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Natural Disasters and Disaster Management in Thailand: Status, Risks, and Trends

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Natural Disasters and Disaster Management in Thailand: Status, Risks, and Trends
Tadashi NAKASU, Ph.D.
College of Population Studies, Chulalongkorn University
In the last few decades, Thailand has faced a number of major natural disasters, including the 2004
Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2011 floods, the 2015-16 droughts, irregular rainfall, decreased
agricultural and fishery yields and rising sea-level. The impact of disaster variability and extreme
natural hazard results in not only loss of human lives, but also damage to infrastructure, disruption
of livelihoods and loss of economic activities. The purpose of this paper is to overview the status,
risks and trends of the natural disasters in Thailand with a discussion of necessary future actions.
Data was collected from EM-DAT for quantitatively analyzing natural disasters, along with past
studies, media and government reports and field surveys. All types of natural disasters from 1900
to 2014 are visualized and put into disaster risk assessment maps, and categorized and evaluated
by disaster impact, death toll, affected population and economic damage. The results indicate that
Thailand faced 131 disasters during the period, ranging from floods (72) to extreme temperature
(1). Although only five earthquakes, including the 2004 tsunami, were recorded, they were so
devastating that they account for 29.8% (8,847) of the total disaster-related mortality in
comparison with floods (13%). Floods affected a large number of people (30.7% or 55,542,471)
and entailed enormous economic damage (47.5% or 45 billion USD). The impact of droughts is
also considerably severe in terms of the affected population (16.5%). Assessment of the maps
(frequency-impact by disaster type) indicates that floods, tsunamis and droughts should be the top
priorities for countermeasures, with immediate action needed for future floods. In addition to the
risk assessment mapping, the paper briefly explains the three significant natural disaster events in
Thailand, namely the 1988 floods and landslides, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and the 2011
Chao Phraya River flood from historical and socio-economic perspectives.
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Natural Disasters and Disaster Management in Thailand:
Status, Risks, and Trends
Tadashi NAKASU, Ph.D.
Chulalongkorn University
1. Introduction
In the last few decades, Thailand has faced a number of major natural disasters, including the 2004
Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2011 floods, the 2015-16 droughts, irregular rainfall, decreased
agricultural and fishery yields and rising sea-levels. The impact of disaster variability and extreme
natural hazards results in not only loss of human lives, but also damage to infrastructure, along with
disruption of livelihoods and economic activity. The purpose of this paper is to overview the status,
risks and trends of the natural disasters in Thailand with discussion of necessary future actions. In
particular, the following three points are examined:
-Overview of the natural disasters in Thailand with data.
-Visualization of the risks by disaster type in Thailand and suggestions for the priority of disaster
management by type.
-Indication of the significant natural disaster events from historical and socio-economic
perspectives.
Through the above analyses, this paper answers the following inquiries: “What are the
characteristics of natural disasters in Thailand?”; “What disaster type countermeasures are required
in Thailand?”; and “How to consider the natural disasters in Thailand?”
2. Disaster Definitions and Methodologies
2.1. Disaster Definitions
This paper defines natural disasters using an EM-DAT definition for risk analysis and also considers
the literature, especially the sociological perspectives, for the definition. Concerning risk analysis,
EM-DAT defines natural disasters as follows:
-Deaths: 10 or more human deaths.
-Affected: 100 or more people affected/injured/homeless.
-Declaration/international appeal: Declaration by the country of a state of emergency and/or an
appeal for international assistance.
At least one of the above criteria must be fulfilled in order for an event to be entered into the
database as a disaster (EM-DAT, 2016).
In regard to the sociological perspectives for the definition, disasters can be categorized into the
following: natural disasters, technological disasters and human-made disasters. Natural disasters
occur at the interaction between nature and societies (people). Technological disasters reflect the
interaction between technologies, which are created by people and societies (people). Human-made
disasters happen at the interactions between societies (people) and societies (people) (Ohno,
2006).This paper uses the above mentioned definition and related notion for the analyses.
2.2. Methodologies
This paper used data from EM-DAT and also information collected from the related database
sources and literature. Using EM-DAT “Advanced Research” and “Country Profile” statistical data,
this paper outlines natural disasters in Thailand. Then, the paper overviews natural disasters in
Thailand by analyzing the natural disaster list. After the Thailand natural disasters list by disaster
type was created, the proportion of the event number, the death toll, the number affected and the
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economic damage by disaster type were calculated. These results were visualized by R software
using the risk assessment mapping method. This risk assessment mapping method is used by the
European Commission (EUROPEAN COMMISSION, 2010). To assess the natural disaster risk by
disaster type using such mapping, the evaluation matrix provided by the service office of the state of
Oregon in the US was used (State of Oregon, 2016). On the scatter plots by disaster type, the vertical
line indicates impact and the horizontal lines denotes frequency. This study calculated the impact
and the probability by each disaster type. The impacts were divided into deaths, affected and
economic damage. The deaths, affected and cost by each disaster type, for example, earthquake or
flood, was divided by all disaster types for each. The probability was calculated using the number of
events by each disaster type, divided by the total event number as a frequency, then categorized
into a risk map option matrix and evaluated. In addition to the data based analyses, this paper also
points out three key natural disaster events in Thailand with historical and socio-economic
background analyses by investigating literature and data sources.
3. Findings
3. 1. Overviews of the Natural Disasters in Thailand
An advanced search of EM-DAT indicates a total of 131 natural disaster events in Thailand from
1955 to 2014, with floods (72) and storms (33) being the major disasters by disaster type. However,
earthquake (including tsunami) disasters have the highest death rate by 29.8 percent (8,847) of all
disaster types. The second high death rate, 13 percent,
has been from flood disaster. Flood disaster is most
dominant regarding the number affected (30.7 percent,
55,542,471) and economic damage (47.5 percent, 45
billion USD). Drought has also had a serious impact on
the number affected (16.5 percent). The Thai Country
Profile of EM-DAT indicates the top 10 disasters by
death toll, affected and economic damage in Tables 1, 2
and 3 below. The death toll list explains that the Indian
Ocean tsunami in 2004 had a huge influence, with
droughts and floods being the major events on the
affected numbers. The economic damage list shows the
tremendous impact of the 2011 Chao Phraya River flood
which inundated seven industrial estates/parks in the
central region of Thailand.
Table Death Top 1019552014
Date
Type
Totals
deaths
2004-
Dec.26
Earthquake(Tsunami)
8,345
2011-Aug.5
Flood
813
1962-Oct.27
Storm
769
1988-
Nov.19
Flood
664
1955-Jun.
Earthquake
500
1989-Nov.3
Storm
458
2010-Oct.10
Flood
258
1975-Jan.3
Flood
239
1995-Aug.1
Flood
231
2006-
Aug.20
Flood
164
Table 2 Affected Top 1019552014
Date
Type
Total
affected
2008-Apr
Drought
10,000,000
2011-Aug5
Flood
9,500,000
2010-Oct.10
Flood
8,970,653
2010-Mar.
Drought
6,482,602
1999-Jan.
Drought
6,000,000
1996-Jun.30
Flood
5,000,000
2002-Feb.
Drought
5,000,000
1995-Aug.1
Flood
4,280,984
2013-Sep.30
Flood
3,500,000
2002-Oct.
Flood
3,289,420
Table 3 Economic Damage Top 10
19552014
Type
Total damage
( 000 USD)
('000 US$)
Flood
40,000,000
Flood
1,261,000
Earthquake
1,000,000
Flood
482,000
Storm
452,000
Drought
420,000
Flood
400,100
Flood
400,000
Flood
400,000
Flood
332,000
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3.2. National Disaster Risk Assessment Mapping and Necessary Risk Management
In this section, the paper visualizes the risk of disaster type in Thailand and suggests the priority of
disaster management by type. In Figure 1, we can see each disaster type risk caused by different
impacts, such as death, affected and economic damage, by using a risk assessment mapping
methodology. These results, death, affected and economic damage risk, can be evaluated by the risk
map option matrix as indicated in Figures 2 and 3. The “affected” can be defined as “People
requiring immediate assistance during a period of emergency, i.e. requiring basic survival needs such
as food, water, shelter, sanitation and immediate medical assistance” (EM-DAT, 2016).
Concerning a) death risk, earthquake (tsunami) and flood are the main concern. Management is
required and immediate action should be made for those types of disasters. Acceptance of risk, but
monitoring and periodic attention should be made of the storms. Other disaster types require
acceptance of risk and conducting of annual re-evaluation.
In regard to b) affected risk, extensive management and monitoring are essential and immediate
action should be made for flooding. Acceptance of risk, but monitoring and periodic attention,
should be paid for droughts. Other disaster countermeasures are the same as for death risk.
With reference to c) economic damage risk, flood risk is tremendously high, while drought risk is
not so high, with other disaster types risk almost same as for affected risk.
From the overall point of view, flood countermeasures should be the first priority and earthquake
(tsunami) the second, with drought countermeasures following.
This risk assessment mapping enables us to see the whole picture of the natural disaster risks in
Thailand and also make it possible to prioritize the specific disaster type countermeasures. These
risks also can be numerically expressed by multiplying the frequency with the impact. In addition, we
can confirm recent disaster trends from the timeline (2001-2016) shown in the Appendix.
〇:Drought △:EarthquakeTsunami)+:Disease ×:Extreme Weather ◇:Flood
▽:Landslide ☒:StormHeavy Rain ✳:Forest Fire
Figure 1 Risk Assessment Mapping (Death, Affected, Economic Damage)
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3.3. Historical Overviews of Natural Disasters in Thailand
With reference to an historical overview of natural disasters, there is some literature on natural
disasters in Thailand, however, almost all are case studies focusing on one specific disaster or are
government or organization related reports, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2011
Chao Phraya River flood. Such literature tends not to focus on the historical and socio-economic
contexts. Therefore, this paper describes the natural disasters in Thailand in the context of such
background in a narrative way. To do so, the paper provides an historical overview of natural
disasters in Thailand, focusing on three key turning points of natural disaster events related to
government policies. Then, the paper briefly examines the social background of these three events.
Concerning the overall views of natural disasters in Thailand, the death toll trend in Thailand from
1955 can be seen in Figure 4 using EM-DAT data (EM-DAT, 2016). In this paper, the three high death
toll events, namely the 1988 floods and landslides, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and the 2011
flood, are highlighted as key turning point events. First, the 1988 floods and landslides have been
selected because these events changed the environmental policy in Thailand. Second, the paper
emphasizes the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and one of the most severely affected areas, Phi Phi
Island, to explain the socio-economic background. Third, the paper examines the 2011 Chao Phraya
River flood, especially Japanese enterprises, economic damage in the affected areas within a
historical and socio-economic context.
The first turning point was the 1988 floods and landslides in the south, especially Nakhon Si
Thammarat province. The numbers of reported casualties was 664 (EM-DAT, 2016). This number is
different from the sources. This event was considered to be caused by deforestation. Deforestation
makes lands vulnerable and causes floods and landslides triggered by storms and heavy rains. The
important aspect of this event is that King Rama IX emphasized the needs for environmental
protection in Thailand in his birthday speech on 4 December 1989 because His Majesty was worried
about the situation. Thailand forest covered land decreased from 53 percent (1961) to 28 p ercent
(1988) (Niren, 1994). Thailand policy changed dramatically after this speech (Funatsu, 1997). For
instance, the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment (MOSTE) was established, five
environment-related laws were enacted, and also the Environmental Fund was established in 1992.
Thailand’s “environmental boom” continued until the economic (baht) crisis in 1997 (Nakasu,
2005b).
The second turning point was the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami; the paper focuses on Phi Phi Islands
that were one of the most severely devastated by the tsunami to explain the socio-economic
background of the damages. The severeness of the damage to the islands was estimated by using
the Human Vulnerability Index that was developed to estimate the vulnerability of local
communities (Nakasu, 2017). This index indicates that Krabi province, which includes Phi Phi Islands,
Figure 2 Risk Matrix Option1
Figure 3 Risk Matrix Option2
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was more severely affected by the tsunami as compared to Phangnga province, which had the
largest number of casualties. The numbers can be seen in Table 4 (Asian Disaster Preparedness
Center, 2006; National Response and Contribution of International Partners, 2005). The Phi Phi
Islands were totally devastated by the tsunami. The islands were developing as a tourist spot before
the disaster, with development accelerating especially after the 1990s and the economic (baht) crisis
in 1997. After the economic crises, Thailand policy changed again to facilitate the tourist economy to
recover from the crisis. One of the symbolic examples was the “beach debate” (Forsyth, 2002). The
debate started in 1998 when a filming crew tried to change the environment on Maya beach on Phi
Phi Lei Island. Bulldozers made the sand beach wider. Coconut trees, which are not indigenous, were
planted there to create a tropical image. These activities conflicted with the 1961 national park law.
Even though they were not legal, the Royal Forest Department allowed the activities. This changed
the environment in the islands. When this situation was recognized, local NGOs started to do
research and make accusations. The movie, entitled “The Beach”, was released in 2000, after which
so many foreigners rushed to the islands. The tourism industry built many new hotels. The 2004
tsunami hit there during this time of rapid growth. This is one of the reasons why so many foreign
visitors suffered from this disaster. After the event, the tsunami drew international attention. In
Thailand, the National Disaster Warning Center was established in 2005. The Disaster Prevention and
Mitigation Act was enacted in 2007. The outline of the above two turning point events is shown in
Figure 5.
Figure 4 Death Toll Caused by Natural Disaster in Thailand (1955-2006)
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Table 4 Indian Ocean Tsunami’s Victims by Province
Province
Dead
Missing
Thai
Foreigner
Unidentified
Total
Thai
Foreigner
Total
Krabi
357
203
161
721
314
230
544
Phang Nga
1,389
2,114
722
4,225
1,352
303
1,655
Phuket
151
111
17
279
245
363
608
Ranong
153
6
159
9
9
Satun
6
Trang
3
2
1
1
Total
2,059
2,436
900
5,395
1,921
896
2,817
Source: (National Response and Contribution of International Partners, 2005)
Figure 5 Symbolic Events : The Floods and Landslides, Environmental Boom, Economic Crisis, and the 2004 Indian Ocean
Tsunami
The third turning point, the 2011 Chao Phraya River flood was one of the most symbolic events to
demonstrate the impact of the global economy and supply chain connections. The paper focuses on the
Japanese enterprises because 451 of 804 inundated companies were Japanese related (Tokyo Marine &
Nichido Fire Insurance Co.,Ltd., 2011). Figure 6 shows the seven international industrial parks/estates in
central Thailand. The paper explains the outlines of the historical and socio-economic backgrounds. From
the Thai side, The Fifth National Economic and Social Development Plan (1982-1986) deeply emphasized
decentralization because of over concentration in Bangkok and huge gaps between Bangkok and other
regions, even if this had been the policy since the Third National Economic and Social Development Plan
(1972-1976) (Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), 2016). To solve the
gap, the Thai government, in particular, the Office of The National Economic and Social Development
Board (NESDB), facilitated establishment of industrial parks/estates to distribute people, goods and
money out of Bangkok. The Board of Investment (BOI) also set tax incentives for foreign companies to
advance or relocate to Thailand (Suehiro, 1993). The Thai government also facilitated high tech
industries. Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani were two of the areas set to have such industrial parks/estates
because they were close to the airport and also the Chao Phraya River as a good water source. A lot of
places in the areas were originally paddy fields (Kitahara, 1995). There were also other attractive reasons
for Japanese companies to advance or relocate, such as a not expensive, but good labor force, good
medical care and education, Thai people’s welcoming character for Japanese, and social stability
(SME Support, Japan, 2006). From Japan’s side, after the Plaza Agreement in 1985, the value of the yen
dramatically increased and giant companies could not stay in Japan to do export business. Thailand was a
very suitable place for them to do business because of the location and the above mentioned reasons.
The next challenge happened after the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers investment bank, one of the
largest investment banks in the US, in 2008. The economic conditions became worse and the value of the
yen rose again rapidly. Small and middle size companies decided to relocate to Thailand to deal with the
giant companies that were already there in order to survive. They were mainly automobile or electronic
suppliers. The rapid growth of advanced companies, especially since 1985, can be seen in T able 5
(Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok, 2012). Thai and Japanese needs were matched which were
key factors for why so many Japanese enterprises advanced or relocated to the industrial parks/estates.
After the disaster, economic damage aspects, especially, globalization and supply chain issues were
Deforestations
1988-1989 Floods, Landslides, and Storms in the South
→ 1989 King’s Speech → “Environmental Boom”After 1990
→ 1997 Economic (Baht) Crisis → Economy First Trends
→ 1998 “The Beach” Debates → Tourism Development Facilitation (Phi Phi Islands)
→ 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami disaster
National Disaster Warning Center (2005), Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act (2007)
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realized. The National Catastrophe Insurance Fund (NCIF) was established in 2012 to respond to future’s
needs. The budget size on the national level for disaster prevention and mitigation dramatically increased
from 2,546,163,300 (2011) to 3,918,637,000 (2012) (Chariyaphan, 2012). Figure 7 outlines the flows.
Figure 7 Background of the facilitation of the relocation of Japanese enterprises to the industrial parks/estates in
Thailand
4. Discussions and Conclusions
This paper overviews the natural disaster status, risks and trends in Thailand with the following
three points: 1) an overview of the natural disasters in Thailand with data; 2) visualization of the risk
by disaster type in Thailand and suggestion of the priority of the disaster management by type; and
Year
Numbers of Japanese Companies
Registered to Japanese Chamber and
Commerce in BKK (JCCB)
1960s
4
30
1970s
18
1980s
(109)
1980-1984
8
1985-1899
101
239
1990s
97
2000s
41
(Thai side)
Excess Concentration in Bangkok (Since the 1970s) → Regional Gaps National Social Economic
Development Plan , NSDB, and BOI - Industrialization with establishment of Industrial Parks/EstatesPeople,
Goods, and Money Distributions/ Tax Incentives → Focus on High Priority Industries (High Tech Industries)
(Japan side)
Plaza Agreement1985 Yen Appreciation Giant Japanese Companies advance or relocate
to Thailand → Bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers2008 Yen Appreciation depression Small and
middle size companies relocate to Thailand
Table 5 The Change of the number of Japanese
companies registered to JCCB before and after
1985 in Thailand
Figure 6 Affected Industrial Estates and Parks (within a
dotted line)(Modified JETRO’s figure with their permission)
Source:(Nakasu, Okazumi, & Shimizu, 2013; Okazumi & Nakasu,
2015)
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3) indication of the significant natural disaster events within historical and socio -economic
perspectives.
With reference to 1), an overview of natural disasters in Thailand with data, the top 10 natural
disasters indicates the trends in Thailand. The general trend for natural disasters is usually from
human suffering to economic damage within the economic development process (Nakasu, 2005a). In
the case of Thailand, this trend cannot be seen clearly because of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
and the 2011 Chao Phraya River flood. These disasters had high death tolls and huge economic
damages, respectively, as compared to other disasters. In addition, both disasters were very
internationally related. Over half of all deaths in Thailand caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
were unknown and foreigners. The Chao Phraya River flood also involved many foreign companies in
industrial estates/parks that were affected and this interrupted international economic activities and
made the disaster economically worse. These two “international disasters” made Thailand’s natural
disaster trend unusual.
With respect to the 2), visualization of the risks by disaster type and suggestion of the priority of
the disaster management by the type, national risk assessment mapping was created to put those
results in a risk matrix option in order to evaluate. Flooding is the most important natural disaster to
cope with in Thailand and immediate actions should be made. The tsunami countermeasures were
also significant in order to reduce the death risk to foreign visitors, as well as Thai tourists. Disaster
management should be considered with scientific evidence in order to use the necessary resources
effectively within a limited budget and resources.
Concerning 3), indication of the significant natural disaster events within historical and socio-
economic perspectives, it is apparent that “natural” disasters clarify socio-economic issues. For
example, the 1988 floods and landslides make clear deforestation and logging problems in the south
of Thailand; the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami highlighted tourism industries, especially for foreign
visitors, and economic development with natural resources deterioration; the 2011 Chao Phraya
River flood showed foreign companies supply chain structures, globalization, decentralization
policies and domestic and international socio-economic contexts.
With the above examination, this paper overviews the characteristics of natural disasters in
Thailand, the disaster type countermeasures that are most required, and historical and socio-
economic issues embedded in the natural disasters. The paper is just beginning to grasp the whole
picture of disasters in Thailand as a first step. Detailed research will be undertaken as a next
challenge.
Appendix
Timeline of Disaster Events in Thailand (2001- 2016)
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Appendix: The Timeline of Disaster Events in Thailand (2001-2016)
11
Date
Places(Provinces, etc)
Disaster
Type
Situations
Primary Source
2001.8.21
North, upper central, northeastern
and eastern provinces
Flood
A flash flood swept down a mountainside through villages in Lomsak district
death:164 people
damage estimate 24.4 million dollars
Relief Web
2001.12.24
Southern Provinces
Flood
Thousands of people in southern Thailand fled their houses after heavy rains triggered floods.
ADRC
2002.4.29
The Thailand's largest refugee
camp near the Myanmar border
Storm
A freak tropical storm has killed five people at the refugee camp. The storm made damaged
about 300 bamboo shelters as it tore through the camp.Around 40,000 Karen people live in
shelters near the Myanmar border.
ADRC
2002.9.3
Northern Provinces
Heavy Rain
At least 14 people were killed and more than 20 were missing after their makeshift houses on
the banks of an overflowing stream collapsed after heavy rain.
Death:39 people
Damaged house: 150,000
ADRC
2002.9.18
Northern Provinces
Mud Slide
Some 800 people narrowly escaped a huge mudslide in northern Thailand on Tuesday as it
swept through three villages in a tangle of uprooted trees and destroyed buildings, a district
official said.
ADRC
2002.10.4
Bangkok
Flood
Residents of the Thai capital, Bangkok, are bracing themselves for severe flooding following
forecasts that floodwaters coming from the north of the country.
ADRC
2003.10.26
Eight Provinces
Flood
Five days of heavy monsoon rains have brought severe floods to Thailand, killing a 13-year-old
boy, forcing hundreds of people from their homes and disrupting road and rail transport,
officials said.
Dead: 1 person
Affected: at least 200,000 people
(in 8 provinces)
Evacuated: more than 1,600 people
ADRC
2003.12.14
Southern Provinces
Flood
Floods in Thailand have killed at least eight people and damaged tens of thousands of homes.
ADRC
2004.12.24
Krabi, Trang, PhangNa, Phuket,
Ranong, Saturn
Tsunami
On 26 December 2004, Tsunami occurred off the Sumatra Island killed 5,395, affected 58,550,
and whose total loss was US$ 399.78 million in Thailand
ADRC
2005.8.31
Northern Provinces (Chiang Rai,
Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Sorn
Provinces)
Flood
Over 100,000 families have been affected by severe flooding in Northern Thailand in the middle
of August. Torrential rains which earlier in August hammered Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Mae
Hong Sorn inundated more than 4 500 villagers’ homes in these three provinces alone leaving
11 people dead and making several roads impassable to small vehicles.
ADRC
2005.12.18
Southern Provinces
Torrential
monsoon
rains
Torrential monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across Thailand's south, killing 12 people and
leaving two missing in the past week, officials said on Sunday. Seven of the victims died in two
mudslides.
ADRC
13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THAI STUDIES
GLOBALIZED THAILAND? CONNECTIVITY, CONFLICT AND CONUNDRUMS OF THAI STUDIES
15-18 JULY 2017, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND
Appendix: The Timeline of Disaster Events in Thailand (2001-2016)
12
2006.05.23
Northern Provinces
Flood,Mud
Slide
Heavy monsoon rains unleashed flash floods and mudslides in northern Thailand which killed at
least 10 people, left 47 missing and thousands homeless, officials said on Tuesday.
ADRC
2006.10.09
43 provinces in the country's north,
northeast and central Thailand
Flood
More than 32 dead in Thai floods since August 2006, reported on October 10.
BBC
2007.04.14
Trang
Flood
Flash floods killed at least 23 holidaymakers and injured more than 20 at three waterfalls in the
southern Thai province of Trang on Saturday as they celebrated the Thai New Year, disaster
officials said.
ADRC
2008.04.27
Thak
Flood
The rains have continued pouring in Thak province, Thailand at least four consecutive days.
Over 1,000 people are currently homeless.
ADRC
2008.8.15
Nakhon Phanom
Flood
The disaster prevention special command center in Nakhon Phanom province is in the midst of
assessing damage caused by inundation in 12 districts. More than 100,000 people have been
affected by flooding. Meanwhile the death toll has reportedly stood at 1.
ADRC
2008.09.08
North and Northeast Provinces
Flood
Heavy downpours due to a low pressure trough and the southwestern monsoon in the past
week have triggered more flash floods and inundated villages and farmland in north and
northeast Thailand. According to disaster officials, five people have been killed, 114,345 (34,182
families) have been affected.
ADRC
2008.10.01
Northern, north-eastern and
central provinces
Heavy Rain
The death toll from floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains has risen to 23, while nearly
230,588 people have been treated for water-related illnesses and injuries.
IRIN
2008.09.31-10.01
Si Sa Ket Province
Typhoon
Typhoon Mekkahla hit between 31 September and 1 October 2008. The cyclone caused
torrential rains which killed 32, affected 2,864,484 and whose total loss was US$ 21.6 million
including Vietnam.
Relief Web,
ADRC
2008.11.19
Southern Provinces
Flood
201,434 people affected, 10 people died and 190 families homeless (685 persons) from heavy
rain in southern Thailand.
ADRC
2008.12.08
Yala
Flood
After heavy rains in the southern Yala province, Thailand, the Disasters' Prevention Special
Command Centre in Yala has issued warnings on 8 December 2008 to the people in the area to
be cautious of potential hazards and flash floods after over 3,000 local families being affected.
ADRC
2009.11.07
Southern border provinces
Flood
The flooding which started in the southern border province in Thailand so far killed 10 people
ADRC
2010.08.13
Lampang
Flood
The flood struck the northern province of Lampang on Friday night (13 August 2010) with the
water level as high as one meter. Over 1,200 households and 36 villages in 7 districts have been
affected.
ADRC
2010.10.16
Nakhon Ratchasima
Flash Flood
Nakhon Ratchasima has been ravaged as flash floods wreak havoc in the Northeast and Central
Plains following heavy weekend monsoon rains.
ADRC
2011.03
47 Provinces
Drought
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Thailand announced drought in 47
provinces.
ADRC
13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THAI STUDIES
GLOBALIZED THAILAND? CONNECTIVITY, CONFLICT AND CONUNDRUMS OF THAI STUDIES
15-18 JULY 2017, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND
Appendix: The Timeline of Disaster Events in Thailand (2001-2016)
13
2011.03.27
Southern Provinces
Flash Flood
Since 23 March 2011 there has been a prolonged heavy rainfall causing flash floods in many
provinces in the South.
ADRC
2011.07-2012.02
Provinces of Northern,
Northeastern and Central Thailand
along the Mekong and Chao Phraya
river
Flood
Severe flooding occurred during the 2011 monsoon season in Thailand, beginning at the end of
July and ceasing mid-January 2012. The flooding affected the provinces of Northern,
Northeastern and Central Thailand along the Mekong and Chao Phraya river basins, as well as
parts of the capital city of Bangkok. It resulted in a total of 813 deaths, 9.5 million people
affected and economic damage of USD40 billion.
ADRC
2011.08.03
North and the northeast provinces
Tropical
Storm,
Flood
Tropical Storm Nock Ten has caused continuous rainfalls in the north and the northeast of
Thailand, causing floods in 15 provinces.
ADRC
2012.06.06
Surat Thani
Heavy
Rain, Flood
Continuous rain has caused flooding in five districts in Surat Thani province of southern
Thailand, affecting 8,500 households and over 27,000 residents.
ADRC
2012.09.12
Northern Provinces
Flood
Thousands have fled their homes in Northern Thailand after heavy rain caused a major river to
overflow at the start of September.
ADRC
2013.06
Phuket, Ranong, Nan, Phang Nga,
Trang, Satun, Krabi
Flood
Torrential rain has been constant in the south for around 3 or 4 days already, flooding streets
and town centers. Outside the towns, many roads have been made impassable by mudslides
and floods. The western coast of south Thailand suffered the most, especially the provinces of
Phuket, Ranong, Nan, Phang Nga, Trang, Satun and Krabi. Six houses were damaged by
mudslides in Nan province, with one person reported as missing.All seven districts in Satun
Province have been declared a disaster zone after they had been hit by flash floods. There have
been reports that as many as 9,000 homes have been affected.
Phuket Gazette;
2013.07.05
Phang-Nga
Flood
Nearly 13cm of rain has fallen in a 24 hour period on 4th July 2013 in the Phang-Nga province.
Particularly badly affected was the Takua Pa district. Other areas of southern Thailand have also
seen heavy rainfall. Floods and landslides killed one person and many houses and buildings
were damaged in Phang-Nga.
Thai Financial
Post
2013.07.18
Trat, Ranong
Flood
The heavy rain has caused flooding in Trat and Ranong provinces. Over 500 residents of Trat
province have been affected.
ADRC
2013.08.01
Chiang Rai, Kanjanaburi, Tak, Nan,
Payao, Sakon Nakorn, Prajinburi
Flood
The recent floods had affected nearly 20,000 homes across 7 provinces in Thailand. According
to DDPM, 18,788 homes in Chiang Rai, Kanjanaburi, Tak, Nan, Payao, Sakon Nakorn and
Prajinburi have been affected by flash floods as heavy rains continue raging across these
provinces.
Pattaya Mail;
Thai Financial
Post
2013.09.17
30 provinces of Thailand
Flood
Two million people in 30 provinces of Thailand have been affected by floods since 17
September 2013.
ADRC
2013.11.26
Surat Thani
Flood
Four districts in the Surat Thani province have also been declared disaster zones, with 4,070
households affected and 41 roads and 21 bridges left damaged or impassable.At least five
people have reportedly died in the flood.
Flood list
13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THAI STUDIES
GLOBALIZED THAILAND? CONNECTIVITY, CONFLICT AND CONUNDRUMS OF THAI STUDIES
15-18 JULY 2017, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND
Appendix: The Timeline of Disaster Events in Thailand (2001-2016)
14
2013.12.05
Southern Thailand
Flood
Floods in Thailand's South have intensified with heavy rains lashing towns and water levels
rising. Water has been flowing down from nearby mountain ranges to Mueang district and
affected approximately 16,500 households.
ADRC
2013.12.07
Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon,
Ranong, Surat Thani, Satun, Yala
and Pattani, Nakhon Si Thammarat,
Songkhla, Phatthalung, Trang,
Narathiwat
Flood
On Saturday 7 December, Thailand’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department
announced that floods had started to recede in the seven affected of Prachuap Khiri Khan,
Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, Satun, Yala and Pattani,the department also stated that
flooding remains in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla, Phatthalung, Trang and Narathiwat
provinces, affecting around 125,000 people.
National News
Bureau of
Thailand (NNT)
2013.12.16
Southern, Central, and Northern
Flood
Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) announced that the
floods that had affected much of the country’s southern region has receded in 10 provinces,
but remain in Phutthalung and Trang. The DDPM said that as many as 6,000 people are still
affected by flooding in these two provinces.Northern and central areas of Thailand have been
affected by flooding throughout the monsoon.Heavy rainfall around 21 November led to severe
flooding across 12 provinces, resulting in 20 deaths. The worst affected area was Nakhon Si
Thammarat province, where as many as 6 people died.
FloodList
2013.12.16
Loei, Tak, Nan, Chiang Mai, Nakhon
Phanom, Nong Bua Lamphu
Cold Spell
The cold spell has affected the north of the country, affecting over 1 million people in the six
provinces of Loei, Tak, Nan, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Phanom, and Nong Bua Lamphu, all of which
have been declared disaster zones as a result of the cold temperatures.
FloodList
2014.01.13
Narathiwat
Flood
Floods have struck in the Su-ngai Kolok and Waeng districts of Narathiwat in Thailand following
continuous rainfall throughout last week.The rainfall increased levels of the Buketa Canal until
it eventually overflowed, flooding around 20 villages and leaving around 1,088 homes under
50cm to 100cm of water.
FloodList
2014.05.05
Chaing Rai
Earthquake
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale struck the northern province of
Chiang Rai at 6.08pm Monday, May 5.The epicenter was located at a point 9 km (6 mi) south of
Mae Lao District, 27 km (17 mi) southwest of Chiang Rai, Thailand.Windows, walls and roads as
well as temples all suffered damage from the quake. It was the strongest earthquake ever
recorded in Thailand, according to National Disaster Warning Center. In Phan district of Chiang
Rai, a road was split by serious cracks. A Buddha statue's head at the Udomwaree Temple fell
off due to the quake and a residential building of the temple suffered exterior cracks and ceiling
damage.
USGS,
BKKPOST, ABC
News, Thai PBS
2014.07.24
Sakon Nakhon, Prachin Buri, Si Sa
Ket, Ubon Ratchathani,Yasothon
Flood
Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation(DDPM) stated earlier today that,
after several days of steady rain, flooding is affecting the 5 provinces of Sakon Nakhon, Prachin
Buri, Si Sa Ket, Ubon Ratchathani and Yasothon. Ubon Ratchathani saw over 80 mm of rain fall
24 hours between 22 and 23 July 2014. Sakon Nakhon province was one of the worst hit, where
floods have affected around 4,000 families. Elsewhere, flooding has damaged homes and roads
in Si Sa Ket and Ubon Ratchathani provinces. Access to several parts of Si Sa Ket has been
difficult for the last few days. At one stage flood waters were so high the Provincial Electricity
Authority (PEA) had to cut power supply in the Benchalak district as a safety measure.
Floodlist
13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THAI STUDIES
GLOBALIZED THAILAND? CONNECTIVITY, CONFLICT AND CONUNDRUMS OF THAI STUDIES
15-18 JULY 2017, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND
Appendix: The Timeline of Disaster Events in Thailand (2001-2016)
15
2014.02
Buriram, Sakon Nakhon
Drought
Thailand's northeastern provinces of Buriram and Sakon Nakhon are being plagued by the worst
drought in decades and are in urgent need of assistance.
ADRC
2014.07.10
Chiang Rai
Flood,
Landslide
The northernmost province of Chiang Rai has been hit again by landslides and flash floods
following three days of abundant raining. As many as a thousand families in 8 districts of the
province have reportedly been afflicted.
ADRC
2014.07.21
Northeastern Provinces
Typhoon
Rivers across several communities in northeastern Thailand have overflowed due to the effects
of Typhoon Rammasun, which has caused heavy rains throughout the area.
ADRC
2014.7.23
Sakon Nakhon, Prachin Buri, Si Sa
Ket, Ubon Ratchathani, Yasothon
Flood
On 23 July, the 5 provinces of Sakon Nakhon, Prachin Buri, Si Sa Ket, Ubon Ratchathani and
Yasothon were badly affected by flooding.
FloodList
2014.07.30
Sakhon Nakhon, Ubon Ratchathani
Flood
Due to the heavy rainfall in the Northeast, flooding has occurred in Sakhon Nakhon and Ubon
Ratchathani provinces,Thailand, affecting 19,183 households
ADRC
2014.7.31
Amnat Charoen
Flood
The Mekong river in the northeastern Thai province of Amnat Charoen has overflowed and
submerged several villages on 31 July 2014, damaging over 1,000 houses.
FloodList
2014.8.21
Nan
Flood
Heavy rain in Nan province in northern Thailand caused local rivers to overflow earlier this
week, flooding several districts in the province. Further flood warnings have been issued for 20
provinces, especially in northern and northeastern areas.Flooding has particularly affected the
districts of Thung Chang, Muang and Song, where around 50 houses and areas of farmland have
been damaged.
Floodlist
2014.09.01
17 Provinces
Flood
Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reported on Monday, 01
September 2014 that at least 17 provinces have been affected by recent flooding. Six people
have been killed and at least 1 person remains missing.
FloodList
2014.09.05
Nan, Shkhothai, Chaiyaphum, Tak,
Nakhonsawan
Flood
Due to heavy rainfall, several provinces in Northern Thailand experienced flooding. As of 5
September, the affected areas are 1. Nan Province: Nanoy and Namoen district 2. Shkhothai
Province: Muang, Srisuehanalai Srinakorn and Tung Saleam. 500 houses are still inundated. 3.
Chaiyaphum Province: 80 houses are submerged. 4. Tak Province 5. Nakhonsawan Province: 30
houses are inundated. Impact: 7404 families or (estimated) 15000 people 17479 ha agricultural
fields damaged 3000 ha of rice field damaged.
AHA
2014.09.06
28 Provinces. Deaths occurred in
Kamphaeng Phet, Mea Hong Son,
Chiang Rai, Nakhon Si Thammarat,
Phayao, Phrae, and Sukhothai
Provinces.
Flood
Thailand’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department (DDPM) states 07 September 2014,
that flooding that has affected at least 28 provinces in the country since late August, has
resulted in the deaths of 10 people and 14,562 houses had been affected in the floods in over
700 villages.The deaths occurred in the provinces of Kamphaeng Phet (2), Mae Hong Son (2),
Chiang Rai (2), Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phayao, Phrae and Sukhothai.
FloodList
2014.09.29
Chiang Mai and Chai Nat Provinces
Flood
Due to continuous heavy rain, Fung District of Chiang Mai is affected by flood, Chai Nat
province was also affected. Impact: 55houses damaged 94 houses affected in Chai Nat
province.
AHA
13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THAI STUDIES
GLOBALIZED THAILAND? CONNECTIVITY, CONFLICT AND CONUNDRUMS OF THAI STUDIES
15-18 JULY 2017, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND
Appendix: The Timeline of Disaster Events in Thailand (2001-2016)
16
2014.10.01
Chantaburi Province
Flood
Due to heavy rainfall, flood is affecting Chantaburi Province. Impact: 100 families affected.
AHA
2014.10.02
Chiang Mai and Chai Nat Provinces
Flood
Heavy rainfall has caused deadly floods in northern Thailand over the last few days. The heavy
rain has moved south, to affect central and southern areas of the country.Chiang Mai Province
faced continuous heavy rain and flash floods between 28 September and 01 October 2014.
Three people tragically drowned in the flooding in Fang District. More than 50 homes in the
district have been damaged by the floods. In Chai Nat Province, flooding was so severe that
authorities had to make emergency rescues in Hunkha District. Nearly 100 homes have been
damaged on the province.
FloodList
2014.10.07
Petchaburi, Rachaburi, Prachuap
khiri kham, Krabi, Satun, Surathani
Flood
Due to heavy rain since 6 October 2014, several provinces in central and south of Thailand have
been affected provinces include: Petchaburi(6districts),Rachaburi(2 districts), Prachuap khiri
kham, Krabi(2 districts), Satun(5districts), Surathani(2districts). Impact : more than 4700
families or more than 20000 people affected(estimated)
AHA
2014.10.20
Lampang Province
Flood
Heavy rain has caused the Lam Huai Mae River to overflow. Consequently, flood inundated
more than 200 houses in Thoen District, Lampang Province. Impact: over 200 families were
affected more than 200 houses were inundated.
AHA
2014.10.22
Lampang Province
Flood
Floods in 5 villages in Lampang Province, Thailand have affected 200 families. NNT (National
News Bureau of Thailand) are reporting that the Lam Huai Mae Wa River overflowed its banks
causing flooding in Thoen District in the northern province of Lampang, earlier today 22
October 2014.Around 200 families in 5 different villages in the area have been severely
affected, although no injuries have been reported. Homes of the families are said to have been
completely inundated and officials from Thailand’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
Department (DDPM) are coordinating distribution of food, water and other supplies.
FloodList
2014.11.07
Pattani, Nakhon si Thamamarat
and Surat thani
Flood
Due to continuous heavy rainfall, flood was affecting several southern provinces including
Pattani(Muang), Nakhon si Thamamarat (Phra phrom, Chang Klang) and Surat thani. Impact:
2408 households or 7237 people were affected 2000 acres of agricultural lands were
inundated.
AHA
2014.11.10
Trang
Flood
Heavy rain has generated flash flood incident in Trang Province. The consecutive days of rain
have created flooding in the southern province. Impact: Over 200 families were affected in
Trang 5,000 ha of farmland have been submerged.
AHA
2014.11.14
Trang, Nakhon Si Thammarat
Flood
Trang Province:Trang province has been one of the worst affected areas after persistent heavy
rain over the last 4 days caused flash floods across several southern provinces.Around 1,000
villagers in Trang have been evacuated since the flooding began. Houses and farmland have
been damaged. The flood water level was almost two meters high, according to NNT.
Nakhon Si Thammarat:At least 5 districts Chawang, Chang Klang, Pipoon, Lan Ska, and Phra
Phrom in Nakhon Si Thammarat experienced severe floods. More than 4,400 households and
12,000 people have been affected in the province.
FloodList
13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THAI STUDIES
GLOBALIZED THAILAND? CONNECTIVITY, CONFLICT AND CONUNDRUMS OF THAI STUDIES
15-18 JULY 2017, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND
Appendix: The Timeline of Disaster Events in Thailand (2001-2016)
17
2014.12.14
7 Provinces in the South
Flood,
Landslide
Since 14 December 2014, Thailand's seven provinces in the south have been affected by floods
and landslides. Seven people died and three were injured.
ADRC
2014.12.15
Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung
Flood
Floods in the southern Thai provinces of Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phatthalung have forced
evacuations in as many as 50 villages, some of which are under more than 1 metre of water.
One person is reported as missing after being swept away by the floods in Phrom Khiri district,
Nakhon Si Thammarat.
FloodList
2014.12.17
Narathiwat, Yala, Nakhon Si
Thammarat, Phatthalung
Flood
Narathiwat:National News Bureau Thailand (NNT) say that floods in Narathiwat have been
caused by heavy rain over the last 4 days has and run-off from the Sankalakhiri mountain range
flowing down to the Su-ngai Kolok River. Houses along the river have been inundated. Flooding
has also affected over 300 families in the districts of Sukhirin, Waeng and Su-ngai Kolok.
Yala:Many low lying areas of the province are already seeing some flooding, and more are
expected.
Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phatthalung: Floods struck in the provinces of Nakhon Si Thammarat
and Phatthalung. Two people have been reported as missing after being swept away in the
floods one in Nakhon Si Thammarat, the other in Phatthalung.
FloodList
2014.12.19
Southern Provinces
Flood
Heavy rain and flooding has continued in southern Thailand and is now also affecting areas
along the Thailand-Malaysian border. Several southern provinces in Thailand have been under
water for the last week.Across the region a total of four people have been reported as killed in
the floods and 14,000 people evacuated (12,000 in Malaysia). Two people remain missing in the
floods in Thailand.
FloodList
2015.01.08
Bangkok
Flood
In Bangkok, commuters faced a Monday morning rush hour driving in flood water up to 50 cm
deep in some areas.A heavy downpour and thunderstorm lasting 5 hours dumped over 100 mm
of rain on the city in the early hours between 2 am and 5 am. Some schools and colleges have
closed.
FloodList
2015,04.07
8 Provinces
Storm
Seasonal storms pounded about 50 villages in 11 districts of eight provinces, damaging more
than 900 houses.
ADRC
2015.08.06
North, North East, and South
Nakhorn Phanom
Flood
Several areas in the North, North East and South of Thailand have reportedly been flooded by
overflowing rivers after several days of rainfall. In Nakhon Phanom, more than 3,000 homes
and 30,000 rai of rice paddies have been inundated.\
ADRC
2015.08.06
Nakhon Phanom
Flood
In Nakhon Phanom, more than 3,000 homes and 30,000 rai of rice paddies have been
inundated in Sri Songkram district after the Songkram River overflowed the embankment and
flooded surrounding areas. Residents were forced out of their homes, and had to take refuge
on the street.
FloodList
2016.03
Drought
The worst drought in 50 years in being predicted for Thailand in 2016. The agricultural sector
will bear the largest impact, as the quantities of many agricultural products fall, especially rice,
tapioca, sugarcane, and sugar.
InterRisk Asia
13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THAI STUDIES
GLOBALIZED THAILAND? CONNECTIVITY, CONFLICT AND CONUNDRUMS OF THAI STUDIES
15-18 JULY 2017, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND
Appendix: The Timeline of Disaster Events in Thailand (2001-2016)
18
2016.06.21
Bangkok
Flood
Wide areas of Bangkok, Thailand, were flooded on 21 June after a period of heavy rain across
the city.The flooding brought traffic to a standstill forced some schools and businesses to close.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) stated that heavy rains during
the evening of 20 June caused flooding in 36 areas of Bangkok, leaving streets under 60cm of
water in some areas.
Flood list
2016.09.06
Phang-Nga
Flood
The floods have affected areas of Phang Nga Province.The worst hit area is the village of Ban
Bang Yai Village in Taku Pa District, where at least 40 houses have been damaged and left
without drinking water. Vehicles, crops and livestock have also suffered damage. No injuries or
fatalities have been reported however.
FloodList
2016.10.07
Nakornsawan Province
Flood
3 people have been killed by floods in Nakornsawan province. Wide areas of farmland have
been submerged and 27,000 houses inundated.Flooding is affecting a total of 14 provinces
across the country.Many areas have been reported persistent heavy rain over the last 2 weeks.
Ayutthaya province in particular is seeing some severe flooding, with around 22,000 homes
inundated as well as a number of important historical buildings and temples.
FloodList
2016.11.06-09
Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi, Krabi
and Satun
Flood
Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reported on 06
November that over 6,000 households have been affected by flooding in the central provinces
of Kanchanaburi and Phetchaburi, and the southern provinces of Krabi and Satun.
FloodList
2016.12.05
Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thamarat,
Songkhla, Phatthalung, Pattani,
Chumphon, Krabi, Trang, Yala, and
Narathiwat
Flood
Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) says that 11 people have
died in the floods and 2 people remain missing. Over 360,000 people have been affected.
Flooding has also caused major disruption to train travel in the south.The fatalities were
reported in the provinces of Surat Thani (2), Nakhon Si Thammarat (3), Songkhla (2),
Phatthalung (2), Pattani (2). Flooding has also affected the provinces of Chumphon, Krabi,
Trang, Yala and Narathiwat.
FloodList
13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THAI STUDIES
GLOBALIZED THAILAND? CONNECTIVITY, CONFLICT AND CONUNDRUMS OF THAI STUDIES
15-18 JULY 2017, CHIANG MAI, THAILAND
Appendix: The Timeline of Disaster Events in Thailand (2001-2016)
19
References
ABC News/ ADRC/ AHA/ Asia News Network/ Bangkok Post/ BBC/ Daily News Thailand/ DDPM/ FloodList/ GLIDE number/ InterRisk/ National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT)/
Pattaya Mail/ Phuket Gazette/ Relief Web/ USGS/ Thai PBS/ Thai Financial Post
Related URLs
ABC News
http://abcnews.go.com/
ADRC (Thailand)
http://www.adrc.asia/nationinformation.php?NationCode=764&Lang=en&NationNum=09
AHA (ADI net)
http://adinet.ahacentre.org/
Asia News Network
http://www.asianews.network/
Bangkok Post
http://www.bangkokpost.com/
BBC
http://www.bbc.com/
Daily News Thailand
http://www.pressreader.com/thailand/daily-news-thailand/textview
DDPM (Database System)
http://61.19.54.136/
FloodList (Thailand)
http://floodlist.com/tag/thailand
GLIDE number
http://glidenumber.net/glide/public/search/search.jsp
InterRisk (Thailand)
http://www.interriskthai.co.th/th/
National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT)
http://thainews.prd.go.th/website_en/home/index
Pattaya Mail
http://www.pattayamail.com/
Phuket Gazette
http://www.phuketgazette.net/
Relief Web (Disaters)
http://reliefweb.int/disasters
USGS
https://www.usgs.gov/
Thai PBS
http://www.thaipbs.or.th/home
Thai Financial Post
http://business.financialpost.com/tag/thailand
... Alternatively, Korean companies that came to Thailand tended to be located in newly developed industrial parks and estates on the country's east coast, and thus, experienced less severe impacts from the damage to these companies [8]. ...
... • Okazumi and Nakasu [27,28] considered the exacerbation of devastating economic damage from a social background perspective. • Nakasu [8] clarified the reasons why so many Japanese companies moved to the potential risk area in Thailand given the 2011 Chao Phraya Flood disaster given both countries' social backgrounds. • Haraguch and Lall [11] emphasized enterprises' decision-making process to clarify the triggers of economic damage. ...
... The economic conditions worsened and the yen again rapidly increased in value. Small and medium-sized companies decided to relocate to Thailand to build relationships with the larger companies already there in order to survive [8]. Based on the JETRO's report [35], the rates of change among small and medium-sized companies compared to large companies relocating to Thailand before 1984 to 2014 are as follows: 0.29 (before 1984), 0. 29 (1985-1989) (2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014). ...
Article
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This paper aims to identify the root causes that exacerbated the economic damage from the 2011 Chao Phraya river flood disaster in central Thailand industrial complex area. Finding root causes is crucial for learning from disasters; however, there has not been much investigation of the economic damage root causes with regard to the 2011 Chao Phraya river flood disaster. This paper seeks to investigate the root causes of the economic damage by organizing the existing analytical frameworks, tools and approaches to clarify why industrial parks and estates experienced such substantial economic devasta-tion that resonated worldwide. The study's research design includes a social background survey, in-depth interview surveys and an investigation of the disaster's root causes. Through the research, inadequate urban and land use planning facilitated by a decentralization policy, foreign companies settlement in the country , which involved urbanization and relocation without proper risk assessment, information, and knowledge , and supplier's responsibility based on the supply chain's structure, are detected as root causes for the high economic damage in the industrial complex area. This study also provides key lessons essential to building regional resilience in industrial complex areas: 1) considering the potential risks of regional planning, which include both socioeconomic and climate changes; 2) clarifying the roles of companies, regions , and nations in sharing risk information with related stakeholders before, during, and after a disaster; and 3) building horizontal and vertical collaborations among all related stakeholders.
... Thai government policies facilitated industrial complex areas, and supply chains systems were enlarged with global economic trends [9]. In industrial complex areas, large-scale land-use change and development led to drastically increased runoff, over-extraction of groundwater, and filling-in of canals and waterways. ...
... Several investigative approaches to the 2011 flood from an economic perspective exist in the literature. In the previous special edition, Area-BCM, Nakasu and Miyamoto et al. indicated significant contributions to the literature [5,6,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. In addition, the paper examines further literature on the 2011 flood's impact on the business sector, such as SMEs [16,17]. ...
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Literature exists on business continuity; however, little exists on the complied experience, especially flood risk. The research also does not cover industrial complex areas using integrated perspectives. Most studies on major business continuity disasters focus on event impacts and the short-term responses and recovery process of enterprises. Some evaluate the underlying causes of vulnerability, but few follow up to evaluate the consequences of the business continuity process because of restrictions on information disclosure regarding these activities. The objective of this study is to improve understanding of the influence that business continuity narratives have had on how decisions and actions are undertaken to continue business after a flood disaster, and what long-term influence this has had, in turn, on the industrial complex area from integrated perspectives, especially applying the lessons learned. This research drew on insights from in-depth studies of Japanese enterprises to maximize the findings based on abundant field data: (1) disaster responses in the flood risk situation; (2) the challenges faced by enterprises in the area before, during and following the 2011 floods; and (3) lessons that led to new consideration for the flood risk in the areas following the 2011 flood. This study identified alternative narratives on the purpose and means of business continuity with implications for flood risk by constructing scenarios for practical use. The findings of this study provide new insights and will improve the performance of business continuity management, both existing and planned, and, ultimately, support more climate-resilient development in this area.
... After the devastating floods in 2011, Thailand has increased its focus on both structural and non-structural mitigation and also highlighted preparedness-need, flood forecasting and Early Warning System (EWS) (Marks, 2019). However, loss of lives due to monsoon floods is still a frequent phenomenon in Thailand (Nakasu, 2007). In July 2017, Sakon Nakhon province received 790 mm of rainfall triggered by the tropical storms "Talas" and "Sonca", leading to the worst floods in the northeastern provinces in two decades. ...
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Field-based academic researches play a vital role in the identification of key issues contributing to disaster vulnerability and in uncovering of policy recommendations that will help in reducing vulnerability and improving community resilience. Vulnerability to disasters is embedded in a complex system of societal structures and processes. It is driven by a combination of social, economic, environmental, institutional, and other relevant processes that interact with and influence each other. Thus, assessment of disaster vulnerability requires an approach that captures the dynamics of drivers of disaster vulnerability and accounts for the interactions among them. System approach to disaster vulnerability assessment could be an effective method to understand the drivers of disaster vulnerability and interactions among them. The system approach seeks to look at a problem in its entirety, considering all the facets, all the intertwined parameters to identify the optimum solutions to the problem. Thus, the primary objective of this paper is to review the existing field-based approaches to flood vulnerability assessment aimed at understanding the extent to which system approach has been adopted and identifying gaps in current approaches. Along with a comprehensive review of existing researches on flood vulnerability assessment, this paper will also use learnings from an ongoing research project on flood vulnerability assessment using system approach at the local level in Sakon Nakhon Province, Thailand.
... Based on the approximate year estimates these sources correspond to the timing when the seagrass area started significantly to decrease (from 2004; Fig. 6B). During this period there was higher frequency of the flooding storms (Nakasu, 2017), which created nutrient overload from the terrestrial runoff. Although excess nutrients have the positive effect on the productivity, the overload stimulates the growth of phytoplankton, epiphytes or macroalgae, (Short et al., 1995;Wear et al., 1999), which led to increase of the Chl-a concentration levels during this period. ...
Article
Although seagrass ecosystems provide various ecosystem services, the implications in correspondence with temporal changes of the meadows is lacking. In this study, we analyzed two-decade changes of the seagrass area with the organic carbon storage and the sources at Libong island in Thailand. The seagrass area covered 841 ha in 2019, after two decades of decline (3.2 and 0.6% yr − 1 between 2004 and 2009 and 2009-2019, respectively). Although δ 13 C was not significant between depth layers (p > 0.05), the general trend suggested that the terrestrial source of carbon is dominating bottom depth layer (31.7-37.2%), mixture of terrestrial (19.7-30.3%), seagrass (22.9-29.6%), mangrove (16.8-43.0%) and CPOM (11.2-25.4%) in the middle, and mangroves and seagrasses are dominating surface layer (28.3-66.2 and 29.3-36.5%, respectively). These trends approximately correspond to the areal changes of the meadows, as well as changes of urban area and water quality, providing detailed information on the meadow changes and possible causes.
... However, Nakasu (2017) reported statistical information about disasters in Thailand, including fatalities and economic losses. The results of this study showed that financial losses due to damage caused by earthquakes are higher than for other hazards (e.g., flooding, storms, and heavy rainfall) that occur with greater frequency [3]. ...
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Thailand is not known to be an earthquake-prone country; however, in 2014, an unexpected moderate earthquake caused severe damage to infrastructure and resulted in public panic. This event caught public attention and raised awareness of national seismic disaster management. However, the expertise and primary data required for implementation of seismic disaster management are insufficient, including data on soil character which are used in amplification analyses for further ground motion prediction evaluations. Therefore, in this study, soil characterization was performed to understand the seismic responses of soil rigidity. The final output is presented in a seismic microzoning map. A geomorphology map was selected as the base map for the analysis. The geomorphology units were assigned with a time-averaged shear wave velocity of 30 m (VS30), which was collected by the spatial autocorrelation (SPAC) method of microtremor array measurements. The VS30 values were obtained from the phase velocity of the Rayleigh wave corresponding to a 40 m wavelength (C(40)). From the point feature, the VS30 values were transformed into polygonal features based on the geomorphological characteristics. Additionally, the automated geomorphology classification was explored in this study. Then, the seismic microzones were compared with the locations of major damage from the 2014 records for validation. The results from this study include geomorphological classification and seismic microzoning. The results suggest that the geomorphology units obtained from a pixel-based classification can be recommended for use in seismic microzoning. For seismic microzoning, the results show mainly stiff soil and soft rocks in the study area, and these geomorphological units have relatively high amplifications. The results of this study provide a valuable base map for further disaster management analyses.
Conference Paper
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Focusing on disaster risk management of enterprises in industrial complex areas is significant for learning from disasters; however, there has not been much exploration of longer and social-oriented perspectives. Therefore, the study detailed in this paper sought to investigate systematically the changes before and after the 2011 flood disaster in the vulnerability of Ayutthaya province, primarily focusing on the social vulnerability gaps and changes in the district, including areas that both include and do not include industrial parks/estates, in order to examine sustainability. Field surveys and statistical analyses were undertaken to explore this research. As a result, the study found: 1) Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (PNSA) is the most vulnerable district; 2) the east side of Ayutthaya, which does not include industrial parks/estates, indicates high social vulnerability; 3) Bang Pain district, which has two industrial parks/estates, became more vulnerable after the disaster with a growing high susceptibility and exposure tendency. The study recommends that updated flood and vulnerability risk information be shared and active collaboration be undertaken among stakeholders, including central and local government administrations, infrastructure providers, private enterprises and communities, not only during disasters but also before and after the disaster in order to attain sustainable development in the industrial complex area. This research was conducted as a part of the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) (Japanese government ODA) project.
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This paper attempts to clarify the relationship between social gap and human damage caused by natural disasters. The paper also tries to illustrate that this relationship shows the importance of disaster research from socio-cultural perspective. To attain these aims, the paper tries to answer the following inquiries: "What is the meaning of social gap in the context of natural disasters?", "What is the relationship between economic development and natural disasters?", "What is the relationship between social gap and human damage caused by natural disasters?", and "How do the socio-cultural aspects relate to natural disasters?" In this paper, these are explained through a case study of Thailand's experience of the Indian Ocean's Tsunami Disaster of December 26th,, 2004.
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Debates about ecotourism are futile without an understanding of how concepts of ecologically acceptable and unacceptable forms of tourism are developed. This paper assesses the case of public opposition to the filming of the Hollywood film, The Beach, in Thailand on grounds that it caused environmental degradation. Evidence suggests that campaigners overstated the film's environmental impact in order to empower criticisms of the state. Yet the impact of the overstatement may strengthen other campaigns elsewhere in Thailand to exclude economic activities in national parks. The paper consequently argues that debates about environment and tourism need to assess the underlying implications of the environmental discourse used, and the extent to which this has been democratically constructed.
Environmental Awareness in Thailand Institutonalization " of Environmental Problems and the State of the Save-Nature Boom
  • T Funatsu
Funatsu, T. (1997). Environmental Awareness in Thailand: " Institutonalization " of Environmental Problems and the State of the Save-Nature Boom. In Nisihira Sigeki, Kojima Reeitsu, Okamoto Hideo, & Fujisaki Shigeki (Eds.), Environmental Awareness in Developing CountriesThe Cases of China and Thailand. Institute of Developing Economies.
Economic Overview of Thailand
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Climate and geography
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Kitahara, J. (1995). Climate and geography. In Want to know more Thailand (2nd ed.). Tokyo: Kobundo.
Expansion Process of Human Damages Caused by Hurricane Katrina : A Case of New Orleans
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Nakasu, T. (2005a). Expansion Process of Human Damages Caused by Hurricane Katrina : A Case of New Orleans. Natural Disaster Research Report of NIED, 41, 55-69.
The National Economic and Social Development Plan Survey on Japanese Small and medium-sized enterprises in Thailand
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Office of the National Economic and Social Development Boad (NESDB). (2016). The National Economic and Social Development Plan. Retrieved May 4, 2017, from http://www.nesdb.go.th/nesdb_en/ewt_w3c/main.php?filename=develop_issue SME Support, Japan. (2006). Survey on Japanese Small and medium-sized enterprises in Thailand. SME Support, Japan.
State of Oregon: Risk management -Risk Management
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State of Oregon. (2016). State of Oregon: Risk management -Risk Management. Retrieved February 12, 2016, from http://www.oregon.gov/das/Risk/Pages/Index.aspx Suehiro, A. (1993). Thailand : Development and Democracy. Iwanami shoten.
The National Economic and Social Development Plan Characteristics of DisastersCrime Prevention and Disaster Reduction in a Daily Life Survey on Japanese Small and medium-sized enterprises in Thailand
Office of the National Economic and Social Development Boad (NESDB). (2016). The National Economic and Social Development Plan. Retrieved May 4, 2017, from http://www.nesdb.go.th/nesdb_en/ewt_w3c/main.php?filename=develop_issue Ohno,K.(2006). Characteristics of Disasters. In Shimizu,K.and Ohno,K.Crime Prevention and Disaster Reduction in a Daily Life.The Open University of Japan Press. SME Support, Japan. (2006). Survey on Japanese Small and medium-sized enterprises in Thailand. SME Support, Japan.
Institutonalization" of Environmental Problems and the State of the Save-Nature Boom
  • T Funatsu
Funatsu, T. (1997). Environmental Awareness in Thailand: "Institutonalization" of Environmental Problems and the State of the Save-Nature Boom. In Nisihira Sigeki, Kojima Reeitsu, Okamoto Hideo, & Fujisaki Shigeki (Eds.), Environmental Awareness in Developing Countries -The Cases of China and Thailand. Institute of Developing Economies.