Bangkok authorities declared a flood disaster across the Thai capital on Saturday after almost 48 hours of heavy rain left homes, shops and roads waterlogged and residents wading through waist-deep water.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cut short a trip to London to return home after more than 300mm of rain fell in some areas between Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning, according to officials.
Bangkok is no stranger to wet weather, and September is the peak of the rainy season, but several residents said it felt worse than usual.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration declared a disaster across all 50 districts of the city, a move that grants local organisations special powers to act.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said on Saturday afternoon that the situation had "stabilised", adding: "If more rainwater doesn't fall in the area, it will be solved."
Almost continuous rain since Thursday afternoon has swelled Bangkok's network of canals, sending water into surrounding homes, restaurants, shops and alleyways.
Khem Amnueilaph, an office worker who lives in Suan Luang district in eastern Bangkok, said the water in his neighbourhood was "higher than knee level".
Despite hopes that the water will recede, Bangkok authorities said schools would close on Monday, while some officials have been asked to work from home.
The capital recorded 487mm of rain between 1 and 25 September compared to an average of almost 269mm for the same period from 1991 to 2020.
Flooding was also reported on Saturday across 21 provinces in Thailand, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, with more rain expected on Sunday.