All 50 Bangkok districts declared disaster areas amid heavy rain, flooding

All 50 districts of Thailand's capital, Bangkok, have been declared disaster zones amid heavy rain and flooding.

The weather has caused traffic disruptions and affected daily life, with eastern Bangkok among the hardest-hit areas, according to the Bangkok Post.

The declaration allows the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, other state agencies and local administrations to take faster and more coordinated action in affected areas.

Residents were warned via a cell broadcast that water levels in canals, already at critical levels, were expected to rise further.

The Meteorological Department said the unsettled weather was caused by a strong low-pressure system over the lower Central Plains, Bangkok and nearby provinces, along with a strengthening southwest monsoon over the Andaman Sea, the South and the Gulf of Thailand.

Heavy rain is expected nationwide through Sunday, the department warned on Saturday.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said flooding could ease within six hours if no additional rain falls, with pumping stations operating at full capacity.

Residents in some neighborhoods also engaged in panic buying, as they stocked up on essentials amid concerns the flooding could worsen.