Thai PM tells Bangkok to move belongings to safety

THAILAND: Millions of Bangkok residents were warned Friday to move their belongings higher up after the government admitted it was failing in its battle to hold back massive floods just north of the city.

In a new tactic, the government has said it will open Bangkok’s sluice gates to allow the sea of floodwater to drain through canals in the capital, which has an extensive system of waterways and drainage pumps.

The move should ease pressure on vulnerable flood barriers on the northern edge of the city of 12 million people, but increases the threat to Bangkok, which has so far escaped major inundation.

Residents were advised to move their possessions to higher floors or areas as the capital braced for the arrival of the floods from the central plains, which are several metres under water in places. “I ask all Bangkok residents to move your belongings to higher ground as a precaution, but they should not panic. It’s preparation,” Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra told reporters.

“We will rapidly assess the situation and regularly inform the public.”

On Thursday Yingluck warned the government “cannot block the water forever”.

Three months of heavy monsoon rains have killed more than 300 people, damaged the homes and livelihoods of millions of Thais, mostly in the north and centre, and forced tens of thousands to seek refuge in shelters.

In the capital there has been a rush to stock up on food and bottled water, while motorists have parked hundreds of cars on bridges or elevated roads. AFP