Thailand’s Cabinet has announced special holidays for government employees in Bangkok and three surrounding provinces on September 28 and 29 due to heavy rainfall and flooding.
Thailand’s Cabinet has announced special holidays for government employees in Bangkok and three surrounding provinces on September 28 and 29 due to heavy rainfall and flooding. According to the government, the purpose of the special holidays is to reduce the movement of people and ease traffic congestion and travel difficulties caused by the heavy rains. However, important government duties scheduled during the holidays may continue at the discretion of the heads of the relevant departments.
The announcement of the holidays also raised concerns that an important hearing and verdict scheduled for Monday at Thailand’s Constitutional Court could be affected. The situation in Bangkok deteriorated so severely due to heavy rainfall that the Metropolitan Administration declared the capital a disaster-affected area on Saturday. Officials said approximately 300 millimeters of rain were recorded over a 48-hour period, flooding major roads across the city and leaving several vehicles partially submerged. As rainfall decreased on Sunday, floodwaters began to recede in several areas. However, some residents remained stranded inside their homes.
According to foreign media reports, numerous roads in Bangkok have been submerged, while in some areas, waist-deep water has made transportation extremely difficult for residents. Boats were seen operating on roads at several locations, while the flooding also severely disrupted traffic. The report said that an additional 10 millimeters of rain had been recorded in various parts of the city since this morning. Thailand’s Meteorological Department has forecast that heavy rainfall will continue. Bangkok received around 300 millimeters of rain over the past two days, prompting authorities to declare the city a disaster-affected area on Saturday.
