Bangkok declared disaster zone as floods hit Thai capital

Bangkok authorities declared a city-wide disaster on Saturday due to continuous heavy rainfall causing severe flooding across all 50 districts of the Thai capital. The declaration was made after Governor Chadchart Sittipunt reported that nearly 300 millimeters of rain had fallen since Thursday.

Residents, like 67-year-old vendor Somkid Pheuk-ngam, described the water situation as distressing, stating it reached up to their waist level and preventing them from going outside. She noted that this current flood was more severe than the 2011 disaster.

The rain had fallen almost continuously since Thursday afternoon, inundating roads, swelling Bangkok's canals, and submerging homes and restaurants. AFP reporters witnessed the extent of the flooding throughout the city.

Bangkok Governor warned that the eastern parts of the city were most affected and that further rain was predicted. He emphasized that every canal was currently filled to capacity, and residents were advised to move their cars to higher ground. Additionally, he urged bedridden patients reliant on medical equipment to consider temporary hospital stays.

The governor's plea came amid warnings of the significant risk to those living near canals, as the risk areas were intensifying. Throughout Thailand, widespread flooding in 2011 resulted in over 500 fatalities and caused extensive damage to millions of homes.