Thousands of residents have been forced into evacuation centres as severe flooding hits Bangkok and other parts of Thailand, with authorities warning that the economic damage could reach billions of baht.
Flooding has affected 41 provinces since Sept. 16, killing at least eight people and disrupting more than 580,000 homes. In Bangkok, entire neighbourhoods were inundated after as much as 320 millimetres of rain fell over two to three days, overwhelming the capital’s drainage system.
More than 80,000 residents in flooded areas have been unable to leave their homes, according to Thailand’s Interior Ministry. Authorities have deployed boats and mobile kitchens, with plans to provide three meals a day throughout the flooding and for at least seven days after the waters recede.
In Bangkok, at least 5,901 people had moved into 234 evacuation centres. Some residents in badly affected communities were also forced to wade through waist-deep water to obtain food and other necessities, while vendors adapted by selling supplies from makeshift floating stalls.
The flooding is also threatening Thailand’s economy. An economist at Rangsit University estimated nationwide damage at at least 11 billion baht, with losses potentially reducing the country’s 2026 economic growth by about 0.3 percentage points. Another estimate from the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce placed the nationwide impact at around 12.3 billion baht.
Bangkok alone could suffer around seven billion baht in economic losses, with wholesale and retail businesses expected to face significant disruption. Agriculture and industrial activity in other affected provinces could also take a hit.
Further east, authorities in Rayong ordered evacuations after two reservoirs exceeded capacity, adding to concerns as heavy rainfall continues to pressure flood-control systems.
Bangkok’s low-lying geography makes the capital particularly vulnerable. The city sits on a river delta roughly 1.5 metres above sea level and is sinking by several millimetres each year, compounding the challenges posed by intense rainfall and seasonal flooding.
