Thailand floods kill 224

Thailand's worst monsoon floods in decades have killed 224 people and affected most of the country, including part of the ancient city of Ayutthaya, officials said on Tuesday.

Reuters/Sukree Sukplang

Two months of flooding have inundated 58 of Thailand's 77 provinces and damaged the homes or livelihoods of millions of people.

Wat Chaiwatthanaram, one of Ayutthaya's best known temples, is closed to visitors after a makeshift dyke was breached.

But authorities are confident they can prevent the floods from reaching Ayutthaya's main World Heritage Park, which is located further away from Chao Phraya River.

The northern city of Chiang Mai, another popular tourist destination, has been badly hit and the authorities are battling to stop the floods reaching central Bangkok.

"The current flood situation is the worst that I have ever seen and it will last until the first week of November," said independent flood expert Royal Chitradon, director of Thai Integrated Water Resource Management.

He said the prolonged flooding in central provinces was caused by roads and cities blocking natural waterways.

Royal said several reservoirs in Thailand are already full and the western
and eastern outskirts of Bangkok are at risk of flooding because of another
approaching tropical storm.

Last week the government announced the deployment of about 10,000 soldiers,
backed by 500 military vehicles and more than 100 boats, to help victims.