Bangkok faced severe flooding after days of intense rainfall, with many roads submerged and traffic badly disrupted. Heavy rain that began Thursday afternoon continued into Saturday and filled the city’s canals.
Authorities declared all 50 districts in Bangkok as disaster-affected areas to coordinate relief efforts more effectively. The declaration allows government agencies and local authorities to respond more quickly to flooding across the Thai capital.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt urged residents to stay home when possible. Officials said nearly 300 millimeters of rain had fallen in parts of the city since Thursday afternoon.
More than 200 temporary shelters were opened across Bangkok. The Associated Press reported that about 4,200 people had sought refuge in the shelters as flooding disrupted homes, businesses and transportation.
The government also issued an emergency warning to people living near canals. Residents in vulnerable areas were advised to move belongings to higher ground and avoid unnecessary travel as canal levels reached critical levels.
Flooding was reported across much of Thailand. More than 84,000 people in 21 provinces were affected as of Saturday morning, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
Government figures showed 84,605 people in 27,109 households were affected across the 21 provinces. Bangkok had flooding at 44 traffic locations Saturday morning, although officials said water levels in many areas were beginning to decline.
Cars moved slowly through flooded roads, and many residents were seen walking or pushing motorcycles through the water. Several major roads were submerged and motorists were advised to avoid flooded areas.
Phetchaburi Road was among the roads affected by high water. Photos from Saturday showed residents and motorists making their way through deep floodwater.
Residents carried supplies like food and water as they made their way through the flooded streets. Some stores experienced heavy demand as people stocked up on essential items.
Somkid Pheuk-ngam, a 67-year-old vendor who lives near a canal just north of central Bangkok, said water continued to flow into her neighborhood. She told AFP that the water had reached roughly waist level and that it had become difficult to leave.
Somkid said she had been unable to go anywhere and had kept her shop closed for two days. She said her neighborhood experiences flooding regularly but that the current flooding appeared worse than the massive floods of 2011.
Bangkok authorities warned that people living near canals and in low-lying areas faced an increased risk as water levels rose. Pumping stations were operating at full capacity to remove water from flooded areas.
Governor Chadchart said Saturday afternoon that conditions had begun to stabilize. He said flooding could improve if additional heavy rain did not fall.
Thailand’s Meteorological Department warned that unsettled weather could continue through Sunday. The weather was linked to a strong low-pressure system and a strengthening southwest monsoon.
The flooding in Bangkok comes 15 years after Thailand suffered catastrophic floods in 2011. Those floods killed more than 500 people and caused widespread damage across the country.
The current flooding has not reached the nationwide scale of the 2011 disaster. However, the heavy rainfall has disrupted transportation, businesses and daily life across the capital.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cut short a trip to London to return to Thailand as authorities responded to the flooding.
Officials continued monitoring rainfall and canal levels while emergency crews worked to drain flooded streets and assist residents. Authorities warned that additional rain could slow efforts to clear the floodwater.
IMAGE: BANGKOK (Oct. 22, 2011) An SH-60F Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 14, flies around the Bangkok area with members of the humanitarian assessment survey team and the Royal Thai Armed Forces to assess the damage caused by flooding. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jennifer A. Villalovos/Released). Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jennifer A. Villalovos / Wikimedia, Public domain