Bangkok streets turn into canals as days of heavy rain trigger citywide floods
Days of relentless rain have submerged large parts of Bangkok, prompting authorities to declare a disaster across all 50 districts and open more than 200 temporary shelters.
Large sections of Thailand's capital remained flooded on Monday after days of continuous heavy rainfall overwhelmed Bangkok's drainage system. In the Bang Kapi district, residents waded through water reaching knee- to waist-height to gather essential supplies, while small boats ferried people to shops.
Some areas saw rainfall exceeding 30 centimetres, and parts of the capital recorded around 300 millimetres over a 48-hour span. The deluge disrupted road traffic, businesses and public transport, leaving some vehicles partially submerged.
Emergency measures and school closures
Authorities declared a disaster across all 50 of Bangkok's districts and designated Monday and Tuesday as public holidays to ease traffic congestion and support emergency response efforts. Schools run by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration were shut as well. Over 200 temporary shelters were set up, housing roughly 3,000 people as of Sunday.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the city's drainage systems were operating at maximum capacity, though he cautioned that elevated water levels in canals could keep some neighbourhoods flooded longer. Officials estimated that two to three consecutive dry days would be needed to fully drain the remaining water.
Beyond the capital, flooding has impacted more than 545,000 people across 25 provinces. At least eight fatalities have been recorded since 16 September, according to disaster response officials, though no deaths had been reported within Bangkok itself as of the latest update.
