THAILAND’S floods have killed at least eight people and affected more than 580,000 homes since Sept 16, while Bangkok continued to grapple with widespread inundation on Monday and authorities ordered further evacuations in the eastern province of Rayong.
Reuters reported on Monday that at least 5,901 people in Bangkok have moved into 234 evacuation centres after intense rainfall overwhelmed the capital’s drainage network and inundated entire neighbourhoods.
More than 80,000 residents in flooded areas remain unable to leave their homes, Interior Ministry permanent secretary Unsit Sampuntharat said, as authorities mobilised boats and mobile kitchens to deliver relief supplies.
“The goal is to provide three meals a day to all residents throughout the ... flooding period and for at least another seven after waters recede,” he said.
The flooding was triggered by about 320 mm (12.6 inches) of rain over two or three days last week, almost matching the amount Bangkok would normally receive throughout September.
In the eastern coastal province of Rayong, authorities ordered evacuations on Monday after floodwaters pushed two reservoirs beyond capacity.
Economist Aat Pisanwanich of Rangsit University estimated nationwide flood damage at at least 11 billion baht (about RM1.34 million), with losses expected to rise if conditions do not improve.
“The flooding is expected to shave 0.3 percentage points off this year's GDP growth, reducing growth to 2.1%, and cut third-quarter growth by about 0.5 percentage points to 1.7%,” he told Reuters.
Bangkok and the eastern region are expected to bear the heaviest economic impact, particularly in wholesale and retail businesses, while industry and agriculture are likely to be affected elsewhere, Aat said.
The capital’s low-lying geography compounds its vulnerability. Bangkok sits on a river delta of soft clay about 1.5 metres (5 feet) above sea level and is sinking by several millimetres a year.
Residents in the hard-hit Bang Kapi district waded through waist-deep water to buy essentials, while some vendors improvised floating stalls using plastic boxes and drums.
Thailand’s economy expanded 1.9% year-on-year in the second quarter, down from 2.8% growth in the previous quarter, as the country continues to lag regional peers following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The latest flooding comes less than a year after severe floods in southern Thailand, where 630 mm (25 inches) of rain fell over three days, killing at least 145 people, inundating more than 33,000 homes and damaging critical infrastructure including schools, hospitals and highways. - September 28, 2026
