People in Phetchaburi’s Muang district have started filling sand bags distributed by officials in preparation for potential flooding as 20 water-pushing boats provided by the Royal Thai Navy were on their way to the province this afternoon.

As massive water overflolw from Kaeng Krachan dam is expected to hit the Muang district tomorrow as anticipated by the National Water Resources Office, municipal officials, riding in pickup trucks throughout the municipal areas, to warn people to brace for flooding expected tomorrow noon and to pack up their belongings for removal to higher grounds.

The people were also told to go to the municipal office to pick up plastic bags and fill them with sand. Each household is allowed to receive 25 bags.

One of the residents in Tambon Thongchai, Muang district, Mr Paibul Deeprasert, complained that the municipal officials should have distributed sandbags to the people instead of telling them to pick up the bags and fill them up with sand themselves because several households are inhabited with the elderly and children and, therefore, are not able to fill up the bags with sand.  Many others, he added, do not have pickup trucks to carry the sandbags.

He also called on authorities concerned to update the people with the latest information about the water situation.

Meanwhile, the Royal Thai Navy rushed 20 water-pushing boats and 70 personnel from the Naval Dockyard in Samut Prakan to Phetchaburi.  The boats and men are expected to arrive in the province at about 3 pm on Sunday.

The boats and naval personnel will head for the estuary of the Phetchaburi river where the boats will be based to accelerate the flow of water from the river into the sea.

Overflow from the Kaeng Krachan dam will flow to the Phetchaburi dam and further downstream into the Phetchaburi river.