Bangkok’s main arteries have turned into rivers. After two days of relentless rain, a flood emergency has been declared across all 50 districts as water has submerged every major road.
City officials have urged residents to remain indoors and to move any valuable belongings to higher floors to avoid damage. Those living near the extensive network of canals are especially warned of rising water levels that could overflow their banks.
Heavy thunderstorms, normal for the season, have overwhelmed Bangkok’s drainage system. Traffic chaos has ensued, with vehicles stranded on roadways that are notoriously busy even in dry weather.
The Thai Meteorological Service says the rain will continue into Sunday with a low‑pressure area drifting northwards, increasing the risk of further flooding.
Somkid Pheuk-ngam, a 67‑year‑old shopkeeper just north of the city center, said the water has risen to waist level and that she has had to shut her shop for two days. She noted that conditions seem worse than the 2011 floods that devastated Thailand.
So far, no casualties have been reported in Bangkok, although the 2011 storm killed hundreds across the country. Local authorities are working to pump water out of flooded canals, but the channels remain full.
Chadchart Sittipunt, the governor, said the eastern part of the city has been hardest hit and that the city is doing its best to manage the crisis at the moment.
