Cargo ships traversing Ang Thong province were forced to be extra careful while sailing under a bridge on Thursday amid a higher than usual Chao Phraya water level.
If the river level increases further, ships would be unable to sail under bridges.
The Ayutthaya Marine Office has already banned cargo ships from sailing at night to prevent any risk of accident.
The water level at the C7A irrigation station near Ang Thong Provincial Hall was 7.24 metres to mean sea level, up 12cm as Chai Nat’s Chao Phraya Dam had increased its water drainage to 1,763 cubic metres per second.
Separately, the Ang Thong Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office said 297 residences in Pa Mok and Wiset Chai Chan districts have been inundated. Of these, 116 houses are located in Pa Mok district and 181 in Wiset Chai Chan.
Water levels in the Chao Phraya and Noi rivers in Ayutthaya province, which have been steadily increasing since earlier this week, have started to overflow into low plains.
Local authorities have advised people residing near the rivers to monitor the situation closely and move their belongings to higher ground.
Vehicles are now being parked on highway shoulders to escape the flood, while some villagers whose houses have already been inundated have had to live in temporary tents provided by the province.
At Bang Ban canal in Bang Ban district, the newly built water gate has helped keep water flow at the optimum level instead of flooding canal-side communities as in the past.
Authorities however estimate that if the Chao Phraya River keeps rising, the water level might exceed the gate capacity and could flood some of the canal-side areas.
The 16-kilometre canal is connected to the Chao Phraya and runs through 10 Ayutthaya subdistricts.
Thailand’s flooded areas in August were three times lower compared to the inundated areas recorded in August 2011, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) reported on Wednesday.
It said August 2011 was when the country was hit with major floods as a result of the La Niña phenomenon that made the rainy season arrive sooner than usual. This was made worse by several storms and monsoon troughs that had covered Thailand since earlier that year, resulting in a 35 per cent increase in average rainfall.
In August 2021 satellite images recorded a total of 5.59 million rai of flood areas across Thailand, while this year flooded areas were only 1.85 million rai, the GISTDA said.
“The La Niña phenomenon also occurred this year, bringing rain to Thailand sooner than expected,” said the agency. “However, there are yet to be any storms or monsoons that have directly affected Thailand, so the overall rainfall is not as high as in 2011.”
Several agencies have learned a lesson from the 2011 floods and are therefore better prepared for possible floods this year, GISTDA said.
The measures that have been implemented include accelerating the release of water from dams into the Gulf of Thailand during low tide and eliminating blockages at waterways near flood-prone areas.
“Furthermore, agencies have been following updates on weather conditions and water levels while evaluating the risk of floods periodically, enabling them to issue warnings to people in time,” the agency added.
According to GISTDA, the flooded areas in August last year, however, were only 22,532 rai as the country had suffered from drought and a delayed rainy season.
Don’t get caught in a downpour: many parts of Thailand will experience isolated heavy showers until next week (September 1 to 6) due to a moderate southwest monsoon prevailing over the country, the Andaman Sea and the Gulf, the Meteorological Department said on Thursday.
From September 4-6, the monsoon trough will cover the North and the Northeast, resulting in isolated heavy to very heavy rains throughout the country, the department announced.
It warned people to beware of rain accumulation that may cause flash floods and overflows, especially along waterways near foothills and lowlands.
Meanwhile, waves in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf will likely be about 2 metres high and above 2 metres during thundershowers until next Wednesday. All ships are advised to proceed with caution and steer clear of areas experiencing thundershowers.
Here’s the weather forecast for September 1-6:
Bangkok and surrounding areas
September 1-3: Scattered thundershowers with isolated heavy rains.
September 4-6: Scattered to fairly widespread thundershowers.
Temperature lows of 24-28 degrees and highs of 32-36 degrees Celsius.
North
September 1-3: Scattered thundershowers with isolated heavy rain.
September 4-6: Scattered to fairly widespread thundershowers with isolated heavy rains.
Temperature lows of 22-27 degrees and highs of 30-37 degrees Celsius.
Northeast
September 1-3: Isolated to scattered thundershowers with isolated heavy rains.
September 4-6: Scattered to fairly widespread thundershowers with isolated heavy to very heavy showers.
Temperature lows of 22-27 degrees and highs of 29-36 degrees Celsius.
Central
September 1-3: Isolated to scattered thundershowers.
September 4-6: Scattered to fairly widespread thundershowers with isolated heavy to very heavy rains.
Temperature lows of 22-27 degrees and highs of 31-37 degrees Celsius.
East
September 1-3: Scattered to fairly widespread thundershowers with isolated heavy rains.
September 4-6: Scattered to fairly widespread thundershowers with isolated heavy to very heavy showers.
Waves about 2 metres high and over 2 metres during thundershowers.
Temperature lows of 23-28 degrees and highs of 29-36 degrees Celsius.
South (east coast)
September 1-3: Scattered thundershowers.
September 4-6: Scattered to fairly widespread thundershowers with isolated heavy rains.
Waves 1-2 metres high and about 2 metres during thundershowers.
Temperature lows of 22-27 degrees and highs of 31-36 degrees Celsius.
South (west coast)
September 1-3: Scattered to fairly widespread thundershowers with isolated heavy rains.
September 4-6: Scattered to fairly widespread thundershowers with isolated heavy to very heavy showers.
Waves about 2 metres high and over 2 metres during thundershowers.
Temperature lows of 23-27 degrees and highs of 30-36 degrees Celsius.
A global-warming expert warned on Wednesday that Bangkok could face massive flooding similar to what happened in 2011 mainly because of possible 1,200-millimetre rainfall or the so-called “100-year-level rains”.
Dr Seri Suprathit, director of Rangsit University’s Climate Change and Disaster Centre, also urged the government to start preparing now or rising seas would swamp the capital in a mere 20 years.
Seri said Bangkok could be hit with 1,200mm rainfall during September, October and November.
He reiterated his centre’s forecast that the country could be hit by 23 storms this year. Eight storms have passed but 15 more are to come.
Seri’s apocalyptic view of possible storms earlier prompted the government to issue a “fake news warning” and urge the public to monitor and believe information only from the Meteorological Department.
Seri warned that the heaviest rainfall would be similar to heavy downpours in Seoul recently that caused massive flooding there. The Seoul situation was dubbed “80-year-level” rains.
“The chance is high that the situation here will be similar to the massive floods in 2011 because the amount of rainfall would be similar,” Seri claimed.
“In 2011, the floodwaters came very fast from upstream and by water released from dams. But this year, the floods would be caused by rainfall and by the fact that the storm belt would move down to the central region, causing all rice fields to be flooded and spilling over to economic areas,” he warned.
Seri forecast the heavy rains that could last for days would fall between September and November.
He said his centre would be able to predict coming storms about ten days in advance and the amount of rainfall.
He expressed concern whether farmers in the Chao Phraya basin, whose rice fields would become flood retention areas, would be able to harvest their rice within 15 days on being alerted that storms were coming.
Seri also called on the government to make models of possible weather scenarios to warn people in advance so that they would cooperate in mitigation measures.
Seri said Bangkok and suburban areas are at risk of being inundated and the capital might have to be moved out if nothing was done to avert a disaster.
He explained three major factors for likely flooding in greater Bangkok:
– Rainfall. Fifteen more storms would possibly hit Thailand and might unleash more than 1,200mm rainfall or the so-called “100-year rains”.
– Runoffs and overflowing rivers, which would be caused by heavy rains in upper Thailand. Seri said the heaviest rainfalls there would happen in October.
– Rising sea water. Seri is “very worried” as it could be permanent.
“Rainfall and runoffs occur in the rainy season, but the phenomenon of permanent high sea levels is very worrying. Foreign research ranks Bangkok seventh highest at risk of flooding caused by constantly rising seas,” the director pointed out.
He noted that earlier studies by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Japan and Nasa found that Bangkok’s seashores would be under water because of a sea rise.
“Together with high amounts of rain and runoffs, Bangkok would be sandwiched with flood troubles and it would unavoidably go under water,” he warned.
Seri said it required urgent measures from the national government to avert the effect of a sea rise as the Bangkok governor would not have enough power to carry out such megaprojects.
The climate-change expert said it would require the building of a comprehensive network of seashore embankments, similar to those constructed in South Korea, to prevent flooding from rising sea levels. He noted that embankments to prevent inundation at Changi took 30 years to complete.
Moreover, he said, the entire drainage system of Bangkok would have to be overhauled as the current one could no longer handle the flood situation.
Seri said comprehensive seashore embankments would prevent flooding in Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram and Chachoengsao.
However, the megaprojects would affect the way of life of local people like fishermen.
Seri was the one who came out to warn about massive flooding in Bangkok in 2011. At that time, his centre used scales of numbers of whales to illustrate the amount of massive floodwaters that would flow down to Bangkok because the Yingluck government miscalculated the water amount and had to release huge volumes of water from reservoirs after a series of big storms. His warning was dismissed by the government at that time.
Chinese people or descendants hoping to find a partner or tie the knot are set to ask the god of marriage and love, Yue Lao, for his blessing during the Moon Festival on September 10.
The festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night.
‘Old Man under the Moon’
Yue Lao, also known as “Old Man under the Moon”, is a god of marriage and love in Chinese mythology.
The statue holds a book of marriage and, according to belief, lists who is going to marry whom, while he holds a cane in his right hand. The red cords he is seen carrying are for tying around the hand of a couple.
Chinese legend has it that a young man named Wei Gu met an old man leaning on his pack reading a book in the moonlight. The old man, carrying a list in his hand, introduced himself as someone responsible for matching couples.
He pointed to a picture of a three-year-old girl and told Wei Gu that she would become his wife later in life. Wei Gu did not love or even like her, so he ordered someone to assassinate the girl. But she survived.
After several years, she grew into a beautiful young woman but had a tell-tale wound on her eyebrow – the wound that carried the scar of the assassination. Wei Gu later married her, not knowing then that she was the little girl he wanted killed. When he asked about the wound and the girl explained how she got it, he knew she was the girl the old man said he would marry.
Other blessings
Apart from seeking a blessing for love, people also pray for other blessings:
Praying for prosperity: This part of the festival is celebrated after the harvesting season. People make mooncakes to share with others.
Praying for love and unity: Apart from the legend, mooncakes were used by revolutionaries as messages in their efforts to overthrow the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. Chinese also see the moon as a medium for sending their love and best regards to family members and relatives.
Praying for fortune, money and love: In astrology, the moon represents the female form, fortune, charm, and kindness. Therefore, worshipping the moon is believed to bring fortune and love.
Worshipping the moon
A site is prepared in the open from which the moon can be seen clearly.
A table of offerings is set up and the area decorated with lamps.
Offerings are placed on the table and include mooncakes (even numbers), clean water, things relating to beauty – such as perfume or face powder – fresh flowers, three to five fruits, tea, three to five incense sticks, two red candles, and also gold and silver papers.
The table is always set up before the evening and cleaned before the moon moves directly overhead.
Worshipping is carried out in the evening facing the east, with prayers being offered for love, charm, kindness, career, and good fortune. The food offering is eaten when the incense nearly burns out and clean water is sprinkled on one’s body.
Thailand must urgently increase investment in quality and timely mental health care for children and adolescents in order to prevent serious lifelong damage to their health, development and future, according to a new UNICEF-led study on adolescent mental health released on Tuesday
An estimated 1 in 7 adolescents aged 10-19 and 1 in 14 children aged 5-9 have mental health disorders in Thailand, according to a new study Strengthening Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Systems and Services for Children and Adolescents in East Asia and Pacific Region: Thailand Country Report 2022 developed by Unicef, the Ministry of Public Health, the Institute for Population and Social Research and Burnet Institute.
Suicide is currently the third leading cause of death among adolescents in the country. According to the 2021 Global School-based Student Health Survey, 17.6 per cent of adolescents aged 13–17 had recently seriously considered suicide.
“This data is really alarming, but even more worrying is that this is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Kyungsun Kim, Unicef Representative for Thailand. “Millions of children and adolescents in Thailand are suffering from poor mental health including stress, anxiety and depression due to many factors such as violence, bullying, loneliness, uncertainty as well as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Sadly, they are often hidden under the surface because of stigma and lack of access to appropriate information, screening, support and services.”
Poor mental health can cause serious and long-term impacts on the health, learning and participation of children and adolescents, limiting their ability to develop and reach their full potential.
The study notes that while Thailand has made important progress in addressing child and adolescent mental health, especially in national policy and legislation as well as specific responses in the health sector, there are still crucial gaps in addressing adolescent mental health such as inadequate budget, limited coordination among different service sectors as well as insufficient psychiatrists and skilled workforce across all sectors.
The report further notes that Thailand must develop a collective vision and multi-sectoral plan in order to address the alarming suicide rate and mental health issues faced by children and adolescents nationwide. The country must also urgently increase investments and interventions across education, social welfare and justice sectors to ensure that children and adolescents, especially the most vulnerable are mentally healthy and receive timely and quality support, care and services that meet their specific needs.
“If we don’t take care of our children and adolescents’ mental well-being properly, we are putting the whole society in jeopardy,” Kim added. “What we need is a comprehensive mental health support system that is a national priority in order to prevent any disastrous societal and economic losses for the nation. Unicef is committed to working with the Ministry of Public Health and all sectors of Thailand in ensuring that the mental health support system meets the needs of children and adolescents and that it reaches them before it’s too late.”
Investigators from the Department of Special Investigation on Wednesday summoned a former Kaeng Krachan National Park chief and three alleged accomplices to hear more charges over the murder of a Karen rights activist in 2014.
Acting on an order from the public prosecutors of the Department of Special Litigation of the Office of the Attorney-General, the DSI investigators summoned Chaiwat Limlikit-aksorn to hear more charges. The three other suspects are Bunthaen Butsarakham, Thanaset Chaemthet, and Kritsanapong Chitthet.
The four face additional charges of collusion to use weapons to force another person to do something or concede something by making him fear that his life, body, liberty, reputation or assets would be in danger.
The four suspects face charges of abduction and murdering Porlajee “Billy” Rakchongcharoen, a leader of the Karen Ban Pong Luek community inside the park in Kaeng Krachan district of Phetchaburi province.
They were summoned to meet the investigators at the DSI head office inside Government Complex in Bangkok’s Lak Si district at 10am after which their case would be forwarded to the public prosecutor for arraignment.
The attorney-general issued an order on August 10 to settle the dispute over what charges the four suspects should face.
The four face a long list of charges:
Collusion in committing a premeditated murder for retaining their interest earned from other offences and to cover up their wrongdoings and to avoid penalties in other crimes committed
Collusion to use weapons to force another person to do something or concede something by making him fear that his life, body, liberty, reputation or assets would be in danger
Collusion to detain a person unlawfully, resulting in the death of the detainee
Collusion to disguise the cause of death or change the surroundings of the area where the body was found before an official autopsy could be performed with a goal to change autopsy results.
Billy was last seen on April 17, 2014 when he was detained by Chaiwat and several park officers at Ma Rew checkpoint inside the national park.
Chaiwat has always denied the accusations, saying he had nothing to do with Billy’s “disappearance”.
Billy was a member of the Tambon Huay Mae Priang Administrative Organisation in Kaeng Krachan district and had been an activist campaigning for the rights of Karen people, especially their right to reside in forests that were declared as national park later.
He was a grandson of the spiritual leader of the Karen community, who died in October 2018 at the age of 107.
Billy was also a key witness in the case against park officials who burned houses of the Karen community in 2010 and 2011 in an attempt to force them to leave the forests.
The government has provided 603,060 free cancer treatments under the universal healthcare or “gold card” programme in fiscal 2022, a government spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
Deputy spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek said the free cancer treatments were provided from October 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, by the National Health Security Office under the Prayut government’s policy that “no one would be left behind” in terms of healthcare.
Ratchada said the policy was aimed at increasing free healthcare services under the gold card system to cover more diseases and allow patients to conveniently receive treatment from primary healthcare units nationwide without being charged or rejected.
She said the government initially expected to provide some 339,000 cancer treatments, but the real figure almost doubled.
After patients are diagnosed with cancer, he or she will need to consult doctors on choosing a particular healthcare unit to receive treatment at their convenience.
Patients can choose telemedicine, tele-pharmacy or home-based chemotherapy if applicable, depending on their condition and the judgement of doctors, Ratchada said.
Tele-healthcare services can reduce expenses on travelling to hospital, she said.
The figure showed patients can access treatment more conveniently in line with the government’s policy to allow access to cancer treatment from anywhere, the spokeswoman added.
The pet-friendly chartered flight “Paws Can Fly Season 1” flew around 50 dogs with their delighted owners from Bangkok to Chiang Mai for a frolicking time.
The Nok Air flight, which flew from Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok to Chiang Mai International Airport on Tuesday, carried several popular influencers and actresses.
Organised by pet food company JerHigh, it was a chartered flight that transported the most dogs so far in Thailand.
Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association president Pacha Rattanaphan welcomed the flight by organising pet-friendly accommodations and restaurant visits.
Pacha said Thailand is campaigning for allowing dogs on flights seated next to their owners, but accommodations or restaurants still do not accept passengers with pets.
However, more and more accommodations or restaurants, especially in Chiang Mai, are beginning to welcome them.
He said this would be another tourism group to generate revenue for the province.
Pacha was delighted with the flight as he usually brings along his pet to Chiang Mai while flying to the province, but this was the first time his pet was able to sit beside him.
He said his dog did not look scared or timid during the flight.
“The chance is high that the situation here will be similar to the massive floods in 2011 because the amount of rainfall would be similar,” Seri claimed.
Seri said it required urgent measures from the national government to avert the effect of a sea rise as the Bangkok governor would not have enough power to carry out such megaprojects.
The four face a long list of charges:
Patients can choose telemedicine, tele-pharmacy or home-based chemotherapy if applicable, depending on their condition and the judgement of doctors, Ratchada said.
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