Bangkok continues to battle Thailand floods

05 Nov BBC

The authorities in Thailand are continuing to battle to manage the flow of floodwater passing through the capital, Bangkok.

The centre of the city has been protected and remains dry, but a fifth of Bangkok is under water. More than 430 people have lost their lives nationwide in the floods.

And now it appears that another industrial park is at risk from the water, threatening more factories and jobs.

There is one constant in Thailand’s ever-changing flood crisis - the relentless momentum of the water’s journey from the inundated central plains, south to the sea.

The water needs to be drained, but the nation’s capital lies in its path.

Each day, more districts are put on alert and more people are warned to evacuate. Some are now being moved for a second time. Others are choosing to stay despite the challenging conditions. Annie Bodmer-Roy from the Save The Children group said trying to reach everyone who might need help was proving difficult.

“You’ve got so many people staying inside their homes and its very difficult to know who’s in their homes where,” she said.

“You’ve got flood waters up to chest level in some areas. So it’s very difficult to get to some of these places and see who’s still living there, who’s still living in their houses.”

Add to that concerns about skin diseases, sanitation, unemployment and school closures and the size of the challenge becomes clear.

And as the floodwaters submerge more districts of Bangkok, so it recedes from provinces further north.

There will soon come a time when parts of the country move into the recovery phase, while others are still under water.

That will place fresh demands on a government still struggling to deal with the current crisis.