The Yom river will peak in Sukhothai tomorrow, a good test of the city's flood defences. More rain is expected for the upper Northeast and North, but Prime Ministry Prayut Chan-o-cha says that flood water will not overflow downstream provinces in the Central Plains.
Evening update
Sukhothai braces for northern runoff
The Yom river, swollen from heavy rainfall earlier in the week, will peak in Sukhothai tomorrow. It should be a good test of the city's new flood defences which are not yet completely finished. City and provincial officials say they have the situation under control but not some residents are preparing their belongings for a quick evacuation if needed.
Morning story
First, some updates: Meteorologists are closely watching a very slow-moving weather system now in Gulf of Tonkin and approaching Vietnam. Starting tomorrow, it is likely to bring substantial rain, first to the upper Northeast and then to the upper North, including Nan and Phayao which are just recovering from severe floods.
The rains in the area of the Nan and Yom rivers have resulted in a significant increase in the water level in the Sirikit Dam which is now at 29 percent of useable capacity, up ten percent from only a week ago. Thailand's largest dam, however, the Bhumibol Dam, is still only at seven percent useable capacity.
PM says floods will not hit Central Plains
Post reporters
Prime Ministry Prayut Chan-o-cha has reaffirmed that flood water flowing from the North will not overflow downstream provinces in the Central Plains.
Gen Prayut told the media yesterday after the weekly cabinet meeting that the flooding in the North was manageable, according to a Royal Irrigation Department report about the situation.
Authorities are still able to control water management systems, he said, adding they have kept water discharges and drainage systems in the main rivers under control.
But he admitted local residents living near the Nan and Yom rivers would be affected by flooding and overflowing.
Heavy rain has led to floods in Nan and Phayao provinces, claiming at least one life, sweeping away farm animals and submerging schools and homes.
Gen Prayut has affirmed flood water in the northern parts will not overflow downstream provinces in the Central Plains, saying the water situation in the Central Plains was not worrying.
He said he had ordered a water management committee to set up a fully integrated water management system to help ease flooding, adding the flooding was due to poor water management.
Adding flood gates would help alleviate the flooding, he added.
Gen Prayut noted state authorities are speeding up water storage but the amount of water flowing through to the Bhumibol dam in Tak was still too little.
He directed authorities to take a more active approach to addressing water problems and told them to come up with measures to store as much water as is needed for the next drought season of the country.
Gen Prayut has called on locals whose land sits in areas ideal for developing into kaem ling or "monkey cheek" water retention areas to sacrifice their land for the government project, saying they will help store water during the rainy season to be used in the summer.
The government will compensate locals affected by the project, he added.
Gen Prayut admitted that dredging canals would not be the answer to flooding, saying the activity would affect ecosystems.
Meanwhile, Patarut Dardarananda, deputy city clerk, said the cabinet had approved a budget of more than 2.2 billion baht for 11 water management projects aimed at improving the water drainage system in Bangkok.