Bangkok: After the Flood, Disease Fears Stalk Thai Capital

October 31, 2011 from Al Jazeera English

With peak tides passing, Thai government efforts to protect central Bangkok seem to have worked, as the commercial districts of the capital remain relatively unaffected by the nation's worst flooding in a decade. Outside Bangkok, however, floodwaters remain. In many areas that water is full of rubbish. The polluted waters just kilometers from Bangkok raise new fears of water-borne diseases. Al Jazeera's Wayne Hay reports from Bangkok.

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Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital and the most populous city of Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep. The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres in the Chao Phraya River delta in Central Thailand, and has a population of over eight million, or 12.... Explore this topic

Flood

A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land which is normally dry. The European Union Floods Directive defines a flood as a covering by water of land not normally covered by water. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide.... Explore this topic

Thailand

Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand, formerly known as Siam, is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Mala... Explore this topic

Waterborne diseases

Waterborne diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms that most commonly are transmitted in contaminated fresh water. Infection commonly results during bathing, washing, drinking, in the preparation of food, or the consumption of food thus infected. Various forms of wate... Explore this topic

Natural disaster

A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth; examples include floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other geologic processes. A natural disaster can cause loss of life or property damage, and typically leaves some ... Explore this topic

Water pollution

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies. Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds. Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of w... Explore this topic

Government of Thailand

The Royal Thai Government or the Government of Thailand is the unitary government of the Kingdom of Thailand. Thailand has been a constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy system since 1932. The country has existed in some form since the 13th century, but the cou... Explore this topic

Economy of Thailand

The economy of Thailand is a newly industrialized economy. It is a heavily export-dependent economy, with exports accounting for more than two thirds of gross domestic product (GDP). Recently, Thailand experienced GDP growth by 7.8% in 2010 making it one of the fastest growing... Explore this topic

Environment

Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements. Environ... Explore this topic

Al Jazeera English

Al Jazeera English is an international 24-hour English-language news and current affairs TV channel headquartered in Doha, Qatar. It is the sister channel of the Arabic-language Al Jazeera. The station broadcasts news features and analysis, documentaries, live debates, current... Explore this topic

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