Bangkok Floods Persist as Rain Eases, Thousands in Shelters
Flooding persists in parts of Bangkok after days of heavy rain, with thousands in temporary shelters and at least eight deaths reported nationwide.
Parts of Bangkok remained under water on Monday after days of continuous rainfall that has affected large areas of Thailand, forcing thousands of residents into temporary shelters and disrupting travel across the country.
In the Bang Kapi district, a supermarket serving the local community stayed open even as the surrounding streets were submerged. Shoppers waded through waist-high water to buy supplies, while some customers reached the store using small boats. Life in the area, one journalist observed, looked far from normal.
Rain eased in the capital on Sunday, but flooding persisted in several low-lying districts, particularly in the suburbs, where many communities have had to evacuate. Bangkok's governor, Chadchart Sittipunt, said rainfall had decreased and city officials were working to drain water as quickly as possible. He cautioned, however, that water levels in the city's main canals remained high, with some still rising as water flowed in from nearby areas.
The city has set up more than 200 temporary shelters, which were housing about 3,000 people as of Sunday. Officials said 31 roads were still affected by floodwaters. Accumulated rainfall has exceeded 30 centimetres (11.8 inches) in many areas, overwhelming drainage capacity.
Across Thailand, at least eight people have been reported killed over the past 10 days. More than 545,000 people in 25 provinces outside the capital have been affected, especially in the central and eastern regions, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said incessant rainfall had caused flooding that exceeded drainage capacity in many places, and ordered authorities to take immediate measures to ease the situation and assist those affected. Several long-distance train and bus services have been suspended, while airports continued to operate with some passenger delays.
The Meteorological Department said moderate to heavy rain was still expected in several parts of the country on Sunday, but conditions were expected to improve by Monday.