FLOODWATERS began receding across parts of Bangkok on Sunday after a break in torrential rain that caused widespread flooding a day earlier, but renewed heavy rain threatened to worsen conditions in the Thai capital.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said late on Sept 26 that rainfall had eased, leaving only scattered clouds and allowing authorities to accelerate efforts to drain canals and lower water levels.
Foreign news agencies reported officials saying flooding was expected to gradually subside if no further heavy rain occurred.
Bangkok received nearly 300mm of rain over 48 hours through Sept 26, flooding major roads and leaving some vehicles partly submerged.
The BMA had prepared 233 temporary shelters and moved about 4,200 people to the shelters.
However, rain returned to Bangkok in the early hours of Sept 27, with Thailand’s Meteorological Department warning that further heavy downpours could worsen flooding, The Nation reported.
Thunderstorms were forecast across 80 per cent of Bangkok and surrounding provinces.
Over the following 24 hours, many areas in the western part of Thailand’s central region were expected to receive heavy rain, with very heavy rain forecast in some areas.
The BMA’s Department of Education said all schools under its administration would close on Sept 28 as a precaution to protect students, parents, teachers and education staff.
It said persistent heavy rain had caused flooding and traffic disruptions, affected daily life, endangered residents and damaged private and government property.
The closure would also allow schools to inspect potentially damaged facilities, ensure they were safe and prepare for lessons and first-term examinations for the 2026 academic year, which runs from mid-May 2026 to early March 2027.
Schools were also instructed to ensure students could travel safely and to notify parents of the closure, with make-up lessons to be arranged later.
The BMA’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Directorate declared all 50 districts disaster areas on Sept 25 to enable government agencies to respond to the flooding.
Residents in affected areas have been warned to remain alert for heavy to very heavy rain and accumulated rainfall that could trigger flash floods, rising floodwaters and overflowing rivers, as well as forest run-off and landslides.
Authorities have advised residents to avoid routes prone to recurrent flooding, particularly low-lying areas where temporary waterlogging could occur.
The weather conditions are being driven by a low-pressure area over the western part of Thailand’s central region, together with a fairly strong south-westerly monsoon over the Andaman Sea, the South and the Gulf of Thailand.
The upper Andaman Sea and upper Gulf of Thailand were experiencing fairly strong winds and waves of 2 to 3 metres, rising above 3 metres during thunderstorms.
Mariners in the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand were advised to navigate with caution and avoid areas experiencing thunderstorms.
Small boats in the upper Andaman Sea and upper Gulf of Thailand were advised to remain ashore until Sept 28. - September 27, 2026
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