Principal Bangkok thoroughfares such as Sukhumvit Road, Asoke Road and Rama IV Road plus whole swathes of districts like Chaeng Wattana and Klong Toei were nearly knee-deep in water as students and commuters set off on their daily journeys. The floods slowed down traffic and caused backlogs even on roads not under water.
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) workers did their best to pump water off some of the roads, but it seemed like a Herculean task. Once the torrential downpour stopped, nature took its course and the roads gradually drained.
The deluge left the ground floors of some buildings swirling in water and prompted a few head teachers to announce their schools or colleges would be closed for the day. Although floods are a regular occurrence during the rainy season, there were already calls for the resignation of the city’s governor later yesterday.
The local branch of the Stop Global Warming Association released a statement saying MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra should take responsibility and resign. Commuters took to social media websites to voice their displeasure over the delays to public transport and said the BMA needed to be better prepared.
Heavy overnight rains flood Bangkok streets
News in Asia
Bangkok residents and tourists awoke yesterday morning to find the city’s streets awash with flood waters after heavy storms on Sunday night. The rain began at around 01:30 yesterday morning and continued non-stop until 08:00.