Please Help and Pray for Thai Flood Victims
29/10/2011 – Thai Travel News advises tourists to defer any non-essential travel to Bangkok at the current time. Many attractions have closed and a public holiday has been declared until October 31. Click here to view our latest update on the current flood situation in Bangkok.
Throughout the country, supermarket shelves are bare and bottled water is incredibly hard to come by. Many stores throughout the country are rationing basic food items, such as rice and eggs.
Many have left Bangkok as floodwaters pose a very real threat, and thousands of homes throughout the central and northern provinces remain without electricity and clean water.
See how you can help victims in need:
Thai Red Cross
The Thai Red Cross has distributed 1.3 million bottles of drinking water, more than 122, 000 family kits and has also set up two emergency kitchens in Ayutthaya and Chainat provinces where its providing hot meals Donate here to contribute the Red Cross’ efforts.
UNICEF and Save The Children Join Forces:
UNICEF and Save the Children have have teamed up to protect flood-affected children. The project will create 10 “child-friendly spaces” (CFS) at evacuation centers with large child populations to provide them with a safe place to play and to participate in structured activities. Donate here to help these organizations fulfill their mission.
Shelter Box
This organization has shipped more than 400 boxes containing a disaster relief tent (suitable for an extended family), blankets, water storage and purification equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other critical items. Donate here.
GlobalGiving
GlobalGiving uses donations to buy necessities such as bedding, clothing, and sanitary products to provide comfort to families and to help them maintain a degree of normalcy as they adapt to the difficulties of refugee life. Help the organization to reach its funding goal of $10,000 here.
The US Thai Embassy
A donation center has opened up through the Thai embassy in Washington D.C. and donations from U.S. Citizens total over $50,000 thus far. Your money will go toward relief supplies for victims of the flood through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To donate, send a personal check or money order payable to “Royal Thai Embassy” to
The Consular Affairs Section, Royal Thai Embassy
1024 Wisconsin Avenue
N.W. Washington, D.C. 20007
27/10/2011 – Thai Travel News advises travellers to postpone any non-essential travel to Bangkok at the present time. The current situation is highly unpredictable, and while we perceive no threat to our personal safety, the current situation could pose serious inconvenience to the holiday traveller. For the latest update on the current situation, click here. Travellers with non-refundable tickets should consider alternative destinations in Thailand, such as Pattaya or Hua Hin, while others should wait until after the situation is resolved.
Current Situations
We suggest changing your travel plans at the current point in time, as flooding in Bangkok now appears imminent. Experts say that the entire capital will be inundated with floodwaters and many tourist areas could face between 50cm-100cm of water. The government has recently advised residents to evacuate now before it is too late. Many regions throughout the north have already been affected by flooding, as the flow of water inundated Bangkok’s secondary airport at Don Mueang. Flooding has also been reported at some locations along the river as the Chao Phraya reaches record heights. Warnings have been issued for people living in riverside areas to move to higher ground.
Flood warning have been issued for a number of communities throughout the north and eastern suburbs.
Areas throughout the inner suburbs of the city remain try, and many tourist attractions and shopping complexes remain open for business. Hotels are open for businesses and the MRT and BTS are also operating, however some of the exits at MRT stations have been closed as a precautionary measure to safeguard against flooding.
During periods of intensely heavy rain, there is some localized flooding of certain low-lying streets in Bangkok. These conditions are quickly cleared up by municipal work crews and the city’s storm water drainage system.
Roads out of Bangkok to destinations including Pattaya, Hua-Hin and other destinations along the southeast remain clear.
We advise that this warning is for the city of Bangkok only. There is no flooding affecting Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui, Hua Hin or Pattaya. Chiang Mai was affected last month, but floodwaters have subsided and all businesses and tourist attractions are operating normally.
Areas at risk:
- A look at the worst case scenario in Bangkok. SOURCE: Bangkok Post
What is going to happen?
Well, no one really knows for sure at this stage. The worst case scenario is that the entire city is covered in water in depth from 50cm-150cm. In the event of flooding covering the city, transport will be affected, supplies of fresh water and electricity may be affected and food would be difficult to find. Some have said that flooding of Bangkok could take longer than a month. Different experts are saying different things at this stage. As we know more, we will definitely update it on Thai Travel News.Our advice:
If staying in the capital, it would be advisable to be within easy access to the BTS Skytrain. In the event of serious flooding, the BTS Skytrain could still run and provide easy access to the AirportLink Skytrain to Suvarnabhumi Airport.The situation at present is constantly changing and it is difficult to foresee an outcome. Few tourist attractions have closed, shops are open and transport around the inner suburbs of Bangkok is still normal. However, to fully enjoy your holiday to Thailand, we would believe that the best option would be to postpone your holiday until a later date. We would like to stress that this is not for safety reasons, but in the interest of a holidaymaker. Changes in the situation are occurring all the time, and while tourist attractions, shops and transport are open now, it is impossible to say that they will be open in one weeks time. The city is also prone to traffic jams, which become in recent days have become worse as flood warnings made. The volatility of the situation could have a negative effect on a holiday, which is supposed to be an enjoyable experience.
For those who have purchased non-refundable tickets, there are still many places within Thailand that are not affected by flooding. From Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, travellers can access Pattaya, which is situated about 90 minutes from the airport. Also along the eastern coast is Trat, home to Koh Samet, while Hua Hin, located three hours to the south of Bangkok, is also open for tourists.
Affected Areas:
Affected Area- Don Muang
- Lak Si
- Saimai
- Dusit
- Bangkok Noi
- Phra Nakhon
- Lat Krabang
- Nong Chok
- Minburi
- Khannayao
- Bang Phlat
- Thawee Wattana
- Chatuchak
Unaffected Area
- Sukhumvit
- Siam Square
- Silom
- Sathorn
- Pratunam
- Victory Monument
- Suvarnabhumi Airport
- Hua Mark
- Khaosarn
- China Town
- Ratchadapisek
- Petchburi
Transport in Bangkok
Road: Some roads have been affected in the north of the city and should be avoided as some sections are closed due to flooding. Roads to the southeast and Hua Hin remain open. Visitors routes. For more information, please call Highway Hotline 1586 (local call only)Rail: Northbound trains have been suspended until further notice. Refunds are available to passengers who have purchased tickets online.
Bus: Some services around the northern suburbs and Nonthaburi have been cancelled. Nationwide services still running. This number is increasing on a daily basis.
Taxis:Finding a taxi in flood affect ed areas may be difficult. In non affected areas, there are no issues.
- A satellite map showing Bangkok (centre) surrounded by floodwaters (blue)
Piers / Ports: Ferries in the Chao Phraya River have stopped until further notice.
Air: Don Mueang Internaitonal Airport has closed affecting all Nok Air and Orient Thai flights. Nok Air have subsequently suspended all services until November 1, while Orient Thai has announced that it will operate domestic flights from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. Local airlines Thai Airways International and Bangkok Airways have implemented ticketing policies covering changes in travel dates due to the current situation. Many international airlines have also implemented flood policies. Check with your airline for more details
Attractions:
Future Park Rangsit closed indefinitely
Dream World closed on 21-31 Oct
We believe that this list will grow in the coming days.
Accommodation: Accommodation in most of the major tourist centres throughout the city remain open for business.
Food: many supermarkets have experienced a shortage in supply of some easy-to-store products. Products, such as instant noodles and bottled water, have sold at out many convenience stores around the country. One of the major suppliers, CP All, has issued a statement of apology and insisted that demand will be reached.
Useful Contacts:
| TAT Call Centre: | 1672 |
| Thai Airways: | +66 (0) 2356 1111 |
| Bangkok Airways: | +66 (0) 2265 8777 Twitter: @bangkok_airways |
| AirAsia: | +66 (0) 2515 9999 |
| Nok Air: | 1318 or +66 (0) 2900 9955 |
| State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Call Centre: | 1690 |
| Transport Co.,Ltd. Hotline: (inter-provincial bus service) | 1490 |
Alternative Travel Destinations
Hotel rooms in alternate destinations are selling out fast. Travellers or residents seeking an alternative in Hua Hin, Pattaya, Koh Samet or even Chiang Mai are urged to do so sooner rather than later.Pattaya is situated 1.30 hrs drive from the airport, with accommodation from cheap $14 guesthouses, ranging to luxurious five-star branded hotels. Visitors can take a bus direct from Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya for 124 Baht, while private transfers cost between 1,000 Baht – 2000 Baht depending on how well you can bargain.
Accommodation can be found in Pattaya for as little as $14 per night with Agoda. Click here to find out more.
Travellers can also depart to other centres after arriving from their international flights. Other centres around Thailand remain unaffected by flooding, such as Phuket, Krabi and Koh Samui. Vietnam is also easily reached by a number of carriers that operate from Suvarnabhumi Airport. Tickets to Ho Chi Minh City sell for around US$70, but a Vietnamese visa is required for most nationalities.
For those who may want to fly to Chiang Mai in the north of some of the southern resort islands, visit our flight search, which compares all three major domestic carriers departing from Suvarnabhumi. Visit our flight search at:
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