Is Bangkok flooded yet?

Q: Is it flooded in Bangkok? I am coming to Bangkok on October 29, and will be staying in the Sukhumvit area. What’s the situation at the moment? Thanks for the info, Tommy
A: It’s good that you are taking time to check the local news before travelling. Not many people know what they are coming out to, as there has been little international exposure.
To answer your question, it’s difficult to forecast the situation in Bangkok next week. Right now, most of central Thailand, especially provinces north of Bangkok like Ayutthaya, Nakhon Sawan, Sing Buri, Lop Buri, Uthai Thani, Chainat and Pathum Thani, are heavily flooded. At this point, there isn’t any widespread flooding in the city, although there is occasional flash flooding caused by heavy rainfall in some areas, which lasts for a few hours. So far, no flooding has affected tourists within the city itself.
Water management and drainage capacity in Bangkok will determine how serious the situation will be. Other factors include the amount of rainfall and high tides. According to the 24/7 Emergency Operations Centre for Floods, Storms and Landslides, pushing water out to sea will become much more difficult later this month as the seawater level rises, particularly from October 16-18. So this period will be the most critical for the capital. It’s best to keep up with the news for now. I hope Bangkok will be safe and the rest of Thailand will recover from the floods too.
 
Q: We will be arriving Bangkok on Sunday morning and leaving for the north on Tuesday. As it’s the only weekend we have in Bangkok, we want to visit Chatuchak weekend market after checking in at our hotel. We’ll be staying in Silom. What’s the best time to go to the market, and what time does the market close on Sunday?
A: If you stay in Silom, it’s possible to get to the weekend market by either Skytrain or the underground train. If you’re arriving off a long haul flight, you may want to rest and have lunch before heading off. The market closes about 6pm and if you just want to visit and browse through the clothes and souvenir sections, two to three hours there should suffice. If so, you can get to the Chatuchak market around 3pm.
In fact, the market is very large, covering an area of 27 acres and divided into 27 sections containing more than 15,000 booths.
As you may know, almost everything can be found. There are no tourist prices at Chatuchak as far as I know. You can find goods from antique woodcarvings, souvenirs from every parts of Thailand, pets, furniture, plants, clothes and accessories.
It’s best to choose the area you want and go straight there, otherwise you risk walking aimlessly in the vast market until dark.