Floods close Bangkok's second largest airport.
The flooding at Don Muang airport is one of the worst pieces of news amidst the government's efforts to prevent the capital from being flooded.
Water levels rose closer to the terminal of Bangkok's second-largest airport on Wednesday, prompting many to seek shelter elsewhere to avoid the floods that have already inundated several parts of the Thai capital.
The flooding at Don Muang Airport, primarily used for domestic flights but which had become a shelter from the rains for hundreds, is one of the worst pieces of news in the government's efforts to prevent the capital from being flooded. Its closure is likely to reduce public confidence in the ability of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government to defend the metropolis of 9 million inhabitants.
On Wednesday morning, more than a thousand people seeking shelter left the area, while the water continued to rise around the terminal. Suvarnabhumi International Airport, the country's main airport, continues to operate normally. Most of the city is not flooded, but bottled water and other emergency supplies are already running low in several areas.
Yingluck's government declared a three-day holiday on Tuesday in the affected areas, and the Ministry of Education ordered schools closed until November 7. Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra urged those who do not need to be in the city and have the money to leave for a while to do so.
The prime minister said on Tuesday, speaking on television, that in the worst-case scenario the floods could cause further problems on Friday and Saturday. This could undermine efforts to contain the waters in the city and result in flooding of up to 1,5 meters in low-lying areas, she said.
Heavy rains over the past three months have killed 373 people in Thailand. Around 800 prisoners have been evacuated from jails surrounding the capital due to the flooding.