Bangkok declares disaster due to flooding

The Thai authorities declared the capital a disaster zone: almost 300 mm of rain has fallen in Bangkok since September 24, water flooded roads and entered houses. In some places, cars are half submerged in water, people are walking waist-deep in water.

A state of emergency has been declared in all fifty districts of the city. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the situation "endangers lives" and could cause damage to public and private property.

According to the governor, the eastern part of the city was hit the hardest.

“The rain continues to fall and we are doing our best. We are trying to pump out the water, but the canals are already full... Residents whose houses are located next to the canals are at risk. Now all channels are filled to capacity,” AFP quotes him as saying.

People who live near canals are advised to move their things to the upper floors.

At the same time, meteorologists warn that thunderstorms are expected throughout the weekend, which means that other canals may become overcrowded. More rain is forecast throughout the week, although the low pressure area causing the showers is expected to move towards the central part of the country - Bangkok is in the southern part.

Suvarnabhumi, the city's main airport, is still operating as usual, but travelers are advised to allow an extra two to three hours into their plans.

The army said that it was setting up temporary accommodation centers and field kitchens, and that flood victims would be able to use schools as temporary housing.

Residents are urged not to leave home or travel unless necessary. At the same time, Reuters notes that supermarkets are crowded: people are stocking up on necessary goods.

“I’m also worried because I didn’t stock up on groceries in advance and I’ve never faced such a situation alone before - my parents aren’t around right now,” 19-year-old Sansuk Laowatcharakul told the agency.

A resident of a Bangkok condominium surrounded by water told Reuters that before authorities urged those living near canals to move their belongings to higher ground, she had not realized the gravity of the situation and had not considered moving elsewhere. Journalists caught her carrying things.

Somkit Phuk-ngam, 67, who lives by a canal in northern Bangkok, complained to AFP that her shop had been forced to close for two days.

“The water keeps coming. It’s difficult to leave the house now, the water is waist-deep. I can’t go anywhere,” she said.

In her opinion, the situation is even worse than during the massive flood of 2011, which affected the entire country. The extreme weather conditions then continued for three months, killing hundreds of people across Thailand. There is currently no information about casualties.

Thunderstorms are a common occurrence in Thailand at this time of year, but extreme weather conditions in recent days have overwhelmed the city's drainage system and caused a traffic jam on already congested roads. Last November, as Reuters notes, Thailand already experienced its worst flooding in decades. Thousands of homes were damaged in the southern provinces, killing at least 145 people.