Journal De Bruxelles - Thai capital cleans up after deadly floods

Around 700,000 people have been affected by floods that prompted Bangkok authorities to declare a city-wide disaster on Saturday, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said.

Parts of the capital remained waterlogged on Tuesday, with schools closed for a second day and many people still working from home.

In one of the worst-hit areas in the east of the city, Supreeya Kasim swept muddy water from the floor of the restaurant where she works.

"It has never flooded up to my knees like this before. This time is the worst," the 25-year-old told AFP at the modest one-room venue.

"All our belongings are completely ruined," she said.

The floodwaters only started to recede on Monday evening, she said, after being waist-high on the street outside and calf-high inside.

Three staff are helping with the clean-up, but they still do not expect to open until Thursday.

"We have to wait for it to dry first, and then we need to spray things like alcohol or (bleach) because otherwise, mould will start to grow," Supreeya said.

Many homes were also flooded, particularly along Bangkok's canals, and thousands of people stayed in more than 230 shelters across the city, authorities said.

Supachai Pongchan, who lives on the ground floor in Bang Kapi district, said: "I feel really sad because all my belongings were damaged. We couldn't move things in time because the flood came at night."

The 72-year-old managed to move electrical appliances to higher ground but had the same complaint as other residents -- that there was no warning.

"The government miscalculated. So when the huge volume of water arrived, we just didn't know what to do," he said.

- 'Just the beginning' -

Bangkok was hit by intense rainfall that also caused flooding across 29 of Thailand's 77 provinces, and caused eight deaths in neighbouring Myanmar.

A total of 23 people have died in Thailand since mid-September, the disaster authority said Tuesday, including four in Bangkok, eight in Samut Prakan, which lies between the capital and the sea, and six in Sa Kaeo, an eastern province.

September is the peak of Thailand's rainy season, but this year felt worse for many in Bangkok, a city built on former marshlands and intersected by a network of canals.

Pumping stations have been operating at full capacity, but authorities warned it could take up to a week for the waters to fully drain.

Scientists warn the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events will increase as global warming accelerates because of fossil fuel emissions.

"It's a lesson," said Chaleerat Chamrasporn, 55, as she picked up rubbish in the water filling the street outside her house.

"The kids are into doomsday-themed content, so now they can see what the 'end of the world' is actually like, or rather, that this is just the beginning."

- Cancelled flights -

While residents bore the brunt of the floods, travellers were hit by related delays at Bangkok's airports, which are regional hubs.

Since Saturday, passengers at the main Suvarnabhumi airport have complained of flight delays and long waits for baggage, which the airport blamed on staff being unable to get into work.

He said the national carrier planned to cut around 30 percent of flights departing from Bangkok -- about 30 flights -- for the next few days, in a bid to reduce delays.

He apologised on behalf of the company, pledging to clear more than 5,000 bags from Thai Airways flights left at Suvarnabhumi within 72 hours.

P.Renard--JdB