Flood emergency declared in Bangkok after heavy rain

A flood emergency disaster has been declared across Bangkok after 48 hours of heavy rain left roads in the Thai capital submerged.

People have been urged to stay at home and those living close to the city's network of canals have been advised to move their belongings to upper floors.

Thunderstorms are common in Thailand at this time of year but extreme weather in recent days has inundated Bangkok's drainage system, causing traffic chaos on roads that are already famously congested.

The rain is expected to continue into Sunday, raising fears that more canals could burst their banks.

Somkid Pheuk-ngam, a 67-year-old who lives near a canal just north of central Bangkok, told the AFP news agency: "The water keeps coming in. It's hard to go out now. It's like at my waist level now.

"I cannot go anywhere. I have been closing my shop for two days now."

She said water levels in the city appeared to be worse than in 2011, when Bangkok was impacted by nationwide flooding.

Hundreds were killed across Thailand then in an extreme weather event that lasted for three months. So far, no casualties have been reported in Bangkok from this latest flooding.

The Thai Meteorological Service has forecast more heavy rain through the week, though the area of low pressure causing the downpours of recent days is expected to move towards central Thailand.