Thailand declared a flood disaster across all 50 Bangkok districts after about 40 people died in flood-related incidents, officials said. Roughly 300 mm of rain fell in parts of the city over about two days, turning neighbourhoods into stagnant lakes and forcing thousands into more than 230 shelters. Several deaths were from drowning and some from accidental electrocution, according to government briefings. Bangkok, built on the Chao Phraya floodplain, relies on canals, pumps and dikes but urban concrete and lost drainage capacity left the city unable to cope. The Khlong Chan flat complex in north-east Bangkok became a symbol of the crisis, with cars almost submerged and residents stranded above waist-high water. Flooding disrupted Suvarnabhumi airport operations, leaving about half of Thai Airways’ workforce unable to report for work at one point, causing luggage backlogs and flight cancellations, and many schools closed as gridlock spread. Authorities set up a war room as the prime minister warned floodwaters could still flow in from the north, while experts warned extreme flooding risks will worsen across south-east Asia.
