Bangkok traffic came to a halt until nearly noon yesterday after torrential rains at dawn left most of the capital heavily flooded.
Congestion was at its worst at ten key intersections where traffic lights had stopped working due to short circuits caused by floods, prompting traffic police to manually direct the cars. Traffic radio station, Jor Sor 100, said more than 400 commuters called to complain about the traffic and report the situation from 6am to noon, when things got better.
Many main thoroughfares in the suburbs and several roads downtown were under at least 40 centimetre of water. The traffic was at a standstill for more than an hour on many roads.
Sanya Cheenimit, director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Drainage and Sewerage Department, said the rain hit 152mm - a record in several years - exceeding the 60mm that the drainage system can handle.
He said flooding in Bangkok and adjacent areas would be worse in September and October, when sea levels will rise and streams from the North reach the capital.
All three major roads on Bangkok's Thon Buri side on the Phra Nakhon side were all heavily flooded and jammed for long hours, including Charan Sanitwong, Issarapharp and several sections of Ratchadaphisek.