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Bangkok remains on alert for more floods

The Thai capital of Bangkok remains on high alert for more floods, as an unusually high spring tide is expected to peak on Saturday.

Water from the Chao Phraya River and canals started flowing into the central part of the capital during high tide on Friday morning.

Floodwaters also inundated a major Buddhist temple, prompting officials to ban people from entering the popular tourist spot.

Troops placed additional sandbags at the hospital where King Bhumibol Adulyadej is receiving treatment, as floodwater has begun entering the premises. The hospital is among sites given priority for protection by the Thai government.

50,000 military personnel have been mobilized in advance of the spring tide due on Saturday.

Authorities are bracing for the Chao Phraya River to rise further, and the possibility that more areas of central Bangkok will be submerged.

The spreading floods have dealt a heavy blow to tourism, one of the country's key industries.

On Friday, few people were seen on a street lined with hotels and restaurants usually crowded with foreign visitors.

Damage to the country's agricultural centers is also forcing up prices of perishable goods, further aggravating the flood's impact on people's lives.

Friday, October 28, 2011 20:23 +0900 (JST)