On Monday, authorities warned that seasonal monsoon rains may exacerbate flooding that has already severely impacted nearly a third of Thailand. Flood gates and pumping stations were put in place to minimise the possible damage, officials added.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation stated that a tropical storm raced across the upper portion of the nation over the weekend, producing flash floods that impacted 58,977 households.
According to Boontham Lertsukekasem, the director-general of the department, 12 provinces along the Chao Phraya river, including Bangkok and the old capital Ayutthhaya, should be prepared for new flooding as water levels in the Chao Phraya dam rise by 30 centimetres to 1 metre (1-3 feet) over the next few days, according to reports.
The governor of Bangkok stated on his Facebook page that the situation in Bangkok was not yet serious, but that the city was carefully working flood gates and pumping stations, among other measures, in order to avoid a catastrophe.
When a reservoir overflowed, it caused significant flooding in parts of the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, causing residents to wade through knee-deep water and inundating the bottom floors of numerous houses.
On Sunday in Sukhothai province, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and other Cabinet members visited with flood victims and distributed assistance to those who had been impacted.
Thailand has a tropical climate, and during the monsoon season, which runs from July to October, it often experiences floods that costs millions of dollars in damage.
