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Thailand Diverts River Overflow to Protect Bangkok

10 Oct 2006, (Bloomberg) -- Thai officials are diverting water from the overflowing Chao Phraya river, the nation's largest, to Ayutthaya province to prevent flooding in downtown Bangkok.

The irrigation department plans to divert about 10 million cubic meters (350 million cubic feet) of water into rice fields in Ayutthaya, 76 kilometers (47 miles) north of Bangkok, Royal Irrigation Department chief Samart Chokkanapitark told Business Radio. The project will be completed today, he said.

The water level in the Chao Phraya river is at the highest since 1995 because of monsoon rains and tropical storm Xangsane, which lashed the country last week. Among buildings along the river's banks are hotels owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd. and Oriental Hotel Thailand Pcl.

``Some villagers in Ayutthaya province have to make sacrifices because we have to protect Bangkok from flooding,'' Samart said. ``The financial loss will be huge if we let the business areas and downtown Bangkok be flooded.''

More than two million people have been affected by flooding in 45 of Thailand's 76 provinces since August, according to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department. King Bhumibol Adulyadej has said the new Cabinet, appointed after a coup on Sept. 19, will have a ``tough task'' solving the country's problems, which include the floods and bolstering the nation's international image.

Compensation

The irrigation department asked the military to guard water drainage equipment amid concern about protests from villagers, whose homes and rice fields have been flooded, Samart said. The government will compensate people for any damage that the drainage project causes to their homes and crops, he said.

Flooding has been reported in 17 provinces in the northern and central regions, including parts of Bangkok, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said in a faxed statement today.

Heavy rain is expected over about 70 percent of central Thailand today, the Meteorological Department said on its Web site. Flash flooding will probably occur in northern and central provinces, the department said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Anuchit Nguyen in Bangkok at anguyen@bloomberg.net .

Source: Bloomberg

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