Bangkok authorities declared all 50 districts of the Thai capital disaster-affected areas on Saturday, 26 September 2026, after persistent rain inundated major roads and raised canal levels to critical heights, disrupting the movement of residents and vehicles and prompting emergency services to expand their response.
Bangkok districts classified as disaster-affected
The blanket announcement followed an initial step covering Nong Chok, Suan Luang and Khan Na Yao districts, before continuing rain caused flooding, traffic disruption and difficulties in daily life in other parts of the capital. The classification allows government and local authorities and relevant organisations to provide assistance and exercise powers set out under disaster-management laws and plans.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt held a meeting to lead flood-response operations at 5am, attended by representatives of the administrative offices of all 50 districts and agencies under the capital administration.
Warnings over rising canal levels
He called for swift coordination between local administrations and central agencies to ensure aid reached affected residents, particularly bedridden patients and the most vulnerable groups. At 9:22am, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation sent an alert to mobile phones in Bangkok, saying water levels in the canals had reached a critical stage and were continuing to rise.
Residents living alongside canals and in low-lying areas were urged to raise their belongings, secure valuables and prepare for a possible rise in water levels, while avoiding flooded roads and checking route conditions before travelling.
Emergency measures included preparing schools run by the capital authorities for use as temporary shelters and coordinating parking facilities in case residents had to evacuate, as well as securing food, drinking water and sanitation facilities. Local offices were also tasked with assessing patients’ needs and identifying those requiring medical equipment or transport to a health facility, and those who could receive care in their area or at a shelter.
Authorities ordered sandbags to be provided at vulnerable sites and vehicles belonging to the capital administration and other agencies to be deployed to assist residents and tow broken-down or obstructing vehicles. The instructions also included monitoring bridges and roads threatened by rising water and removing rubbish and obstructions from drainage openings and waterways as the water receded.
Traffic disrupted at seven sites
The Flood Prevention Centre warned drivers of small vehicles against entering seven flooded sites, including sections of Vibhavadi Rangsit, Ramkhamhaeng, Lat Krabang and Chaeng Watthana roads, as well as Sukhumvit 63 and the Wong Wian and Sena Nikhom intersection area. Field reports showed cars and motorcycles breaking down after water levels rose high enough to impede traffic.
The disruption spread to 21 major routes, including Sueinthawong, Lat Krabang, Vibhavadi Rangsit, Phahonyothin, Din Daeng, Ratchadaphisek, Phatthanakan, Chaeng Watthana, Lat Phrao and Srinagarindra roads. Water also affected sections of On Nut, Ramkhamhaeng, New Phetchaburi, Sukhumvit, Rama IX and Ram Inthra roads, amid traffic congestion and difficulty reaching several areas.
On New Phetchaburi Road near Ekkamai, water levels rose on Saturday morning to almost the height of car tyres, making it difficult to cross parts of the road. Rain the previous day had caused the Saen Saep Canal to overflow and inundate sections of Lat Phrao and Ramkhamhaeng roads, including the area around Ramkhamhaeng University.
Heavy rain strains canal capacity
The Bangkok governor said rainfall exceeded 150 millimetres in some areas during the 24 hours before his inspection tours on 25 September, causing several canals to fill and water to spill into adjacent areas. Rainwater accumulating in eastern Bangkok overnight from 24 to 25 September was estimated at about 14 million cubic metres.
Sittipunt said the main problem was not blocked drainage pipes but the canals reaching full capacity, explaining that water could move from drains into the canals but had nowhere else to go once the canals were full. He added that authorities were using all available resources, with pumps operating and teams working throughout the night to speed up the lowering of water levels.
Capital teams worked to divert water into the Bueng Nong Bon reservoir, which has a capacity of about five million cubic metres and had been lowered in advance to receive rainwater. From there, the water is discharged towards the Chao Phraya River through a drainage tunnel, alongside the operation of pumping stations, gates and water-propulsion units and the removal of debris from channels leading to the reservoir.
The Thai Meteorological Department attributed the rain to the movement of an active low-pressure cell over the lower central region, including Bangkok and its surrounding areas, as the south-west monsoon strengthened. It forecast heavy to very heavy rain in the capital on 26 and 27 September, warning of flash floods and rising water levels in low-lying areas and near waterways.
Authorities asked residents to document damage with photographs before and after the floods to support aid applications, and to continue monitoring official alerts and road conditions.
Emergency teams and drainage centres also maintained monitoring and pumping operations, reviewing measures as rainfall totals and canal levels developed across the capital.
