BKK floods OCT...2011

[KitKat]

Seems the flooding in BKK is getting worse. Thoughts to all those thousands if not millions affected by the flood.

Just wondering if anyone here is affected.
Have a flight to BKK in a few days, and QF waiver is only for travel till 31st Oct, sigh, waiting in anticipation for them to change this as I don't think the flooding is going to get any better.

 

[Hvr]

Was there recently (11-19 Oct) and saw all the preparations by the hotels for when the floods came. Saw lots of sand bags and brick walls being built in the various city areas.

There is a thread on FlyerTalk about the floods which may be of interest.

 

[Archphoto]

BKK is flooded in many areas. The Chao Praya is expected to overflow in the next two days - some estimates at 1m above. Several roads are flooded and impassible, and they're looking to break open some roads east of BKK to allow water to flow through.

There were 2 roads available to leave the city yesterday - 1 heading N/NE the other S. The S route is now closed, only the N/NE is open, and reports indicate that it's chockers! I'm actually due to leave tomorrow, to go N to Chiang Mai - not looking forward to the traffic snarls at all. . . .

Many stores have run out of water and dry foods - not so great if you get stuck here for too long. Don Muang (domestic) is flooded, but Suvarnabhumi is (so far) still operational. The Grand Palace and surrounding areas are well flooded - I was in the area 2 weeks ago for lunch and it was not looking good even then.

Sandbagging, plastic sheeting and newly created thin brick walls are everywhere - I don't live in the CBD, but the canals near Rama 9 and Ramkamhaeng (the area I live in) are expected to overflow, and have been mentioned several times on the local news.

Bangkok Post : More areas abandoned to floods

Reports suggest that it may be 4-6 weeks before the city actually dries out, and people can return to their flood ravaged homes.

 

[drron]

At this stage we will still be going next week.Keeping in touch with the hotel and various internet sites.Basically we are going for R&R and some shopping.The SGS is currently not affected,have supplies of water and food and their generators are on the 3rd floor.
Google map of flooding in English-
Bangkok Flood Map - Google Maps
Richard Barrow-
UPDATED 27 October: What time will it flood in Bangkok? High Tide Charts | Thai Travel News
Flyertalk-
Flooding around Bangkok - where and how bad - Page 5 - FlyerTalk Forums
And even TA,though they are pessimists-
bangkok flood? - Bangkok Forum - TripAdvisor

The skytrain power supply is protected for floods up to 2 metres-they are expecting 1 metre max.
Between this,Qantas Unions striking tomorrow(for our BNE-SYD sector)and HKG workers threatening strike action when we are due to transit through there the trip is becoming a nailbiter.

 

[Hvr]

Stay safe drron and hope you don't get too wet. I visited SGS when I was there recently and met some fellow FTers. Loved the Su Bar and then later in the evening listened to jazz from the library.

 

[Travel Guru]

I was there last week and you could def. see the flooding on the outlying areas as I flew in but the centre was untouched, though plenty of sandbags.

Looks like with the king tide this weekend that it wont be so lucky.

Safe travels DRRON.

TG

 

[JohnK]

My girlfriend's mother lives in Nakhon Pathom and there were concerns yesterday that the flood waters would reach there by this weekend. Not good news and we just feel for all those affected.

Also her friend and husband, who have a real estate business in Bangkok, have decided to stay the week in Hua Hin and have a holiday as it is almost impossible to move around in Bangkok.

For those that have not seen some of the outlaying areas in Bangkok at the best of times will find it hard to believe. I certainly did the first time I visited a community in the vicinity of Lat Krabang in New Years 2003. The roads into the community look are simple narrow concrete that is enough to fit about 1.5 cars across and when one looks at the houses you will notice they are small and do not have much land.

Actually that is understatement as the community I visited the houses had water, with plastic bags and other rubbish, flowing through with a small pathway from the concrete road to the front door. The houses are built on a flood plain and the river is usually overflowing anyway.

P.S. Has anyone noticed Brisbane River recently? The water level looked very high at Milton earlier today. Hopefully the rain will stay away.

 

[KitKat]

Am most likely going to fly in to BKK and get a flight out to HKT the next morning, overnight at the Airport Hotel - Novotel Flex rate for flexibility (if the Airport is not flooded/closed)
Watching closely.....

 

[drron]

We will still be going though possibly not on QF.What else can go wrong
Central Bangkok survived yesterday's high tide and after today the tide heights keep dropping.

 

[KitKat]

We will still be going though possibly not on QF.What else can go wrong
Central Bangkok survived yesterday's high tide and after today the tide heights keep dropping.

Good to see things in BKK may be over the worst.
However, the QF situation if not resolved soon will mean I will be stuck in MEL
Will see what the waiver will offer (what flight options left) when it hits my departure date

 

[Mrmaxwell]

Whatever you do don't land at Don Mueang...amazing to see it like this!

 

[drron]

Well central Bangkok survived yesterday's high tide.The levels of the tides are now decreasing through November so very likely things will remain dry along Sukhumvit where we are staying.Though now we are officially booked on QF301(BA10) so no upgrade to F this time.But better safe than sorry.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

very likely things will remain dry along Sukhumvit where we are staying.

With the location of your hotel, you can almost always stay up at skytrain level; with the hotel entrance, airport rail link and all the major shopping malls linked you could almost get away with never going down to street level if worst came to worst!

 

[KitKat]

If all goes well, I shall see you drron in the QFlounge in SYD tomorrow afternoon....
Will PM you my mobile no

 

[drron]

With the location of your hotel, you can almost always stay up at skytrain level; with the hotel entrance, airport rail link and all the major shopping malls linked you could almost get away with never going down to street level if worst came to worst!

Yes the only time we go to street level is for the cheap massages in the basement of the Westin.$12.50 including a tip for 1 hour massage by 2 young women.Bliss.

 

[Hvr]

Yes the only time we go to street level is for the cheap massages in the basement of the Westin.$12.50 including a tip for 1 hour massage by 2 young women.Bliss.

Sounds like a happy ending to your trip.

Glad to hear you're coming back without being flooded.

 

[drron]

Have survived our first 3 nights in BKK.Central area still dry and now very likely to stay that way.No rain since we arrived.
Went east down Sukhumvit to soi 95-no water at all.
Yesterday to Sala Daeng and walked across to Surawong-all dry.Sandbags still in place.
Only differences to normal-slightly less traffic and very few tourists-the hotels are hurting.Told SGS is ~ 30% occupancy.Even less than last years red shirt problems.
High tides for the rest of november are significantly lower than last weekend.

 

[Happy Trails]

I arrived on Wednesday and inbound passport control was virtually deserted so I was able to save my Fast Track card for another time.
It was hard work though getting a taxi to go anywhere other than downtown as many of the surface roads are affected by the flooding.
We tried driving to Kanchanaburi yesterday but gave up after an hour of crawling toward the expressway.

 

[Danger]

Does anyone have any thoughts about what the floods might do to tourism in coughet, particularly with respect to prices on the ground?

 

[kpc]

Does anyone have any thoughts about what the floods might do to tourism in coughet, particularly with respect to prices on the ground?

Have to ask my brother...he has rescheduled his trip from Bkk to Hkt, and arrives tomorrow!