Chao Phraya River

Yesterday Alan and I went to see for ourselves just how full the river really is.  As you can see, it is very full.  It was also fast moving.

Under the bridge by Saphan Taksin BTS

They have recently started changing this spot, you can see they have stopped construction.  They had contained the water more with a wall, but you can see that the water has breached that little wall.  The green corrugated iron, with a few sandbags are keeping this from spilling into the street.  However, one of the vendors selling juice on the other side of the iron (yes they are still there), told us the water spills onto the street every day.  We only saw a tiny trickle of water.

You can see in the distance, where the water has breached on this side.  Theses plants are I think, part of the new bit they were doing.

 Sathorn pier, where we wait for the river ferry.

 You could dip your feet in the river from the pier.

 The ticket seller clearly hadn't got much work!

 This is the area behind the pier.  You can see the overspill hasn't managed to drain off.

I can't see those few sandbags holding much water back.  If you look to the back of the picture and to your left, you will see sandbags piled up there too.  I think that must be the new toilet block in that little park.

This is that massive great building they are putting in across the river.  If you look at the bridge, you'll see how high the water is.  You can barely see then central palings.

This little boy had just caught this catfish from a little passageway now filled with water, alongside this building!

Behind the shell museum, off Sathorn.  People were not just putting in sandbags, some were sealing off their building with plastic sheeting.

This is becoming an ever more common sight, people have been enclosing the entrance to their buildings with these breeze-block walls.  I assume they are temporary and will be knocked down at some point.  They are not all this high, but I did pass one yesterday on Sathorn near the British Club, which was at least waist high.  I'm not sure how they got in or out, as they didn't have the lowered entry like this one.

We are still waiting to see what will happen in BKK.  It hasn't rained for 3 days I think, so that is something at least.  There is no sigh of any run-off near us, but clearly people are being affected.  Yesterday it was announced that we will flood and that the waters will stay with us for a month.  Of course, you choose what you want to believe as there are so many conflicting stories.

The one thing this flood disaster has given me some insight into, is why people aren't given longer warning periods about possible disasters.  When it doesn't happen as expected, you start to relax your guard.  It hasn't come, so it won't come.  In our case, it is terribly hard to conceive that we might be under flood water, when you are walking along the road in brilliant sunshine, with only the ever abundant, fetid soi juice to wet you feet.

This isn't the story for a lot of Thais however, and my heart goes out to them.  I make light of the situation, because what else can I do?  I see no point in worrying or panicking beyond where am I going to get some water from.  I sit 5 floors up and Alan works 20+ floors up.  We are not going to be the worst hit if the waters do come this way.