Thailand expects to clear Bangkok floodwater in two to three days

BANGKOK: The Thai government said on Tuesday (Sep 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 Tuesday, government spokesperson 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.

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 Monday to support ground operations of flag carrier Thai Airways.

Hundreds of bags were still lined up in hallways inside the airport on Tuesday, according to a Reuters witness.

In a statement on social media early on Tuesday, Thai Airways said 34 of its flights had been delayed on Monday and baggage from 52 flights between September 26 and 27 was being delivered to passengers.

In another social media post, the airline said that it had cancelled eight flights on Tuesday "due to the flooding situation in Bangkok and aircraft rotation", and warned that additional flight cancellations or schedule changes could occur.