Residents along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok’s Klong Toey district are preparing for worsening floods, as authorities increase the discharge rate at the Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat starting Tuesday.
The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) announced on Monday that water discharge at the dam would rise from 2,800 to 2,900 cubic metres per second early this morning. The agency urged residents in low-lying and high-risk areas to closely monitor updates and move belongings to higher ground.
Officials said the move aims to relieve pressure on the northern provinces, which faced torrential rains last week as remnants of Tropical Storm Kalmaegi swept through the region.
However, the release coincides with a high tide period, which is expected to slow water drainage from Bangkok’s canals into the Gulf of Thailand.
Despite the alert, many Klong Toey residents remain unprepared. Large sections of the riverbank still lack sandbags, with some residents blaming the local administration for failing to act promptly.
One woman said people were forced to order sandbags from neighbouring communities.
Upstream provinces have reported rising water levels at several monitoring stations north of the dam, raising concern that Bangkok’s inner districts could soon be affected.
To minimise the impact, the RID is speeding up drainage through coastal pumping stations, including the Suvarnabhumi Pumping Station, to divert excess water into the sea.
Nitthakarn Meateetontipong, a 50-year-old teacher, said she was concerned that the increased discharge would make the flooding worse.
“Today, the water reached the school’s staircase and students had to wade through the rising water to get to school. Some had to have their parents or grandparents carry them in,” she said.
For many residents, the alert came too late to make a difference.
A 54-year-old woman living with her parents said she received the flood warning around noon on Monday, by which time water had already entered her home in the Klong Toey Nok community.
“It helped residents stay informed about the situation. However, by then, my bedroom and kitchen were already flooded.”
“I have to keep mopping and cleaning the floor. I have to take depression meds. It is unbearable to live in a flood,” she said.
A 65-year-old woman living near Wat Klong Toey Nai said floodwater had already begun seeping into her home and nearby streets early Monday morning.
“I woke up around 4am as I felt the temperature was lower than usual without the air-con. It turned out my house was already flooded.”
Another resident near the watergate at Wat Saphan said he did not resent the discharge decision.
“We understand the water needs to be discharged,” he said. “I am not sure where to get help and how much help I will get.”
