Listen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated using AI-based technology. Pronunciation errors may occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve results. The death toll from rains and floods in Thailand has risen to 23, authorities said Tuesday. The waters receded in the hard-hit capital Bangkok, where its main airport was operating in chaos, and the government approved a multibillion-dollar aid package. Bangkok was deluged by around 320mm of rain in three days last week, almost as much as the sprawling low-lying metropolis usually receives in all of September. (Patipat Janthong/Reuters) City governor Chadchart Sittipunt said he expected flood water to drain from Bangkok’s main roads within two days, although it will take up to a week to clear other flooded areas. “Recovery efforts are underway in areas where the water has receded,” he said. People walk through a flooded street in Bangkok on Monday. (Sakchai Lalit/The Associated Press) Across the country, at least 23 people have died since Sept. 16, including four in Bangkok, according to the Interior Ministry. Bangkok was one of 42 provinces affected, with the floods causing an estimated C$520 million in damage across two dozen provinces and threatening to disrupt the tourism-dependent economy. People visit a flooded fresh food market in Bangkok’s Bang Kapi district on Monday. (Chanakarn Laosarakham/AFP/Getty Images)While Bangkok’s main airports continued to operate, chaos ensued at Suvarnabhumi airport, the country’s largest, where Thai Airways said its operations were paralyzed because half of its staff could not come to work.WATCH | Browsing a makeshift floating market: Bangkok vendors and shoppers walk through a flooded market People in Bangkok, faced with floodwaters that inundated parts of the Thai capital after heavy rains over the weekend, navigated a makeshift floating market on Monday to buy essential goods at temporary stalls. The major airline said it plans to cut about 30 flights (about 30 percent of its planned departures from Bangkok) on Tuesday, even as it dealt with about 5,600 bags from its flights. who remain stranded in Suvarnabhumi. Rows of undelivered luggage sit in the arrival hall at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakan, Thailand, on Tuesday. (Sakchai Lalit/The Associated Press) “Almost 100 percent of flights in the past two days were delayed, with less than three percent of what was planned because operational capacity could not be maintained,” Thai Airways CEO Chai Eamsiri said, adding that a reduction in the airline’s flights from Bangkok will last at least three days. After flying from Azerbaijan, Emir Demiroez was frantically searching for his suitcases at the airport so he could catch his next flight. to Malaysia. “No one knows anything. No one can help us. We can’t find our luggage,” he said. “We have our second flight at 2:00 p.m., but I don’t know if we will take it.” Airport staff during a briefing to address passengers affected by the flood, at Suvarnabhumi Airport, on Tuesday. (Sirachai Arunrugstichai/Getty Images) Although the inability of many employees to report to work disrupted operations, Thailand’s Tourism Minister said Thai Airways also assigned its own employees to serve other airlines to which it provides contracted ground handling services to avoid facing fines. “This damages the image of the country,” Surasak Phancharoenworakul told reporters, singling out the airline for reprimand. “We need to discuss how the administration needs to work more proactively,” Surasak said. “If you don’t want to do the job, then resign.” Thai Airways did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Surasak’s comments. 21.28 million visitors. At a meeting on Tuesday, Thailand’s cabinet approved more than 4 billion baht ($168 million) to address the impact of the floods, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said, adding that another long-term drainage project costing 160 billion baht ($6.8 billion) had also been given the green light. A fish vendor, with his supplies for sale on a floating platform, navigates a flooded market in Bangkok on Monday. (Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters) The project will take eight years to complete, he said, adding that it aims to improve flood protection in the central region, Bangkok and surrounding areas.
