Bangkok declared disaster zone as severe flooding hits Thailand

On Saturday, Bangkok’s governor declared Thailand’s capital city a disaster-stricken area after torrential rain led to widespread flooding with the weather agency projected thunderous downpours this weekend.

According to reports, major roads were flooded with cars moving slowly through deep water and people taking heavy steps through waist-height water. Nearly 300m of rain fell within 48 hours.

Given the situation, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the crisis poses a significant risk to people’s lives and could damage public and private property and is getting worse near canals.

Meanwhile, the army said it is deploying emergency relief assets while the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has designated schools as temporary accommodation and urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel.

Suvarnabhumi was operating normally through the tourism authority advised travellers to factor in an extra two to three hours in their plans. Thailand experienced its worst floods in decades in November claiming 145 people deaths and thousands of homes were damaged in the southern provinces.