BANGKOK, Sept 30 — Floods in Thailand have temporarily shut down four Toyota plants and suspended cargo operations for flag carrier Thai Airways today, as the country braces for more heavy rain next week.
Thailand's weather agency forecast heavy rain from October 5 to October 8, with increased rainfall expected in the northeast and north.
Bangkok was declared a disaster-affected zone after receiving 320mm of rain over three days late last week, as much as it typically receives in all of September.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told the media that Bangkok, its metropolitan area, and Thailand's central region are still at risk from floodwaters flowing in from the north, adding that a war room has been set up to monitor the situation.
Assistant Bank of Thailand Governor Chayawadee Chai-anant said flooding had affected services, retail, wholesale, and construction, but had yet to broadly impact manufacturing, though Toyota temporarily shut four plants after floodwater disrupted the delivery of parts.
She noted that the flooding is unlikely to affect the annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, which are due to take place in Bangkok from October 12 to October 18, but contingency plans have been prepared just in case.
Flag carrier Thai Airways suspended inbound and outbound cargo operations from today through to Tuesday (October 6), with many employees unable to travel to work.
Its chief executive Chai Eamsiri said today that about 80 per cent to 90 per cent of employees have returned to work, and the airline will try to restore capacity as much as possible.
Thai Airways aims to resume its normal schedule of 115 outbound flights per day within seven days of the disruption.
Flooding also disrupted Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday, with about half of Thai Airways' workforce unable to report for work, leaving thousands of bags piled up and forcing numerous flight cancellations, though the airport remained operational.
Government spokesman Ekkapob Pianpises put the death toll at 40, citing Health Ministry figures.
The Office of the National Water Resources said that in Ratchaburi, about 80km west of Bangkok, riverside communities were flooded, and evacuations were under way, with six other provinces put on high alert.
Ekkapob noted that authorities are draining Bangkok's floodwater into canals and aim to return conditions to normal within two or three days.
