Bangkok Drowns: Thousands Flee as Historic Floods Submerge Capital
Bangkok Drowns: Thousands Flee as Historic Floods Submerge Capital
Bangkok declares flood disaster after record rains inundate homes and roads. Thousands evacuated, 52,000 households affected. Learn how residents are coping with waist-deep water and unprecedented challenges.
Bangkok has been plunged into a state of disaster following nearly two days of relentless heavy rainfall, which has left vast swathes of the capital submerged. Homes, shops, and major roads are now underwater, forcing thousands to flee to emergency shelters as residents navigate waist-deep water.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) confirmed that a flood disaster has been declared across the capital, with nearly 4,900 people evacuated to shelters and an estimated 52,000 households directly affected by the deluge. The weather agency reported an staggering 330 millimetres (13 inches) of rain in some areas between Thursday and Sunday, a volume that has overwhelmed the city's drainage systems.
For many residents, this event feels more severe than previous floods.
Kosin Nilset, an office worker living along the Premprachakorn canal, recounted a harrowing experience.
"Our house was under water for about 30 hours," he said, noting that the water level this time was higher than during the widespread floods of 2011, which tragically claimed over 500 lives across Thailand.
Despite the challenges, Kosin and his family managed to lift most of their belongings, though their ground floor remained soaked.
"At least tap water and electricity are working," he added, a small comfort amidst the chaos.
The scenes across Bangkok are stark. Cars are submerged along major arteries like Phetchaburi Road, and pedestrians, clad in plastic ponchos, wade through murky, knee-deep waters, using plastic tubs to float their essential belongings. Some convenience stores have reported empty shelves as residents rushed to stock up on necessities, prompting the prime minister's office to warn against panic-buying and price gouging.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel, as several roads remain impassable. He visited a temporary shelter in the Kheha Romklao area, where about 1,000 people sought refuge, some resting on cots, others on blankets in classrooms. In response to the crisis, hundreds of city schools are slated to close on Monday.
Even as authorities work tirelessly to speed up drainage and manage canal water levels, more rain was forecast for Sunday, though it is expected to taper off by Monday. This extreme weather event serves as a grim reminder of scientific warnings about the increasing intensity and frequency of such occurrences, linked to a warming planet and fossil fuel emissions.
For individuals like Thidarat Silsuwan, 56, who chose to remain in her partially submerged home, the struggle is deeply personal.
"I have been sleeping on the table for two days now," she shared, trying to salvage what she could.
