Showdown at Klong Sam Wa

Bangkok today has a new flood risk: water entering the city because angry residents in an area bordering the city have forced the government to open a key sluice gate.

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About 500 people block Nimitmai Road in Khlong Sam Wa district to demand the Khlong Sam Wa sluice gate be opened wider, from 70cm to 1.5m. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration eventually agreed to open the sluice gate 10 1m. TAWEECHAI TAWATPAKORN

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Fed-up residents force open water sluice gates

Bang Chan Industrial Estate faces flood risk

Supoj Wancharoen
Mongkol Bangprapa
Manop Thip-Osod

Bang Chan Industrial Estate in the eastern Bangkok suburban district is in more danger of flooding after angry protesters forced the government to open wider a sluice gate in Klong Sam Wa to allow more water to flow from their inundated commuunities.

The overflow from northen run-off will threaten the industrial estate located in Min Buri district now that the gate has been opened wider.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra told reporters on Monday she had decided to order the city administration to lift the sluice gate at Klong Sam Wa wider to one metre after the protesters' actions.

About 1,000 residents living along Khlong 3 and Khlong 4 rallied at the sluice gate on Sunday night to demand authorities open the gate more, reasoning that the narrow opening had caused serious flooding in their communities.

After a brief rally during the day, the same group of residents returned to the gate late Sunday night to remove sand bags in the flood wall at the dyke. Some used sledgehammers to try to demolish the gate. They dispersed after local officials agreed to lift the gate to 80 centimetres.

Trouble escalated again yesterday when the residents returned to the gate, blockaded a road near Hathainimit-Wat Sukjai intersection and demanded the gate be opened further to 1.45-1.5 metres.

Some of the protesters formed a human chain and tried to break through block lines of riot police before Wicharn Meechainant, Pheu Thai MP for Min Buri, was called in to mediate the conflict.

The MP failed to convince the protesters to accept the government's plea to keep the gate as it was.

Deputy Bangkok governor Thirachon Manomaipibul, said Ms Yingluck had ordered the BMA's Department of Drainage and Sewerage to widen the gate to one metre.

Bang Chan Industrial Estate, with more than 200 billion baht worth of investment, is one of the few industrial estates still unaffected by flooding.

Mr Thirachon said he had advised the government that widening the sluice gate would not only affect Bang Chan but also communities along Saen Saeb canal in Saphan Sung, Bang Kapi and Bungkum.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra shared Mr Thirachon's view. "Without a written order, I will not do it no matter how much the pressure," he said.

Anond Snidwongs, an academic on the water draining committee of the Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc), said the agency was concerned factories and low lying areas in Bang Kapi might be hit.

The government has tried to maintain the water level in Saen Saeb canal near Bang Chan Industrial Estate at no more than one metre above mean sea level, and up to 0.25 metres above mean sea level in the Bang Kapi area.

Froc will have to try to control the water level in those areas by regulating the water flow at Khlong 8 and Khlong 9, so that run off from Khlong Sam Wa does not affect residents along the canal, Mr Anond said.

The Democrat Party yesterday urged the government to invoke a special law to deal with locals who try to disrupt the government's water drainage efforts to protect their own communities.

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showdown – a big fight, meeting, argument, etc. that settles a disagreement between people and proves who is the best or strongest การเผชิญหน้า
block – buildings that form part of a school, prison, hospital, etc. which are used for a particular purpose ตึกใหญ่
sluice gate – a gate that can be opened or closed to control the flow water along a passage ประตูน้ำปิดเปิดบังคับการไหลของน้ำในคลอง
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) – the local government of Bangkok กรุงเทพมหานคร
eventually – at the end of a period of time or at the end of a process ในที่สุด
fed-up – annoyed or bored with something that you feel you have accepted for too long เบื่อ, ผิดหวัง โดยเฉพาะกับสิ่งที่เจอมานาน
residents – people who live in a particular area ประชาชนที่อาศัยในท้องที่
risk – the possibility that something dangerous or unpleasant might happen ความเสี่ยง
industrial estate – an area of land where industrial companies have their buildings นิคมอุตสาหกรรม
suburban – of an area or town near a large city but away from its centre ชานเมือง
protester – someone who shows that they disagree with something by standing somewhere, shouting, carrying signs, etc  ผู้ต่อต้าน, ผู้ประท้วง
flow – (of a liquid) to move continuously in one direction ไหล
inundated – flooded ถูกน้ำท่วม, จมลงใต้น้ำ
community – the people living in one particular area ชุมชน
overflow – (of a river or body of water)  water flooding the land next to it การไหลล้น
run-off – rain, water or other liquid that runs off land into streams and rivers น้ำหลาก
threaten – to be likely to harm or destroy something เป็นลางร้าย
located – where something is ตั้งอยู่
administration – government รัฐบาล
rally – to join a public meeting that a lot of people go to in order to support someone or protest against someone or something ชุมนุม
demand – to ask for something very firmly เรียกร้อง, ต้องการ
authorities – people who have the power to make decisions or enforce the law เจ้าหน้าที่ผู้มีอำนาจ
reason – to form a judgement about a situation by considering the facts and using your power to think in a logical way คิดคำนวณในใจ, สรุป
narrow – not wide; having a small distance from one side to the other, especially in comparison with the length แคบ
brief – lasting for only a short time ระยะเวลาสั้นๆ
remove – to take something away เอาออกจาก
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
sledgehammer – a large heavy hammer with a long handle ค้อนขนาดใหญ่และหนักที่ต้องใช้สองมือยก
demolish – to completely destroy something รื้อ (สิ่งก่อสร้าง), ทำลาย
disperse – (of a crowd of people) to separate and leave in different directions  สลายฝูงชน
local – in or related to the area that you live, or to the particular area that you are talking about  ท้องถิ่น
escalate – to become much worse or more serious เลวลงว  ทำให้เลวลง  
blockade – to stop someone/ something from moving through or along something else  ปิดกั้น, กีดขวาง
intersection – a place where roads, lines, etc., join or cross each other สี่แยก
chain – a series of connected things or people โซ่
riot – a violent protest การจลาจล
mediate – to talk to two separate people or groups involved in a disagreement to try to help them to agree or find a solution to their problems ไกล่เกลี่ย
conflict – an angry disagreement between people or groups ความขัดแย้ง
convince – to make somebody/yourself believe that something is true; to persuade somebody to do something ทำให้เชื่อ, ทำให้แน่ใจ, ชักจูง
plea – an urgent and emotional request คำร้อง, คำขอ, คำขอร้อง, คำวิงวอน
deputy – a person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation รอง
sewer – an underground pipe or passage that carries sewage (liquid waste) ท่อน้ำเสีย, ท่อระบายน้ำ
advise – to tell somebody what you think they should do in a particular situation แนะนำ, แจ้ง
pressure – a force pressing against you or attempting to defeat you ความกดดัน
academic – someone who teaches at a college or university, or who studies as part of their job นักวิชาการ
Flood Relief Operations Centre (Froc) – the government's centre for assisting flood victims ศูนย์ปฎิบัติการช่วยเหลือผู้ประสบอุทกภัย(ศปภ)
concerned – worried about something   มีความกังวล
maintain – to keep รักษา
level – the amount of liquid that there is in a container, river, dam, etc., which can be seen by how high the liquid is ระดับ
mean – an amount that is calculated by adding several numbers together and dividing the total by the original number of things that you added together ค่าเฉลี่ย, ตัวกลาง, มัชฌิม
sea level – the height of the land at the edge of the sea the average height of the sea/ocean, used as the basis for measuring the height of all places on land  ระดับน้ำทะเล
regulate – to control   ควบคุม
urge – to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should take ผลักดัน, กระตุ้น
invoke – to use a rule or law as a reason or basis for doing something อ้าง (กฎหมาย)
locals – people who live in a particular place ชาวบ้าน
disrupt – to prevent something from continuing as usual or as expected ทำให้ยุ่งเหยิง, ทำให้ยุ่งยาก