The National Water Command Centre (NWCC) has warned people living in Suphan Buri, Nakhon Pathom and Samut Sakhon provinces to brace for overflows from the Tha Chin River until Sunday.

According to the NWCC, heavy rain over the Krasiao reservoir on Sunday and Monday has resulted in an increase of an estimated 318 million cubic metres of water, forcing officials to increase the volume of discharge through the dam into the Tha Chin River and Krasiao Creek to 130m³/sec.

Compounded by high tides, expected until Sunday, the NWCC said that the level of the Tha Chin River will rise and may spill over its banks in several districts of the three provinces located along the river.

Part of the Phet Kasem Highway in Nakhon Pathom, the main artery to the southern region, was flooded yesterday, causing a 10km traffic jam.

The Sam Chuk, Si Prachan, Muang, Bang Pla Ma, Song Phi Nong districts of Suphan Buri, the Bang Len, Nakhon Chai Si and Sam Phran districts of Nakhon Pathom and Muang and Krathum Baen districts in Samut Sakhon are vulnerable to flooding, as the level of the Tha Chin River is expected to increase by 15-30 cm.

Overflows from the swollen Krasiao Creek are also likely to flood low-lying areas in Nong Ya Sai, Dan Chang, Sam Chuk and Doem Bang Nang Buat districts of Suphan Buri province.

In Bangkok’s neighbouring province of Nonthaburi, municipal workers have been hastily installing about 700 concrete barrier blocks, to form a flood wall along Nonthaburi 1 Road, to protect the commercial area, official buildings and residences.

Overflows from the Chao Phraya River have leaked through the sandbag wall.

Some residents said that the level of the river this year is almost as high as it was in 2011.