Business Times 5 Nov 11;
THAILAND'S worst floods in half a century reached the edge of downtown Bangkok yesterday, threatening some underground railway stations and forcing the closure of a major shopping centre.
Thai officials built more barriers around Bangkok as floodwaters edged closer to the city centre. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said a 6km wall of sandbags being completed along a canal north of Bangkok will help ease flooding in eastern parts of the capital.
The water is now just a few kilometres away from business and tourist districts, despite reassurances from the government that central Bangkok would be spared. Rising floodwaters in the city's northern suburbs forced the closure yesterday of the Central Plaza Ladprao shopping mall, close to the city's famous Chatuchak weekend market.
About 20 per cent of the capital is now submerged in floodwaters contaminated by rubbish, dead animals and industrial waste, raising fears about outbreaks of disease in the densely populated metropolis of 12 million people. A spokesman for the Bangkok metro said that three subway stations - Lat Phrao, Phahon Yothin and Chatuchak Park - were at risk and might have to be shut down if the water rose to 40cm outside.
The floods - caused by unusually heavy rains and failure to release enough water from dams in the early days of the monsoon - have killed 442 people and damaged the homes and livelihoods of millions around the country.
The authorities have issued an evacuation order for eight Bangkok districts out of a total of 50 in the capital, and for certain areas in four others.
The 12 districts have a combined official population of 1.7 million people - far more than government shelters can accommodate. Many have chosen to stay in their homes despite risks including electrocution, disease and lack of food and drinking water, complicating relief efforts.
The waters have swamped Bangkok's No 2 airport Don Muang, which usually serves mostly domestic destinations, but the kingdom's main air gateway Suvarnabhumi is operating as usual. The main airport is surrounded by a 3.5m high flood embankment monitored around the clock. -- AFP, Bloomberg
