Floods creeping towards bus terminals, subway stations, train lines in Bangkok

People get on a bus at an inundated street in Thai capital Bangkok Nov. 6, 2011

Floodwaters continued to spread in Bangkok, crossing Lat Phrao intersection and beginning to creep towards nearby bus terminals, subway stations and sky train stations.

Although it is on the edge of being flooded, Mor Chit bus terminal, a gateway to northern and northeastern parts of the country, is still operational. Likewise, the subway and sky train stations in the affected area are still operating normally.

According to Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand, all 18 subway stations remained providing services as usual but two of them -- Ratchadapisek and Phaholyothin -- are under closed watch as floodwater keep rising and overflow the first step of the stations' entrance.

Since late Saturday, a two-lane road underneath the Mor Chit sky train station has been inundated but its service has not yet been affected.

The metro stations are protected against two-meter high floods. Floods of 3.5 meters above mean sea level. The sky train service is still available if flood waters rise up to two meters. However, both subway and train services would not be able to continue if the water is higher than two meters.

The outer part of northern Bangkok has started to flood during the last week of October and floodwater have continued to move to inner city. Until present, 13 districts of Bangkok's overall 50 districts have been affected. Authorities have ordered evacuation in eight districts while seven others are under closed watch, forcing some 11,000 evacuees to take shelters at evacuation centers across the city.

Heavy monsoon rains and tropical storms have fueled the country worst floods in over 50 years since late July. More than 500 people were confirmed dead in flood-related incidents while some 9. 4 million suffered. Indulge in the capital city could raise damage cost up to 23 billion to 28 billion U.S. dollars, the recent estimation said.