In a nutshell, Bangkok airport is open, main tourist attractions are open, hotels are open and life in inner Bangkok goes on as normal. That could change, but that is the situation at this moment in time (16.00 local time October 22). There is, and always has been, the possibility that certain areas within inner Bangkok could see some localized flooding especially near the river and some canals. The flooding currently affecting Greater Bangkok is mainly in the northern and eastern outskirts of the city. Some shops and businesses in inner Bangkok are putting up sandbags as a precaution. Whether they will be needed or not is still not known.
There is traffic congestion in some parts of Greater Bangkok as residents move out of flooded districts. Cars are also being parked up on the sides of highways and elevated roads which has also added to traffic. Adding to the traffic today is the fact that it’s a holiday weekend in Thailand and a number of Bangkok residents are reported to be heading for beach getaways such as Pattaya, Rayong and Hua Hin.
Update: 19.00 local time
There are reports of some localized flooding in Bangkok near the Chao Phraya River following a sudden rise in the water level. When reading the link attached from MCOT, please note that Samsen Road covers a large area and is in the Dusit district of Bangkok north of the popular backpacker area of Banglamphu. Siriraj Hospital is on the opposite side of the river in Thonburi.
News update from MCOT »
Will Central Bangkok Flood?
Nobody can say with 100% certainty what will or will not happen because there are still so many imponderables; will flood barriers hold, has the flow of water been correctly predicted, will the tides be higher or lower than forecast . . . The Thai authorities have given plenty of reassurances over the past week or so that every effort would be made to keep inner Bangkok clear of flood water, but it is a possibility that some of the most vulnerable low-lying streets inside Bangkok may seem some water. It could be a few centimetres or it could be a bit more. Initially the main danger period for Bangkok was forecast to be October 16-18. However, the next danger period is forecast to be between now and the end of October with another high tide due October 28-30.
Should I Cancel my Trip to Bangkok?
As I’ve written before about Bangkok, that is your decision and yours alone. If it was me, I wouldn’t cancel. The airport is open and operating normally and whilst that remains the case there are lots of alternatives if you are worried about your Bangkok leg of your trip. All of Thailand’s main tourist sites (with the exception of Ayutthaya) remain unaffected by the floods and are experiencing normal weather conditions for the time of year.
Just as a postscript to that, I’ve been inundated with emails during the past week or so. Sadly, a small minority of those emails are saying things like, “if I have to cancel my visit it will be a disaster”. As I’ve pointed out in my replies (in no uncertain terms) no it isn’t. It is a disaster for the people who have seen loved ones killed, seen their homes destroyed and lost their livelihoods. Fortunately most of the emails I’m getting are more compassionate and I would like to thank the readers of thaizer.com for their support.
Don’t Believe Everything you Read
There has been much written about Bangkok and the floods in the past few days. In the respected international media you would expect the facts to be accurate and the reporting to be to a professional standard. Sadly, that hasn’t always been the case. In a report on the BBC website on Wednesday, it described flooding in the “northern Thai provinces of Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Nakhon Sawan”. In fact, these provinces are all officially in central Thailand. The article goes on to say that “. . .the Bangkok districts now on alert are Sai Mai, Khlong Sam Wa, Bang Khen, Nong Jok, Min Buri, Lat Krabang and Kan Na Yao, all to the north of the capital.” A number of these districts are in fact to the east of the capital. I’m not trying to split hairs but it is indicative of sloppy reporting and misinformation throughout the flood crisis in Thailand.
Political Differences in Bangkok
The Thai government and flood officials haven’t helped matters with conflicting messages and updates. Obviously, they are in a very difficult position and sometimes their best guesses are being reported as guarantees when there are clearly no guarantees in a situation like this. Earlier this week, flood officials in Thailand announced that Bangkok was safe from flooding. However, this was premature and there have been clear divisions between key players in the flood relief operations. The Bangkok governor and Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) are aligned to the Democrat Party. These are the political opponents of the ruling Pheu Thai party headed by PM Yingluck Shinawatra. Although Yingluck has liaised with Democrat leader and former PM Abhisit Vejjajiva, there have been fundamental differences between Yingluck’s government and the BMA. These appear to have come to a head yesterday when Yingluck utilized a disaster law to enable her to take more direct control over how the situation in Bangkok is handled.
Related Articles:
About Thaizer
