Several Bangkok streets have been paralysed after a downpour that soaked 80% of the capital and nearby provinces shortly before noon on Saturday.
A woman poses in front of her house in Lat Plaklao Soi 37 in Lat Phrao distict where a heavy downpour left knee-high water by early afternoon.
Pathumwan district saw the most rainfall with 72mm as of 1.55pm. As of 4.30pm, floods had been reported in 37 locations, with water levels ranging between 5 and 20cm, according to City Hall data.
Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang on Saturday afternoon inspected conditions at the Phong Phet market on Ngam Wong Wan Road, which is prone to flooding and was hard hit by the severe storm on Wednesday night.
Mr Aswin said the city was still able to handle the floods as the accumulated rainfall level on the day was only 120 millimetres. City Hall has installed a total of 1,400 water pumps, twice as many as it had before, to drain the rainwater.
Earlier reports showed particularly high water levels of 15-20cm at 11 locations. They were:
- Suan Phlu Road in front of the Suan Phlu market for a distance of 200 metres
- Pracha Songkroh Road at Ong Phra-Soi 24 intersection (all)
- Ngam Wong Wan Road near the Pong Phet market (300m) and neat Soi Shinnaket (300m)
- Ratchadaphisek Road near the former Robinson store (300m),
- Phahon Yothin Road from Soi 9 to Saphan Kwai (all)
- Si Ayutthaya Road at the Royal Plaza (200m)
- Pradiphat Road at the Saphan Kwai intersection (200m)
- Nikhom Makkasan Road at Ratchaprarob intersection (100m)
- Ratchaprarob Road at Din Daeng-Si Ayutthaya intersection (500m) and from the railway to Pratunam (all)
- Rama IV Road between Soi 26-38 (entire area)
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said it expected to take no more than two hours to drain all the water.
Floods were also reported around noon on Rama I Road in front of the luxury shopping malls Siam Center and Siam Paragon. Across the road in Siam Square, small vendors saw water seeping into their shops.
In the video above, workers from the Department of Drainage and Sewerage of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration repair a garbage grid at a large pump station in Phra Khanong to increase the efficiency of the drainage system.
On Sukhumvit Road near Soi 8 at 3pm on Saturday. (Twitter@fm91trafficpro)
Shops in Siam Square on Saturday afternoon. (Photo by FM91 Trafficpro: RT@naphat_69)
Flooding at the Ratchayothin intersection in Chatuchak district at around 5pm on Saturday. (Photo by Utumporn Leelasiriworanon)