BANGKOK (AP) — Floodwaters in Thailand The capital was slowly receding on Monday after almost continuous rain over the weekend, although some neighborhoods and main roads remained flooded.
Rain continued intermittently, but Bangkok City officials said conditions had improved enough to speed up drainage efforts. Water levels in four main canals were too high over the weekend to absorb runoff from surrounding communities.
More rain was forecast across much of Thailand, although Bangkok was expected to receive less. Cambodia and Myanmar also experienced severe weather.
Weekend flooding affected 329,000 households, or about 700,000 people, the Bangkok Flood Control Center reported, according to Deputy Governor Tavida Kamolvej. Thai media reported two flood-related deaths in the city and at least 10 nationwide.
Governor Chadchart Sittipunt declared a state of flood emergency in the city’s 50 districts on Saturday, although some were relatively unscathed. He said authorities were prioritizing assistance to vulnerable residents, including the elderly and people with disabilities, by delivering supplies or evacuating them. City officials said nearly 7,000 people were staying in shelters.
Neighborhoods in eastern Bangkok were hardest hit. On Sunday evening, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul walked barefoot with rolled-up pants to inspect a heavily flooded housing estate in Bang Kapi district and help distribute relief supplies.
Water was knee-deep on Monday near a train station and shopping center in Bang Kapi. Despite intermittent downpours, shoppers waded through the water carrying bags, backpacks and boxes of groceries. Some traveled to and from the station on a small boat provided by the mall.
“I worry about my pets”
For Naowarat Supanikorn, a 55-year-old housekeeper who shares a one-story house with three dogs and six cats, the flooding has been more than an inconvenience.
She said she realized around 1:30 a.m. Saturday that water was seeping into her home.
“I had to take my dogs and cats out,” she said. “I had to leave them at my neighbor’s house. I took them back today because they said the sun was going to come up, but it looks like the rain will come again.”
She said flooding in her neighborhood reached as high as her hips and has since fallen to knee level. She said the biggest problem was that she lost her job at a condo.
“My workplace also said that if I couldn’t come to work, they would be happy to accept my resignation. So I thought, no big deal, I’ll quit.”
To try to generate income, she bought supplies to prepare food that she can sell on the streets, but business is slow due to the flooding.
“It’s stressful. If the bills come, I’ll be screwed, because I don’t have a job right now. If I have to pay for water or electricity now, it would be bad,” she said. “I’m not worried about myself, but I’m worried about my pets. I’ve lived with them my whole life. They are my priority. It doesn’t matter if I don’t have a job and I’m starving, but I would like some help for my pets.”
The flooding also had impacts including panic buying of food, disruption of supply chains for food and other products, and staffing issues at various businesses whose employees were unable to get to their jobs.
Bangkok’s main airport hit
The Thai Air Force said it was sending 69 ground staff to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to help clear a passenger baggage backlog caused largely by airport workers being unable to travel to their workplaces.
“This deployment is a vital mission to care for, assist and facilitate travelers – including tourists from around the world – by ensuring smooth operations and avoiding delays in ground services, thereby preserving the positive image of the nation,” the Air Force said.
The airport had previously attributed the baggage buildup to “a lack of staff to support ground handling operations” and problems with some baggage carts.
The disruptions delayed some departures and forced arriving passengers to wait longer than usual for their luggage, with that of several flights still not having been delivered, the airport said.
The government has declared special holidays on Monday and Tuesday for state offices. He advised state-owned enterprises, financial institutions, private businesses and hospitals to consider whether they should remain open.
The Thai Meteorological Agency forecasts heavy to very heavy rain in several parts of the country. He warned residents, especially in the northern, central and eastern regions, to prepare for possible flash floods, river overflows, forest runoff and landslides, especially near rivers, foothills and low-lying areas.
Neighboring countries are also affected by floods
At the neighbors BurmaAt least 10 people were killed and dozens missing after heavy rains triggered widespread flooding and landslides in the southern coastal region of Tanintharyi, local media reported.
Dawei commune recorded 346 millimeters (13.62 inches) of rain on Monday, breaking an 80-year-old record. Myanmar’s meteorological department warned that conditions could worsen as the storm front moves closer to Yangon.
Flash floods hit at least 10 provinces in Cambodiaaffecting 44,889 families and forcing nearly 4,000 people to evacuate, according to disaster management officials.
The agency that oversees the archaeological park in Siem Reap province, which houses centuries-old remains Angkor temple complexsaid it was operating water gates and diversion systems to reduce the risk of flooding.
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Associated Press writer Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, contributed to this report.
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This story has been corrected to say that Thai Prime Minister Anutin walked barefoot through floodwaters. Earlier versions incorrectly stated that he was wearing boots, based on an unclear photo.
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