BANGKOK — Thailand’s government has declared a flood disaster across all 50 districts of Bangkok as stagnant floodwaters turn streets into lakes and overwhelm drainage in the Chao Phraya floodplain megacity, The Guardian reported.
Residents have used paddling pools and, in one case, a floating fridge as improvised boats; one man was arrested for riding a jet ski on a main road. Photos of the 1970s Khlong Chan flat compound rising from brown water, with parked cars nearly submerged, circulated widely. Resident Suleemas said water reached waist height before mobile warnings arrived; later she noted a stronger smell from floating debris even as levels fell slightly.
Concrete construction has destroyed much of the historic canal network that once drained the city. Flooding disrupted Suvarnabhumi Airport, with about half of Thai Airways’ workforce unable to report at one point, causing luggage pileups and cancellations. Many schools closed and gridlock stranded residents even in less-hit areas.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the metropolitan area remained at risk from floodwaters flowing in from the north. Authorities had drained some of the worst pockets by midweek, but officials warned the crisis was far from over.
Sources: The Guardian
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