Bangkok was hit by about 320 mm of rain in three days, almost the total the city usually receives during the whole month of September.

Since September 16, at least 23 people have died across Thailand, with four of those deaths occurring in Bangkok, according to the Interior Ministry.

The heavy downpour overwhelmed Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand’s largest hub. Thai Airways said half of its staff could not get to work, creating chaos on the tarmac. The airline announced it would cut roughly 30 flights – about 30 % of its scheduled departures from Bangkok – and said about 5,600 bags were left stranded at the airport.

Thai Airways chief executive Chai Eamsiri explained that almost all flights in the previous two days were delayed, with fewer than three per cent running on time, and that the reduced schedule would last at least three days.

In response, Thailand’s cabinet approved more than 4 billion baht (about $168 million) in flood‑relief aid, and Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced a 160‑billion‑baht, eight‑year drainage project aimed at improving flood protection for Bangkok and surrounding areas.

The disruptions come at a time when tourism already struggles; the flood damage threatens the sector that brings billions of dollars to the economy each year.