Bangkok declares all 50 districts flood disaster areas
Thailand’s prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, was returning early from an investment roadshow in London to monitor the flood response.
Bangkok has declared all 50 of its districts flood disaster areas after two days of heavy rain left major roads in the Thai capital under water.
The city’s governor, Chadchart Sittipunt, said almost 300mm of rain had fallen since the afternoon of 24 September.
According to the Bangkok Post, the declaration on 26 September lets the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, other state agencies and local administrations respond faster and more systematically in the areas affected.
Chadchart said the city’s public schools would close on 28 September, and government workers were being encouraged to stay at home to keep traffic off flooded roads.
By midday on 26 September, water levels had started to stabilise. The city’s pumping stations were working at full capacity, together moving about 1,200 cubic metres of water every second.
“If the rain stops, it is expected that it will take two to three days to drain the floodwater,” Chadchart said in an afternoon update broadcast on social media.
The downpour came at the peak of Bangkok’s rainy season, in a September that has been wetter than usual.
The city’s Drainage and Sewerage Department recorded 487mm of rain between 1 and 25 September. The average for the same dates in 1991–2020 was 269mm.
More rain forecast
The Thai Meteorological Department warned that heavy rain would continue in most parts of the country until 27 September.
The department put the unsettled weather down to a strong low-pressure system over the lower Central Plains, Bangkok and the surrounding provinces. At the same time, the south-west monsoon was gaining strength over the Andaman Sea, southern Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand.
Advice for travellers
The UK Foreign Office’s travel advice for Thailand, last updated on 18 September, warns that heavy rainfall can cause flash flooding, landslides and disruption to transport.
The advice singles out northern, north-eastern and mountainous areas, and says conditions can change rapidly.
It tells travellers to “follow local authority advice and monitor the Thai Meteorological Department for weather warnings”.