Thai Floods Kill 224

About 224 people have died in flooding in Thailand since mid-July and water has inundated the 400 year-old Chai Wattanaram temple in the ancident city of Ayutthaya, a World Heritage Site.

Officials said on Tuesday that the temple is by the Chao Phraya river, which floods down to the capital, Bangkok, around 105 km to the south.

“The water level is now up to 1.5 meteres and 150 soldiers are deployed in the area to fix the embankment”, said Wittaya Pewpong, governor of Ayutthaya province.

He said more than 200 of the 500 ancient temples in the province had been affected by floods.

Thailand has been hit by massive flooding caused by a tropical storm followed by seasonal monsoon rains, which usually fall from August to October.

Culture Minister, Sukumol Kunplone put the damage to historical sites around the country at least 3.2 million dollars.

Flooding has also affected Bangkok, which sits only two metres above sea level and the Chao Phraya river has overflowed into roads in some areas, although the authorities have reinforced its banks to prevent serious flooding.

Several trains to the north had been suspended because of the flooding, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said.

Nearly 1.2 million hectares of farmland was under water and the meteorological Department has warned of more heavy rain in many parts of the country over the next few days.