Bangkok’s Don Mueang district is in the process of evacuating today Oct. 27 as floodwaters from northern Thailand flow into the area.
At 1pm, waters had reached the Big C on Phanonyothin Road in Don Mueang and were continuing to seep southward. Further north, Phanonyothin became a river as strong flowing water made the route passable only by large buses and military trucks.
Thai air force cadets outside the sandbagged entrance to Rittiyawannalai school and residential area were leading an evacuation effort – the Royal Thai Air force Headquarters is just nearby. Residents of all ages and sizes – and their cats, dogs, rabbits, and birds – converged on the sandbagged area by small boat, motorbike, and foot to hitch rides down Phanonyothin on the larger vehicles. Despite the calamity, spirits were generally high amongst the evacuees and there was an atmosphere of support. When a truck bed filled up, most evacuees would let it go and patiently wait for the next one. There was no denying an undercurrent of anxiety though, as the waters were noticeably rising around the sandbag barriers.
One of the large trucks full of evacuees heading south passed opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva assessing the situation – roughly half of the group cheered, while the other half booed. Whether those booing were commenting on Abhisit’s recent trip to the Maldives during Thailand’s worst floods in decades is unknown.
An Australian man evacuating on the truck said that he had lived in Thailand for 28 years and never seen flooding like 2011 The man, who lives further up Phanonyothin, said that his home had been slightly flooded for a few days but that today waters began to rush in at an alarming rate. He estimated the water height at his home when he left at roughly 2 meters.
Photos were taken today between 1pm and 3pm.
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