Summary Heavy rains have flooded Bangkok and 41 Thai provinces, killing eight people, displacing thousands and threatening billions of baht in economic losses.
BANGKOK (Web Desk) - Thousands of residents sheltered in evacuation centres on Monday as severe flooding inundated parts of Bangkok and other provinces following heavy weekend rains.
Around 320 mm (12.6 inches) of rain fell over two or three days last week, overwhelming Bangkok's drainage system and flooding entire neighbourhoods. The rainfall was nearly equivalent to the amount the low-lying capital typically receives throughout September.
Thailand's Interior Ministry said floods have affected 41 provinces since September 16, killing at least eight people and disrupting more than 580,000 homes. More than 80,000 residents in flooded areas remain unable to leave their homes.
Authorities have deployed mobile kitchens and boats to provide relief, with a target of supplying three meals a day during the flooding and for at least seven days after the waters recede.
At least 5,901 people in Bangkok have moved to 234 evacuation centres, while residents in some areas have been forced to wade through waist-deep water in search of food and other essentials.
The floods are expected to cause at least 11 billion baht ($327 million) in economic damage nationwide, according to an economist at Rangsit University. The flooding could reduce Thailand's annual GDP growth by 0.3 percentage points to 2.1%, while third-quarter growth could fall by about 0.5 percentage points to 1.7%.
In Bangkok's Bang Kapi district, residents have continued buying essential goods from vendors operating amid floodwaters. Some traders moved their stalls to the edges of flooded streets, using floating plastic containers and drums to sell their goods.
Bangkok, built largely on soft clay in a river delta just 1.5 metres (5 feet) above sea level, is sinking by several millimetres each year and regularly faces flooding during its six-month rainy season.
In eastern Rayong province, authorities ordered evacuations after rising floodwaters pushed two reservoirs beyond their capacity.
