1. Thailand Country Report on Flood
Thai National Mekong Committee
October 2003

2. Mekong basin in Thailand comprises of 5 sub-basins:
Chi
Mun
Tonle Sap
Kok

3. Lesson learned
National Water Resources Committee (NWRC) chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, has responsibility for the overall national water resources
Dept. of Water Resources (DWR), found in Oct 2002, has its power and functions to be a focal point for natural water management & serve as a secretary of NWRC
Past activities:
Selected 15 provinces as flood risk areas
Organized workshops to coordinate with the flood risk provinces, to prepare & integrate plan to solve & mitigate flood, & setup flood mitigation center
Collected & analyzed work plans & projects of each province urgently in order to request budget from the Government. The Government has supported 181 projects, which cover 15 provinces, with the budget of about 624 million Baht.

4. 15 Provinces Flood Risk Areas
North: Petchabun, Pichit, Phrae, Sukhothai, and Nakorn Sawan
Northeast: Chaiyaphum, Roi Et and Ubol Ratchathani
Central: Ang Thong, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and Chanthaburi
South: Pattanee, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Yala

5. Main Flood-prone Areas in the Lower Mekong Basin

6. Long-term Implementation Plan
DWR has now completed two projects on water resources management plan including flood problem solving namely Ping Basin & Pasak Basin
Projects for other two basins are on-going
Other seven basins are planed for next year

7. Recommendations Flood problem solving:
- Identify risk area & flood prone
- Install flood warning system
- Land-use zoning
Improve natural wetland
Institutional strengthening
Improve distribution & drainage system
Providing polder system
- Construct diversion canals/tunnels to divert excess water directly to the sea

8. Recommendations (cont.)
Non-structural measures:
Improve water management of existing & natural wetlands
Setup design standards & study on the flood impacts from overall basin structure, review design regulations & review efficiency of all construction works
Floodplain management
- land use guidance, identify risk areas & control groundwater extraction
- flood forecast & warning system, flood emergency management process (flood encounter system) & recovery measures

9. Recommendations (cont.)
Non-structural measures
Reforestation to protect soil erosion
Promote conservation campaigns for forests, canals, rivers & ditches
Land use zoning
Water fund establishment
Amend relevant laws & regulations
Develop entire basin management

11. Recommendations (cont.)
Structural measures
Install flood protection system in urban areas
Promote the Royal Initiated “Monkey Cheek” (detention pond) Project
Construct cutoff channel/diversion, & remove the runoff obstructions
Construct pumping stations & improve drainage system
Develop tributaries to store/retard flood, develop dikes, & improve river channels
Develop large scale water resources project

13. Outline of data flow for operational flood forecasting & flood warning
xx rain gauges
Data (2)
yy WL gauges
Data (3)
Reservoir releases
Agency (1): MD
Rainfall forecasts
Data (4)
MRC Mainstream
forecasts
Agency (2):DWR,RID
Streamflow monitoring
Agency(3):
RID,EGAT
Reservoir operation
Agency(4): DWR,RID,MD
Flood forecasts
Agency(5):
DWR,RID,MD,DDPM
Flood warnings
Agency (6):DWR
Damage control
Agency (7): RID
Agency (8): DDPM