Bangkok is facing severe flooding after intense rainfall, with local authorities moving into emergency mode across the capital. According to the official account, the situation worsened after several days of uninterrupted rain and a continued rise in water levels.
State of disaster across the entire capital
Bangkok authorities have declared a state of disaster in all 50 districts of the city after flooding caused by torrential rains.
According to Bangkok Governor Sangchart Sittiphun, the decision was taken after around 300 millimetres of rain fell on the Thai capital since Thursday. The measure gives local institutions the ability to intervene under emergency procedures.
Water continues to rise in streets and canals
Continuous rainfall since Thursday afternoon has flooded numerous streets and increased pressure on Bangkok’s canals, which authorities say are full.
Water has also entered many buildings near the canals, while the eastern part of the city appears to be the hardest-hit area, according to the governor.
Residents stranded amid the floodwaters
The consequences are being felt directly by residents. A 67-year-old vendor, Somkind Pheu-ngam, told AFP that the water level had reached his waist and that moving around outside had become very difficult.
He also said he had been stranded for two days and could not remember such flooding in the city for 15 years.
Appeal to patients dependent on medical equipment
Amid the worsening situation, the governor has urged patients receiving treatment at home and dependent on vital medical supplies to consider temporarily relocating to hospital.
The statement shows that concern is not limited to traffic disruptions or material damage, but also to the risk faced by people in the most fragile health conditions.
Memories of the devastating 2011 floods
The current crisis brings renewed attention to the major floods that hit Thailand in 2011, when more than 500 people died and millions of homes were damaged.
The comparison with that episode makes even more pressing the question of whether infrastructure and the institutional response are now equal to the needs of a city that often faces extreme weather.
For now, the rain has not stopped and water levels remain the main problem in several areas of Bangkok.
The full scale of the damage and the real impact on life in the city remain unclear.