supervise – to be in charge of an activity and to check that everything is being done correctly ดูแล ควบคุม
expand – to make or become larger ขยาย
current – a strong movement of water in one direction กระแสน้ำ
container – a large metal or wooden box of a standard size in which goods are packed so that they can easily be lifted onto a ship, train, etc. to be transported ตู้บรรจุสินค้า
block – to stop someone/ something from moving through or along something else ปิดกั้น, กีดขวาง
pontoon – a boat or hollow structure that is one of several used to support a floating platform or bridge; a temporary floating platform built across several boats or hollow structures, especially one used for tying boats to เรือท้องแบน, ทุ่นลอย,ทุ่นท่าเรือ
repair – to fix something that is broken or damaged ซ่อมบำรุง
compound – an area enclosed by a fence or wall in which people work or live บริเวณ
