Widespread flooding easing across affected provinces

Officials say the widespread flooding that has affected Bangkok and several other provinces is showing signs of easing. However, there are already forecasts of another storm that could affect Thailand from next week. AP News reports that so far, 8 people have been killed by the floods, with 1 woman still missing. Thousands of homes have been affected, across 32 provinces.

The floodwaters are now receding in 14 provinces, mostly in the north and north-east of the country, according to The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. However, areas of central Thailand are still battling rising water levels. In the historic city of Ayutthaya, media photos show the giant reclining Buddha statue surrounded by flood waters and monks in paddling boats.

The flooding is the result of season rainfall, but has been made worse by water flowing from the Chao Phraya River. According to the AP News report, the reservoirs and dams along the river are unable to stop the steady flow of water during the wet season, with many reaching capacity last month. As a result, they were forced to release more water in recent days, further exacerbating the flooding situation downstream.

However, Prapit Chanma from Royal Irrigation Department is hopeful that the situation will improve, provided there are no more heavy rains.

SOURCE: AP News