High tides test Bangkok’s flood defences

High tides are putting flood defences to the test in Bangkok as Thailand battles its worst floods in over half a century.

At least 377 people have been killed since heavier-than-usual monsoon rains began in July.

The floodwaters cover about 1.6 million hectares — an area roughly the size of Kuwait.

Thailand’s prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra says water levels around the capital should drop next week.

“If things go on like this, we expect floodwater in Bangkok to recede within the first week of November,” she said on national television.

Many residents have fled city amid transport difficulties and shortages of certain food items.

An estimated 110,000 people nationwide have been displaced by the floods with northern and central Thailand being the worth affected areas.

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