Authorities in Bangkok declared all 50 districts of the capital a disaster zone on Saturday after days of relentless rain triggered severe flooding.
The designation gives local agencies authority to act, following reports that nearly 300 millimetres (11.8 inches) of rain had fallen since Thursday.
Residents described water levels rising to waist height in some areas, reports AFP.
Somkid Pheuk‑ngam, a 67‑year‑old vendor living near a canal north of central Bangkok, said she had been unable to leave home and had kept her shop closed for two days, adding that the situation felt worse than the devastating floods of 2011.
Rain has continued almost nonstop since Thursday afternoon, inundating roads and swelling canals, with water spilling into homes and restaurants, according to AFP reporters.
Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the eastern part of the city was hardest hit and warned that more rain was expected. He noted on social media that canals were already full and urged residents near waterways to move vehicles to higher ground.
He also advised families with bedridden patients reliant on medical equipment to consider temporary hospital stays.
Thailand’s 2011 floods killed more than 500 people and damaged millions of homes, underscoring the scale of risk as authorities continue pumping water and monitoring vulnerable areas.
