Down At The River

There has been no change on Sukhumvit or in any of the major downtown areas with regards to flooding. Flood waters have not made it to Sukhumvit, Silom, Siam Square or any major downtown area.

Water did make it to the area below Mochit skytrain but the water in that area has receded and it is completely dry. That's about as close as it got to Sukhumvit.

A friend reported to me that the owners of the condominium building where he resides ripped down the brick wall they had had built in front of the main lobby to protect the entranceway into the complex. As the owner said to my pal, there won't be any water making it to downtown this year. Yep, it looks like as far as downtown is concerned, we've dodged a bullet! The consensus is that the danger is over!

I ventured down to the river today for the first time since the flooding began to see how things are down there. To say the river level is high is kind of like saying the sky is blue. It's really high!

Some riverside communities and markets on the eastern bank have a little water, but they seem to be managing ok.

Some battle on as if there is no water around and at the Ta Chang Pier, that is the pier closest to the Grand Palace, there is perhaps 5 – 10 cm of water on the ground.

The next pier south on the river is Ta Dien, from where you can take a 3-baht boat trip across the river to Wat Arun on the western bank. The high level of the river has caused water to flood in to the building attached to the Ta Dien pier where there
are a handful of tourist orientated shops which are closed for the time being. This is one spot where will get wet feet if you wish to get on or off a boat at this pier, or take the boat across the river.

A few hundred metres further south the merchants with warehouses and who trade in the small sois have blocked the river with sandbags so water doesn't invade their soi and disrupt their business. This area was flooded a week or two ago but is just
fine now. The nearby temples, Wat Po and the Grand Palace, are just fine, and are open for visitors.

I don't think there is any reason to do any more updates. Bangkok is totally safe for tourists! You needn't worry about anything! Come back. Bangkok needs you!