Thai Prime Minister cuts UK trip short as Bangkok is hit with worst floods in 15 years

BANGKOK: Due to the most severe floods Bangkok has experienced in the last decade and a half, the city was declared a disaster zone on Sep 26.

Within three days last week, heavy rains brought 320 mm of rain, and parts of Bangkok were in waist-high water.

The rain also caused Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to cut short a diplomatic trip to the United Kingdom. He rushed home in order to personally manage the response to the disaster. Mr Anutin had travelled to Japan and the United States, where he attended meetings at the United Nations. As he was on his last leg of the trip, when he was in London, the situation back home had become so urgent that the Prime Minister flew home quickly.

On Sep 28, he apologised to the people affected by the floods and vowed to ensure that assistance would reach those who needed it.

So far, 23 people have been killed across Thailand due to the unusual weather phenomenon, including four in the capital. According to Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt, it may take as much as a week to clear some parts of the city.

Around 2.6 million people have been affected by the disaster.

The rains have caused at least 12.35 billion baht (S$469.82 million) in damage throughout several provinces across Thailand. The government approved 4.1 billion baht (S$166 million) in emergency funding.

Moreover, Thailand’s tourism-dependent economy has also been affected, and on Tuesday (Sep 29), the Australian government of Australia warned its citizens travelling to parts of Thailand to  “exercise a high degree of caution.”

“Heavy rain and flooding have occurred across Thailand. Landslides and flash flooding can occur without warning,” warned Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Even Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport has been affected, with delays to airport services such as luggage handling.

While meteorological events caused the rain in Thailand, experts say that the severe floods were influenced by this year’s Super El Niño, especially severe ocean warming associated with the phenomenon. /TISG

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