Bangkok's monthly rain quota in 3 days, flights hit, baggage chaos at airport: Inside Thailand's deluge | World News

The past few days were harrowing for Bangkok, the much-sought-after tourist destination hit by unprecedented rain. Large parts of the Thai capital reportedly remained submerged on Tuesday, three days after authorities declared a city-wide disaster following nearly 48 hours of relentless downpour.While the city remains on alert for downpour, the government had said floodwater in Bangkok was expected to recede within three days if no more rain fell, reported news agency Reuters.Bangkok saw unusually high rainfall recently, and was hit by around 320 mm (12.6 inches) of downpour over two to three days last week, nearly as much as the city usually gets in the whole of September.Furthermore, the government confirmed on Tuesday that four people have died in the capital, pushing the nationwide death toll from flooding since mid-September to 23, according to AFP. According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), around 7,00,000 people have been affected by floods in the capital.Also Read | Nor'easter tracker: Coastal flood warnings issued - Here's what NJ, Delaware, NY and Maryland residents need to knowVisuals surface from ThailandVisuals emerging from Thailand's capital over the past few days showed Bangkok submerged in floodwaters. Though waters across parts of the city began receding on Sunday, according to Reuters.A video shared by Reuters on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, September 28, captured residents wading through knee-deep water.It also reported on Monday that in Bangkok's Bang Kapi, people trudged through floodwaters to buy essentials. Meanwhile, vendors had set up stalls with floating plastic boxes and drums.The report also stated that entire neighbourhoods in Bangkok were inundated and the drainage network swamped after 320 mm of rain fell during two or three days last week. Footage posted on X by AFP showed city streets inundated over the weekend on September 26 and 27.It further reported that although September is the peak of Thailand's rainy season, many residents from Bangkok noted that this year's floods seemed worse. Furthermore, governor Chadchart Sittipunt warned on Sunday that it could take "up to a week" for the waters to fully drain. Visuals shared by the "Thai Enquirer" on Tuesday showed conditions at the Bang Kapi Intersection. Citing the Lat Phrao Police Station, it reported that while floodwaters at the intersection had dropped by approximately 10 cm, water levels remained high. Also Read | Michigan urgent advisory: Residents urged to prepare emergency kits as flood and winter storm risks loom Baggage chaos, flight ops reduction in BangkokEven as authorities say the deluge would subside, flight operations continue to be hit at Bangkok airport. According to Reuters, Thai Airways plans to cut about 30 flights, about 30% of its planned departures from Bangkok and the reduction will remain in place for three days.Thai Airways International canceled 22 domestic and international flights scheduled for September 29 and 30, affecting routes to India, Singapore, and Europe.According to Bloomberg, flooding led to staffing shortages and disrupted transportation to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport.The airline faced delays, with 34 flights held up on September 28 and crews still working to clear delayed luggage from 52 flights that had landed over the weekend.The airline said that bags from 52 flights, operated between September 26 and 27, were still being delivered to passengers, while 34 flights were delayed on September 28.The Suvarnabhumi Airport is also seeing baggage chaos. Around 5,600 bags from Thai Airways flights remain stranded at the airport, but these would be cleared within 72 hours, the airline's Chief Executive Chai Eamsiri told reporters. The flag carrier deployed additional workers to clear a baggage backlog.Thailand toll rises to 23The toll from floods across Thailand since mid-September rose to 23. According to AFP, the DDPM stated that floodwaters have hit 29 of Thailand's 77 provinces.It said that four people died in Bangkok, eight in Samut Prakan, and six in Sa Kaeo. The remaining deaths were recorded in Chanthaburi, Ayutthaya and Saraburi, two provinces to the north of the capital. What is happening in Bangkok?Schools in Bangkok stayed closed for a second straight day, while nearly 7,000 individuals sought refuge across more than 230 shelters, AFP reported.Aat Pisanwanich of Rangsit University's economics department told Reuters that the floods could cause economic damage of at least 11 billion baht, $327 million, nationwide."The flooding is expected to shave 0.3 percentage points off this year's GDP growth, reducing growth to 2.1%, and cut third-quarter growth by about 0.5 percentage points to 1.7%," the report quoted Pisanwanich as saying. Also Read | Pittsburgh flash flood update: Scary visuals show damage in PA; warning remains for Latrobe, Mount Pleasant, Loyalhanna'No more food...': What the people saidAccording to Reuters, Bangorn Dednuam, 60, described being caught completely off guard and explained that her household had run out of food as the current conditions prevented them from stocking up their refrigerator in time."We have no more food to eat, because we didn't prepare in time," said Dednuam."We didn't manage to pack our things in time, so there's nothing stocked in the fridge," she added. Vendor Marisa Singprakhon moved to the market's edge to make it easier for customers to buy.The vendor noted that customers do not want to wade deeper into the flood, forcing sellers to stand in the water to reach them."Customers don't want to go in; they don't want to stand in the water for a long time," Reuters quoted Singprakhon as saying."So we have to stand in the water outside to sell," she said.(with inputs from agencies)