Officials in Thailand see signs of flood threat easing

By CHALIDA EKVITTHAYAVECHNUKUL
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Officials in Thailand say widespread flooding is easing, allowing the capital Bangkok to avoid serious damage. Eight people had died and one woman was missing when floods fed by a storm a week ago inundated hundreds of thousands of households in 32 of the country’s 77 provinces. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation says floodwaters in 14 provinces, mostly in the north and northeast, are receding while the central region, including Ayutthaya, the historical old capital north of Bangkok, is still facing increasing water levels. Photos from the city showed monks paddling boats in floodwaters around a giant reclining Buddha statue. Dams in the central region reached their capacities last month and were forced to increase the amount of water they release.