Bangkok’s nightlife scene slowly is getting back to normal as Thailand flooding eased across much of the capital Monday.
While several northern and eastern districts remained badly inundated due to Thailand flooding dozens of roads still carrying dangerous levels of water, the rain that battered Bangkok for three days finally has abated.
The city’s three main red-light districts – Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy and Patpong – escaped serious Thailand flooding, along with much of the Nana, Asok and Sala Daeng areas, although Soi 4 always floods badly during heavy rain. It usually drains quickly, however.
The bigger disruption from the Thailand flooding came farther east, where flooding around Thonglor, Ekkamai and surrounding roads made it difficult for customers and staff to reach bars, clubs and restaurants over the weekend.
Ekkamai was among the harder-hit nightlife areas, with sections of Sukhumvit Soi 63 and nearby New Phetchaburi Road badly flooded Saturday. Thonglor also saw Thailand flooding and access problems, although residents reported conditions there had improved substantially by Sunday.
Customers But No Staff
There were plenty of customers on Soi Cowboy Saturday night after rain tapered off to just drizzle. Crazy House had a full ground floor open. Shark was busy, if not packed. Suzie Wong was rammed during its stupid-pussy-tricks shows, but thinned out afterward.
While there were plenty of patrons there were noticeably fewer girls, as the majority live in lower-rent areas hit hardest by Thailand flooding.
Butterflies in Nana Plaza closed Saturday night due to insufficient number of ladies. Butterflies is the plaza’s largest bar and if only a couple dozen come to work, it looks empty. Instead, management moved the staff that did show up to Billboard, which created a banger of a party vibe.
Shark on Soi Cowboy also suffered from a lack of dancers, although those who did make it in did well with the customers who filled the seats.
Thailand Flooding Improves
Monday’s improvement in the Thailand flooding emergency showed clearly in Bangkok’s live flood monitoring system. At 2:40 p.m. Monday, sensors recorded flooding at 39 locations, down from 47 at 1:40 p.m. Sunday. The number of sensors reporting normal conditions rose from 87 to 95.
Bangkok also cut its list of roads motorists should avoid from 30 on Sunday afternoon to 25 on Monday. One additional road, Lat Phrao Wang Hin, remained under a drive-slowly warning because of shallow flooding.
The rain and Thailand flooding largely stopped across the metropolitan area Monday, and the sun made a limited appearance during the afternoon for the first time since Wednesday. That gave pumps, canals and drainage systems time to move water without another major downpour immediately replacing it.
Bangkok Dries Out, but Flooding Remains Widespread
The city’s Monday afternoon readings showed 30 sensor locations with high water, seven with moderate flooding and two with minor flooding. That remained a serious road problem, but the numbers marked a clear improvement from Sunday.
Sukhumvit 71 at Khlong Tan returned to normal after previously showing about 20 centimeters of water. Water levels also fell on sections of Lat Krabang, Phahonyothin, Prasert-Manukitch and Chaloem Phrakiat Ratchakan Thi 9.
Several roads remained under significant water from the Thailand flooding. Four sensors on Ramkhamhaeng Road in Bang Kapi continued to show 20 centimeters or more, while Srinakarin and Lat Phrao each had multiple locations at about 20 centimeters. Parts of Ramintra, Hua Mak, Vibhavadi Rangsit, Luang Phaeng, On Nut and Phatthanakan also remained on the avoid list.
The city’s Thailand flooding sensor network does not cover every street. A separate 10 a.m. road report listed 61 flooded road sections and communities, including parts of Ramkhamhaeng, Srinakarin, Nawamin, Suwinthawong, Lat Phrao, Chaeng Watthana, Phahonyothin and several residential areas.
Some roads on that wider list were already passable Monday, while others remained under deep water.
Eastern and Northern Bangkok Still Face Serious Thailand Flooding
The worst Thailand flooding conditions remained concentrated in low-lying parts of eastern and northern Bangkok, where water drains more slowly through canals already swollen by several days of rain.
Ramkhamhaeng, Bang Kapi, Min Buri, Lat Krabang, Saphan Mai and parts of Bang Khen continued to report deep flooding Monday. Several housing estates and smaller communities also remained surrounded by water even as major roads elsewhere reopened.
Thai PBS reported that parts of the Khlong Chan housing estate remained under about 1.5 meters of water, with electricity cut in some areas for safety. Residents in several badly flooded communities continued relying on boats or high-clearance vehicles.
Thailand flooding relief operations also continued in Lat Krabang and other eastern districts, where authorities were delivering food, drinking water and other supplies to people unable to leave flooded neighborhoods.
Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt said the weather system responsible for the Thailand flooding had moved away from the capital. City officials said about 329,000 households and roughly 700,000 people in Bangkok had been affected by the Thailand flooding.
Pumps continued operating across the city Monday, while officials lowered water levels in major drainage canals including Khlong Saen Saep, Khlong Lat Phrao, Khlong Prawet Buri Rom and Khlong Prem Prachakorn.
Government Declares Two-Day Bangkok Metro Holiday
Thailand flooding prompted the government to declare Sept. 28 and 29 special holidays for government offices in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan.
The move aims to reduce traffic while drainage crews clear roads and emergency teams continue operating in flooded districts. Essential government services remain open, while state enterprises, banks and private employers can decide whether to close.
The government announcement covers the four-province Bangkok metropolitan area most affected by the flooding.
Schools also closed across much of the region. Bangkok authorities said 148 of the city’s 437 municipal schools had suffered some degree of flood impact.
With many workers and students staying home Monday due to Thailand flooding, traffic on several normally congested routes dropped sharply, giving city crews easier access to pumps, drains and flooded streets.
Rain Moves Away From Bangkok
The Thai Meteorological Department said the low-pressure system that produced the Thailand flooding had moved away from the capital toward the Gulf of Martaban, shifting the heaviest rainfall north and west.
Bangkok still faces more showers. The Meteorological Department’s forecast calls for scattered rain and thunderstorms Tuesday, followed by additional showers during the week.
The immediate Thailand flooding threat, however, has changed. Bangkok no longer faces the continuous heavy rain that overwhelmed drainage systems from Thursday through the weekend, giving water levels a chance to fall.
Another strong downpour could still cause problems quickly. Canals remain high, the ground is saturated and large amounts of standing water remain in some districts.
The flood emergency also extends far beyond Bangkok. National disaster officials reported flooding across more than two dozen provinces Monday, affecting well over 1 million people as heavy rain shifted into other parts of the country.
For Bangkok, Monday brought the first sustained signs of recovery since the flooding began Sept. 25. Many central and western areas are drying rapidly, traffic has resumed on roads that were underwater over the weekend and the city’s monitoring network shows fewer flooded locations.
Residents in Bang Kapi, Min Buri, Lat Krabang, Bang Khen and other hard-hit districts face a slower recovery. Bangkok authorities continue to advise motorists to check the live flood map before traveling because conditions can vary sharply from one road to the next.
