Bangkok flood disaster zone remains as rain stops and water recedes in parts
Bangkok is under a flood disaster declaration across all 50 districts, with rain easing and water receding in the centre but thousands still cut off in outlying areas.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Bangkok remains a flood disaster zone across all 50 districts after severe flooding caused by days of torrential rain, with officials warning the emergency is not over yet. The Thai government has approved emergency funds for 2.6 million flood victims. Reports gave at least 19 deaths after the torrential rain, while separate figures said eight people had died in flooding and heavy rains across Thailand in the last two weeks. Some residents say the floods are worse than the nationwide flooding in 2011, which killed more than 500 people.
The flooding followed a month's worth of rain in 48 hours. Between Thursday and Saturday, more than 30 centimetres fell, overwhelming the city's drainage system. Canals burst their banks and water entered homes and businesses. Eastern Bangkok was especially badly hit. At one point, more than 80,000 people were unable to leave their homes. About 6,000 were evacuated to emergency shelters, while other figures said nearly 5,000 had been moved to shelters. Around 50,000 homes were affected. More than 10,000 troops have been deployed to help with evacuations and rescues.
The governor of Bangkok has warned that flooding is not over yet, and all 50 districts are emergency zones. Much of the city was underwater, but a break in the weather has brought some relief. The rain has stopped. Water levels have gone down. In the city centre, most of the water that covered the roads has gone. In outlying areas, at least half a metre of water remains. Vehicles cannot get in, and thousands of residents in some housing estates are cut off. Their power is out. The priority is to get food, water and medical help to them, bring out anyone with acute medical needs, and keep pumping water out.
At least 30 roads in Bangkok are still heavily flooded, with water at knee or thigh level. Cars and buses have been stranded. A two-day emergency public holiday was declared to ease traffic. Airports have also been disrupted, in part because airline and airport staff could not get to work. One man was fined for causing a public nuisance after jet skiing across a flooded road. He apologised and said he was trying to make people smile.
Bangkok is a low-lying city, mostly about 1.5 metres above sea level and close to the sea. When huge volumes of rain fall, the water cannot be pushed out fast enough. The meteorological department does not expect the same kind of heavy rain for the rest of the week, giving authorities time to clear low-lying areas. But the flooding has highlighted how vulnerable the city is to unpredictable weather.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News | ITV |
|---|---|---|
| A disaster was declared across all 50 districts after only 48 hours of rain. | · | |
| At least 19 people died after days of torrential rain. | · | |
| At least 30 roads in Bangkok remained heavily flooded. | · | |
| At one point more than 80,000 people were unable to leave their homes, and 6,000 were evacuated to emergency shelters. | · | |
| Bangkok authorities reported that severe flooding conditions had stabilised. | · | |
| Bangkok city governors said eastern Bangkok was especially badly hit by flooding. | · | |
| More than 10,000 troops were deployed to help with evacuations and rescues. | · | |
| Nearly 5,000 people were moved to shelters. | · | |
| Thailand's government approved emergency funds for 2.6 million flood victims. | · | |
| The Bangkok governor warned that the flooding was not over. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC NEWS gave rolling updates and live analysis, leaning on correspondents in Bangkok and Thai service journalists. It stressed official warnings that the emergency was not over, the scale of rainfall, the low-lying geography of the city and the risk from more unpredictable weather. It did not lead on death toll figures or emergency compensation, though it reported troops, shelters and stranded residents.
- “It's the monsoon season now in Thailand, but it's been a long time since people here in Bangkok have experienced this kind of rainfall.”
- “The whole of Bangkok was declared a flood disaster zone on Saturday after some relentless downpours left many of the streets capitals flooded.”
- “the governor of Bangkok has warned flooding there is not over yet.”
ITV1 led with a packaged report that put the scale of the disaster in human and political terms. It was the only outlet in this sample to report emergency funds for 2.6 million victims, a death toll of at least 19, and a two-day public holiday. It also used personal testimony and the jet ski story to add colour, while noting the worst appeared to be over.
- “Thailand's government has approved emergency funds for the capital's flood victims. There are 2.6 million of them.”
- “After a month's worth of rain fell in just 48 hours, flooding Thailand's capital.”
- “The worst now appears to be over, with water levels subsiding.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.