From where I am, Kuala Lumpur, the haze is still bad. I know because I still need shades when I go out even though the sun is just a dull orange ball in the sky.
But surprisingly the API reading on DOE's website shows otherwise. In fact, it looks very good on the chart. Take a look..
Except for Port Dickson with a reading of 103, it's either green or blue everywhere else.
Source: DOE
Yesterday, the haze was so bad in Langkawi that flights were not allowed to take off with visibility at just 500km.
I also read the other day the haze is also affecting migratory birds making their annual journey here to escape the winter of east Asia - China, South Korea and Japan. Malaysia is one of the places these birds escape to. As migratory birds use the stars to guide them in their long distance flight south, the haze could make their flight difficult.
Today, there is a news report that the people of Songkhla had sent a letter of complaint to Indonesia. People over there are affected by the choking haze caused by forest fires in Indonesia. The letter, among others, stated that the haze had started to take its toll on public health.
The Air Pollutant Index readings in seven southern districts of Thailand on Tuesday were 210 in Satun (dangerous to health), Songkhla 163 (dangerous to health), Phuket 136 (dangerous to health), Pattani 102 (moderate), Yala 97 (moderate), Narathiwat 72 (moderate) and Surat Thani 59 (moderate). - Bernama
Two days ago when I read about the bombing incidents in Yala in southern Thailand, I was thinking luckily it wasn't in Haadyai. Still, it was a terrible thing to be happening when such terrorist acts result in injuries and loss of lives. Eight people died and at least 70 were injured in a series of bomb explosions on Saturday. Three bombs went off in the business area of the city of Yala around lunchtime. It was reported that the devices may have been placed in a car and a motorcycle.
Haadyai or sometimes spelt Hatyai is a tourist destination popular with Malaysians. Busloads of Malaysians descend upon the tourist town of Hatyai, especially during weekends. People go there for a short holiday to have a chance to visit a foreign land, for a spot of shopping and some cheap and authentic Thai food. The more adventurous would have a chance at their agenda however.
Haadyai is merely 30km away from the Malaysian border and only a two-hour drive from Penang. From Kuala Lumpur, buses leave around ten at night and reach there in the morning. A weekend trip would entail leaving Kuala Lumpur on Friday night, arriving at Haadyai Saturday morning. A trip to the seaside town of Songkla is sometimes included. Some sightseeing, shopping and a Thai seafood dinner will complete the short sojourn to Thailand. After Sunday morning after breakfast will see everyone getting back into the coach heading back to Kuala Lumpur arriving around nine at night.
Unfortunately, Haadyai was not spared in the spate of bombings in the southern Thailand recently.
On March 31, 2012, a car bomb shook the 33-storey, 405-room Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel, (the hotel popular with Malaysian and Singaporean visitors), killing four people injuring a hundred others, some critically. A Malaysian from Kuala Kedah is now listed as missing in the bomb blasts. Haadyai Mayor Prai Pattano clarified that two car bombs in the basement car park were used in the attack and not one as reported earlier.
Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel is along the busy Phachaitipat Road. There is also a McDonald's restaurant on the hotel's ground floor that is popular with tourists. The hotel is also within walking distance to the often busy Suntisuk Market.
A press release handed out by a Thai official stated that 416 people (at least 27 Malaysians) were injured in the blast at the hotel, of whom 37 were admitted to hospitals; three people died in the blast - a Malaysian man and two Thai women. There is an unidentified body of a man lying unclaimed at the Songkhlanagarind Hospital. The Muslim insurgents have been blamed for the deadly coordinated attacks.
Menanwhile, Malaysians are taking no chances, with many postponing or cancelling their planned holiday trips to Haadyai following the blasts at the Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman advised Malaysians against travelling to southern Thailand and that those who intend to visit the area should only do so if it concerns urgent matters and they should inform the Malaysian consulate in Songkhla.
Thailand will be celebrating Songkran (Thai New Year also known as the Water Festival) on April 13.
In a latest development, four more countries, Italy, Norway, Israel and Taiwan, have issued warnings to their citizens in Thailand to be aware of possible violent incidents in the country.
On Wedenesday, ten countries issued warnings. They are Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and New Zealand.
Bangkok Post reported that
The suspects involved in Tuesday's multiple bombings in Bangkok were part of the same network of terror involved in bomb incidents in India and Georgia earlier this week, according to Itzhak Shoham, Israeli ambassador to Thailand. More..Bombers 'part of terror group'
We are talking about medical insurance here but a little digression first.
The Thailand border towns are common holiday destinations for Malaysians. Hatyai and Songkla are popular towns where Malaysians visit by the busloads every year. Buses leave Kuala Lumpur at night, reaching there in the morning. It is a long ride. A flight would reduce the journey drastically and AirAsia, the local Low Cost Carrier, does have great ticket prices.
Many people travel without travel insurance. Making it a point to at least sign up for medical or health insurance can stand you well financially in the event of an accident. Recently, a Malaysian tourist had to cough up over RM90,000 to settle medical charges at a hospital in Thailand after being involved in a road accident.
When shopping for insurance, I believe the best rates are from an insurance agent that offers Wholesale Insurance for a comprehensive coverage. A wise shopper shops around for the best deal.
The Bangkok flood situation was our table-topic this morning at breakfast. I haven't paid much attention to the flood lately but looking it up again found that the situation is still a concern. Water level is still more than a meter high in the flooded areas.
Bangkok Post reported that: City Hall has issued an evacuation order for 10 areas in Samae Dam sub-district of Bang Khun Thian district in western Bangkok's Thon Buri side as floods there have continued to rise.
The elderly, children and sick people are urged to leave immediately for designated shelters or other safe areas.
Overflow from Khlong Maha Sawat and Khlong Phasi Charoen caused the water level in those areas to rise rapidly. More..Evacuation order issued in Thon Buri
Meanwhile at Don Muang, Don Muang residents removed more of the "big bags" forming a floodwall on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road despite the prime minister's insistence that the barrier must stand.
About 40 residents helped to manually move the 2.5-tonne bags. Protest Leader, Mr Thinnakorn, insisted pulling the big bags away was to release some of the floodwater that has been trapped in more than 20 housing estates and to allow boats used by residents to get through. The removal of the bags was carried out in the presence of senior police from Don Muang police station.
On the other hand, according to Pracha Promnok, director of Flood Relief Operations Command (Froc), the barrier is helpful as it slows water flowing into Bangkok through upper districts.
At the same time, many more water pumps have been deployed to hasten drainage. Read Don Muang bags protest grows
I have got here a video that allows us to have an aerial view of the flooding in Bangkok.
And here is an image taken by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite. Image was taken on October 29, 2011.
Flood waters inundate Bangkok's domestic airport at Don Muang where flooding is most obvious, but much of the area in the image is flooded. The spaces between buildings and under trees are blue. Signs of flooding are also evident throughout the large image, which includes a much wider area.
The Don Muang Airport, a domestic airport, stopped operations after the runways flooded on October 25. However, the building housed the Flood Relief Operating Center and some 4,000 flood evacuees. The evacuees were forced to leave on October 25, and the Flood Relief Operating Center moved on October 29 when the building flooded. The airplanes shown in the image were decommissioned before the flood. Bangkok’s primary airport, Suvarnabhumi, is still operating and is expected to stay dry. (Source:earthobservatory.nasa.gov)
Some good news as well. Recovery and clean-up work have begun at four flood-hit industrial estates in Ayutthaya as water in several parts of the central province has receded. They are Rojana, Hi-Tech, Bang Pa-in and Factory Land industrial estates.
Factory Land is almost dry as 80% of the estate has been drained. Of the estate's 93 manufacturing plants, 12 have resumed full operations while clean-up work is under way at the remaining plants. More..Recovery, clean-up starts at four Ayutthaya estates
If you are still thinking about going to Bangkok, here is more information which may be of interest:
According to The Examiner:
Travelers from the US to Bangkok beware! The ongoing flood waters have nowhere to go in Bangkok, where over 5 feet of rain fell since March. Pacific coast travelers need to know that subways, garbage and travel are seriously affected including the Grand Palace and Safari World. Normally, only 40 inches of rain fall in Bangkok. Even worse, this water is trapped with no end in sight. California residents and travelers with travel vacation plans to Asia will want to skip Bangkok for the near future. More..Bangkok flood spreads to subways, garbage piles up under 5 feet of rain
From CNNGo:
Most major tourism attractions in Bangkok still dry but situation remains uncertain
Mixed messages from Thai government and Bangkok officials continue to leave locals uncertain about when the city's flood situation will be resolved, as waters continue to sweep through parts of the city.
As of Monday most major tourist areas in central Bangkok, such as Sukhumvit Road, Siam and Silom, are still dry. Shopping malls, bars and restaurants in those areas are open, while most major hotels are operating as usual, including those on the Chao Phraya River. More..Thai flood crisis: Updated info for tourists
And finally, a future concern? Will Thailand flooding be a major obstacle to contend with in the years to come?
The Thai capital, built on swampland, is slowly sinking and the floods currently besieging Bangkok could be merely a foretaste of a grim future as climate change makes its impact felt, experts say. - Floods Show What Lies Ahead for Sinking Bangkok
According to Bangkok Post, images of a Thai Airways International Airbus stranded in deep floodwater at Don Mueang airport have caused misconceptions among many people outside Thailand that Bangkok is closed to air traffic.
Images like this could be driving away visitors to other destinations according to an airport official. The reality is, the main airport, Suvarnabhumi, is functioning.
Strong 3.5-metre-high polder dykes surrounding the airport constructed in 1995 and completed in 2000 are capable of preventing penetration of water. The dykes have made the airport a closed area, whereby water cannot flow in from the outside.
In addition,there is in place a high-standard water-management system, with drainage canals all around the site to drain water into the reservoirs plus two main pump stations, each equipped with four water pumps, with ability to drain water at a rate of 12 cubic metres per second or 1 million cubic metres per day.
Also, travel to and from the airport is unaffected as the roads and the Airport Rail Link tracks are elevated above the dykes.
In any case, some locals are of the opinion that now is not the time for people to be going to Bangkok as there are far too many problems still related to the floods, including the high possibility of disease breaking out. Clean-up will take months after the flood has receded.
Meanwhile, another zoo in the Bangkok area has been hit as floodwaters continue to swamp the city.
The 500-acre complex, Safari World, is the second Bangkok animal park to come under threat in recent weeks, after the city’s popular Dusit Zoo was forced to relocate some of its animals when floodwaters got too close. Safari World is located in a particularly vulnerable place, east of Bangkok’s shuttered Don Muang airport in an area of the city that has faced serious, ongoing flooding.
Parts of the complex have been hit by knee-high water, but staff have pushed the animals farther inside the zoo onto higher ground. Nevertheless, “we’re not evacuating,” Mr. Litti, the executive vice-president said. In many ways that would present more challenges than staying, he said, due to the logistical issues.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, below are thousands about the flood in Bangkok or rather Thailand now. These images were received in an email and no source was quoted. I would like to credit the source so if you have information about the source, please let me know in the Comments.
And my favorite..A monkey helping a dog/puppy. Just look at the monkey's expression. Aww!
Meanwhile, the floods in Thailand are pushing up prices of fresh produce in the northern states of Malaysia including in Kedah. Prices of fish, red chillies and vegetables have increased sharply as a result of the floods in Thailand. Due to its proximity to the northern states, Thailand is the main exporter of these produce.
Red chillies are now going for between RM13 to RM15 a kg from RM8 to RM10 previously; RM3.50 for mustard (from RM2.50 previously), RM5 for tomatoes (RM4), RM5 for lime (RM3), RM3 for ladies' finger (RM1.50) and RM3.50 for cucumber (RM2). Source: The Star
Looks like the flood situation in Bangkok is still a concern, probably an understatement here. We have to be in the midst of it all to experience the hardship and frustration. I am not familiar with the road nor area names but to those who are, below would be more meaningful to you.
It is still heart-rending to see pictures of the floods, especially of the animals who are equally if not more stressed out - which reminds me, the pictures as mentioned earlier are coming up next. In the meantime, here is today's update on the flood situation..
Bangkok Post reported today that
The government's attempts to safeguard Lat Krabang and Bangchan industrial estates from the northern runoff were frustrated yesterday when more than 300 residents protested against the closure of Khlong 9 water gate in Pathum Thani's Lam Luk Ka district.
Below shows floodwaters filling the Lat Phrao-Phahon Yothin intersection yesterday, closing the Central Plaza department store and raising fears that the deluge is approaching inner Bangkok.
Some updates:
- The northern runoff has reached Lat Phrao intersection in Chatuchak district, disrupting businesses, residents and the Flood Relief Operation Command (Froc) headquarters nearby. Water level was measured at 60cm at midday yesterday and appeared to be rising. Residents and employees had to wade through knee-high water to flee flooded homes and workplaces.
- Part of Lat Phrao Road from Soi Lat Phrao-Wang Hin 87 to Lat Pla Khao Road was covered with about 30cm of floodwater.
- Floodwater levels in Senaniwes 1 and Senaniwes 2 housing estates and Wat Lat Pla Khao were measured at between 80cm to 1m. Evacuation order yesterday has been issued for these areas by Bangkok governor, Sukhumbhand Paribatra.
- After Lat Phrao, floodwater was expected to flow to Ratchadapisek Road and the wider Chatuchak area as the topography map shows that the two areas sit on low-lying zones, said Seri Supparathit, a Rangsit University expert on natural disasters.
With the floodwater raging south trying to reach the gulf, Rama II Road looks to be flooded.
A source at the Flood Relief Operations Command said officials had decided not to build barriers to stop water moving towards the road and will let it flow over it and continue to the Gulf of Thailand.
Rama II is the only lifeline available for motorists wanting to travel to the South or resort areas in the lower central provinces.
Sorry to sound like an old record but since the last update on the flood situation, the blog is still getting hits on the flood situation so thought some new updates would be good to provide an inkling on the situation.
The following are from various sources as put together by the Thailand Tourism site. The Bangkok Post says, Inner Bangkok passes danger point as today is the last day of high tide. Bangkok North sees reduced water volume at Khlong Rangsit, Bang Pa-in. Click the link for the rest of the article.
The Suvarnabhumi Airport is still fully operational at the moment and is ready for floods. Airport officers are monitoring water levels at six flood gates including Lat Krabang, Saen Saeb and Samrong. Airlines operating at the airport are notified of water level every three hours, to ensure smooth aviation operations in Thailand despite the flooding in Don Muang Airport. The airport yesterday accommodated 945 flights, a new daily record since the opening.
Thailand Tourism site has a good map of Affected and Unaffected areas. There is also useful contact numbers for Flood Information, Highway Hotline, Highway Police, Visa Inquiry, etc. Check out the Thailand Tourism site here.
Humans are not the only ones in distress during emergencies. Animals are too, perhaps even more so, as seen on some images received via email the other day. Will have them up in a separate post. Look out for them.
This image from The Star shows the scene at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport as tourists and locals alike flee Bangkok in view of rising flood waters.
As officials step up warnings, more residents are forced to leave their homes in northern Bangkok and head for higher ground. This is the worst flooding in Thailand in 50 years.
Foreigners have been advised by their governments to stay away but if travel is necessary from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok-bound flights on MAS (Malaysia Airlines), AirAsia and Thai Airways flights from Kuala Lumpur have not been cancelled, according to MATTA (Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents).
Latest update from the Tourism Authority of Thailand is that Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport is open ad operating normally, Don Muang airport is closed. More answers can be obtained from their Flood FAQ.
Good news came in just as I'm writing this post: The Star reported that Receding floodwaters north of Bangkok have reduced the threat to the Thai capital, the prime minister said on Saturday. But a rise in coastal high tides in the Gulf of Thailand will still test the city's flood defences.
The Star's frontpage today reads 'Panic in Bangkok' accompanied by this image..
Captioned: Flights grounded: Thai Airways aircraft parked on the flooded tarmac at Don Muang airport in Bangkok yesterday. — The Nation / Asia News Network
Bangkok's domestic Don Muang airport has been shut down as floodwaters surged into the Thai capital.
A five-day public holiday has been declared from today in preparation for the deluge, also so that people can get to safety.
Emergency rationing has been imposed by some shops to prevent hoarding of supplies. One hypermarket restricted shoppers to one packet of rice and one tray of eggs. Toilet paper was also being rationed.
Chatuchak market will be closed this weekend. Chatuchak market is a hugely popular tourist spot where most shops are only open during weekends.
Now the question. If you have made plans to visit Bangkok with all payments made, should you cancel? Let's hear what the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok has to say.
The Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok said they are preparing for the worst although the main city centre area appears normal even as floodwaters advance into the Thai capital.
Deputy Chief of Mission Tajul Aman Mohammad said the embassy would provide shelter to Malaysians affected by the flood.
“So far, the situation in Bangkok is still okay. Some areas to the north in the city are flooded, but the main city centre area is normal and roads are passable,” Tajul Aman said in a telephone interview from Bangkok yesterday.
The embassy received many calls and e-mail from Malaysians asking if it was safe to visit Bangkok.
“We do not advise them against coming, as most of the tourist areas are okay. However, for those who come to Bangkok to play golf, we had to tell them that many golf courses located in the north of Bangkok are flooded,” he said.
There you have it, from the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok.
However, to be fair to Bangkok or rather Thailand, there are also views for proceeding with the visit.
Travelfish says don't cancel. Bangkok is wet but Thailand is open for business and the vast majority of Thailand, especially the south and northeast, is largely unaffected by the floods. Plus the airport is still open. Central Bangkok remains largely unaffected.
Thaizer posts:
In a nutshell, Bangkok airport is open, main tourist attractions are open, hotels are open and life in inner Bangkok goes on as normal. That could change, but that is the situation at this moment in time (16.00 local time October 22). He also says, Don't believe everything you read which Travelfish also said something to that effect.
While from The Times of India: City tourists drop flood-hit Bangkok from travel plans
PUNE: Thailand's worst floods in more than 50 years have made potential tourists from Pune look for destinations other than Bangkok.
City-based travel agencies have registered a spurt of cancellations for trips to Bangkok this week, with some travellers choosing to eliminate the destination entirely from their travel itinerary.
Hope the above is helpful somewhat. The choice to cancel or not is yours, of course. Good luck with your decision.
The picture above on The Star today shows sandbags being filled and laid around the Thai Parliament building in Bangkok on Sunday which is today. Thailand's capital is bracing for floods as water levels rose in some of Bangkok's northern suburbs. Over the past several weeks, flooding in many provinces has deteriorated from a bad situation to a national disaster.
The Star reported that a total of 356 people have been killed since July 25 and at least 113,000 have moved to more than 1,700 makeshift shelters. The labour ministry estimates about 650,000 industrial workers do not have an income. Take a look at how bad the flood situation is.
Sad state, wouldn't you agree? The all-pervasive social media are once again playing an important role in Thailand’s current flood crisis. Government officials, journalists, citizen reporters, relief organizations and volunteers have been kept abreast of local developments by real-time exchanges on Twitter, Facebook and others.
The Thai government has set up an official website, floodthailand.net, to provide up-to-date information on the current situation and to list emergency telephone numbers. It also allows people to post messages seeking help by filling in details of what they need and where they are.
The Information and Communications Technology Ministry has set up an official Twitter account to keep track of the flood disaster at @FloodThailand, offering up-to-date information and details of government assistance.
Besides the website, the government has set up a call centre with an emergency number 1111. The centre helps to keep the Twitter community informed with instant messages at @gcc_1111.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has a presence on Twitter at @bangkokgovernor and @bkk_best, and is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bkk.best. It uses the channels to monitor the flood situation and communicate directly with BMA staff and others. It also provides a regularly updated flood report at dds.bangkok.go.th/m.
Other sources of communication:
A private-sector group called Thai Flood has been founded by Internet pioneer and founder of Kapook.com, Poramate Minsiri. It has become one of the main sources of up-to-the-minute information on flooding across the country.
The group also helps to coordinate the relief efforts of other parties. While thaiflood.com is the information centre, the group communicates with its volunteers and the others via social networks at facebook.com/thaiflood and at twitter.com/thaiflood (@thaiflood and #thaiflood).
SiamArsa is another important group of volunteers helping flood victims. With wide networks on both Facebook (facebook.com/siamarsa) and Twitter (@siamarsa), the group of volunteers operates efficiently through the social media.
A group of volunteers from the Thammasat University Students’ Union are simply called AorMorTor. They mainly offer assistance through a Twitter account (@Aormortor), helping to keep people informed about relief plans and facilities being prepared for flood victims by the university. The group also uses Facebook (facebook.com/thammasatsu) as a channel for instant communication.
Many government organisations, especially those involved directly with the flooding, such as the Provincial Electric Authority (PEA), use both Facebook and Twitter. The PEA uses the social networks not only to monitor the flooding and provide assistance, but also to learn where it should cut off electricity services to severely affected areas. It has a Facebook channel at facebook.com/Provincial.Electricity.Authority and its Twitter channel at @pea_Thailand.
The Royal Irrigation Department is also actively using social media in the flood crisis. It regularly updates its services and assistance available via both Facebook (facebook.com/raorukcholpratan) and Twitter (@PR_RID). The department uses the social media along with its main website at www.rid.go.th. (Source: The Star)
Thailand's opposition won a landslide election victory on Sunday, led by the sister of former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a triumph for red-shirt protesters who clashed with the army last year.
Exit polls showed Yingluck Shinawatra's Puea Thai (For Thais) party winning a clear majority of parliament's 500 seats, paving the way for the 44-year-old business executive to become Thailand's first woman prime minister. Read full article on Reuters..
