Bangkok, Thailand: Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt declared Thailand's capital a disaster-affected zone on Saturday, September 26, after more than 24 hours of heavy rain caused widespread flooding and disrupted traffic across the city.
Rain has battered several parts of Bangkok since Thursday afternoon, with more than 150 mm recorded in some areas. Thailand's weather agency has forecast thunderstorms and heavy to very heavy rain through the weekend.
Floodwaters in business and residential districts, particularly near canals, ranged from ankle- to knee-deep. Some roads were blocked and traffic came to a standstill in parts of the city, while many businesses closed on Saturday.
Chadchart said the flooding posed risks to people's lives and could damage public and private property. The government issued an emergency advisory urging residents living near canals to move their belongings to higher ground.
Accumulated rainfall in Bangkok's major canals exceeded 20 centimetres, officials said. Floodwaters spread particularly across central and eastern parts of the capital.
The Thailand Meteorological Department warned that heavy rain would continue across most parts of the country through Sunday, citing a strong low-pressure system over the central region and strengthening southwest monsoon conditions.
More than 84,000 people in 21 provinces nationwide had been affected by flooding as of Saturday, particularly in the central region. Authorities also sent emergency alerts through the cell-broadcast system to people in affected areas, the government said.
Residents rushed to convenience stores to stock up on food and water, while some drivers moved their vehicles onto bridges to escape the rising floodwaters.
Cars crawled through waterlogged roads, while some bikers were seen pushing their motorcycles through the floodwater. Some regional bus services from Bangkok to eastern provinces were suspended.
Phetchaburi Road, one of Bangkok's busiest main roads, was unusually quiet as vehicles were forced to turn back. Some cars were left partially submerged.
Residents waded through murky water, with some going barefoot and others wearing rubber waders. Several wrapped plastic bags around their feet as they carried food and fresh water through flooded streets.
Hwang Hwan-chung, who travelled from South Korea and has visited Bangkok more than 10 times, said he had never experienced such "crazy" weather and could not find a taxi.
Sukanya Tongsuk, a local resident, compared the flooding to the widespread inundation Bangkok experienced in 2011.
"I think it's like 10 or 15 years ago that we saw heavy rain like this,” she said.
Dutch resident Bjorn Franken, who has lived in Bangkok for two years, said he was able to cope with the flooding, although an event he had planned to attend was cancelled.
Air traffic control authorities said airport operations remained normal, although some flights could face delays because of weather-related detours.
Chadchart said the flooding should recede once the rain stops, while city officials work to drain the water as quickly as possible.
More than 200 shelters have been established across Bangkok, with about 900 people moving into them, Chadchart said.
Some government facilities have also been opened to provide parking for vehicles.
-With inputs from Reuters and AP via PTI.