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Severe flooding occurred during the 2011
monsoon season The wet season (sometimes called the rainy season or monsoon season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally, the season lasts at least one month. The term ''green season'' is also sometimes used a ...
in
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
. The flooding began at the end of July triggered by the landfall of Tropical Storm Nock-ten. These floods soon spread through the provinces of northern, northeastern, and central Thailand along the Mekong and Chao Phraya river basins. In October floodwaters reached the mouth of the Chao Phraya and inundated parts of the capital city of
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
. Flooding persisted in some areas until mid-January 2012, and resulted in a total of 815 deaths (with three missing) and 13.6 million people affected. Sixty-five of Thailand's 76
provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...
were declared flood disaster zones, and over of farmland was damaged. The disaster was described by an unnamed Thai government official as "the worst flooding yet in terms of the amount of water and
umber of Umber is a natural earth pigment consisting of iron oxide and manganese oxide; it has a brownish color that can vary among shades of yellow, red, and green. Umber is considered one of the oldest pigments known to humans, first used in the Ajant ...
people affected". The
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...
has estimated 1,425 trillion baht (US$46.5 billion) in economic damages and losses due to flooding, as of 1 December 2011. Most of this was due to the manufacturing industry, as seven major industrial estates were inundated in water as much as deep during the floods. Disruptions to manufacturing supply chains affected regional automobile production and caused a global shortage of hard disk drives which lasted throughout 2012. The World Bank's estimate for this disaster means it ranks as the world's fourth costliest disaster as of 2011 surpassed only by the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a  9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...
in
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
,
Great Hanshin earthquake The Great Hanshin Earthquake (, ) occurred on January 17, 1995, at 05:46:53 JST in the southern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, including the region of Hanshin. It measured 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum intensity of 7 o ...
in 1995, and
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
in 2005. A 2015 study suggests increasing odds for potential flooding similar to the 2011 flood intensity to occur in the future. Thailand's southern provinces also saw seasonal flash-flooding towards the end of the year, although these were not as destructive as the floods in the more northerly provinces.


Background

Various regions of
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
are prone to seasonal flash-flooding due to their
tropical climate Tropical climate is the first of the five major climate groups in the Köppen climate classification identified with the letter A. Tropical climates are defined by a monthly average temperature of or higher in the coolest month, featuring hot te ...
. The floods often occur in the
north North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...
and spread down the
Chao Phraya River The Chao Phraya River is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. Etymology Written evidence of the river being referred to by the ...
through the central plains, in the
northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—eac ...
along the
Chi __NOTOC__ Chi may refer to: __NOTOC__ Greek *Chi (letter) (Χ or χ), the twenty-second letter of the Greek alphabet Chinese * ''Chi'' (length) (尺), a traditional unit of length, about ⅓ meter *Chi (mythology) (螭), a dragon * Chi (surname) ...
and
Mun MUN may refer to: People * Mun, another spelling of Moon (Korean name), Korean family and personal name *Mun (surname) * Ajahn Mun (1870–1949), Thai ''bhikkhu'' (Buddhist monk) Places * Mun, Hautes-Pyrénées, a commune in the Hautes-Pyrén� ...
Rivers flowing into the
Mekong The Mekong or Mekong River ( , ) is a transboundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth-longest river and the third-longest in Asia with an estimated length of and a drainage area of , discharging of wat ...
, or in the coastal hillsides of the
east East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...
and
south South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
. Remnants of tropical storms that strike
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
or the peninsular south commonly increase precipitation, resulting in further risk of flooding. Drainage control systems, including several dams, irrigation canals and flood detention basins, have been constructed, but are inadequate to prevent flood damage, especially in rural areas. Much effort, including a system of drainage tunnels begun in 2001, has been put into preventing the inundation of the capital city, which lies near the mouth of the Chao Phraya and is prone to flooding, with considerable success. Bangkok has seen only brief and minor flooding since the major flood of 1995. Other regions, however, had experienced severe flooding as recently as
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
. Rainfall in March 2011 over the area of
northern Thailand Northern Thailand, or more specifically Lanna, is a region of Thailand. It is geographically characterized by several mountain ranges, which continue from the Shan Hills in bordering Myanmar to Laos, and the river valleys that cut through them. ...
was an extraordinary 344 percent above the
mean A mean is a quantity representing the "center" of a collection of numbers and is intermediate to the extreme values of the set of numbers. There are several kinds of means (or "measures of central tendency") in mathematics, especially in statist ...
.
Bhumibol Dam The Bhumibol Dam (''formerly known as the'' Yanhi Dam) is a concrete arch dam on the Ping River, a tributary of the Chao Phraya River, in Sam Ngao District of Tak Province, Thailand. It is about north of Bangkok and was built for the purposes of ...
in particular received 242.8 mm of rain, well above the normal 25.2 mm. Since 1 January the dam had accumulated 245.9 mm, 216.0 mm or 186 percent above normal. Bangkok's tendency to flood is particularly acute. Bangkok and adjacent provinces are only 50 cm to two meters above sea level. Sea levels are rising four mm every year. The rising sea levels push more water into the Chao Phraya River. To combat rising sea levels a barrier dam stretching from Chonburi to Hua Hin has been proposed, at a cost of 500 billion
baht The baht (; , ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). Prior to decimalisation, the baht was divided into eight ''fueang'' (, ), each of eight ''at'' (, ). The ...
. The three-meter high dykes that sequester the river are subsiding, as is the rest of the city. In the past, some areas of Bangkok were sinking as much as three centimeters per year, due to excessive groundwater extraction. Groundwater extraction was halted in 1977. That step has slowed subsidence to about one centimeter per year on average. However, the sheer weight of Bangkok's ever expanding infrastructure has exacerbated the problem. Bangkok has some 700 buildings more than 20 storeys high and 4,000 buildings eight to 20 storeys high. The sheer weight of these structures displaces the spongy soil and increases subsidence. In a 2015 report, Thailand's National Reform Council warned that relocation of the capital was not out of the question.


Flooding timeline

With the monsoon season well underway in 2011, when noticeable rainfall started in May, major flooding began as Tropical Storm Nock-ten made its landfall in northern Vietnam, causing heavy precipitation in northern and northeastern Thailand and flash floods in many provinces from 31 July. Within one week thirteen persons had been reported dead, with ongoing flooding in the provinces of Chiang Mai, Lampang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Son, Nan, Phrae, and Uttaradit in the north, and Bung Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Nong Khai, Sakon Nakhon, and Udon Thani in the upper northeast. The upper-central provinces of Phichit, Phitsanulok, and Sukhothai were also flooded as the flooding spread down the overflowing
Yom Yom () is a Biblical Hebrew word which occurs in the Hebrew Bible. The word means "day" in both Modern and Biblical Hebrew. Overview Although ''yom'' is commonly rendered as day in English translations, the word can be used in different ways to ...
and Nan Rivers. Prachuap Khiri Khan on the gulf coast was also affected. Flooding was still ongoing by late-August, as heavy rains were expected to continue for longer than usual due to the effect of a multi-year
La Niña LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...
event. Flood waters reached a depth of 50 cm in downtown Nan, and became the highest recorded in 16 years in Phitsanulok Province, while large areas in the downstream provinces of Nakhon Sawan, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, and Nakhon Nayok were affected and the death toll rose to 37 by 22 August. Both
Bhumibol Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any Thai monarch, the longest on record of any independent ...
and
Sirikit Sirikit (born ''Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara; 12 August 1932) is a member of the Thai royal family who was List of Thai royal consorts#Rattanakosin Kingdom, Queen of Thailand from 28 April 1950 to 13 October 2016 as the wife of King Bhum ...
Dams increased discharge rates to compensate for the increase in incoming flow. By 19 September almost all of the lower central provinces were affected by the flood: Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, and Nonthaburi, the latter two on the northern border of Bangkok. Broken floodgates resulted in water from the Chao Phraya flowing through irrigation canals and inundating large areas of paddy fields in Singburi, Ang Thong, and Ayutthaya, but lessened the strain on Bangkok as the fields served as water retention areas. Power boats were used to run against the river's flow while at anchor in an attempt to increase the river's discharge rate. By the beginning of October, most dams were already near or over capacity and were being forced to increase their rate of discharge, potentially worsening downstream flooding. Flooding in Ayutthaya worsened and flood water entered the city itself, inundating the
Ayutthaya Historical Park Ayutthaya Historical Park (Pronunciation) covers the ruins of the old city of Ayutthaya, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, Thailand. The city of Ayutthaya was founded by King Ramathibodi I in 1351, though it is likely to be significantly olde ...
and forcing evacuations. Barriers protecting industrial estates failed, resulting in the flooding of dozens of major factories and a country-wide disruption of the manufacturing supply chains. In
Nakhon Sawan Nakhon Sawan (, ) is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in Thailand. The name literally means "Heavenly City". The city is the capital of Nakhon Sawan province, and covers the complete subdistrict (''tambon'') of Pak Nam Pho and parts of Khwae Yai, Nak ...
, the sandbag barrier protecting the city was breached, resulting in rapid flooding of the city. Hundreds of patients had to be transferred out of Ayutthaya and Nakhon Sawan Regional Hospitals by boat as water levels rose over the hospital floors and power supplies and life support systems were disrupted.


Northeast

The
Mekong The Mekong or Mekong River ( , ) is a transboundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth-longest river and the third-longest in Asia with an estimated length of and a drainage area of , discharging of wat ...
, and its major
tributaries A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream ('' main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which the ...
Mae Mun and
Mae Chi Maechi or Mae Chee (; ), "respected mother" (แม่ + honorific suffix "- ji"), are Theravada Buddhist Nuns in Thailand. As female monastics ordained under The Eight or Ten Precepts (i.e., more than the Five Precepts taken by laypersons), ...
all experienced flooding. In Khon Kaen Province alone, floods destroyed close to 350,000 of land, stranding 315 families of Mai Si Wilai village in the middle of the swollen Nong Kong Kaew Lake in
Chonnabot District Chonnabot (, ; , ) is a district (''amphoe'') of Khon Kaen province, northeastern Thailand. History ''Mueang'' Chonbot (ชลบถ) was established at the beginning of the Rattanakosin era of around 1783. Its center was at ''Ban Nong Kong Kae ...
, while in Phra Lap municipality on the outskirts of
Khon Kaen Khon Kaen (, ) is the capital of Khon Kaen province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, fourth-largest city in Thailand. It is one of the four major cities of Isan, Northeast Thailand, also known as the ...
city, over 700 displaced residents of Phra Kheu village called the shoulder of a provincial highway home. The provincial Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, normally allocated 50 million
Thai baht The baht (; , ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). Prior to decimalisation, the baht was divided into eight ''fueang'' (, ), each of eight ''at'' (, ). The ...
, was granted an extra 50 million for 2011 and had spent over 80 million by the end of October 2011.


South

Significant flooding occurred in late-2011 in Thailand's southern provinces. Nine provinces were affected by flash flooding owing to rains that occurred in November 2011. Saba Yoi, Khuan Niang, Rattaphum, and Singha Nakhon Districts were declared disaster zones after flood waters as deep as five meters covered nearly all areas. More than 159 small and key roads were impassable. Ten other districts were feared at risk of inundation and more rains were expected. Coastal areas in the south were also battered by high waves.


Flooding in and around Bangkok

As floodwaters drained southwards from Ayutthaya, Bangkok was becoming seriously threatened by mid-October. In Pathum Thani Province bordering Bangkok to the north, continuous efforts to reinforce and repair sandbag
flood wall A floodwall is a freestanding, permanent, engineered structure designed to prevent encroachment of floodwaters. Floodwalls are mainly used on locations where space is scarce, such as cities or where building levees or dikes (dykes) would in ...
s were undertaken to prevent the Chao Phraya and
Rangsit Canal The Rangsit Canal (; ), is a canal in the eastern part of the Chao Phraya valley, central Thailand. The name of the canal was given by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in honour of his son, Rangsit Prayurasakdi, Rangsit, Prince of Chai Nat. History ...
s from overflowing into Bangkok. Several districts in eastern Bangkok which lie outside Bangkok's flood wall, as well as parts of the surrounding Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Chachoengsao, and Nakhon Pathom Provinces, became flooded as water was diverted from the Chao Phraya to the Nakhon Nayok River and outlying canals. As flood barriers in Pathum Thani failed, even more industrial estates as well as suburban residential areas became flooded. Parts of the
Phahonyothin Highway Phahonyothin Road (, , ) or Highway 1 is a main road in Bangkok and one of the four primary highways in Thailand, which include Mittraphap Road (Highway 2), Sukhumvit Road (Highway 3), and Phet Kasem Road (Highway 4). It begins at Victory Monume ...
leading out of Bangkok became inaccessible, causing severe traffic jams on alternative routes. Disruption of a barrier protecting the Khlong Prapa water supply canal early on 20 October allowed floodwaters to enter the canal and rapidly flow down to Sam Sen in central Bangkok, overflowing and flooding several areas along the banks. Although the breach was controlled, residents panicked and illegally parked cars on flyovers and parts of the elevated expressway. The entire Rangsit campus of
Thammasat University Thammasat University (TU; ; , ) is a public university, public research university in Thailand with campuses in the Tha Phra Chan area of Bangkok, Rangsit, Pattaya and Lampang Province. , Thammasat University has over 39,000 students enrolled in ...
in
Pathum Thani Pathum Thani (, ) is a town ('' thesaban mueang'') in central Thailand, directly north of Bangkok. It is the capital of the Pathum Thani province, Thailand as well as the Mueang Pathum Thani district. As of 2005, it has a population of 18,320, c ...
, north of Bangkok, serving as the largest evacuation centre, was flooded with two meters of water. This led to the school's final exams to be postponed three times. As the situation continued, several floodgates controlling the Rangsit/Raphiphat canal system became overwhelmed and were forced to release water towards more residential areas. Residents of several districts of Bangkok, especially those bordering Pathum Thani, were told to prepare for flooding. 15 October, saw the beginning of what would be the total inundation of Muang Ake and Rangsit University. The Rangsit gymnasium served as the main means of exit from the town for those who did not have ability to leave on boat or four-wheel drive. An army truck transferred many to the Mo Chit bus station. The
Chao Phraya River The Chao Phraya River is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. Etymology Written evidence of the river being referred to by the ...
watershed Watershed may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage) Music * Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...
drains an area of . This entire area drains towards
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
and eventually empties into the sea. The Chao Phraya River itself, and pumping stations around Bangkok drain approximately per day. However, the releases from the dams upstream of Bangkok coupled with additional rainfall, led to estimates that of flood waters must be drained. The flow headed towards Bangkok equated to . Thailand's Royal Irrigation Department predicted, provided there is no new rain, that it would take 30–45 days for this quantity of water to reach the sea. Until water flows out to sea, it must go somewhere. This meant flooding on unprotected low-lying land. The amount of land inundated, and the height of peak flood waters was difficult to project for three reasons: *The exact amount of flood water flowing towards Bangkok was an estimate. *Flood waters flowing into the Bangkok area didn't arrive all at the same time. *The expanse of land area that flood waters can occupy before reaching the sea is variable depending on how well barriers hold.


Timeline of protecting downtown Bangkok

*6 November 2011 – Khomsan Maleesee, of the
KMITL King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL or KMIT Ladkrabang for short) is a research and educational institution in Thailand. It is situated in Lat Krabang District, Bangkok, approximately east of the city center. The universit ...
's Faculty of Engineering, stated, "The promise that the 20 districts in Bangkok that remain dry would not flood was now hardly credible." Other experts disagreed. On 1 November 2011 flooding in downtown Bangkok was seen as "unlikely" according to Dr Anond Snidvongs. *8 November 2011 – Todd Pitman, writing for the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
reported: "Top officials and experts have given varying estimates of how much Bangkok would flood and how long the threat would loom over the city." *9 November 2011 – Flooding still had not reached downtown Bangkok, however, yet another dire prediction was made. This one was by Graham Catterwell in ''
The Nation ''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...
''. While he conceded that it is hard to get a clear picture and he hopes flooding will not occur, that a citywide deluge is inevitable. *According to Catterwell's prediction made 9 November 2011. "Parts of central eastern Bangkok—notably (in sequence)
Bang Kapi Bang Kapi (, ) is one of the 50 districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. It is bounded by other Bangkok districts (from north clockwise): Bueng Kum, Saphan Sung, Prawet, Suan Luang, Huai Khwang, Wang Thonglang, and Lat Phrao. Name The na ...
, Ramkhamhaeng Road, Srinakharin Road, and Phetburi Road—look sure to be under water by early next week. After Phetburi Road goes under, it will not take long for these waters to flow to Sukhumvit and the rest of downtown Bangkok." *Also on 9 November 2011 Flood Relief Operations Command (FROC) director, Justice Minister Pracha Promnok, stated, "water was moving underground through the city's sewers" and he could not say if the heart of the capital and Rama 2 Road would be inundated. Rama 2 Road as of 9 November 2011 was the last remaining route open to southern Thailand and vital to supply cities with goods made in the Bangkok area. *10 November 2011 – Public official Chavalit Chatararatt, in a live televised analysis, predicted that Bangkok would be dry by 20 November 2011 provided all conditions were right. *10 November 2011 – The Thai Irrigation Department reported Bangkok flood waters could be drained in 11 days. Spokesman Mr Boonsanong dismissed reports the city could be hit by more water from the north. Floodwater was described as being from Rama 2 Road and the situation "hard to predict". *12 November 2011 – Prime Minister
Yingluck Yingluck Shinawatra (, , ; born 21 June 1967) is a Thai businesswoman, politician and a member of the Pheu Thai Party who was the 28th prime minister of Thailand from 2011 to 2014. Yingluck was Thailand's first List of elected or appointed fema ...
said that overall the situation in Bangkok was improving. However, "she declined to say how far the flood water would stray into inner Bangkok and whether the Bangchan Industrial Estate will be safe." This question required more evaluation and that effectiveness of flood control efforts was not a certainty. Drainage in western Bangkok required improvement and the coming high
tides Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ...
of mid-November were still a concern. *14 November 2011 – In apparent direct defiance of Prime Minister
Yingluck Yingluck Shinawatra (, , ; born 21 June 1967) is a Thai businesswoman, politician and a member of the Pheu Thai Party who was the 28th prime minister of Thailand from 2011 to 2014. Yingluck was Thailand's first List of elected or appointed fema ...
, in
Don Mueang District Don Mueang (, , ; ; ) is one of the 50 districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. It is bounded by (from north clockwise): Mueang Pathum Thani and Lam Luk Ka of Pathum Thani province; Sai Mai, Bang Khen and Lak Si of Bangkok; and Pak Kret ...
about 200 residents removed sand bags from a barrier that was described as one of the last lines of defense preventing water from flowing into Bangkok's upper districts. *14 and 18 November 2011 – More areas of
big bag ''Big Bag'' is an American live-action/animated puppet children's television series created by Nina Elias-Bamberger for Cartoon Network and Children's Television Workshop. It was targeted at preschool viewers. The show was co-produced by Carto ...
walls protecting unflooded areas of Bangkok were torn down by up to 2,000 residents tired of high flood waters in their area. Jate Sopitpongstorn, advisor to Bangkok's governor, said "It's a big concern because there is such a large amount of water yet to come in." *22 November 2011 – Siri Suparathit of the Rangsit University Center on Climate Change and Disaster reported steadily decreasing levels of flood waters in most areas around Bangkok and that even if the
big bag ''Big Bag'' is an American live-action/animated puppet children's television series created by Nina Elias-Bamberger for Cartoon Network and Children's Television Workshop. It was targeted at preschool viewers. The show was co-produced by Carto ...
wall was breached there "will be no problem". However, an estimated 20 million cubic meters of water per day still overflowed the Chao Phraya River and kept some areas north of downtown Bangkok flooded into December 2011. *27 November 2011 – Many neighborhoods in outer Bangkok remained inundated. Residents in flooded areas were coping with stagnant waters that had become breeding grounds for swarms of insects. *28 November 2011 – Downtown Bangkok appeared to have been successfully defended from inundation and flood waters in most areas were draining. Residents in areas that remained flooded grew impatient. Sandbag walls were sabotaged and sluice gate levels changed. Residents in some areas were said to be "poised to revolt".


Mitigation and relief efforts

Centralized flood monitoring and relief operations began in mid-August. Prime Minister
Yingluck Shinawatra Yingluck Shinawatra (, , ; born 21 June 1967) is a Thai businesswoman, politician and a member of the Pheu Thai Party who was the 28th prime minister of Thailand from 2011 to 2014. Yingluck was Thailand's first female prime minister and its yo ...
, appointed in early-August, made tours of flooded provinces beginning 12 August and assigned cabinet members and members of parliament to visit affected people, pledging support to local administration organizations. The 24/7 Emergency Operation Center for Flood, Storm and Landslide was set up on 20 August under the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department of the Ministry of Interior to coordinate warning and relief efforts. The government also allocated extra flood-relief budgets to the affected provinces. The prime minister also pledged to invest in long-term prevention projects, including the construction of drainage canals. The armed forces were mobilized to distribute aid to affected people, and civilian groups and organizations were also involved, with volunteers packing sustenance kits and delivering aid to some areas. A Flood Relief Operations Center (FROC) was set up at
Don Mueang Airport Don Mueang International Airport — known as Bangkok International Airport before 2006 — is one of two international airports serving Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, the other being Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). The airport is considered ...
to coordinate the delivery of aid, superseding the Emergency Operation Center because it could not exercise adequate authority. The stadium at Rangsit Campus of Thammasat University served as a shelter for evacuees, mostly from Ayutthaya. However, many people in the flooded areas refused to leave their homes for fear of looting. China, Japan, the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, the United States, and New Zealand pledged support and assistance for relief operations. On 16 October 2011, the aircraft carrier, as well as several other United States Navy ships were deployed to Thailand to assist in
relief work Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance, usually in the short-term, to people in need. Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and victims of natural disasters, wars, and famines. The primary objective of humanitarian a ...
. It was not clear to the US government whether or not the Thai government required US naval assistance due to mixed signals from the Thai government. An anonymous US defense official said that they were "ready to help but we haven't got a request". Then Captain John Kirby of the USS ''Mustin'', docked at Port
Laem Chabang Laem Chabang (, ) is a port city municipality (''thesaban nakhon'') in Si Racha and Bang Lamung districts of Chonburi Province, Thailand. It includes Thung Sukhla subdistrict (''tambon'') and parts of subdistricts Bueng, Nong Kham and Surasak o ...
on a routine visit, said Thailand asked the warship to prolong its stay at the port for up to six days for assistance in aerial surveillance of the extent the flooding. The Pentagon said two Seahawk helicopters aboard would conduct the reconnaissance.


Disputes

At the national level a debate raged as to whether the dams that store waters upstream of Bangkok were mismanaged. The size and scope of the 2011 flood can, in part, be attributed to the low rainfall of the 2010 monsoon season. Dam levels hit record lows in June 2010. The evidence shows that early in the season the dams collected large amounts of water building reserves and buffering early flooding. The scale of the rainfall of 2011 is evidenced by the quantity of water collected behind
Bhumibol Dam The Bhumibol Dam (''formerly known as the'' Yanhi Dam) is a concrete arch dam on the Ping River, a tributary of the Chao Phraya River, in Sam Ngao District of Tak Province, Thailand. It is about north of Bangkok and was built for the purposes of ...
. Over eight billion cubic meters of water were collected in three months, filling this dam to capacity. Once at capacity, continuing rains forced officials to increase flows from the dams despite increasing flooding and this led to accusations that the dams were mismanaged early in the monsoon season. However, the counter argument is that had the monsoon season for 2011 been short and the dam levels not built up, that even lower levels than 2010 would have been mismanagement too. As the flooding threat to Bangkok increased, discontent with the government response and the FROC mounted. The government was criticized for underestimating the extent of flooding, giving mixed or conflicting information, and not giving adequate warnings. Failure of governmental units to share data and cooperate were reported as contributing to the problem. FROC administrators and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) were criticized for playing politics and refusing to cooperate at the expense of the general population. Copying the technique suggested by King
Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until Death and funeral of Bhumibol Adulyadej, his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any List of Thai mo ...
to help quicken the flow of water through the much shallower Khlong Lad Pho canal, Yingluck placed hundreds of boats in the Chao Phraya River to accelerate the flow and drainage of the basin. Yingluck was criticized for this by Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, who called the operation a "waste of time" as there were high sea tide at the time. Smith Dharmasarojana, former Director-General of the Meteorological Department and Chairman of the National Disaster Warning Council Foundation, also criticized the operation, claiming that "accelerating boats in the middle of the wide Chao Phraya River is a waste because they propel only the water on the surface." However, others countered that boats wouldn't move forward unless they propelled water backwards. The middle ground to this dispute is that the overall power of the Chao Phraya River is tremendous compared to the additional power added to it by the engines of the boats. Later on 5 December 2011, the king was present at a public ceremony held on his 84th birthday anniversary, attended by senior public officers and broadcast live throughout the nation. He gave a public speech a part of which was: "...Especially, the people are now suffering from the inundation. Every person is obliged to together and without delay cope with this public danger. And all projects I have suggested, such as the project on permanent management of water, are merely an advice, not an order. The persons concerned must think twice bout them.." Sukhumbhand Paribatra, a member of the opposition party and Democrat Governor of Bangkok, apparently seized on the flood as an opportunity to
grandstand A grandstand is a normally permanent structure for seating spectators, typically at sports stadiums and including both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium i ...
and made comments such as "please believe me and only me", and charged that 800,000 sandbags provided by the federal government were of questionable construction. "Once I saw these paper bags I was in shock", he said, refusing the sandbags. In response, the government released photos of the bags, construction details, and suggested that the governor was perhaps ill-advised by a third party in an attempt to allow him to save some face. The use of flood barriers resulted in several disputes between people on the different sides. Those on the flooded side were angry that they were unfairly affected, and often attempted to sabotage the barriers, sometimes resulting in armed confrontation. Farmers in Phichit Province, among others, fought over the maintenance of sandbag barriers and sluice gates. Residents in areas outlying Bangkok are also dissatisfied that their homes are flooded while Bangkok was protected. Arguments over the construction of the controversial Kaeng Suea Ten Dam also arose. Local resistance to the building and maintenance of flood barriers disrupted work in several instances. Residents in some areas sabotaged barriers and threatened government workers at gunpoint.


Issues with car owners

Once the flood arrived at
Pathum Thani Province Pathum Thani (, ) is one of the central provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise): Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Nakhon Nayok, Chachoengsao, Bangkok, and Nonthaburi. The province is north of ...
, the media presented flood-related news more frequently and made car owners in Bangkok and nearby precincts panic. Many designated car parks were full at that time. Many parked their vehicles on expressways, at intersections, or anywhere they perceived would not get flooded. This aggravated traffic problems and there were several unreported accidents. No deaths were reported.


Communication deficiencies

One notable error in communications between Thai media and foreign companies was the lack of information in English. According to the
Bangkok Post The ''Bangkok Post'' is an English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. It is published in broadsheet and digital formats. The first issue was sold on 1 August 1946. It had four pages and cost one baht, a considerable amount ...
, Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, who was the chairperson for
Toshiba is a Japanese multinational electronics company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure systems, elevators and escalators, electronic components, semiconductors ...
Thailand at the time, commented that information received had been inaccurate, with different government agencies even releasing conflicting information at times. Other foreign investors shared this anxiety. Another notable example of insufficient communication was with Rohm Integrated Systems, one of the largest Japanese semiconductor manufacturers who had a manufacturing plant in Navanakorn. The company received very little information about the flood and could not move critical equipment in time.


Damage

The flooding has been described as "the worst flooding yet in terms of the amount of water and people affected". As of 6 November, flooding affected 3,151,224 people from 1,154,576 families, with 506 deaths and two missing persons reported by the 24/7 Emergency Operation Center for Flood, Storm and Landslide (EOC). Damage estimates of at least 185 billion baht in the latest estimate by the Federation of Thai Industry (central region) which includes 95 billion baht damage on Thai industry, 25 billion baht damage to Thai agriculture, and 65 billion baht damage to housing. A large part of the damage stemmed from the effect on the manufacturing industry, with 930 factories in 28 provinces affected, including several industrial estates in
Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to: * Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767 ** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom * Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locall ...
and
Pathum Thani Pathum Thani (, ) is a town ('' thesaban mueang'') in central Thailand, directly north of Bangkok. It is the capital of the Pathum Thani province, Thailand as well as the Mueang Pathum Thani district. As of 2005, it has a population of 18,320, c ...
Provinces. The flooding has been estimated to result in a decrease of 0.6–0.9 percent in economic growth. Schools, 1,053 of which were affected as of 19 September, were forced to end the term early. Employment was hurt when factories flooded and workers were laid off or fired. Not all factories were expected to reopen, causing significant long-term job loss in central Thailand. Thailand accounts for about 30 percent of global trade in rice and 25 percent of the main crop was not expected to survive the floods. On the other side of the world, rice farmers in Arkansas, usually accounting for 42 percent of US output, also were flooded early that year, and then faced drought, reducing their crop by 32 percent according to the USDA. Combined, these two events will have a global impact on rice prices. In Thailand, where rice farmers do not typically have much reserve capital, effects on farmers will be felt the greatest since they lost both their investment in the current crop and must wait to earn money when flood waters recede before planting a new one.


Damages to industrial estates and global supply shortages

On 8 October 2011 the 10-metre high water barrier in Nikom Rojna Industrial Estate, which housed many manufacturing plants, collapsed. The strong current interfered with reconstruction efforts and resulted in the area being non-operational. One of the major manufacturing plants, Honda, was left virtually inaccessible. Thailand is the world's second-largest producer of
hard disk drive A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating hard disk drive platter, pla ...
s, supplying approximately 25 percent of the world's production. Many of the factories that made hard disk drives were flooded, including
Western Digital Western Digital Corporation is an American data storage company headquartered in San Jose, California. Established in 1970, the company is one of the world's largest manufacturers of hard disk drives (HDDs). History 1970s Western Digital ...
's, leading some industry analysts to predict future worldwide shortages of hard disk drives. Western Digital was able to get one of their plants, flooded on 15 October 2011, restored and operating on 30 November 2011. The company's flood-related costs were estimated at between US$225–275 million; however, an insurance claim of US$50 million for property damage and another claim for business interruption would help lower the net impact. As a result, most hard disk drive prices almost doubled globally, which took approximately two years to recover. Due to the price increase, Western Digital reported a 31 percent revenue increase and a more than doubled profit for
fiscal year A fiscal year (also known as a financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. La ...
2012.


Impacts of flooding on other countries

The economies of other countries were significantly impacted by the flood. The country that was hardest hit was Japan. Japanese firms with plants in Thailand included Toyota, Honda, Hitachi, and Canon. One analyst predicted the profits of one firm, Toyota, may be cut by (). Worker incomes in Thailand and Japan were impacted. For some firms and countries the impact was not all negative. For example, Thailand is a major exporter of seafood and countries like India have firms that gained as they stepped to fill in the void. Thailand's flood helped contribute to a total estimated in economic losses for the first nine months of 2011. These losses represented 80 percent of the world's total economic losses and the insurance industry responded by raising rates in some areas between 50 and 200 percent or by not accepting new clients in Asia.


Damage to tourism

In early-November 2011, the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Suraphon Svetasreni, projected a combined loss as high as US$825 million owing to reduced international and national tourism. TAT projected that between 220,000 and 300,000 visitors would cancel their trips. Tourism numbers had been running higher than 2010 until the end of October 2011. Arrivals at Bangkok's airport were up 6.7 percent compared to October 2010 and same month last year, Phuket arrivals were up 28.5 percent. The TAT wanted tourists to know tourist destinations such as
Chiang Rai Chiang Rai (, ; , ) is the northernmost major city in Thailand, with a population of about 200,000 people. It is located in Mueang Chiang Rai District, Chiang Rai Province. Chiang Rai was established as a capital city in the reign of King Ma ...
,
Chiang Mai Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, second largest city in Thailan ...
,
Mae Hong Son Mae Hong Son (; , ) is a town ('' thesaban mueang'') in north-west Thailand, capital of Mae Hong Son Province. It is in the Shan Hills, near the border with Burma along the banks of the River Pai. As of 2018, the town had 7,066 inhabitants. The ...
, Pai,
Kanchanaburi Kanchanaburi (, ) is a town municipality ('' thesaban mueang'') in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. The town of lies to the southeast of Erawan National Park within Kanchanaburi Province, approximately 120km west of Bangkok. In 2006 it had a po ...
,
Ratchaburi Ratchaburi (, ) or Rajburi, Rat Buri) is a town ('' thesaban mueang'') in western Thailand, capital of Ratchaburi Province. Ratchaburi town covers the entire ''tambon'' Na Mueang (หน้าเมือง) of Mueang Ratchaburi District. As o ...
,
Pattaya Pattaya is a city in Eastern Thailand, the second-largest city in Chonburi province and the List of municipalities in Thailand, eighth-largest city in Thailand. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about southeast of Bangkok, and h ...
, Sattahip,
Chonburi Chonburi (, , IAST: , ) is the capital of Chonburi Province and, as part of the district Mueang Chonburi District, Mueang Chonburi, the List of municipalities in Thailand, seventh-largest city in Thailand. It is about 100 km southeast of Ba ...
, Chantaburi,
Phetchaburi Phetchaburi (, ) or Phet Buri () is a town ('' thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of Phetchaburi Province. In Thai, Phetchaburi means "city of diamonds" (''buri'' meaning "city" in Sanskrit). It is approximately 160 km south of ...
,
Hua Hin Hua Hin (, ) is one of eight districts (''amphoe'') of Prachuap Khiri Khan province in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula in Thailand. Its seat of government, also named Hua Hin, is a beach resort town. The district's population was estim ...
,
Cha-am Cha-am (, or ) is a district (''amphoe'') in the southern part of Phetchaburi province, western Thailand. The district was established in 1897 with the name ''Na Yang''. In 1914 the centre of the district was moved to Ban Nong Chok (now in Tha ...
,
Phuket Phuket (; , , or ''Tongkah'') is one of the Southern Thailand, southern Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, List of islands of Thailand, the country's largest island, and another 3 ...
,
Krabi Krabi (, ) is the capital of and main town in Krabi Province (''thesaban mueang''), on the west coast of southern Thailand, where the Krabi River flows into Phang Nga Bay. The town lies south of Bangkok, and as of 2020, has a population of 32, ...
,
Phang Nga Phang Nga (, , ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of Phang Nga Province. The town covers the whole ''tambon ''Tambon'' (, ) is a local governmental unit in Thailand. Below district (''amphoe'') and province ('' c ...
,
Surat Thani Surat Thani (, ) is a city in Amphoe Mueang Surat Thani, Surat Thani Province, southern Thailand. It lies south of Bangkok. It is the capital of Surat Thani Province. The city has a population of 132,040 (2019), and an area of . The city's ...
, Trang,
Satun Satun (, , ) is a town ('' thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of the Satun province. It covers the whole ''tambon'' Phiman of Mueang Satun. Satun lies 985 km south of Bangkok. As of 2005 it has a population of 21,498. Climat ...
,
Hat Yai Hat Yai (, , also Haad Yai or Had Yai) is a city in southern Thailand near the Malaysian border and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, fifth-largest city in Thailand with a population of 191,696 (2024) in ...
,
Rayong Rayong (, ) is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand and the capital of Rayong province. It covers tambons Tha Pradu and Pak Nam and parts of ''tambons'' Choeng Noen and Noen Phra, all within Mueang Rayong dist ...
,
Trat Trat (, ), also spelt Trad, is a town in Thailand, capital of Trat province and the Mueang Trat district. The town is in the east of Thailand, at the mouth of the Trat River, near the border with Cambodia. Etymology ''Trat'' is believed to d ...
,
Chumphon Chumphon (, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of the Chumphon Province and Mueang Chumphon District. The city is about 463 kilometers (288 miles) from Bangkok. As of 2018 it had a population of around 33,600. The t ...
,
Ranong Ranong () is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of the Ranong Province and the Mueang Ranong District. The town covers completely the area of the ''tambon'' Khao Niwet (เขานิเวศน์). As of 2024, it had ...
,
Ko Pha Ngan Ko Pha-ngan (, , ) is an island in the Gulf of Thailand in Surat Thani Province of southern Thailand. Ko Pha-ngan has two sister islands: the larger Ko Samui to the south and the smaller Ko Tao to the north. * Estimated perimeter: (estimated 10 ...
, and
Ko Samui Ko Samui (or Koh Samui), often locally shortened to Samui (, ), is an island off the east coast of Thailand. Geographically in the Mu Ko Samui, Chumphon Archipelago, it is part of Surat Thani Province, though as of 2012, Ko Samui was granted munic ...
had not been affected by flooding at all. If a section of Bangkok became temporarily inaccessible, visitors still had other options. Concerns about the ability to continue food supplies to some areas was evident in the media. Some retailers in Phuket were scrambling in October 2011 to establish alternatives when their regular distribution centers were flooded. An added concern became even more pressing when it became clear on 7 November 2011 that Rama II Road, the last open link to the south, was expected to flood. To offset this risk, plans were announced to mobilize teams to reclaim Highway 340 that in parts was under up to a meter of water. In December 2011, the
Miss Earth 2011 Miss Earth 2011, the 11th edition of the Miss Earth pageant, was held on December 3, 2011 at the University of the Philippines Theater, inside the campus of the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City, Philippines. Nicole Faria o ...
beauty pageant was set to be held in Bangkok, but was relocated to the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
.


Sanitation concerns

Effects of the trash and sewage in flood waters were expected to peak when waters subsided, leaving behind stagnant pools of water. A spokesman for
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
encouraged everyone to stay out of the water as much as possible. Since a household sanitation system does not operate under flood water, individuals who remained in flooded areas exposed themselves to risks and increased risks for those living downstream by continuing to generate more sewage and trash in waters carried downstream.


In popular culture

* ''
Modernine TV Channel 9 MCOT HD () is a Thai state-owned free-to-air television network launched on 24 June 1955. It is owned by MCOT. History In 1949, Sanpasiri Wirayasiri, a foreign correspondent for the Publicity Department (present-day Public Rela ...
'' had discussed on the 2011 Thailand floods on ''TimeLine'', 6 November 2017, in "2011 - The City that was Submerged".


See also

*
1997 Southeast Asian haze The 1997 Southeast Asian haze was an international air pollution disaster that occurred during the second half of 1997, its after-effects causing widespread atmospheric visibility and health problems within Southeast Asia. Considered the most ...
*
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time ( UTC+7), a major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2–9.3 struck with an epicentre off the west coast of Aceh in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The undersea megathrust earthquake, known in the sci ...
*
2010 Thai floods A series of flash floods hit different areas of Thailand and Malaysia in 2010. Separate but related floods began in Isaan, Northeast and Central Thailand (per the six-region definition) in early October due to abnormally late monsoon moisture o ...
*
2011 Southeast Asian floods The 2011 monsoon season saw one record flood event in Indochina across several countries and a few separate limited flood events parts of the same nations: Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar and heavy flooding in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Laos also sustained ...
*
2011 Southern Thailand floods The 2011 Thai floods occurred at the end of March 2011, normally the latter part of the dry season ( or ) in tropical Thailand. Heavy rain fell in the Southern Thailand, southern region, with over of rain falling in certain areas. Impact At l ...
*
Floods in Thailand Floods in Thailand are regular natural disasters in Thailand which happen nearly every year during the monsoon season. The monsoon seasons in the country are distinct by region, the southern part mirrors the Malay Peninsula and monsoon begins i ...


Notes


References


External links

* Thai Meteorological Department
''Rainfall and severe flooding over Thailand in 2011''
* {{cite AV media , date=9 November 2017 , title=Floods: Challenging our future, language=EN , url=http://www.dw.com/en/floods-challenging-our-future-part-1/av-41308108 , access-date=2017-11-13 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171109043027/http://www.dw.com/en/floods-challenging-our-future-part-1/av-41308108, archive-date=2017-11-09, type=Video , time= 11:50-20:15, publisher=Deutsche Welle 2011 floods in Asia Floods in Thailand 2011 in Thailand 2011 disasters in Thailand