Factories still operating as flood waters batter Thai industrial park
by The Associated Press
Floods breached Amata Nakorn industrial estate, home to more than 450 plants south of Bangkok
BANGKOK, Thailand—Thai authorities said floodwaters were threatening a large industrial estate southeast of Bangkok, although factories there were still operating normally.
Local district chief Lersan Sasipong said floods had breached Amata Nakorn industrial estate in Chonburi province, 60 kilometres from the capital.
He blamed heavy rains and runoffs from nearby hilly areas, and said about 20 to 30 centimetres of water had entered the park but had not affected factory operations.
The park has more than 450 plants, about half of which are owned by Japanese companies.
It was not affected during widespread flooding in 2011 that devastated much of the country, leaving more than 800 people dead and 14.8 million acres of agricultural, industrial and residential lands affected.
Many of the country’s industrial estates, which export electronic parts, auto parts and hard disk drives, were swamped in the 2011 floods, as were large parts of the Thai capital.
Floods are an annual occurrence in Thailand.
The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said flooding has killed 36 people in the last three weeks and hit at least 32 out of 77 provinces.
