Beleaguered Bangkok braced for more floods

Thailand’s capital is braced for more flooding as water levels rose in some of Bangkok’s northern suburbs and troops raced to fortify defence walls to protect two key industrial zones.

Authorities have taken measures to divert floodwaters flowing from the north away from the city and into the Gulf of Thailand, but the capital was on tenterhooks because of the possibility of heavy rainfall into canals and rivers already full to the brim.

Prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra said authorities were doing everything possible to drive the water out, but were facing a race against time.

“Water is coming from different places and headed in the same direction. We’re trying to build walls but there will be some impact on Bangkok,” Mr Yingluck told reporters, adding that high tide in the Gulf by the end of the week could complicate the situation.

Since late July 356 people have been killed in Thailand’s worst flooding for half a century.