Thailand’s cabinet has announced special holidays for government employees in Bangkok and two nearby provinces on September 28 and 29 due to heavy rain fall and flooding.
The government said the holidays are aimed at reducing travel, traffic congestion and transportation problems caused by severe weather.
The announcement also raised concerns that an important Constitutional Court hearing scheduled for Monday could be affected. The case is related to ballot papers used in the February elections, and the court’s decision could raise questions about the election results.
The situation in Bangkok worsened after heavy rainfall, prompting the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to declare the capital a disaster-hit area on Saturday.
Officials said nearly 300 millimetres of rain was recorded within 48 hours. Several major roads were flooded, while a number of vehicles were left partially submerged in water.
Flights disruption
According to the Thai government, more than 330 millimetres of rain fell across the Bangkok area between September 24 and 27, triggering widespread flooding across the capital.
Bangkok authorities said around 52,000 households were affected by the severe weather. In some residential areas, floodwaters rose as high as an adult’s chest.
About 4,900 people were forced to leave their homes and take shelter in nearly 200 evacuation centres set up at schools, temples and other public facilities.
The flooding also disrupted air travel, as some airline crew members were unable to reach work on time. Flight delays continued into September 28.
Hundreds of South Korean passengers travelling with Thai Airways were reportedly stranded at Suvarnabhumi Airport for more than 10 hours from the previous night due to the disruption.
