Reliefweb 30 Nov 17;
NAKHON SI THAMMARAT, 30th November 2017, (NNT) - The South of Thailand has continued to experience heavy rain, which has triggered flash floods and rain water runoff in several areas. A number of provinces have declared disaster zones in various districts.
In Nakhon Si Thammarat, officials of Khao Luang National Park in Phrom Khiri district have temporarily closed access to Phrom Lok Waterfall, Ai Khiao Waterfall and three other waterfalls under their jurisdiction, following heavy runoff in the park. The officials urged nearby residents to beware of flash floods.
The province has declared disaster zones in seven districts: Cha-uat, Bang Khan, Chian Yai, Chulabhorn, Phipun, Thung Song and Pak Phanang. Officials have been dispatched to distribute animal feed to agriculturalists who are struggling to provide for their livestock.
The Nakhon Si Thammarat provincial administration has also set up an emergency flood response center to coordinate relief from various sectors. Local residents are urged to closely follow the latest information from the center.
Similarly in Songkhla, the province has established an emergency flood response center in Thepa district, after the Thepa Canal overflowed into the surrounding community. Officials have handed out food to residents of the hardest hit areas. Governor Doldej Pattanarat recently visited the district to give survival kits to flood victims, while instructing relevant authorities to monitor the situation around the clock.
The Meteorological Department has forecast that more rain is likely in the South. Low pressure cells from the Malaysian coast are moving into lower southern region and are expected to reach the Andaman Sea on December 1st. Several areas in the South may experience more flooding, with rough seas and two- to three-meter waves expected in the Andaman Sea.
Information and Source
Reporter : Nuppol Suvansombut
Rewriter : Rodney McNeil
National News Bureau & Public Relations : http://thainews.prd.go.th
Floods in southern Thailand kill five
AFP New Straits Times 30 Nov 17;
PATTANI: Heavy floods swept into southern Thailand this week killing five people, authorities said Thursday as photos of waterlogged and damaged roads spread on social media.
The worst-hit provinces are located in the deep south on the border with Malaysia, a restive hotspot where Muslim insurgents have engaged in clashes with the central government.
The flooding from the annual monsoon rains prompted residents to use small boats for transportation in Pattani province, according to an AFP photographer on site.
All five victims drowned, an official with the disaster management hotline told AFP.
Nearby in Songhkla province, a road collapsed under a car, forming a small ravine with the car stuck at the bottom. The driver was not injured.
More than 380,000 people from eight southern provinces have been affected by the rising waters in the southern Thailand but no formal evacuation plan has been announced.
Southeast Asia is frequently affected by seasonal downpours. In October, Vietnam struggled to deal with flooding that killed more than 70 people.--AFP
Floods in Southern Thailand spilling over to Kelantan
c.a. zulkifle and syed azhar The Star 1 Dec 17;
KOTA BARU: The southern Thai provinces of Narathiwat declared all its 13 districts disaster zones, even while flood waters continued to rise in Kelantan.
Kelantan Drainage and Irrigation Department director Kamal Mustapha said flood waters in southern Thailand were also pouring into Sungai Golok from 19 tributaries, worsening the situation in the Rantau Panjang area. Several low-lying areas in Tumpat, he said are expected to be affected by floodwaters for at least two weeks due to high water levels at Sungai Golok, in Rantau Panjang and Kuala Jambu.
He said Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang had risen above the 9m danger level to 10.66m, while the river at Kuala Jambu, Tumpat, had risen above its 2.50m danger level to 3.42m.
“Low lying areas will have stagnant water for more than 14 days and people there will have to stay at relief centres or alternative accommodation,” he said.
Kamal said that in the long term a 26km bund would be built at a cost of RM300mil to stop water flow into Sungai Golok from Pengkala Kubor to Tumpat.
He added that another RM1.1bil had been allocated to build a 60km long bund, in stages, from Bukit Bunga to Tumpat.
There are 13,539 Kelantan flood victims at 100 relief centres in nine districts reports Bernama.
Pasir Mas had the highest number of victims with 8,630 from 3,588 families in 44 relief centres.
In Terengganu, the number of flood victims dropped to 1,073 people from 284 families compared to 1,244 at 10pm the night before.
Only 28 relief centres, in six districts, are still open in the state.
In Petaling Jaya, Tenaga Nasional Berhad senior general manager (operations and assets) Roslan Abd Rahman said hydroelectric dams in Tasik Kenyir, Terengganu, Cameron Highlands, Pahang, and Sungai Perak, Perak were in perfect condition and capable of handling the high volume of water.
“We will release the water if it gets to danger levels,” he said.
He added that water would also be released according to a schedule to ensure dam capacity was stable.
