As floodwaters continue to rise, Thai officials have said they have little hope of resisting the oncoming deluge, the worst of which had yet to reach the country’s capital.
“The flooding is beyond our control now,” said Pracha Promnog, the head of the government’s flood relief operations. “The main wave of water hasn’t arrived in Bangkok yet.”
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra separately said yesterday there was only a 50-50 chance the three metre deep floodwaters heading for Bangkok could be diverted, and if efforts failed, the city could be underwater for as long as a month.
Officials have forecast a 1.1 per cent contraction of the Thai economy in the fourth quarter as a result of the flooding, and cut full year growth from a previously predicted 3.7 per cent to around 2 per cent.
While government relief efforts have continued, retail chain Tesco Lotus has also put its shoulder to the wheel. Despite being forced to close around 30 of its outlets because of the flooding, the retailer has been busy distributing aid.
“We’ve donated emergency supplies to 2,000 people in affected areas and provided over Bt20m of financial aid including 3,000 relief packs as well as food, temporary accommodation and transportation,” said Tesco in a statement.
The flooding has had a significant impact on Thailand’s fresh produce market, with consumers not spending on perceived luxuries such as fruit.
“People have to save money for restoring their homes. There’s been a lot of damage this year and people are less inclined to spend money on buying fresh produce,” Woradech Chaiworapoj of importer Thongchai Intertrading told Asiafruit Magazine.
He added that disruptions to the supply chain and store closures are another hindrance to the trade.
