BANGKOK — The seas will be rough and the streets soaked through Friday as a tropical depression continues afflicting Thailand with the monsoon blues.
Tropical depression Vamco will continue its meteorological mission to saturate Bangkok and other parts of Thailand through the rest of the week, the Meteorological Department said, after causing sporadic havoc since arriving yesterday.
The capital city will experience heavy rain through Friday, including some gusty winds, according to forecasts. Fishermen and boat operators in coastline provinces have been warned of rough seas.
"All ships in the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand should proceed with caution and small boats keep inshore," the meteorological department warned.
A Three-Hour Tour: Passengers were stuck on a Koh Lan-Pattaya ferry for several hours today due to the weather.
Particularly heavy traffic jams and some brief flooding were reported in some parts of Bangkok today. As a precaution, officials in eastern metro Bangkok province of Samut Prakarn ordered inspection of drains and sewage to ensure all the water had a place to go.
Kangwan Deesuwan, director of Bangkok's Department of Drainage and Sewage, said city workers are closely monitoring the situation and will respond to any flooding as soon as possible.
He also warned motorists not to risk driving through flooded areas.
"If we found any area that is flooded, we will close the road down, and dispatch police and soldiers to assist the people," Kangwan told Thai Rath newspaper yesterday.
Meanwhile, local authorities in the resort town of Pattaya had to dispatch a ship to pick up foreign tourists who were stranded for several hours on Koh Laan, a small island just off the coast of the seaside town. Bad weather and high waves prevented smaller ferry boats from bringing the tourists back to the mainland.
To reach us about this article or another matter, please contact us by e-mail at: [email protected].
