Australians warned against travel to Thailand amid deadly flooding

Australians have been warned against trips to certain parts of Thailand after weeks of torrential rain triggered deadly flooding.

It comes after the Thai government approved 4.1 billion baht ($174.5 million) in emergency funding after the natural disaster impacted about 2.6 million people.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) issued updated advice through it’s SmartTraveller site, telling travellers to “exercise a high degree of caution” in the country.

“Heavy rain and flooding has occurred across Thailand. Landslides and flash flooding can occur without warning,” it warned.

“These may affect flights, luggage handling, roads, power, transport and phone services.

“[Bangkok’s] Suvarnabhumi Airport is experiencing delays to airport services including flights and luggage handling. Check with your airline or tour company before travelling.”

Thailand’s main airport, Suvarnabhumi, was struggling with a major baggage backlog after it had been struck with flight cancellations.

The Thai Air Force said it had sent personnel to the airport to assist with the luggage problem, which Thai Airways attributed in part to staff shortages caused by the flooding.

“I sincerely apologise to all passengers for the inconvenience caused. Thai Airways is making every effort to ensure that passengers are reunited with their baggage as soon as possible,” the airline’s chief executive, Chai Eamsiri, said.

The airline also cancelled more than 10 of its domestic and international flights on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Emergency response

The deluge had battered the country since mid-September, causing widespread flooding and claiming 19 lives, four of those in Bangkok.

Residents in 29 out of Thailand’s 76 provinces remained impacted by the floods on Tuesday, officials said.

While the rain has largely stopped in Bangkok, some neighbourhoods, particularly in the east, are still inundated. The city’s governor, Chadchart Sittipunt, said traffic should return to normal on most main roads within two days, although in some low-lying areas it could take up to seven days for roads to dry out.

Heavy rain was forecast elsewhere in Thailand for Tuesday, the Thailand Meteorological Department said.

Industry Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said the flooding had caused an estimated 22 million baht (about $938,000) in damage to businesses nationwide.

Neighbouring countries also lashed by rain

Neighbouring countries have also been battered by the floods.

In Myanmar, at least 10 people were killed and dozens were missing after heavy rain triggered widespread flooding and landslides in the southern coastal region of Tanintharyi, local media reported.

Flash floods also struck at least 10 provinces in Cambodia, affecting 44,889 families and forcing nearly 4000 people to evacuate, according to disaster management officials. At the centuries-old Angkor temple complex, workers were opening water gates and diversion systems to reduce the risk of flooding at the archeological site.

The Australian government has also issued a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for the Thailand-Cambodia border region, but this is not due to the weather.

“We advise do not travel to areas within 10 kilometres of the Thailand-Cambodia land border in the provinces of Sa Kaeo, Buriram, Si Saket, Surin, Ubon Ratchathani, Chanthaburi and mainland Trat due to armed clashes between Thai and Cambodian forces, which included military strikes and violence, and the presence of landmines,” they said.

- Reported with Associated Press.