Thailand expects to clear Bangkok floodwater in two to three days, government says

BANGKOK – The Thai government said on Sept 29 that the standing water in Bangkok is expected to take two to three days to clear if there is no additional rainfall, with no heavy rain anticipated.The Cabinet will discuss long-term plans to address flooding and recovery measures on Sept 29, government spokesman Ekkapob Pianpises told a news briefing.Bangkok was hit by around 320mm of rain over two to three days last week, nearly as much as the sprawling low-lying city usually gets in the whole of September.Damage caused by the flooding was estimated at over US$320 million (S$409 million).Although Bangkok’s main airports kept running through the weekend rain and flooding, some baggage handling operations at Suvarnabhumi Airport were severely impacted, with 69 Thai Air Force personnel called in on Sept 28 to support ground operations of flag carrier Thai Airways.Hundreds of bags were still lined up in hallways inside the airport on Sept 29, according to a Reuters witness.In a statement on social media early on Sept 29, Thai Airways said 34 of its flights had been delayed on Sept 28 and baggage from 52 flights between Sept 26 and 27 was being delivered to passengers.In another social media post, the airline said that it had cancelled eight flights on Sept 29 “due to the flooding situation in Bangkok and aircraft rotation”, and warned that additional flight cancellations or schedule changes could occur. REUTERS