Bangkok faces no repeat of 2011 flood disaster this year: officials

“We can confidently say there is no chance of a major flood in Bangkok. We have analysed several factors, including the number of storms, rainfall levels and dam capacity, and all indicate that the risk is significantly lower this year,” Jirayu Huangsap, PM’s adviser and spokesperson for FROC, said.

At a recent FROC and Flood, Storm, and Landslide Management Committee meeting, officials addressed concerns about raised by residents in the Central Region and compared the current conditions to those in 2011. Taking into account rainfall, runoffs from the North and overflows, the agencies found the following differences between conditions during this year and 2011:

• Storms: While Thailand experienced five storms in 2011, this year there have only been a couple, “Soulik” and “Yagi”, which did not directly hit the country but brought heavy rainfall to some provinces in the North and Northeast.
• Accumulated rainfall: Unlike this year, the rainy season in 2011 started earlier than usual, resulting in  24% higher cumulative rainfall than average – the highest in 61 years.
• Dam capacity: Better water-management strategies have allowed the main dams to handle significantly more water in 2024 compared to 2011.
• Water discharge: The Chao Phraya Dam's water discharge rate is significantly lower than it was in 2011, allowing the river to handle higher inflow.

Addressing concerns about the rate of water discharge from the Chao Phraya Dam, Jirayu said the dam’s operations were being carefully monitored and the drainage was well enough controlled to prevent major flooding in the capital.

While the flooding situation in the northern provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai has improved, there are still worries about potential landslides and flooding in certain areas. Relevant agencies are working to address these issues and provide help to affected communities.