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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020853

Floodplains north of Bangkok nearing capacity as more rain forecast

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 08, 2022

The 12 natural floodplains north of Bangkok are nearing their capacity to hold water, according to data from the National Water Resources Office (NWRO).

Some of the floodplains, which soak up floodwater and cushion the capital against river overflows, have even exceeded capacity following a series of storms in recent weeks.

The 12 water-retention areas span 1.15 million rai (184,000 hectares) in the lower Chao Phraya River Basin and are capable of holding about 1.5 billion cubic metres of excess water.

The low-lying areas comprise mainly rice fields. Local farmers often harvest their crops before the arrival of the monsoon brings heavy downpours and overflows from the upper parts of the country.

When areas of economic significance, particularly Bangkok, are no longer threatened by river overflows, the Royal Irrigation Department pumps out floodwater from the plains to prepare them for the next cultivation season.

The 12 water retention areas are Thung Chiang Rak, Thung Tha Wung, Chai Nat-Pasak Canal’s Left Plain, Thung Bang Kum, Thung Bang Kung, Thung Bang Ban-Baan Pan, Thung Pa Mok, Thung Pak Hai, Thung Chao Chet, Thung Pho Phraya, Phraya Banlue Operation and Maintenance Project, and Southern Rangsit Operation and Maintenance Project.

Thung Bang Kum and Thung Bang Kung have now exceeded their total water retention capacity of 160 million cubic metres, according to the NWRO. Most of the other plains are at between 64 and 82 per cent of capacity.

The Thai Meteorological Department forecasts more heavy rain across the whole country this week.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020852

Drivers in Thailand can use the phone, but handsfree with Bluetooth device

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 08, 2022

Motorists can use their mobile phones while behind the wheel, provided they don’t hold the device in their hands, says a new police directive enforced on Friday.

The Royal Thai Police decree, issued by outgoing national police chief Pol General Suwat Jongyodsuk on September 28, went into effect after being announced in the Royal Gazette on Friday.

The directive, which is a new amendment to the Land Traffic Act, clarifies that car drivers can use the phone wirelessly or with a Bluetooth device, which allows them to speak without having to hold it.

Motorists will also be allowed to attach their phones to the dashboard or windscreen in a manner that does not block their view of the traffic.

Violators stand to face a penalty of 400 to 1,000 baht.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020848

600 police officers to take position at Bangkok Apec Summit

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 08, 2022

THE NATION

The Metropolitan Police Bureau will deploy a team of 600 or so police officers to direct the traffic and ensure security during the 2022 Apec Economic Leaders’ Summit in Bangkok from November 16 to 18.

Spokesman Pol Maj-General Jirasan Kaewsaengaek told the press on Saturday that security preparations for the Apec summit are now nearly 80 per cent complete.

The officers have undergone training in directing traffic, leading motorcades of Apec delegates as well as undergoing security and evacuation drills in case of emergency. Metropolitan police will hold a final security drill again in early November together with Foreign Ministry officials, Jirasan said.

“The bureau is confident that this event will be a success and will boost Thailand’s reputation,” he said.

Earlier this week, the Cabinet announced that November 16 to 18 will be marked as public holidays to create a five-day weekend in the hope that Bangkokians will leave the capital and traffic will be lighter.

Separately, Jirasan also provided the latest update on the complaint a Klong Toey street food vendor had filed, saying a so-called mafia gang had stopped him from setting up his stall on Thursday. The spokesman said police have identified the four suspects, including the one wielding a handgun, and expect to make arrests on Saturday.

Jirasan said the initial investigation revealed that the four men were also vendors in the area and so far, no connections have been found between them and local politicians or government officials as initially suspected.

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020842

Fear of copycat shooting sparks tighter security measures at Bangkok schools

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 08, 2022

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt on Saturday ordered round-the-clock security at city schools following Thursday’s massacre at a nursery in Nong Bua Lamphu province.

“Don’t think that such an incident won’t happen [in Bangkok]. There could be copycat behaviour. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration must take more measures to prevent outsiders from entering schools and there must be a warning system,” Chadchart said.

He ordered Bangkok public schools to screen all people entering or leaving their premises. Police and city law enforcement officers have also been deployed to direct traffic and provide security in school areas.

Fears of a copycat attack rose on Friday when a man high on drugs and carrying guns was arrested by police outside a Nakhon Si Thammarat school as he tried to take a child away.

Chadchart said the BMA will also increase measures to curb narcotic abuse in the city, starting with helping communities to take care of drug addicts.

“Bangkok aims to become free of ya ba,” he said, referring to rampant methamphetamine abuse. “That may be difficult and there are things beyond our control, but communities must be strengthened to improve.”

Chadchart said the BMA had not previously focused on tackling the drug problem but the massacre in Nong Bua Lamphu was a turning point.

Former policeman Panya Khamrab, thought to have been a methamphetamine addict, shot and knifed 37 people to death — 24 of them children — during a rampage on Thursday.

On Friday, BMA Education Department director Kriangkrai Chongcharoen visited Wat Ratchanadda School in Phra Nakhon district during inspections of Bangkok schools’ preparedness for possible shooting attacks.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020838

The King sponsors bathing rites for 36 Nong Bua Lamphu massacre victims

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 08, 2022

THE NATION

His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn is graciously sponsoring the bathing rites of 36 victims of the mass shooting in Nong Bua Lamphu province on Thursday. The rites will be held at 3pm on Saturday.

A sacked cop shot down and knifed some 36 people, including 24 children, before turning the gun on himself on Thursday. Of the 10 people injured in the attack, eight are in critical condition.

The funerals will be held at three temples in Nong Bua Lamphu’s Na Klang district, with rites for 20 victims being held at Wat Rat Samakkhi, 10 at Wat Si Uthai, and six at Wat Thep Mongkhol Phichai.

The shooter’s body is undergoing autopsy and his funeral has not been scheduled yet.

A source said people have been pouring into Wat Rat Samakkhi to pay their respects to the deceased and place wreaths. Several organisations have also lent the temple tents, tables and chairs, while many volunteers have stepped in to prepare the venue for the royally sponsored bathing rites in the afternoon.

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020839

15,000 litre fuel container flips into ditch, sparking explosion fears in Prachinburi

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 08, 2022

THE NATION

A 15,000-litre fuel truck trailer flipped over into a roadside ditch in Kabin Buri district, Prachinburi on Saturday, sparking fears of a possible explosion.

Rescue workers rushed to scene, 150 kilometres east of Bangkok, after receiving a report that the fuel container had tipped over in front of a convenience store on Highway 304.

They discovered the container and trailer bed lying on its side in the ditch.

One person was reported injured in the accident.

The truck flipped just 200 metres away from a filling station and close to a residential community, police station, court, hospital, market and shops.

However, fears of disaster were alleviated when rescuers found no fuel leaking from the truck’s container.

The driver of the truck, Navin Klongkut, 35, said he was trying to avoid holes in the road when the trailer slipped into the ditch, disconnected and overturned. He said the accident shook the cab, causing him to fall off his seat, but he managed to drive to the convenience store.
 

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020835

Ubol Ratana Dam to increase discharge, flood downstream areas in Khon Kaen

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 08, 2022

THE NATION

People living downstream of Ubol Ratana Dam in Khon Kaen have been advised to shift to higher ground as the dam’s water discharge rate will be increased from next week.

Provincial governor Kraisorn Kongchalard said on Saturday that the dam is currently 24 per cent above its optimal level, so increasing the water discharge rate from 41 million cubic metres to 50 million is necessary to prevent any impact on the dam’s structural integrity.

“The areas upstream of the dam have been hit with heavy rain because of the Noru storm since October 2, causing about 187 million cubic metres of water to flow into the dam daily. In comparison, the discharge rate is just 41 million cubic metres per day,” he said.

“Upstream areas in Khon Kaen and Nong Bua Lamphu have been flooded over the past week and we expect flood waters to rise further to about 80 centimetres this week due to continued heavy rain.”

He said over the next five days, the Ubon Ratana Dam is expected to receive another 800 to 1,000 million cubic metres of water. This will add another 1.84 metres to the water level which is 3.01 billion cubic metres now.

“Increasing the water discharge to 50 million cubic metres will cause downstream areas to get flooded. The province has therefore warned people to prepare for evacuation and move their belongings to a higher place. They are also advised to follow the latest updates regularly,” the governor said.

Built in 1964 and managed by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, Ubol Ratana Dam or formerly Phong Neeb Dam, is used for electricity generation, irrigation, flood control, transportation, fishery and as a tourist attraction.

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020834

Tracking the Nong Bua Lamphu killings

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 08, 2022

THE NATION

The world has joined Thailand in mourning the shooting down of 37 people, including 24 small children, in a Nong Bua Lamphu nursery on Thursday. Here is a short bio of the killer and a timeline of the massacre:

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020833

FIFA World Cup will be free to watch in Thailand, says SAT

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 08, 2022

THE NATION

The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) says it will buy the licence for live broadcasts of the FIFA World Cup 2022 if private broadcasters fail to do so, to ensure Thailand viewers can watch the matches for free.

SAT governor Kongsak Yodmanee said on Friday that so far no company had contacted the organiser or FIFA to purchase the broadcast rights for the tournament, scheduled to take place in Qatar from November 21 to December 18.

“Thais must be able to watch the World Club live for free under the ‘must-have’ rule. If no private operators are interested in purchasing the licence, the SAT will buy it,” he said. “Money to buy the rights could come from the government or the National Sports Development Fund. However, we hope that a private company will strike a broadcast deal with the organiser soon.”

The must-have rule, imposed by National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission since 2012, mandates that several key sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup finals, must be made available on free television.

Other sport events covered by this rule are the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, SEA Games, Asean Para Games, Asian Games and Asian Para Games.

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020832

Phuket flight capacity rises to 70% but China airlines still staying away

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 08, 2022

THE NATION

Phuket Airport is now operating at 70 per cent of its flight capacity thanks to the improving Covid-19 situation, airport director Monchai Tanode said on Friday.

From January to August, 9,167 domestic and international flights landed at the airport, carrying a total of 849,406 passengers – or about 7,400 per day on average.

Monchai said the airport expects to see at least 30,000 passengers per day from November, when high season starts. Of these, more than half (16,000-18,000) should be Thais, he added.

Passenger numbers at the airport have jumped to about 10,000 per day this month after a rise in Thai tourists booking flights to Phuket since October 1.

Meanwhile, airlines from Europe, the Middle East, Scandinavia, Turkey and South Korea say they will resume flights to Phuket towards the end of this year.

“We are also expecting flights from new airlines, such as Russia’s Aeroflot, which will launch two services per day to Phuket from October 30, and a Myanmar chartered flight operator who will fly here three times a week,” he said.

The 30 per cent of Phuket flights not yet restored are from China, which still has tight travel restrictions.

However, Monchai expects Phuket Airport to see 13 million passengers next year before returning to pre-Covid levels of 18 million passengers in 2024.

THE NATION