Flooding in Thailand

The massive body of water now surrounding Bangkok is continuing its long, destructive trip toward the ocean. The flood is the result of the heavy monsoon rains that drenched Southeast Asia four months ago, leaving Thailand and neighboring countries submerged and claiming more than 1,000 lives across the region. The waters that inundated Ayutthaya to the north of Bangkok have largely receded, but suburbs to the south and west remain under threat, with evacuation notices still being issued. Central Bangkok appears to have been spared the worst of the flooding, due in part to a protective wall of sandbags some 6 km (3.7 mi) long. Throughout the surrounding area, many thousands remain in evacuation centers, or with friends and family, waiting for the worst flooding in decades to recede. Collected here are images from Thailand over the past two weeks.



A Buddha head in the roots of a Bodhi tree is partially submerged by floodwaters in the ruins of Wat Mahathat temple in Thailand's ancient capital, Ayutthaya, on November 6, 2011. The floods in Thailand began in July and have devastated large parts of the central Chao Phraya river basin, killed more than 500 people and disrupted the lives of more than two million.





A Thai commando watches as villagers of the Don Muaeng district in Bangkok, Thailand, remove sand bags from barriers to ease flooding in their residential areas, on November 13, 2011. The barriers were built to hold the floodwater back from surging to inner city areas. Bangkok authorities have told more residents to leave as floodwaters threaten southwestern neighborhoods in the Thai capital.





Vehicles are parked on a bridge in a flooded residential area in Bangkok's suburbs, on November 14, 2011.





A Thai mahout rides on an elephant while holding a krathong during celebrations for the annual Loy Krathong festival in Ayutthaya province, on November 10, 2011. Believers float krathongs in rivers, canals or ponds during the festival, which is held as a symbolic apology to the goddess of the river. Ayutthaya province, the site of World Heritage-listed temples as well as five damaged industrial estates, is starting to see floodwater recede after about six weeks, allowing a clean-up to begin.







Vehicles are submerged at the Honda factory in Ayutthaya province, on November 14, 2011. Clean-up work is underway at four industrial estates in Thailand's central Ayutthaya province as water has receded after devastating floods last month, and some factories are already back at work, officials said on Monday. Honda Motor Co, the hardest hit of the Japanese car firms, said it would take longer for its production to be up and running again.







Residents staying in concrete blocks, meant to be used in the construction of an elevated train system, pass the time in a flooded area on the outskirts of Bangkok, on November 11, 2011.





Thai soldiers helping commuters moving through flooded area wear protection from dirty water in Bangkok, on November 10, 2011. Thai consumer confidence fell to a 10-year low in October because of flooding that has taken more than 500 lives and shut thousands of factories, with another industrial estate threatened on Thursday as water spread in the east of the capital, Bangkok.







A Thai man enjoys his drink -- set before him on a floating refrigerator door -- as he sits outside his house in fetid floodwaters in a neighborhood in Bangkok, on November 3, 2011.







Aid workers stand around floating refrigerators outside a flooded appliance store in Bangkok, on November 14, 2011.