The 2011 Thailand floods caused different kinds of loss across sectors

Damage and losses measure different channels

The assessment uses damage for direct effects on physical assets, raw materials and products. Economic losses describe changes in flows after the flood, including interrupted production, reduced income and extra operating costs where the assessment identified them. Both measures appear in the same monetary unit. Source 1

Manufacturing dominated both kinds of impact

The report records THB 513,881 million of manufacturing damage and THB 493,258 million of manufacturing losses. The World Bank’s later analysis highlights the concentration in industrial estates in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani. The size of the affected manufacturing base contributed to the large economic total. Source 1 Source 2

Tourism and finance were weighted toward losses

The rapid assessment lists THB 89,673 million of tourism losses against THB 5,134 million of physical damage. It lists THB 115,276 million of losses for finance and banking, with the damage entry shown as a dash. These figures use the assessment’s definitions and reflect its available information. Source 1

Recovery needs were a separate estimate

The same assessment developed separate projections for recovery and reconstruction needs. Those estimates use assumptions about how to restore and rebuild, while the damage and loss table describes impacts attributed to the event. Compare the two measures by reading their own tables. Source 1

Sources

• Thai Flood 2011 government and World Bank rapid damage and loss assessment
• World Bank Thailand climate risk assessment on the 2011 flood impacts