BANGKOK, Sept 29 (Reuters) – Thailand’s flag carrier Thai Airways struggled to resume regular services on Tuesday following heavy rain, though the government said floodwater in the capital Bangkok was expected to recede within three days if no more rain fell.
• Thai Airways plans to cut about 30 flights, about 30% of its planned departures from Bangkok, on Tuesday, the airline’s Chief Executive Chai Eamsiri told reporters.
• The reduction in Thai Airways flights from Bangkok will last for at least three days, he said.
• “Almost 100% of flights over the past two days were delayed, with fewer than 3% on schedule as operational capacity could not be sustained,” he said.
• Bangkok was hit by around 320 mm (12.6 inches) of rain over two to three days last week, nearly as much as the sprawling low-lying city usually gets in the whole of September.
• At least 23 people have been killed across Thailand, including four in Bangkok, due to heavy rains and floods in 42 provinces since September 16, the Thai interior ministry said in a statement.
• Although Bangkok’s main airports kept running through the weekend rain and flooding, some baggage handling operations at Suvarnabhumi Airport were severely impacted, with 69 Thai Air Force personnel called in on Monday to support ground operations of flag carrier Thai Airways.
• Around 5,600 bags from Thai Airways flights remain stranded at the airport, but these would be cleared within 72 hours, according to Chai.
• Thailand’s cabinet has approved over 4 billion baht ($119 million) to address the impact of the floods, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said, adding that another long-term drainage project costing 160 billion baht had also been given the go-ahead.
• Some 1,267 businesses across 40 provinces have been affected by flooding, including 52 factories and 1,162 small and medium enterprises, according to Thailand’s Industry Minister Varawut Silpa-archa.
• Nationwide, economic damage caused by the flooding was estimated at over $320 million.
($1 = 33.5900 baht)
(Reporting by Orathai Sriring and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by David Stanway)
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