Stress, anxiety as Bangkok residents wait for the worst

A surreal atmosphere hangs over Bangkok, as residents continue to play the waiting game, trying to make sense of the mixed messages broadcast hourly by officials monitoring the flood situation. 

In most cases, when disaster strikes, a nation has little, if any, warning.

Bangkok would seem to have the opposite problem.

For more than two weeks, city residents have been told to prepare for the worst, as the government fights to divert waters surging in from the flooded central plains around the city.  

With tension mounting, certain areas of the city are finally seeing waters flooding the streets now that officials have opened up sluice gates and canals to ease the pressure. 

But the waiting is taking its toll on many. Frustration is the most common emotion expressed by residents not yet affected by the floods.  

"There is a certain amount of anxiety and panic in the city, mainly because of conflicting reports coming out from the government, and the TV images of flooded towns and communities to the north," said blogger Richard Barrow, who has been keeping locals and tourists up-to-date on the situation through his Thaitravelblogs.com site and on Twitter. 

"People are also very stressed as they are constantly on flood watch. We just don't know if the flood will come and if it does, we don't know how deep it will be. We fear the worst, but hope for the best." 

For now, all people can do is heed the Thai government’s warning to move their belongings to high ground and hope their homes aren’t hit hard if and when the run-off waters from the north spread through the city. 

Floods, what floods? 

While Bangkok’s Don Muang district is the latest area to witness flooding, in the city center, home to luxury malls such as Siam Paragon and CentralWorld, it’s retail madness as usual. 

Tourists and locals continue to shop, while the BTS Skytrain and MRT subway operate as normal. 

Yet the heaps of sandbags piled up outside businesses provide a constant reminder that the threat is being taken seriously.  

For now, it’s the inconveniences that are dogging most inner-city residents. Water and food shortages are widespread, with most supermarkets and convenience stores lacking items such as eggs, water and instant noodles, due to supply chain disruptions and increased demand as people stockpile in anticipation of the worst. 

Tourists continue to party

On guesthouse-heavy Khao San Road, where many international backpackers come to sleep and hang out with fellow travelers, the party hasn't stopped.

"Khao San Road was as lively as ever last night, with throngs of rowdy travelers getting into the rugby and then the football after that, either unaware of or unperturbed by the flooding situation," said Bangkok resident Matt Crook, who was on Khao San Road on Sunday night. "Just five minutes' walk up the road on Samsen, locals were busy sandbagging their homes and businesses as water sloshed onto the sidewalk."

Australian tourist Phil is from Brisbane, a city that dealt with its own flood disaster earlier this year. Though he's been in Bangkok only for a few days, Phil says that he's unconcerned about flood warnings. 

"In Brisbane we dealt with floods and it wasn't as bad as it seemed originally," he said. "I was worried before I got to Bangkok, but now that I'm here and see things for myself I'm fine.

"If it gets worse, it gets worse. In Brisbane, we learned the only thing you can really do during times like these is pitch in and help."  

Barrow said that many tourists are misled by the fact that some international media are painting a picture of doom and gloom for Bangkok, “even giving the impression that we are already underwater." 

“Although it is tragic what has happened to the areas outside of the capital, the truth is, the majority of inner Bangkok is dry and business goes on as normal," he said. "The only flooding we have had so far is from high tide along the river and after big storms. All of this is perfectly normal for the rainy season and nothing to write home about. 

“Yesterday [Sunday] I drove around many of the tourist attractions in Bangkok and didn't come across any flooding at all. Though compared to last week, more people have prepared sandbags and concrete walls in front of their shops and homes." 

More on CNNGo: Bangkok on high alert

Helping those in need

Despite the stress and the uncertainty, thousands are spending their spare time volunteering at Bangkok's various evacuation centers in temples, schools and other buildings, such as the Don Muang Airport.

Paron Mead, a Thai art teacher in Bangkok, volunteered at the city's Chulalongkorn University on the weekend.

“Initially, it was a vague desire to do something about the floods a little more involved than a financial contribution,” he said. “I wasn't entirely sure if that would be fulfilling, but it was. I left feeling very united in cause with a room of Thai folks."  

Paron says not everyone had jobs all the time and some participants lost interest and drifted away, but most were happy to stand on a spot and pass food parcels down a line of people -- even if the line was shoulder-to-shoulder. 

“Most of the volunteers appeared to be either uni students or friends of the students," he said. "It was a social call as well as a charitable one. The mood was light, much sound of laughter and people moving in and out as they pleased.”

While many are helping put together aid packages for those affected, others have opened their homes to those in need of places to stay. 

Nonthaburi resident Torjate, 30, lives in a housing estate on Rattanathibet Road on the outskirts of Bangkok. He was forced to evacuate last Thursday when his house was hit by rising waters and is now staying with family in Chonburi.

"On the morning of the day I left, the water was about 20 centimeters," he recalled. "That afternoon it was up to 40 centimeters. I recently called to check and now it's about one meter. I'm now worried about our posessions ... we moved things to the top floor but people could still come in and steal stuff. That's a widespread problem now."   

Bangkok writer Jason Gagliardi, who recently bought a home in Nonthaburi, was also forced to evacuate last week.

He's now staying with a friend, and has no idea when he’ll be able to return home.

"In the time it took to sling my packed bags over my shoulders and unlock the front gate, the waters had already risen two inches and covered my floor," he said. "My wife and I had only just bought our house in the northern Bangkok district of Nonthaburi. We moved in three months ago.

"As I slogged more than three kilometers to dry land, the waters rose from my knee to my thigh to almost my waist in places."

To visit or not

Advising tourists on whether or not to cancel their plans has proven to be a tricky proposition. 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand is playing down the threat of the floods, stressing that only the outer parts of Bangkok are affected. City hotels are taking a similar stance, with many pointing out on their websites that the city is operating as normal.   

"At this moment in time, Bangkok is still alright for travelers who can think on their feet." -- Blogger Richard Barrow

Travel blogger Barrow said he’s been getting several hundred inquiries a day from tourists, and recommended that for now tourists would be better off postponing their holidays in Bangkok. 

“If they cannot cancel then I suggest that they fly or take a bus to alternative holiday destinations in Thailand,” he said. “Places like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Sukhothai in the north, Kanchanaburi to the west, Hua Hin, Pattaya and Rayong to the east, and Samui, Phuket and Krabi in the south are not affected by these floods. 

“At this moment in time, Bangkok is still alright for experienced travelers who can think on their feet. The majority of tourist attractions are still open as well as all the big shopping malls." 

But, he said, the situation could change and travelers need to be prepared with alternatives plans.

"Food and water shortages could be a problem, so it is not advisable for families with young children or elderly people to visit Bangkok during this uncertain time."

On Monday, travel website Travelfish.org posted its latest article on the flood situation, saying tourists shouldn’t cancel their trips to Thailand completely, but should take extra precautions if they do decide to spend time in Bangkok.

The site offers a list of tips for travellers who are visiting the city during the flood crisis.

For many Bangkok residents, holidays are the last thing on their minds. 

“October is the time of school holidays for much of Thailand and families usually go away for a relaxing time on the beach or head to the mountains," said Barrow.

"Most of my neighbors have cancelled their holidays, as they were worried about their property. Two weeks later the floods still haven't come, but the stress is still there. We try to get on with our normal lives but there is always the worry of what will happen next.”