Flooding closes in on Thai capital

Thailand has declared a four-day special holiday in parts of the country as it struggles to cope with widespread flooding.

Several provinces are partly under water and the army is shoring up defences to save others including the capital, Bangkok. People have been warned to move into temporary shelters on higher ground.

Floodwater levels are rising in the Don Muang district, site of the capital’s big domestic airport, which also houses the government’s flood crisis centre. which may now have to be relocated.

This is the country’s worst flooding in five decades, affecting nearly 2.5 million people. It has already claimed at least 360 lives. It is thought it could take as long as six weeks for the water to subside.

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