Barrier bid to protect 'Wat Chai'
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AUTHORITIES are preparing to set up an emergency flood-prevention barrier to protect the ancient Wat Chaiwatthanaram temple in Ayutthaya province as heavy rains continue to lash Thailand.
Fine Arts Office 3 director Pratheep Pengtako said the Chao Phraya River was now only one metre below bursting its banks at the location of the Unesco World Heritage Site.
He said the department was preparing to set up a flood-preventing barrier to protect a key ancient site.
Due to rains and northern runoffs, the Chao Phraya Dam has released 1,500 cubic metres of water per second, resulting in the river rising, which is posing a serious flood threat to the world-renowned site.
Officials were also preparing to set up a fence, reinforced by sandbags and covered with waterproof canvas, to form a 2.5-metre-high and three-metre-long flood barrier at the area of the temple nearest the riverfront, he added.
