Thailand’s cabinet declared September 28 and 29 special holidays for government workers in Bangkok and the nearby provinces of Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan after days of heavy rain and flooding. The decision, announced on Sunday, September 27, aims to reduce travel and ease disruption while authorities respond to the inundation, according to the government and Reuters.
The emergency extends well beyond the capital. Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said on Sunday that floods were affecting 25 provinces and all 50 Bangkok districts. Its figures, based on reports available at 6 a.m., counted 174,803 affected households in the provinces and another 52,000 in Bangkok. The agency reported eight deaths in three provinces; those deaths were not reported as occurring in the capital.
Bangkok was designated a disaster-affected area after intense rain overwhelmed streets and drainage systems. Reuters reported that nearly 300 millimetres of rain fell over 48 hours, leaving vehicles partly submerged on major roads. Water receded in some places on Sunday as rainfall eased, but some residents remained stranded in their homes.
The disaster agency said heavy rain and water flowing from northern Thailand into the central region contributed to flooding outside Bangkok. It said Samut Prakan had the largest reported number of affected provincial households, while water levels were still rising in Ayutthaya and several other areas. Emergency teams were pumping water, moving belongings, delivering supplies and surveying damage.
The government said essential official business could continue during the holidays when agency heads considered it necessary. Its public information service said private employers and state enterprises could set their own arrangements, and the Stock Exchange of Thailand would operate normally. Bangkok city-run schools were also set to close on Monday as officials assessed safety and travel conditions.
Conditions remained uneven on Monday morning. Local reporting said receding water had reopened parts of Vibhavadi Rangsit Road to all vehicles, while smaller cars still could not cross the flooded Bang Kapi intersection. Thailand’s meteorological department forecast thunderstorms across 70% of Bangkok and surrounding provinces on September 28, with isolated heavy rain. Authorities continued drainage and relief work as the weather risk persisted.
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