'Like early days of Covid-19 pandemic': Singaporean says groceries swept off shelves at Bangkok supermarket

As torrential rain continues to batter Bangkok, supermarket shelves are being cleared of groceries and essentials after authorities declared the Thai capital a disaster-affected zone .

He Tingting (transliterated), a 35-year-old Singaporean student at Chulalongkorn University, told 8world News that the torrential rain began on Sept 24, with floodwaters in some areas reaching ankle depth.

When she visited a nearby mall on Saturday (Sept 26), she found long queues at checkout counters and shelves emptied of bread and eggs, while staff members were busy replenishing supplies.

This is the first time she had experienced such severe flooding after living in Bangkok for nine months, said He.

She added that the situation reminded her of the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, as her daily life has not been significantly affected.

She shared that both Bangkok authorities and her university have been sending updates on road closures and the latest developments, though she has not received any notices about class suspensions.

Watcharapong Warutai, a 31-year-old Thai electronics engineer living in Bangkok, told the Chinese publication that residents were caught off guard by the speed of the rising waters, making the situation worse than previous years.

He added that the water levels have made driving difficult and that a nearby convenience store had run out of cup noodles and bread, prompting him to go to a larger supermarket for supplies.

Another TikTok post by user telltale.signs shared on Saturday shows a woman making her way through Bangkok's flooded streets as vehicles struggling along waterlogged roads.

The woman, identified as Cristel in her handle, said that she had flown to Bangkok to support a friend during his competition, unaware of the ongoing rain and heavy floods.

She wrote in the caption: "It makes me think that my problem is so little in comparison to those who live here at this moment. Please stay safe everyone!"

Cristel claimed she waited over two hours for a cab and did not reach her hotel until after midnight, despite landing at 8pm.

@telltale.signs And it makes me think that my problem is so little in comparison to those who live here at this moment. Please stay safe everyone!! 🙏🙏🙏 #bangkokthailand ♬ Saxophones getting louder - Sped Up - AntonioVivald

Bangkok declared disaster zone

Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt declared Thailand's capital city a disaster-affected zone on Saturday after torrential rain led to widespread flooding as the weather forecast thunderstorms over the weekend.

The governor said the crisis "poses a risk to people's lives" and could damage public and private property, and that the situation was most severe near canals.

The government also reportedly issued an emergency advisory that same day for people living near canals to move their possessions to higher ground.

esther.lam@asiaone.com

暴雨持续袭击曼谷，当局宣布泰国首都为灾区后，超市货架上的食品杂货和必需品被抢购一空。

35岁的新加坡籍学生何婷婷（音译）就读于朱拉隆功大学，她告诉8world News，暴雨从9月24日开始，一些地区的洪水水位达到脚踝深。

9 月 26 日星期六，她去附近的一家购物中心购物时，发现收银台前排起了长队，货架上的面包和鸡蛋都被抢购一空，而工作人员正忙着补充货源。

何女士说，这是她在曼谷生活九个月以来第一次经历如此严重的洪水。

她补充说，这种情况让她想起了新冠肺炎疫情初期。不过，她的日常生活并没有受到太大影响。

她表示，曼谷当局和她的大学都一直在发送有关道路封闭和最新进展的通知，但她还没有收到任何关于停课的通知。

居住在曼谷的31岁泰国电子工程师Watcharapong Warutai告诉中国媒体，居民们对水位上涨的速度措手不及，导致今年的情况比往年更加糟糕。

他还补充说，水位上涨导致行车困难，附近一家便利店的杯面和面包都卖光了，所以他不得不去一家更大的超市购买补给。

用户 telltale.signs 周六在 TikTok 上分享的另一条帖子显示，一名女子正穿过曼谷被洪水淹没的街道，车辆在积水的道路上艰难行驶。

该女子网名为 Cristel，她说她飞往曼谷是为了支持朋友参加比赛，却不知道当地正在下雨并发生严重洪灾。

她在配文中写道：“这让我觉得，与此刻生活在这里的人们相比，我的问题是多么微不足道。请大家务必注意安全！”

克里斯特尔声称，她等了两个多小时才等到出租车，尽管晚上 8 点就下了飞机，但直到午夜之后才到达酒店。

@telltale.signs 这让我意识到，与此刻生活在这里的人们相比，我的问题是多么微不足道。请大家务必注意安全！！🙏🙏🙏 #曼谷泰国 ♬ 萨克斯风声越来越大 - 加速 - 安东尼奥·维瓦尔德

曼谷被宣布为灾区

曼谷市长查查特·西提蓬周六宣布泰国首都曼谷为灾区，此前暴雨导致大范围洪水泛滥，而天气预报显示周末将有雷暴天气。

州长表示，这场危机“对人民的生命构成威胁”，可能会损害公共和私人财产，而且运河附近的情况最为严重。

据报道，政府当天还发布紧急通知，要求居住在运河附近的人们将财物转移到地势较高的地方。

esther.lam@asiaone.com