Bangkok battles Thai floods
A third of the country is underwater, but officials in Thailand are confident that the capital Bangkok will be protected from the floods. From Bangkok our Asia Correspondent John Sparks reports.
Much of the city could be at risk as water overflows from swollen reservoirs to the north – but so far the complex system of flood walls, canals and dykes are holding firm.
Some of the worst-hit areas include the city of Ayutthaya, a World Heritage site north of Bangkok. The floods have halted production at its large auto industrial base and forced closure of its famous historical park of temples.
According to Thai officials, the deluge of water in Ayutthaya and regions nearby may take more than a month to fade away as Bangkok, the entrance to the sea, can only take so much daily floodwater drainage.
The country is reeling from the worst floods to hit it for decades, which has killed as many as 300 people since the problems began in July.
In the past few days Bangkok itself has been fighting an epic battle to stop the waters surging into its streets, homes and businesses.
Deluge devastation
Ayutthaya province is the region worst hit by flood in Thailand. More than 100 auto spare part factories in its industrial park have been shut. The park was build at a cost of 65 billion Thai Baht (about 2.1 billion US dollars) and is currently providing jobs to more than 50,000 workers.
Local tourism has also suffered from the impact of flood inundation. Being the former Thai capital, Ayutthaya owns a number of ancient temples and pagodas (pictured), attracting visitors across the world. Now all the scenic spots in the region have closed, including the Ayutthaya Historical Park enlisted into world cultural heritage by UNESCO.
“It is the first time that the Ayutthaya Historical Park has been inundated and the flood has, for the first time, flashed into the center of our historical culture,” said one local resident.
Due to the deluge of Chao Praya River, the Ayutthaya Historical Park has been inundated since Sept 11.
“The park was flooded a dozen of days after the inundation of other regions. The dikes stopped the flashing water for some days till they were damaged and then the water flowed into the park,” said local resident.
American aid
US marines took to the skies in a Thai military helicopter today to help assess the damage in order to address the level of humanitarian aid needed.
Team leader Colonel John Ostrowski said “our hearts and thoughts and prayers go out to the Thai people who are enduring this situation”.
He said the flight gave them “a better sense for what they would request and what they would ask from the US and the US government so that we could determine how best to be of assistance.”
The Thai Prime Minister has asked for US military helicopters to help search for people stranded in the floods.