According to an article in the Bangkok Post of Nov. 10th, 2011, the irrigation department said that Bangkok could be drained of the flood water in about 11 days.
Of this year’s Northern run off, which has been estimated at 14 billion cubic meters, approx. 5.5 bln. Cubic meter have flown into the Gulf, leaving another 8.5 billion cubic meters in the Central Plains. Out of this, about 3 bln. cu/m are in the Chao Phraya River and 3.5 bln. cu/m in the fields North of the capital.
The rest of the water has inundated parts of Bangkok. Since every day about 400 mln. Cu/m are drained into the sea, Bangkok could be dry again in less than a fortnight.
However, major damage has been done – the growth of Thai GDP this year is estimated by experts to be 2% or less. In many factories, among them producers of hard discs, but also in many garment factories production has come to a halt and equipment has been damaged by the floods.
Suvarnabhumi airport is considered as safe but about 90% of Don Mueang has been flooded, causine Nok Air, which had suspended operations for two days ( loss of revenue nearly 20 mln. THB), to switch its service to Suvarnabhumi. Orient Thai Airline was a bit faster – they moved to Suvarnabhumi as soon as Don Mueang got flooded.
In Ban Chan, a huge industrial estate with almost 14,000 workers, 20 of the 93 factories suspended operations due to the risk of flooding.
Many companies had to dismiss staff temporarily, so that currently up to 700,000 people in Bangkok may be without job, according to estimates of various experts. It is reckoned that the country needs another 6 months to be revitalized after the worst flood in half a century, which probably has left a damage of 350 to 450 bln. THB.