AlHijjah 10, 1432, Nov 6, 2011, SPA -- Thailand's worst floods in decades - which have claimed up to 506 lives - began to subside in the central plains over the weekend but continued to batter the capital, Bangkok, according to dpa. Floodwaters in Ayutthaya and Nakhon Sawan provinces, submerged since early October, had largely subsided by Sunday, broadcasters reported, showing televised images of dry roads and people starting to repair their houses. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra visited Nakhon Sawan, about 200 kilometres north of Bangkok, where she delivered 300 million baht (10 million dollars) to the local government to help 70,000 victims. Governor Chairote Meedaeng said about 500 roads, 500 temples and 144,000 hectares of farmland had been damaged by flooding, The Nation website reported. Damage in Ayutthata province, a major industrial hub for the automotive and electrics industries, exceeded 3 billion dollars. The total economic damage from this rainy season's devastating floods has been estimated at up to 16 billion dollars. The adverse impact on Thailand's exports and consumer consumption will shave at least 1 per cent off the country's economic growth this year, the central bank predicted. Over the past three months, floods have claimed 506 lives and left two people missing, and affected the lives of more than 3 million people, according to government data released Sunday. Most of the damage was done last month when the Chao Phraya river burst its banks, flooding 26 central provinces and creating a runoff of more than 10 billion cubic metres of water that moved into Bangkok en route to the Gulf of Thailand. The runoff has flooded about 20 of the capital's 50 districts, but government and city officials have tried to keep the water out of the inner city. By Sunday, knee-deep flooding had reached Chatuchak weekend market, a well-known tourist attraction in northern Bangkok. The market, protected by sand bags, was open but had few visitors. "I'm just here to look at the floods," said one young woman nicknamed Noi, as she waded through the waters with her young daughter. The government has attempted to divert water to the west and east to save central Bangkok, antagonizing some suburban residents. Some annoyed communities have destroyed flood barriers to release water from their areas and into the inner city. Police have guarded a sluice gate since Wednesday, after authorities filled in ditches that irate community members had dug on both sides of the gate to ease flooding on their side of the barrier. "The water has been rising since they fixed the ditches," said Somsak Jitchuen, a community leader. "I don't know how much longer people can stand it. I hear we will be flooded for a month to keep the rest of Bangkok dry." The battle to save Bangkok has also been characterized by disputes between city governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra, a leading member of the Democrat opposition party, and the administration of Prime Minister Yingluck, who heads the ruling Pheu Thai Party. Sukhumbhand has been accusing the government of hindering the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority's flood-fighting efforts by refusing to supply them with pumps. "Now I can smile again," he said after finally being given 24 pumps on Sunday, the Bangkok Post reported. According to an opinion survey of flood-hit people in Bangkok, conducted by Abac Poll, 93.8 per cent said they would like to see both sides stop their quarrel.
