Bangkok braces for fresh chaos as possible floods threaten IMF-World Bank summit

Bangkok is preparing for possible flooding as more than 15,000 delegates are due to arrive for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group.

The Thai capital could receive about 50mm (two inches) of rain a day from October 11-13, coinciding with the start of the week-long gathering of finance ministers, central bankers, executives and other delegates from the institutions’ 191 member countries, according to Surapong Sarapa, the Meteorological Department’s head of forecasting.

The preparations come shortly after a late-September deluge dumped more than 304mm of rain on Bangkok over several days, flooding roads and homes, disrupting flights and temporarily shutting factories.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed agencies to prepare for severe flooding and avoid a repeat of the travel chaos that accompanied the September deluge.

Large trucks and four-wheel-drive vehicles will be available to transport delegates if roads flood, while hundreds of pumps are being positioned to drain water.

Officials have drawn up contingency plans tied to floodwater levels. At 152mm, authorities would accelerate drainage to keep routes open for more than 400 motorcade vehicles. At about 254mm, electric BMWs would be replaced with buses; at about 508mm, delegates would be directed onto Bangkok’s rail network. In an extreme scenario in which floodwater reaches three metres (10 feet), the meetings would be cancelled.

“There must be no disruptions like those seen last week,” Anutin said.

02:14

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The coming rain is not expected to be as severe as the September event. It should be more widespread but shorter-lived than the persistent downpours that overwhelmed Bangkok’s drainage system last month, Surapong said in a phone interview.

Still, the wider water system has limited capacity to absorb another deluge. Major reservoirs in central Thailand were about 91 per cent full as of Monday, increasing the risk of flooding if heavy rain persists.

One major dam was already above its normal capacity, raising the prospect of more water being released downstream towards provinces surrounding Bangkok, according to Hannarong Yaowalers, a Thai water-resources advocate.

Officials say the central areas where many delegates are staying are designed to drain water relatively quickly into the Chao Phraya River. The river is currently about one metre (3.3 feet) below Bangkok’s flood barriers, leaving some capacity to absorb additional water, government spokesman Ekkapob Pianpises said.

The IMF-World Bank meetings are an important showcase for Thailand as it seeks to attract investment and position Bangkok as a regional business and financial centre.

“Hosting this meeting is an important opportunity for Thailand to create economic value, expand trade and strengthen confidence in Thailand internationally,” Anutin said.