Military
leaders were forming a consensus yesterday to ask the prime minister to declare
a state of emergency in order to increase the efficiency of efforts to protect
the capital from flooding, a source said.
The move came after angry residents, particularly
in Pathum Thani, which is immediately upriver from Bangkok, destroyed walls of
sandbags built to protect important areas.
Runoff from upstream provinces flooded Pathum
Thani's business district Friday, with some areas submerged under a metre of
water.
The flood level on Pattana Samphan Road in
Muang district stood at about a metre, while it was higher at the Charoen Phol
Market. Several roads were impassable and residents had to take boats to get
around.
Provincial authorities advised local residents
to move to a shelter set up at Pathum Wilai School, which should be able to
accommodate some 600 people. The shelter saw at least 40 evacuees yesterday.
Military trucks and fourwheeldrive vehicles
were used to evacuate people from flooded housing estates, such as Muban
Parichart.
Dry spots became scarce for people to park
their cars, and motorists had to leave their vehicles on bridges.
Traffic on passable or partially inundated
roads became congested, with particularly severe jams near the Pathum Thani
Provincial Organisation office and Pathum Thani Hospital.
Severe flooding forced 15 banks in Pathum
Thani to be closed yesterday, up from nine on Thursday, according to the Bank
of Thailand, which reported that 108 bank branches had suspended their services
as of yesterday.
Another 56 bank branches in Ayutthaya have
been temporarily closed, 31 in Nakhon Sawan, two in Sing Buri, and one each in
Chai Nat, Nonthaburi, Lop Buri and Bangkok (Krung Thai Bank's Lat Krabang
branch).
In Nakhon Sawan, the flooding worsened
yesterday, with water levels remaining high and the province's business and
administrative areas heavily inundated.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra visited
Pathum Thani, immediately upriver from Bangkok, to inspect the flooding
situation Friday.
ustice Minister Pracha Promnok, who is leading
the Flood Relief Operation Centre, and Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand
Paribatra accompanied the premier.
During his briefing, Pathum Thani Governor
Pirasak Hinmuangkao told Yingluck that the existing flood embankments would be
made 30 centimetres higher. The embankments are more than 50cm higher than the
water levels.
Meanwhile, Rangsit Canal in Pathum Thani
overflowed and partly flooded the outbound sections of VibhavadiRangsit Road
yesterday, from the Si Mum Muang Market to Future Park department store. The
road in front of Rangsit University was also flooded.
Pathum Thani Hospital director Dr Songpol
Chawatanpipat yesterday warned residents to watch out for venomous snakes,
adding that seven people were admitted on Thursday night alone with snake
bites.
Residents of the White House estate in Pathum
Thani, which was badly inundated in 1995 when its flood embankments collapsed,
remained hopeful yesterday that they would be able to prevent a recurrence.
Though many residents have moved their
belongings out of the housing estate, several are still keeping a close watch on
the flood barriers. Local administrator Pichet Harnjangsit said the embankments
should be strong enough to withstand the water pressure.
The News Desk
The Nation (Thailand)
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