Thailand’s Bangkok declares flood disaster across city as thousands flee from homes

Bangkok's neighbourhoods were swamped on Saturday as the city government declared a flood disaster following the most severe rains in years. The Thai capital's infrastructure, already struggling to cope with inundations that have reached a foot deep, was overwhelmed. Over 48 hours of non-stop rain have paralysed parts of Bangkok amid the unpredictable extremes of climate change.

Rains began on Wednesday and intensified on Friday, with no respite expected until late Sunday. Residents recall 2011's floods, which left 500 dead and submerged central parts of the country for weeks, as exceptional but the current situation feels equally unusual. Floodwaters deposited garbage in narrow alleyways where affluent villas and working-class homes coexist.

Many districts were caught off guard after City Hall underplayed the possibility of major flooding, relying solely on weather warnings predicting continuous rain without anticipating heavy downpours. The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) has declared a disaster across all 50 districts. Despite the hardships, Bangkok residents have shown an extraordinary sense of community and resilience, with neighbours helping each other and a crowd-sourced campaign tracking the impacted roads.

The directorate warns that the heavy rain will persist across most parts of the country into Sunday due to a strong low-pressure system and strengthening southwest monsoon conditions. As of Saturday, over 84,000 people in 21 provinces have been affected, mostly in the central region. Thailand's rapid urbanization over soft clay soils, combined with the city's dilapidated drainage system, exacerbates the flooding each year.