In short
- All 50 of Bangkok’s districts have been declared emergency zones after 48 hours of heavy rain.
- Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the east of the city had been hardest hit, AFP reported.
- No casualties have been reported in Bangkok from the current flooding, while nationwide flooding in 2011 killed hundreds of people across Thailand over three months.
- The Thai Meteorological Service has forecast more heavy rain through the week.
- Somkid Pheuk-ngam, a 67-year-old living near a canal north of central Bangkok, told AFP the water was at waist level and she had closed her shop for two days.
A flood emergency has been declared across all 50 districts of Bangkok after 48 hours of heavy rain submerged roads in the Thai capital, with residents urged to stay at home and those living near the city’s canals advised to move their belongings to upper floors.
How bad is the flooding in Bangkok?
Thunderstorms are common in Thailand at this time of year, but the extreme weather of recent days has overwhelmed Bangkok’s drainage system and caused traffic chaos on roads that are already heavily congested. The Thai Meteorological Service has forecast more heavy rain through the week. All 50 of Bangkok’s districts have been declared emergency zones, and rain was expected to continue into Sunday, raising fears that more canals could burst their banks.
Which parts of Bangkok are worst affected?
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the east of the city had been hardest hit, AFP reported. “The rain keeps falling and we are doing our best. We are trying to pump the water out, but the water in canals are full,” he said. “The risk areas are those who live near canals. Every canal is now filled.”
What have residents been told to do?
People in the Thai capital have been urged to stay at home. Those living close to Bangkok’s network of canals have been advised to move their belongings to upper floors.
How does this flooding compare with 2011?
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.” She added: “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 affected by nationwide flooding. Hundreds of people were killed across Thailand during that event, which lasted three months. No casualties have been reported in Bangkok from the latest flooding.
What is the forecast for the rest of the week?
The Thai Meteorological Service has forecast more heavy rain through the week, although the area of low pressure causing the downpours of recent days is expected to move towards central Thailand.
Frequently asked questions
Which parts of Bangkok are flooded?
All 50 of Bangkok’s districts have been declared emergency zones. Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the east of the city had been hardest hit, and that every canal in the capital is now filled.
Has anyone died in the Bangkok floods?
No casualties have been reported in Bangkok from the current flooding. Nationwide flooding in 2011, which lasted three months, killed hundreds of people across Thailand.
How long will the rain continue in Bangkok?
The Thai Meteorological Service has forecast more heavy rain through the week, and rain was expected to continue into Sunday. The area of low pressure behind the downpours is expected to move towards central Thailand.
What should people living near Bangkok’s canals do?
Residents have been urged to stay at home, and those living close to the city’s canal network have been advised to move their belongings to upper floors.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)