Athletes turn inflatable pool into boat amid Bangkok floods

Bangkok residents are left stranded by waist-deep floodwaters, as Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cuts short a UK trip to oversee the crisis response. The worst floods in 15 years have crippled the Thai capital since Friday evening. The city's drainage system overflows, and densely populated areas are particularly hard hit. Residents of two major housing complexes in the east appealed for aid, fearing risks like electrocution and disease.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has been criticized for a perceived sluggish response. Some residents took to social media to share flood resilience tips, like creating makeshift barriers with plastic bags filled with floodwater. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said drainage clearing would accelerate once there is no more rain.

However, it will take several more days to drain the water as new water keeps flowing in. The BMA had initially downplayed the risks of the heavy rains. The disaster prompted the prime minister to end his trip to the UN in New York and London early, emphasizing the need for people to return to work and for shops to reopen. Thailand is no stranger to annual flooding, but this year's disaster has come as a surprise due to less intense but persistent rains.