Thailand – Page 21

Bangkok Flooding Update and Evacuation

October 20, 2011

3:30 p.m. Local Time

Bangkok, Thailand

I drove around today to monitor the flooding situation. I did not get far heading for the front lines near Don Mueang Airport; there was too much traffic, and many lanes have been blocked by people who parked their vehicles on the road where they’re less likely to be submerged. I turned back after sitting in traffic for an hour.

Along the way, I observed a swollen canal and a bloated Chao Phraya River not far from here. The situation looks tenuous and could go either way – either the water will flow fast enough to empty into the Gulf of Thailand, or it will soon spill over into Bangkok’s neighborhoods. I can’t tell, and we aren’t taking any chances. If we stay here, we risk being blocked by water hazards and closed roads.

As a safety precaution, we’ve decided to evacuate our home tonight and head to downtown Bangkok for shelter. We’ve put up everything we could on upper level of our home in case it’s flooded. I’ve heard unofficially that homes that have flooded have between 1/2 and 1-1/2 meters of standing water.

We had planned to go to the Golden Triangle (Lao-Burmese-Thai tri-border) this weekend for a brief vacation, but those plans are still awaiting update on the flood situation. We aren’t going anywhere if we can’t get to the airport.

October 21, 2011

8:30 a.m. Local Time

Bangkok, Thailand

We made it safely to Bangkok and are staying in a hotel. We’ll be here until tomorrow and will head to the Golden Triangle (Chiang Rai) as planned. I heard that the flooding was reached one of the key thoroughfares in Nonthaburi, Chaengwatthana Road, but this is unconfirmed. If water rises more than one to 1.5 meters above the road, the water will spread to our area.

I took lots of peoples and some video, and will post them online soon.

Vote Now! MarketWatch’s “Next Great Investing Columnist” Contest

VOTE NOW! I entered an article in MarketWatch’s "Next Great Investing Columnist" contest. Vote for it by clicking on the Facebook "Like" button. There are many great entries, and the top vote getters will head to a second round with a third and final round in November. The winner gets a six month contract to write as a columnist for MarketWatch, an affiliate of the Wall Street Journal.

Here’s the full link: http://blogs.marketwatch.com/great-columnist/2011/10/19/finding-shelter-in-financial-storms/

The article draws heavily from my experiences in Thailand in the midst of flooding. The floods are a good analogy for the recent swings in the world’s financial markets, with both flood victims and investors looking for shelter. The article offers some concrete suggestions to investors on how they can stay afloat during financial turbulence.

Thanks for reading my article and for your support!

The Fight to Stop Bangkok from Flooding

October 18, 2011

8 a.m. Local Time

Bangkok, Thailand

The Bangkok Post reported that the floodwaters from the Chao Phraya River have reached Sai Mai district less than 20 kilometers from here. Local authorities have advised that although the situation has worsened in the last 48 hours, we are still safe from flooding because we are in a protected area. A large number of government buildings are in the area, and keeping the floods at bay is a priority.

According to the Post, Sai Mai, which is a couple kilometers from Don Mueang (domestic) Airport, is a strategic battleground. Failure to hold the line puts even more of Bangkok at risk. The flooding has so far moved in waves and covered entire sections of the country with amazing speed. Local residents and work crews are working hard to shore up barriers with dirt and sandbags in order to funnel the floodwaters to the sea, but it’s not clear that their heroic efforts will be enough.

This seems to be turning into a battle of all or nothing. Either the defenses hold and the crisis subsides, or soon we will all be underwater.

Update 7:30 p.m. Local Time

The neighborhood has taken precautions to halt the water if it reaches here. Some streets have been shut down and barricaded with sandbag barriers. Dirt berms have been built over some roads to stop the water from going further. School has been canceled through the end of next week’s school break. We’ve been informed of a hotel where we can find shelter if need be. The water feels closer.

Tomorrow some of us will go out as far as we can safely to survey the situation. I’ll report back on whatever I find.