Bangkok Declares Flood Emergency After Heavy Rain

Thailand's monsoon season usually brings heavy storms, but this week's rainfall has been unusually intense. Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the eastern districts suffered the most damage, and that workers were pumping water non-stop but could not keep up because every canal was full. Somkid Pheuk-ngam, a 67-year-old shopkeeper in northern Bangkok, said floodwater outside her home had reached waist height, forcing her to shut her shop for two days. She said the flooding appeared worse than the catastrophic 2011 floods, when three months of nationwide flooding killed hundreds across Thailand.

The Thai Meteorological Department has warned that rain will continue through at least Sunday and possibly longer, although the weather system causing the downpours is expected to move away from the capital. Officials have told residents to stay home if possible and to move belongings upstairs, especially those living near canals. Despite comparisons to 2011, there is one key difference: no deaths have been reported so far. However, with streets still underwater, drainage systems at capacity, and more rain forecast, Bangkok faces an anxious wait as emergency teams try to limit the damage.