flooding, will we see a repeat of 2015, 2014,2013 etc

[Butch 3,456]

I recently spoke to a good friend who tells me that the reservoir is very low and the seasonal expected rains have not yet materialised.

 

Now, apart from the inevitable deluge of water in the usual areas which I've just spent an hour or so watching on youtube from years gone past, has there been any supposed civil works to alleviate the problems that are seen each year?.

 

I know areas of Bukhao get very deep, and it always reminds me of the farang guy who got electrocuted during a flood as a live cable was in a puddle or area of water into which he stepped, tragically ending his life. I also recall luckily enough being "stranded" at a friends house overnight as the rain came down. We had to open another bottle of wine.

 

If memory serves me, the very worst was in 2014 when pictures on FB showed a girl waist deep in 7/11 behind the counter, and trucks struggling against a torrent of water on what I think (could be wrong) was Soi Khao noi.

 

Be interesting to hear anyone's "Pattaya flood" stories, unfortunately my only one is getting soaking wet feet from an MC Taxi as I managed to avoid a massive storm back in 2011.

Edited September 11, 2016 by jacko
Moved as requested.

[nkped 1,208]

On the lower reaches of Tappraya in Jomtien there doesn't seem to have been any major projects. Some clogged storm drains MAY have been cleared, but that's it. On the other hand, Tappraya can be bare pavement 15 minutes after running curb full, at least north of the Hannuman statue.

[davethailand 91]

My old house on Suksabai Villa in 2011 (I think).

 

 

 

[jacko 8,822]

Had a good downpour last night out in the sticks (North of town). I agree it has been relatively dry so far this September.

Perhaps the rainy season still has time to get going!

 

I doubt there will be any improvement with the usual areas in town that go under water, Soi Buakhao, 3rd/Klang junction. It is a struggle to even keep the drains clear. Although I wonder if some large quantity of flood water will be held by the new tunnel rather than rushing down Klang.

 

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to trundle out my old line of renaming Pattaya Klang to Pattaya Klong.

 

 

Later Edit:-Shit, spoke too soon, it has been raining all day!

Edited September 12, 2016 by jacko

[InternationalTraveler 282]

Here is my flood story, I did post it in the Ex-Pat section under 'Insurance' some time ago.

 

During the tropical storm 16th October 2015 the retaining wall at the rear of my complex burst under the pressure of the flood water.

Within a 30-40 minute period the water rose to 6-feet and remained at that level for some days until 2-fire tenders spent a couple of days pumping the water away.

I was probably lucky that I had just shipped out on an assignment and caught a flight to Heathrow that very morning and was oblivious to the situation. The GF had also caught the bus up Country to her farm.

 

During the storm residents were trying to save their valuables and take them upstairs.

Those in ground floor rooms and apartments were totally wiped out and those out at the time lost their curved screen TVs and other expensive items which were all ruined.

At 2am the sea rescue came in with a speed boat and ferried most out to higher- drier land.

 

The following day the water level was still around 4-5-foot and the owner bought a boat which was used to ferry out the remaining die-hards.

As the water and electric had been cut off, most residents booked into the nearest hotel which reduced the rate from 800 to 500 baht. Others booked in for a month.

Getting back to Pattaya a month later.

 

I rent one of the 2-bedroom bungalows which are split on 3-levels with the kitchen on the ground floor, lounge 3-foot higher and bedrooms and bathroom higher still.

Having lost everything in the kitchen and everything but the wide screen TV in the lounge.

A number of cars including mine were also submerged more than a foot or two above the roof.

Both our motor bikes suffered the same fate along with many others.

Although a friend offered me his apartment, I also booked into the local hotel for a week whilst the floor was relayed and the kitchen and lounge was given a lick of paint.

 

Both our motor bikes went back to the shop for a second and third fix after new ignition switch, battery, plug, air filter and oil change, then charging, flat battery and water in the fuel problems.

 

I e-mailed my insurance to inspect the car while I was away and it was transported away to a service centre in Bangkok.

Eventually got back to some sort of normality but for the first few weeks was finding things missing and having to buy things every other day.

All in all it cost me around 100,000 baht for all our stuff that was damaged and lost.

We did not get any insurance compensation from the owner.

There is always talk about the Thais being pretty resilient when a disaster occurs.

Truth is you just accept what happens and get on with it.

I have no thoughts of leaving and setting up shop somewhere else as the location/setting ticked all the boxes.

One of the boxes was the benefit of living on the ground floor and not in some high rise where you spend half your day waiting for the lift..now I know that conclusion has its ups and downs.

 

All part of the joys of living in Pattaya.

But anyway the biggest thing on the list was the car and exactly 12-weeks later the insurance settled the claim.

Expecting them to offer some derisory sum I was pleasantly surprised.

It paid out exactly the amount the car was insured for on the Insurance Certificate Minus 3,000 baht deductible for the claim.

In real terms that equates to 27,000 baht more than I paid for the car 3-years ago which is like free motoring and insurance for 3-years.

 

A couple of days later this was the scene.

 

The tide line is in red.

 

To be fair to the owner everything already supplied in the lounge and kitchen was replaced with new, cooker, fridge, 3-piece suite, table, chairs, tv cabinet.

The outer retainer wall has been rebuilt and double skinned for extra strength on 2-sides of the complex.

A new generator set with pump has been mounted inside.

 

And there is also an extra flood barrier which is fully retractable and fitted into the ground with a guide either side on the gate access. By removing a couple of screws it rises out of the ground to give extra height to the wall.

 

After getting back a month later to see all our stuff trashed with the muddy mess and devastation I think I was better off not being there.

The motor bikes both Honda and Kawasaki had a few teething problems to start with but are really resilient machines and have had no problems since.

And I treated myself to another better car so now it is all water under the bridge and a distant memory.

[groover 248]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biO8QgKYELo

[MM 6,562]

That's pretty minor compared to real storm flooding. My wife showed me that video last night, and I laughed because I've waded through deeper water than at in Marine Plaza.

 

We haven't had a seriously strong storm or flooding (yet) this year, and we are due at least one.

[jacko 8,822]

Some bloody heavy rain on Tuesday night North of town, bit scary on the motorway as I drove out to the sirport.

Did it cause any problems.

[InternationalTraveler 282]

Soi Buakhao and Klang was flood free at 01:00am when I walked home.

A bit more sand washed away when I walked down the beach this morning.

[jacko 8,822]

Soi Buakhao and Klang was flood free at 01:00am when I walked home.

A bit more sand washed away when I walked down the beach this morning.

Heavy rain I saw was around 8-10pm.

[Gary 4,119]

I live in Loei province. My friend calls my location the high desert. It really isn't a desert because we get as much rain as nearly anyplace else in Thailand. The difference is that we are located on flat ground with mountains in nearly every direction you look. The altitude is 333 meters. Every major flood in Thailand drives the price of land here up even higher because of no flooding. Ten years ago you could buy as much farm land as you wanted for about 30,000 baht per rai. Most of the farm land has no electricity, no water and no paved roads. That land now sells for about 100,000 baht per rai. Land on a good paved road with electricity goes for about a million baht per rai. It's insane but apparently people are very afraid of flooding. Our local reservoir was huge but shallow. During the dry season they made it about three times as deep as well as enlarging it. It is now full. There are irrigation canals all over the area. My wife has some land about 3 kilometers from that reservoir and her rice paddies were still flooded during the so called drought. That was before enlarging the reservoir.

 

Yes, I predict more major floods, maybe not this year but the future looks grim for low areas. You can estimate land prices north of Bangkok according to how high and flood prone they are. Years ago Bangkok prepared for flooding by building canals and locks north of the city. They did it ass backward damming water to the north. Now most of the villages to the north get flooded and the water stays for at least a month. Of course the villagers are not happy to try to keep Bangkok dry. One story amused me. A canal lock in a village was closed off. and that village flooded. The villagers opened the lock a number of times and the government would come and close it back up. The lock was made of heavy steel. The villagers opened the gate all the way and welded it open. That village drained pretty well. Bangkok filled in many of the canals and now they are screwed. Since Bangkok is sinking, it will have to dam up the Mekong river on both sides and install huge pumps in what canals are left to try to keep the city dry.

[Andrew19 8]

I live in Loei province. My friend calls my location the high desert. It really isn't a desert because we get as much rain as nearly anyplace else in Thailand. The difference is that we are located on flat ground with mountains in nearly every direction you look. The altitude is 333 meters. Every major flood in Thailand drives the price of land here up even higher because of no flooding. Ten years ago you could buy as much farm land as you wanted for about 30,000 baht per rai. Most of the farm land has no electricity, no water and no paved roads. That land now sells for about 100,000 baht per rai. Land on a good paved road with electricity goes for about a million baht per rai. It's insane but apparently people are very afraid of flooding. Our local reservoir was huge but shallow. During the dry season they made it about three times as deep as well as enlarging it. It is now full. There are irrigation canals all over the area. My wife has some land about 3 kilometers from that reservoir and her rice paddies were still flooded during the so called drought. That was before enlarging the reservoir.

 

Yes, I predict more major floods, maybe not this year but the future looks grim for low areas. You can estimate land prices north of Bangkok according to how high and flood prone they are. Years ago Bangkok prepared for flooding by building canals and locks north of the city. They did it ass backward damming water to the north. Now most of the villages to the north get flooded and the water stays for at least a month. Of course the villagers are not happy to try to keep Bangkok dry. One story amused me. A canal lock in a village was closed off. and that village flooded. The villagers opened the lock a number of times and the government would come and close it back up. The lock was made of heavy steel. The villagers opened the gate all the way and welded it open. That village drained pretty well. Bangkok filled in many of the canals and now they are screwed. Since Bangkok is sinking, it will have to dam up the Mekong river on both sides and install huge pumps in what canals are left to try to keep the city dry.

 

When I visited Loei I was staying in Loei Palace and got to see this.

 

I have no idea of what happened back then, my friend told me that at her mum's house the ground floor and the first floor were under water and she had to stay on the second floor.

[Gary 4,119]

Loei city has some low areas and they do flood. We live about 50 kilometers south of Loei city near a village called Nong Hin. This area is much higher than the city. Loei city has the Loei river running through and the city is actually in the river valley. The Loei river drains into the Mekong river. That hotel is near the river.

[Andrew19 8]

Loei city has some low areas and they do flood. We live about 50 kilometers south of Loei city near a village called Nong Hin. This area is much higher than the city. Loei city has the Loei river running through and the city is actually in the river valley. The Loei river drains into the Mekong river. That hotel is near the river.

 

Makes sense.

It must be really cold (for Thais) where you live, but the weather would be perfect for you.

[jacko 8,822]

 

Makes sense.

It must be really cold (for Thais) where you live, but the weather would be perfect for you.

Apparently the first cold spell of the season for the North is due.... high season cometh.

Edited October 1, 2016 by jacko

[MM 6,562]

Seems the weather is in a rut the past week or so.

 

Mornings are cloudless blue skies, making one think fair weather is here, then afternoons are grey clouds, and late evenings/early mornings storm like hell...all to clear up by sunrise.

 

Last night was possibly the loudest thunderstorm I've ever heard. The lightning just 2-4 seconds ahead of the crack of the thunder. Along with that was a torrential downpour...this was about midnight.

 

Since I had stayed in last night, I was loving it...just can't get enough of those storms (I live in an area that is high and dry during the floods, so I can say that).

[Gary 4,119]

Apparently the first cold spell of the season for the North is due.... high season cometh.

 

Loei has the dubious reputation of being the coldest province in Thailand. It does get pretty cold up here. When I can see my breath in the mornings, that is too cold for me. I wanted to put in a wood burning stove but the wife hated the idea. She says they are too dirty. I settled for a catalytic LPG heater in my computer room. Last year during a cold snap, I headed down to Jomtien and stayed in the condo until it warmed up. Fortunately during the day the temperature is seldom lower than about 28 C. I guess I can put up with cold nights because I have a bed warmer. I just have to make sure that I stay up later than the wife. If I go to bed earlier, she likes to warm her cold feet on me.

[jacko 8,822]

 

Loei has the dubious reputation of being the coldest province in Thailand. It does get pretty cold up here. When I can see my breath in the mornings, that is too cold for me. I wanted to put in a wood burning stove but the wife hated the idea. She says they are too dirty. I settled for a catalytic LPG heater in my computer room. Last year during a cold snap, I headed down to Jomtien and stayed in the condo until it warmed up. Fortunately during the day the temperature is seldom lower than about 28 C. I guess I can put up with cold nights because I have a bed warmer. I just have to make sure that I stay up later than the wife. If I go to bed earlier, she likes to warm her cold feet on me.

I am in NE UK freezing cold myself today. (3 deg C)

My Mrs reports that it is very hot in Pattaya.

 

And as to the OP, on Thai Visa I read there will not be any floods this year.

[Butch 3,456]

Hi Jacko, as MM said I left Pattaya early hours of Sunday and the storm was pretty bad , heavy rain but it backed off after an hour or two. I was beginning to flap a little bit as I saw the roads getting worse and worse but the water soon abated.

 

I got caught in the rain twice, and got really ill first time around. No floods like previous years though and I'm a wee bit shocked.

 

I arrived home only to find that thoughtfully my wife had left the hot tap running at about 10% for the last week, plus she'd "forgotten" to flush the toilet. I might fucking "forget" that I'm married next time I go out there and see how she likes the smell of stale piss. Women!.