As Thai floods recede, more communities clean up

PATHUM THANI, THAILAND

Efforts to clean up areas near Bangkok that were flooded as much as a yard (meter) deep just two weeks ago are gaining pace as the threat of inundation of the Thai capital eases.

Hundreds of volunteers joined monks in gathering flood detritus into garbage bags Tuesday near the massive temple that houses the Dhammakaya Buddhist sect in Pathum Thani province, just north of Bangkok.

Businesses in unaffected parts of central Bangkok are removing their sandbag barriers as it becomes clear that floodwaters have been diverted east and west of the center of the city.

Since July, more than a fifth of the country's 64 million people have been affected by the worst flooding in more than 50 years, leaving at least 606 people dead.