Thousands flee Bangkok amid fears flooding set to get worse
Source: Agencies |
October 29, 2011, Saturday
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TRAFFIC clogged roads out of the Thai capital city of Bangkok yesterday as tens of thousands of people fled ahead of a high tide expected to worsen floods that have inundated factories and prompted foreign governments to warn their citizens to stay away.
Bangkok's Chao Phraya River is expected to burst its banks over the weekend during the unusually high tide that began yesterday, causing some flooding in nearby areas. Buildings across Bangkok have been sand-bagged for protection, and some vulnerable streets were nearly deserted.
Thailand's worst floods in half a century, caused in part by unusually heavy monsoon rain, have killed 377 people since mid-July and disrupted the lives of nearly 2.2 million, until now mostly in the north and central provinces.
"I want people to accept the problem, which will last for at least two months because a lot of water is expected to arrive," Defense Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa told reporters. "We'll try to fix the situation."
Television footage showed cars and trucks bumper-to-bumper leaving the city but the traffic department said it could not put an exact figure on the size of Bangkok's exodus because much of its monitoring equipment was under water. Airport and bus departure lounges were also packed.
The government scrapped a proposal to dig channels into some roads in eastern Bangkok to drain water, an idea backed by the chairman of the Thailand unit of Toyota Motor Corp whose factories have been badly flooded.
Authorities warned residents near the Chao Phraya they could face rising waters. Roads around the Grand Palace, a tourist attraction, were already partially flooded along with some streets in densely populated Chinatown.
A two-meter python was caught by a taxi driver in front of the Grand Palace, an area normally bustling with tourists. Residents have also had to contend with crocodiles escaping from flooded farms.
While many of the inner-city streets of Bangkok remained dry, many suburbs toiled in surging floodwaters.
In a shantytown in Bang Phlad district, small wooden homes were knee-deep in foul-smelling water with rubbish floating on its surface. Residents carried belongings on their heads, struggling against the current of water pumped back out to the nearby river.
Tem Kaewkeow, 73, sat on a pile of tires, staring at the blank screen of a half-submerged television set.
"Everything is damaged, but what can I do? This is the force of nature," he said, shirtless and sipping on water he had boiled on a small gas stove. "I don't plan to leave. This is my home."
Yingluck Shinawatra's government declared a five-day holiday from Thursday to allow people to leave. Roads out of the city to the flood-free south were jammed. Many were heading for the seaside town of Hua Hin and the eastern resort city of Pattaya, where hotel rooms and homes to rent were scarce.
Bangkok's Chao Phraya River is expected to burst its banks over the weekend during the unusually high tide that began yesterday, causing some flooding in nearby areas. Buildings across Bangkok have been sand-bagged for protection, and some vulnerable streets were nearly deserted.
Thailand's worst floods in half a century, caused in part by unusually heavy monsoon rain, have killed 377 people since mid-July and disrupted the lives of nearly 2.2 million, until now mostly in the north and central provinces.
"I want people to accept the problem, which will last for at least two months because a lot of water is expected to arrive," Defense Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa told reporters. "We'll try to fix the situation."
Television footage showed cars and trucks bumper-to-bumper leaving the city but the traffic department said it could not put an exact figure on the size of Bangkok's exodus because much of its monitoring equipment was under water. Airport and bus departure lounges were also packed.
The government scrapped a proposal to dig channels into some roads in eastern Bangkok to drain water, an idea backed by the chairman of the Thailand unit of Toyota Motor Corp whose factories have been badly flooded.
Authorities warned residents near the Chao Phraya they could face rising waters. Roads around the Grand Palace, a tourist attraction, were already partially flooded along with some streets in densely populated Chinatown.
A two-meter python was caught by a taxi driver in front of the Grand Palace, an area normally bustling with tourists. Residents have also had to contend with crocodiles escaping from flooded farms.
While many of the inner-city streets of Bangkok remained dry, many suburbs toiled in surging floodwaters.
In a shantytown in Bang Phlad district, small wooden homes were knee-deep in foul-smelling water with rubbish floating on its surface. Residents carried belongings on their heads, struggling against the current of water pumped back out to the nearby river.
Tem Kaewkeow, 73, sat on a pile of tires, staring at the blank screen of a half-submerged television set.
"Everything is damaged, but what can I do? This is the force of nature," he said, shirtless and sipping on water he had boiled on a small gas stove. "I don't plan to leave. This is my home."
Yingluck Shinawatra's government declared a five-day holiday from Thursday to allow people to leave. Roads out of the city to the flood-free south were jammed. Many were heading for the seaside town of Hua Hin and the eastern resort city of Pattaya, where hotel rooms and homes to rent were scarce.
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