Residents living downstream of the Vajiralongkorn dam have been warned to brace for more floods as the dam's water release rate will be increased by 10% from Tuesday to next Monday.
The dam is currently discharging 53 million cubic metres per day of water after more than 70 million cu/m of rainwater poured into its reservoir, filling it almost to capacity. Authorities have now decided to raise the rate by 5 million cu/m to 58 million, according to a source familiar with the situation.
The increase will take effect on Tuesday and continue until Sept 10. Water levels in upstream districts, including part of severely flooded Thong Pha Phum and Sangkhla Buri and downstream areas are expected to rise.
About 180 homes alongside the reservoir at two villages in tambon Nong Lu of Sangkhla Buri district have been submerged under one or even two metres of flooding since early this month.
Wat Tai Nam in Sangkhla Buri, an attraction featured in the Unseen Thailand tourism campaign, has been badly affected. Only 50 centimetres of the roof of the temple's ordination hall remain above water.
Several resorts in downstream areas are closed and guests have been cancelling room bookings. Staff have moved belongings to higher ground to prepare for the next round of flooding. District authorities have prepared a temporary shelter for affected residents but most have refused to leave their flooded houses. Flood warnings were issued earlier for some Central Plains provinces and areas along the Mekong, as the season is shaping up to be the wettest since 2011.
The water management authority yesterday issued a warning for severe flooding in Nakhon Phanom province in the northeastern region of the Mekong River. The water level is expected to increase by an additional metre by Tuesday due to the water release from Nam Nguem 1 in Laos, according to Sinsamut Hintao, acting director of the Royal Irrigation Department office in Nakhon Phanom. He added that the water level in the Mekong will be the highest it has been in 13 years.
The department has prepared 2 million rai next to the Chao Phraya in Ayutthaya to receive floods diverted from reservoirs to protect the region from inundation.
