Thailand’s infamous floods and solutions
Thailand has almost always suffered flooding during the rainy season, but now with global warming worsening, it is being hit with bigger, more devastating floods frequently. In a bid to mitigate the losses, Thai authorities are working to come up with effective solutions.
Now Thailand is hit by La Niña phenomenon, but no storms to cause huge floods like 2011
Thailand was hit by major floods in 2011 due to the La Niña phenomenon, which made the rainy season arrive sooner than usual. This was made worse by five storms that had hit Thailand that year, increasing the average rainfall by 27 per cent.
The La Niña phenomenon has also taken place this year, resulting in rains arriving sooner than expected, however, Thailand has not been directly hit by storms this year, while the average rainfall so far has been recorded as 21 per cent above the normal amount.”
There are estimates that there will be around 10 per cent more rainfall than usual, rising slightly from 8 per cent more last year.
Causes of flooding in Thailand
Natural causes:
- Low pressure masses
- Storms, such as depression and tropical storms and typhoons
- Monsoon trenches
- Southwest monsoon
- Northeast monsoon
- Dams collapsing
Mismanagement:
- Disagreement between government and local administrations
- Lacking capable officials to deal with natural disasters
- Lacking coordination among government agencies
- Ignorance of people in remote areas
Severe flooding incidents during 100 years
- 1942: Heavy downpours in Chao Phraya basin provinces caused severe floods. The Royal Plaza was under 1.50-metere-deep water and floods last three months. It became the severest flooding event before large dams, like Bhumibol and Sirikit dams, were built.
- 1983: Two depression storms hit Thailand, leading to excessive water upstream of large dams. Water released from dams caused floodings in several provinces. The floodwaters in Bangkok were aggravated with rising sea level. Boats could travel on Bangkok roads due to high-level of floodwaters.
- 1994: A tropical storm hit Bangkok, resulting in 200-mm-level rains, the heaviest in the capital. It was labelled 1,000-year rains that caused traffic gridlock and power blackouts in several areas.
- 1995: Thailand was hit by several storms, causing the water in the Chao Phraya River to be as high as 2.27 metre high, the same height with that of 1942.
- 2011: The country suffered flooding in many parts from the beginning the end of the year. La Nina phenomenon and five storms that hit the country unleashed heavy rains, causing floods that severely affected agricultural and industrial sectors, as well as the country’s economy.
Flood preventive measures:
- Establishment of National Water Resources Office
- Enactment of 2018-2037 natural resources master plan
- Enactment of strategic plan for management of water resources
- Enactment of Water Resources Act of 2018
- Enactment of Water Basins Royal Decree of 2021
King Rama IX’s flood prevention initiatives:
- Building flood embankments
- Building waterways for diverting floodwaters
- Canal dredging
- Dams building
