The government expressed confidence Sunday that Bangkok willescape Thailand's worst flooding in decades, as the capital's elaboratebarriers held strong and floodwaters began receding from submerged plains to thenorth.
Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut said the largest massof runoff water flowing southward had passed through Bangkok's Chao Phrayariver and into the Gulf of Thailand, and that the river's levels would rise nohigher. He stopped short of saying the threat to Bangkok had passed completely.
The capital is being shielded by an elaborate system offlood walls, canals, dikes and underground tunnels. But if any of the defensesfail, floodwaters could begin seeping into the city of 9 million people."People have faith these walls will work," asaffron-robed monk named Pichitchai said as he peaked over stacks of sandbagsadded in recent days to help protect a Buddhist temple along a canal innorthwestern Bangkok. The 36-year-old monk uses only one name.
The agriculture minister said floodwaters in the centralprovinces of Singburi, Angthong and hard-hit Ayutthaya — all just north ofBangkok — have begun to recede, signaling that the pressure on the capitalcould ease. A spokesman for the government's flood relief center, WimRungwattanajinda, said floodwaters have also decreased in Nakhon Sawan provincein the same area.
"People in Bangkok should be at ease that this water isbeing diverted without passing through" the capital, Wim said.
Relentless monsoon rains that began in late July haveaffected two-thirds of the country, drowning agricultural land, swampinghundreds of factories and swallowing low-lying villages along the way.
Nearly 300 people have been killed so far, while more than200 major highways and roads have been shut along with the main rail lines tothe north. The government says property damage and losses could reach $3billion dollars. The most affected provinces are just north of Bangkok,including Ayutthaya, a former capital which is home to ancient and treasuredstone temples. Water there and in other towns has risen in some places six feethigh (two meters high), forcing thousands of people to abandon their homes.
Despite widespread fears that disaster could touch Bangkok,the city has so far been mostly untouched. Heavy rains poured down on thecapital for much of the day Sunday, but life was otherwise normal with shoppingmalls open and elevated trains crisscrossing the city.
Theera, the agriculture minister, told reporters that the "levelof water has already subsided" on the Chao Phraya river. It "will notbe higher than the barriers," he said.
Sean Boonpracong, another spokesman for Bangkok's floodrelief center, said several days of higher-than-normal tides — which haveslowed runoff through the Chao Phraya to the sea — have also eased.
Speaking late Saturday, Bangkok Gov. Sukhumbhand Paribatrasaid he was worried about barriers on the northwest side of the capital, sayingthey were not as strong as in other parts of Bangkok and water could floodaround them and into the city from the west. But on Sunday, he said thesituation was still under control.
Associated Press journalists who traveled to that areaSunday found no serious flooding in the district bordering on neighboring Nonthaburiand Nokhon Pathom provinces. Canals were not overflowing and although someresidents were still reinforcing sandbag walls, few were worried.
Over the last few days, government officials have voicedincreasing confidence the capital would survive without major damage. OnSunday, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra echoed those sentiments again,saying "I believe Bangkok will be safe."
Yingluck spoke just after presiding over a ceremony in whichan armada of more than 1,000 small boats stationed in dozens of spots on theChao Phraya turned on their engines in an effort to help propel water down theriver. It wasn't immediately clear what impact the effort would have.