Bangkok flood waters rising

---

The standard greeting in Bangkok is now, "Are you affected by the floods?"

And it's easy to see why. I took a river boat up Bangkok's Chao Phraya river to have a look at the flooding. So far the defenses seem to be holding up. But nothing is completely waterproof.

At the moment, the flood barriers holding the river level up 1-2 metres above ground level still have around 12-18 inches of freeboard before the river overflows into Bangkok.

I got off at Pier 10, on the other side of the river from Bangkok proper, near Siriraj Hospital, the country's largest.

It was impossible to disembark without getting wet feet -- the water was ankle deep at the pier, and calf deep off it. But a wall of sandbags was keeping most of the water contained, while a pump was fighting a losing battle to fight the water that was seeping through.

Some shops still had dry floors when I arrived, but they were all wet by the time I left. And the market proper went from a dry floor to a quarter of an inch in an hour.

Store keepers just hitched up their trousers and carried on as if this was normal.

Past the market, the water was pouring into the stormwater drains, which seemed to have a level of at least 2m below the pavement, so the place can absorb a reasonable amount of water before the stormwater -- and sewage -- drains overflow.

Back downtown, nobody was panicking, but there was a rush to buy everything. The problem is the complete lack of credible information. The PM last week declared Bangkok safe. Two hours later some suburbs of Bangkok were under a metre of water. Oops.

She's blown her credibility, and that of her government. So now everyone is just assuming the worst.

So far, downtown Bangkok seems to be ok, but 25 km north, the Asian Institute of Technology is under 2m of water, Rungsit University is under a metre of water, and residents around Don Muang airport, 20km north, have been told to evacuate.

But shortages are already looming in Bangkok. Supermarkets and convenience stores have run out of bottled water (Bangkok tap water is officially potable, but nobody dares drink the stuff), noodles, and toothbrushes.

Why on earth there's a shortage of toothbrushes beats me. I guess it's a supply chain problem -- not enough boats.

I still have to stock up on candles and batteries, along with a generator.

The good news is that it isn't raining here and didn't rain much yesterday. The bad news is that thunderstorms are forecast for the next six days.

So heading off to forage for supplies.

Update Oct 23rd: A friend from the Philippines asked about condom supplies. Don't worry, plenty of condoms still, so Bangkok residents will get screwed, flood or no flood.

Update Oct 24th: River boat services have been suspended until further notice due to rising water levels.

---

Photos

Business as usual
There have been several reports of electrocutions, but it doesn't seem to perturb locals, who seem happy to keep their fridges and TVs running inches above -- or in -- the water.

Squatter dwellings
As usual, it's the squatters who get flooded first

Restaurant with a river
The enviable river view is now ankle deep

12 inches left
The floating river boat platform usually has 2-3 metres of leeway on this pole. It's down to the last 12 inches before it begins to run out of room and begin breaking apart

Water leaking through
Here, over a metre below water level, the pressure from the river forces water though every crack and cranny

Water enters the market
The floor was dry when I arrived. An hour later it was already a quarter inch deep. Slowly but surely...

Police trade boots for gumboots
The police were in good spirits at this cop shop. The officer in the front isn't just crossing his legs... he's taking off his boot to empty the water out.

Restaurant still open
I was unlucky with my timing because by the time I walked into the restaurant the floor had an inch of water on the floor and they were closing down

Downtown shops make preparations
The sign says they've moved their stock upstairs to escape the flooding

The last of the water has been sold
My local supermarket usually has half an aisle of bottled water. There is a serious shortage of water developing in the city. I have enough for maybe a week, then I'm switching to beer.

The entire stock of water at $5 a litre
This is the last of the brand name water, being sold at 51 baht ($1.70) per 330 ml bottle

Shortages of toothbrushes
Usually there are hundreds of toothbrushes here. But the supermarket chain has centralized storage and inventory management. They seem to have problems with deliveries.

Comments

[Rick Dysinger]

Staying Safe...
I know you are a survivor. Thank you for the update!

[The Travel Camel]

Stay dry!
I went through a similar experience in Brisbane earlier this year during our floods. Supermarkets sold out of essentials (bottled water, bread, eggs), and when the waters rose, they did so incredibly fast. The worst part is after the floods; for when the waters subside, a disgusting thick mud remains. Look forward to reading further updates.

[Ottawa Hotels Downtown]

Be prepare
To combat over these natural disasters, ,mentally prepare yourself. Nice post...

[Tawnya Cheatheam]

Hang in there!
Hope you are okay - we've been thinking about you while watching the news. Hard to believe a city like Bangkok could be hit so badly.

[yoko]

about flood
Thank you for the information about the flood in Bangkok. They say that it may last at least till mid - december? I hope all of the people there are tough and strong enough to overcome this difficulty. My boss will go to Bangkok in January. I may go there too and I hope everything will be settled and people redeem their normal life. http://bangkokfinder.com/