Flooding submerges large portions of Thailand

Sukree Sukplang / Reuters

Residents travel on a boat at a flooded street in Ayutthaya province October 14.

Sukree Sukplang / Reuters

A Thai mahout rides his elephant on a flooded street in Ayutthaya province October 14. Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra tried to reassure residents of Bangkok on Friday that the capital should largely escape the flooding that has covered a third of the country since July and caused damage of at least $3 billion.

Damir Sagolj / Reuters

A boy wades through a flooded residential area in Pathum Thani province October 14. Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra tried to reassure residents of Bangkok on Friday that the capital should largely escape the flooding that has covered a third of the country since July and caused damage of at least $3 billion.

Damir Sagolj / Reuters

Thai soldiers help residents crossing a strong stream of floodwaters in Pathum Thani province October 14.

Chaiwat Subprasom / Reuters

Workers repair a collapsed river embankment in the flooded Pathum Thani province, on the outskirts of Bangkok October 14. Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra tried to reassure residents of Bangkok on Friday that the capital should largely escape the flooding that has covered a third of the country since July and caused damage of at least $3 billion.

By John Makely, msnbc.com

From Reuters:

BANGKOK — Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra tried to reassure residents of Bangkok on Friday that the capital should largely escape the flooding that has covered a third of the country since July and caused damage of at least $3 billion.

The north, northeast and center of Thailand have been worst hit and Bangkok -- much of it only two meters (6.5 ft) above sea level -- is threatened at the weekend as water overflows from reservoirs in the north, swelling the Chao Phraya river.

"Bangkok may face some problems in areas that are on the outer sides of the irrigation dikes but water levels will not be too high. But inner Bangkok has extremely high defences," Yingluck told reporters.

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