Photo source: Matichon. (Click here to view more pictures of flooding in Thailand.)
Unusually heavy rains have resulted in widespread flooding in parts of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines. These countries are experiencing some of the worst floods in decades, which began in mid-September and are expected to last until late October.
The floods have swept across Thailand’s central provinces, causing damage to farmland, industrial estates and historical heritage sites. Some suburban provinces bordering north of Bangkok have been inundated, and parts of the capital are now at risk of flooding. However, Thailand’s southern, and most northern and northeastern (Isaan) provinces are unaffected by the floods.
In neighboring Cambodia, the water in the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers has reached precariously high levels. The government has cancelled the annual Water Festival celebration, which normally takes place in November, and will channel state funds to aid flood victims instead. At the same time, the rising water levels in the Mekong have also caused damage further downstream in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, while a series of typhoons resulted in flash floods and landslides in the Central Luzon and Cagayan Valley regions in the Philippines.
Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia would like to extend our sympathy to all those affected by the flooding, and we hope the situation will improve soon.
For the latest updates on the Thai flood situation:
- Thailand Tourism Update (thailandtourismupdate.com)
- Twitter: #thaifloodeng
To make a donation toward flood relief efforts in Southeast Asia, visit the following websites to find out more.
- Thai Red Cross (redcross.or.th)
- Cambodian Red Cross (redcross.org.kh)
- Mercy Relief (mercyrelief.org)
