Monsoon floods in Thailand have killed 60 people since mid-September, officials said, as surging waters exact an increasing economic toll – destroying homes and crops, killing livestock and flooding factories.
Bangkok buckled at the end of September as 300mm (11.8 inches) of rain – around one month’s worth – hit its creaking drainage system over just three days.
The floodwaters have largely retreated from the capital, giving city officials crucial breathing space to clear the stinking, slurry-like mess left by stagnant water in Bangkok’s east and to dredge canals ahead of renewed storms forecast to roll in from Saturday.
Hundreds of millions of dollars in damage has been done to the capital alone, as homeowners race to apply for complicated government compensation schemes.